SUMMARY

Issue for Discussion

              How can the Board of Regents policy provide increased flexibility for students to better access career and technical education (CTE) programs? Should the Board endorse a new policy direction to create a system to expand the number of programs, increase the number of partnerships with colleges, and examine CTE assessments?

Reason(s) for Consideration

Review of Policy.

Proposed Handling

This question will come before the Regents EMSC-VESID Committee for discussion at its December 2007 meeting.

Procedural History

Recognizing the important role of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in New York State’s education reform efforts, the Board of Regents established a policy on career and technical education in February 2001. Periodic reports are presented on implementation of the policy.

Background Information

The attached report is an update on that policy, including:

• How CTE programs contribute to closing the achievement gap;
• Program quality, and
• Enrollment data.

The report also suggests future policy directions for the Regents consideration, to expand the availability of quality CTE programs and respond to challenges faced by school districts offering these programs.

Recommendation

The Board of Regents should consider new policy directions to identify strategies to expand access to CTE programs.

Timetable for Implementation

We will launch key initiatives in January 2008.
How Does Career and Technical Education (CTE) Contribute to Closing the Achievement Gap?

Data Trends

An analysis of data collected by the Department (as reflected in Charts 1 and 2) shows the effectiveness of these programs. 

• Students who complete their CTE programs at a BOCES graduate at higher rates than the state average (the average graduation rate of BOCES CTE program completers was 91 percent in 2005 while the overall graduation rate for the State was 66 percent).

• CTE students’ performance is comparable to their non-CTE peers in the required Regents examinations—illustrating that the added courses do not appear to detract from overall performance. It is also noteworthy that CTE performance is strongest in areas in which CTE is offered through integrated academics: English, mathematics and science.

Chart 1

 Graduation Rates of CTE Students vs. Non-CTE Students in the 2002 Cohort

Source: STEP data 10/07

Chart 2

Independent Analysis

A recent independent study of New York State Career and Technical Education          programs found the following:

• CTE leaver rate declined over the study’s two-year period, while the State’s high school dropout rate was on the rise. The report indicated that minority and special education students were more likely to stay in school when they were enrolled in CTE programs.

• The CTE approach works. The study indicated that dual credit offered within a coherent sequence had a greater impact on CTE students’ decisions to attend college than “stand-alone” college credit.

• CTE promotes clarity in career planning. More CTE students received help in planning their future and were more certain of their plans and career choices than their non-CTE classmates.

• Over a two year period of the study (2003-04 and 2004-05 school years), CTE students were cited as being more likely to stay in school and complete their programs than non-CTE students.
• The study concluded that, as a group, New York CTE students performed as well as non-CTE students in English language arts and mathematics on New York State Regents examinations. CTE programs enhance student motivation and participation, thus resulting in higher levels of performance and increased graduation rates.

National Research Center for Career and Technical Education Study

Not only does CTE appear to improve student outcomes at the secondary level, but a recent study by the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education showed that CTE programs can also positively affect students’ post-secondary success.  In particular, this report studied the effects of dual enrollment on New York City CTE students who enrolled in the College Now program (a collaborative program between the City University of New York and NYC public high schools, including 19 vocational high schools).   The report included findings that participants were more likely that their peers to pursue a bachelor’s degree and that participation was positively related to students’ first-semester grade point averages and to their overall progress toward a degree.  According to the report, three-and-a-half years after initial enrollment in postsecondary education, participants had earned significantly more college credits than had non-participating peers. 

How Do We Ensure and Continue to Improve CTE Program Quality?

For the first time since the advent of the Board of Regents 2001 Policy on CTE Program Approval, all federal Perkins recipients in New York State will be required to develop approved CTE programs. New York’s state-approval process for career and technical education programs has raised the quality and rigor by requiring programs to re-evaluate and update the programs that prepare students for employment and postsecondary study. The components of an approved program include:

• quality technical and academic curriculum that has been reviewed by internal and external teams and may integrate English language arts, mathematics, science, economics, and government into technical instruction;
• faculty with State certification in appropriate academic and/or technical fields;
• technical assessments that demonstrate that students meet current industry standards;
• postsecondary articulation agreements (i.e., written commitments between lead administrators of secondary institutions and postsecondary educational institutions.)  These agreements provide the needed linkages that ensure a smooth transition from high school to college.  Often articulation agreements provide college credit for CTE courses taken in high school, advanced standing at the postsecondary institution, or other benefits that ease the transition to college; and
• work-based learning experiences for students. Students derive benefits from the structure of approved programs because work-based learning gives students opportunities to apply academic concepts to real-world situations and demonstrate mastery of skills essential in the workplace while preparing for industry-based assessments or certifications.

