Blueprint for transforming career and technical education - Federal Policy related to College and Career Readiness
- 1. Investing in America’s Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education T he strength of the American economy based learning opportunities that enable students is inextricably linked to the strength of to connect what they are learning to real-life career America’s education system. Particularly in scenarios and choices. The students participating times of economic challenge, American employers in effective CTE programs graduate with industry need a workforce that is skilled, adaptable, creative, certifications or licenses and postsecondary and equipped for success in the global marketplace. certificates or degrees that prepare them for in- And our students need a more rigorous, better- demand careers within high-growth industry sectors. tailored education to acquire the skills they need to compete, to follow a clear pathway into the middle At present, however, the Carl D. Perkins Career and class, and continue to prosper. Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins Act or Act), which is a principle source of federal funding for Transforming career and technical education (CTE) secondary and postsecondary career and technical is essential to this process. CTE represents a education programs, is in need of reform and critical investment in our future. It offers students updating. The 2006 Act took modest yet important opportunities for career awareness and preparation steps to improve the quality of CTE programs. by providing them with the academic and technical But it did not go far enough to address the needs knowledge and work-related skills necessary to be of youths and adults preparing to participate in successful in postsecondary education, training, the knowledge-based, global marketplace of the and employment. 21st century. Effective, high-quality CTE programs are aligned The Administration’s proposal for a reauthorized with college- and career-readiness standards as well Perkins Act would transform CTE and usher in a as the needs of employers, industry, and labor. They new era of rigorous, relevant, and results-driven provide students with a curriculum that combines CTE shaped by four core principles—alignment, integrated academic and technical content and collaboration, accountability, and innovation—and strong employability skills. And they provide work- accompanying reforms as presented on the next page. Transforming the Perkins program would add to key investments the Obama Administration already has made to align classroom teaching and learning with real-world business needs. These investments include $2 billion in Trade Adjustment Assistant grants to strengthen community college programs and workforce partnerships. In addition, transforming the Perkins program aligns with proposed investments that include $8 billion for the Community College to Career Fund aimed at training 2 million workers for high-growth industries, and $1 billion to help 500,000 (a 50-percent increase) high school students participate in career academies.
- 2. Four Core Principles for the Transformation of Career and Technical Education Effective ALIGNMENT between CTE and labor market needs to equip students with 21st-century skills and prepare them for in-demand occupations in high-growth industry sectors • Clear Expectations for High-quality • A More Active Role for States: Empower states Programming: Provide states better guidance to identify the in-demand occupations in high- on establishing high-quality programs growth industry sectors on which CTE programs should focus Strong COLLABORATION among secondary and postsecondary institutions, employers, and industry partners to improve the quality of CTE programs • Consortia Funding: Establish consortia to • Private-sector Match: Use a match contribution ensure collaboration among secondary and to strengthen the participation of employers, postsecondary institutions industry, and labor partners in program design and execution Meaningful ACCOUNTABILITY for improving academic outcomes and building technical and employability skills in CTE programs, based upon common definitions and clear metrics for performance • Within-state Competition to Distribute Funds participation and performance indicators to create to Consortia: Provide states increased autonomy high-quality data systems that enable meaningful to select and fund high-quality programs comparisons and identification of equity gaps responsive to regional labor-market needs • Incentives for High Performance: Incentivize • Common Definitions to Strengthen and reward local recipients that exceed Data Systems and Close Equity Gaps for performance targets Participation: Use uniform definitions for • Competitive Funding for Local Innovation and State Reforms: Develop and implement new practices Increased emphasis on INNOVATION supported by systemic reform of state policies and practices to and models at the local level and support systemic reforms at the state level support CTE implementation of effective practices at the local level • State Conditions for Success and Innovation: • A Competitive CTE Innovation and Ensure states have in place the policies and Transformation Fund: Develop and implement systems to support programs at the local level new practices and models at the local level and support systemic reforms at the state level The Obama Administration’s FY 2013 budget proposes a $1.1 billion investment to support the transformation of the Perkins program. For a copy of the Administration’s proposal, Investing in America’s Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education, please visit http://www.ed.gov/ovae/.