              The number of program approvals continues to grow. As of September 21, 2007, over 870 programs have been approved, including 72 new programs since the May 2006 report to the Board of Regents. Applications have come from 31 local and comprehensive high schools, and all 37 BOCES. Applications for new program approvals continue to be submitted on an on-going basis, while program re-approvals are being completed

CTE Enrollment  Data

Given the evidence that participation in CTE programs can have a positive effect on student outcomes, are enrollments increasing?  On the contrary, since 2001, most of the Big 4 Cities and BOCES have had more stable enrollments in CTE programs, but only after significant enrollment declines between 1996 and 2001. New York City’s enrollment has been largely flat since 2003. Analysis of data from districts outside the Big Five for the last reporting period is made difficult by decreases in the number of those reporting (230 districts in 2005-06 and 214 in 2006-07). The transition to the individual student record system will capture more comprehensive data about CTE.   In all cases, however, the data indicate that CTE enrollments have decreased as a percentage of total enrollment.  Highlights of the information found in the following four charts include:

• Enrollment in CTE programs in NYC, the Big 4 cities as a group and BOCES has been largely flat after significant declines in previous years, with Rest of State enrollment and some of the individual Big 4 cities showing declines

• While CTE enrollment is comparable to that in 1985-86 in both NYC and Rest of State, the enrollment as a percentage of total high school enrollment has declined in all areas

• While enrollment in some career clusters, e.g., Sales and Service, Business, and Health Services show declines, others, e.g., Legal and Protective, Scientific Engineering and Agriculture show increases.

• Additional detail on Big 5 enrollment trends since 2001-02 shows that while NYC shows a slight decrease in enrollment, they are offering many more types of programs; the opposite is true of the Big 4 Cities. (with the exception of Syracuse, which has also shown an enrollment increase)  

CTE Enrollments for New York City, the Big 4, BOCES and

Rest of State, 2001-2007

CTE Enrollment Trends for the other Large School Districts

 (excluding New York City), 2001-2007

Source: CTEDS 9/07

 Enrollment: New York City and the Rest of State, including BOCES

Source: CTEDS data file 9/07;

Longitudinal CTE Enrollment Data for Big Five Districts, 2000-2006

Source:  BEDS Data 9/07

Challenges and Future Directions

Although there is much agreement on the importance of  CTE for students, many challenges are faced by districts in offering CTE programs.  They include:

• State-of-the-art programs require the latest equipment as well as supplies and materials, which cost significantly more than most non-CTE areas of study;
• CTE is an elective area and required areas of study are provided resources first;
• Completion of a CTE program may take time not available in students’ busy school schedules, possibly necessitating a fifth year of study;
• Shortages of appropriately certified teachers; and
• Concerns by some that students who complete a CTE program of study would be less prepared for post secondary education and training.

But these challenges can be met.  In order to create a system to expand the number of programs, increase the number of partnerships with colleges, and examine CTE assessments, and in light of the upcoming review of the Career Development and Occupational Studies  standards, the time is right to

• examine the  Regents Policy on Career and Technical Education and consider changes, as well as
• increase fiscal support to these programs through a combination of federal Perkins funds, the Regents budget requests highlighted below, industry and/or foundation support, and partnering with other agencies through such groups as the New York State Economic Security Cabinet.

Immediate actions we have or will undertake, described below, include:

• Ensuring an Adequate Supply of High-Quality CTE Teachers;
• Benchmarking Other States;
• Regents State Aid and Budget proposals; and
• A panel of experts to advise us as we formulate new policy directions

Ensuring an Adequate Supply of High-Quality CTE Teachers

Expand Alternative Teacher Preparation Programs. Systemic expansion of CTE access requires an adequate supply of high quality CTE teachers. Shortages of certified CTE teachers exist in most regions of the State. In 2005-06, more than 10 percent of full-time equivalent CTE teaching assignments were held by teachers without appropriate certification.  Alternative teacher preparation programs have been developed for many certification areas experiencing shortages of appropriately certified teachers—but not for CTE. Regional strategies are needed to increase the number of alternative teacher preparation programs and to increase the capacity of existing programs. Regents policy has provided the foundation for alternative certification since 2000; additional strategies need to be developed to include CTE.

Increase Capacity of the Existing Teacher Preparation Infrastructure. The pool of certified CTE teachers is limited by the number of CTE teacher preparation programs. The vast majority of CTE certified teachers obtain their credentials through two SUNY-based institutions (SUC at Buffalo and SUC at Oswego). Discussions with other institutions of higher education need to take place in light of the difficulty in obtaining college CTE faculty with advanced degrees. Alternative paths using non-traditional strategies should also be developed.

Seek resources to support systemic P-16 teacher quality partnerships in every region of the State. Building on regional P-16 teacher quality partnerships that are being piloted in selected regions of the State in 2007-2008, resources should be sought for supporting and extending P-16 teacher quality partnerships in every region. Partnerships will provide opportunities for teacher preparation programs, school districts, BOCES, teacher centers and others to work together to address teacher shortages, improve preparation linked to practice and create more seamless transitions from teacher preparation to teaching practice.

Enhance current teaching talent. High quality CTE programs must be delivered by teachers who continually update and upgrade their course content. One model that aims to increase opportunities for teachers to continually improve their CTE courses is the Engineers for the Future program. This program provides professional development workshops developed and delivered by college and university faculty through a summer program of technically-based content in cutting edge topics.  This exposes the teachers to engineering-related knowledge, skills and strategies for use in secondary programs with the aim of establishing new courses or enhancing existing courses. Preliminary data from the State-supported program has indicated a high level of interest on the part of teachers wishing to upgrade their skills and from schools wishing to upgrade their programs.

Benchmarking Other States

As we have considered potential strategies, we have reviewed practices in other states.  While not all such policy decisions may be right for New York, they provide valuable insights as to how other states are dealing with the issues we also face.

Some other state practices that have been reviewed are:

• The use of statewide exams as only one measure that will factor into whether or not a student has met graduation requirements (e.g., Connecticut, Delaware, and Pennsylvania).

• While students in Virginia are required to pass end-of-course exams, as in New York, Virginia provides students with several paths that allow them to tailor programs of study and some assessment requirements.

• Massachusetts is piloting a program that creates an opportunity for students to earn a high school diploma through a CTE approach that includes integrated academics and project-based learning.

• Georgia recently passed regulations that amend their high school graduation requirements to require students to complete a three to five unit sequence in either CTE, languages other than English, or in the arts.

We will continue to study the work of other states and national experts as we move forward.

Board of Regents Budget and State Aid Proposals

The Regents have already shown their support of CTE by proposing two major new initiatives in their 2008-09 Budget and State Aid proposals, Smart Scholars and CTE Challenge Grants.

Smart Scholars (Budget Proposal)

The Board of Regents is proposing a new $100 million “Smart Scholars” partnership program to transform the traditional four year high school and college models in New York State to close performance gaps for students in danger of not succeeding in high school or college. The Smart Scholars Program is designed to enable disadvantaged students to graduate from high school with up to 30 college credits, being better prepared and able to complete college in three years. One of the goals of the Smart Scholars Program is to create greater opportunity for career and technical education students to build on existing high school to college partnerships and complete a year of postsecondary study upon graduation from high school.

This more comprehensive program builds on the work of programs like College Now and Early College High School Programs, and those in SUNY and independent colleges that provide college courses to high school students, plus the active work of the Department’s opportunity programs to assist students who are educationally at-risk to graduate from high school and achieve success in college.

This “dual enrollment” program will provide targeted grants to colleges in partnership with one or more school districts, BOCES and community-based organizations to provide additional academic support dedicated to students beginning as early as the ninth grade, and, enabling students in grades 11 and 12 to take early college courses so that by graduation from high school, these students will have completed the necessary coursework to enter a baccalaureate program at the second-year level.  This will result in increased high school graduation rates and early college graduation.

Challenge Grants (State Aid Proposal)

In order to provide support to enhance high quality CTE programs in high need school districts, the Regents policy recommends additional support to provide increased student access to high quality career and technical education programs in high need school districts to improve student performance and decrease the dropout rate.  In their 2008-09 budget proposal, the Board proposed a new $6 million Challenge Grant program.

Career and technical education programs that have completed the Regent’s CTE Program Approval Process provide students with meaningful rigorous content that prepares them for post-secondary study and careers. Students completing approved programs obtain high school diplomas at rates higher than the state average. Approved programs emphasize the development of 21st century skills that will be needed in a global economy. Despite a track record of success, only 22 percent of high school students have access to CTE programs.

This CTE State aid proposal will strengthen new or existing CTE programs by focusing on emerging occupations to better prepare a workforce for the future. High-need school districts meeting criteria for this funding would receive challenge grants to phase in new CTE Approved Programs that address local economic challenges and address student performance through integrated studies in the emerging occupations. This process would establish an incremental approach to allow school districts time to perform a local needs-analysis and target students for this new program. Additionally, teacher content knowledge can be enhanced to provide the high level of instruction required by the new program.

Advisory Panel of Experts

This January we will bring together an advisory panel of representatives of business and industry, higher education, existing CTE programs, District and school Superintendents, including the Big 5.  This panel will explore such topics as:

• Additional integrative models that would allow students to meet both CTE and academic requirements;
• Strengthening articulation agreements between 7-12 programs and community college and some four-year college programs to make CTE more attractive to students by demonstrating a stronger connection with college programs and future employment opportunities;
• Exploring with SUNY and CUNY the appropriateness of allowing Community Colleges to prepare CTE teachers to increase their availability across New York State. (Many Community Colleges offer Career and Technical degree programs and have appropriate faculty to do so.);
• Additional ways in which CTE technical assessments and coursework could be considered in determining eligibility for graduation;
• Requiring a sequence in CTE or the arts as a requirement for graduation; and
• Other topics as suggested by the members of the Board of Regents

With the Board’s endorsement, we will immediately convene this advisory group and will provide the Board with a summary of our recommendations for policy or regulatory changes.   This panel’s work could also serve as a topic for one of the regional committee meetings being considered by the Regents.

The Final Evaluation of CTE in New York State by MAGI Educational Services, September 2006