The Role of CTE in High School Reform

James R. Stone IIIDirector

The work reported herein was supported under the National Dissemination for Career and Technical Education, PR/Award (No. VO51A990004) and /or under the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, PR/Award (No. VO51A990006) as administered by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U. S. Department of Education.

However, the contents do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education or the U. S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Disclaimer:

What does it take to obtain good jobs (Myth or Reality)?

Research by American Diploma Project indicates that regardless if students go on to college or into the workforce after graduation, they still need the same knowledge and skills, particularly in English and mathematics. At a minimum, high school course requirements need to cover four years of rigorous English and four years of math, including Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and data analysis and statistics.

The 4x4 approach

Labor Market: The Rhetoric

India and China are producing more engineersWe are not graduating enough engineersAcademic skills required for college are the same as required for workplace

More Rhetoric…If trends in U.S. research and education continue, our nation will squander its economic leadership, and the result will be a lower standard of living for the American people…. By 2015 [the country needs to] double the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded annually to U.S. students in science, math, and engineering. (National Summit on Competitiveness 2005)

The United States faces an unprecedented challenge to its long-term global economic leadership. And a fall from leadership would threaten the security of the nation and the prosperity of its citizens.… High school students in the U.S. perform well below those in other industrialized nations in the fields of mathematics and science … [and thus we need to make] STEM education a national priority. (Council on Competitiveness 2004).

The Argument: Whether graduates are going to college or work, they need the same skills

HS Reform advocates argue that data show a high degree of convergence between the knowledge and skills students need to succeed on the job and in college.

The Solution

Rigor = MORE

To be college and work ready, students need to complete a rigorous sequence of courses

In math:• Four courses• Content equivalent to

Algebra I and II, Geometry, and a fourth course such as Statistics or Precalculus

• In English:– Four courses– Content equivalent to

four years of grade-level English or higher (i.e., honors or AP English)

To cover the content American Diploma Project research shows students need to be college and work ready, high school graduates need to take:

Achievement Flat or Declining in Reading, 17 year olds, NAEP

250255260265270275280285290295300

1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 2004

Scal

e Sc

ore

Source: NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress.

Note: Long-Term Trends NAEP

12.9 Academic

Credits

19 Academic

Credits

NAEP Science Scores 17 Year Olds

305 296 290 283 288 290 294 294 296 295

150175200225250275300325350

Year

Scale Sc

ore

1.5 Science Credits

2.1 Science Credits

3.2 Science Credits

HS Achievement In Math

280285290295300305310315

1986 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 2004

Scal

e Sc

ore

Source: NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress and NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress.

Note: Long-Term Trends NAEP

1.7 Math

Credits

3.6 math

credits2.4

Math Credits

% of 9th Graders who complete High School

68%

Source: One-Third of a Nation (ETS, 2005)

When do they leave?

Month at which dropout occurred

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

9%

10%

2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 32 35 38 41 44 47 50 53 56 59Month of Dropout

9th grade 10th grade 11th grade 12th grade 5th year

Plank, 2005

Transition to college: The Challenge

Source: Education Weekly March 2005

100 Start

9th Grade

68 Graduate HS in 4 Years

40 Start College 27 Start

Sophomore Year

18 Graduate

a 4-College

in 5 Years

31% Leave with 0

Credits

31%

Remediation

11% 14%

22%

28%

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%

Reading Writing Math Reading,Writing or

Math

Nearly 30% of HS Graduates Require Some Remediation

Source: NCES (2003), Remedial Education at Degree Granting PS Institutions in fall 2000

Patrick M. Callan, Joni E. Finney, Michael W. Kirst, Michael D. Usdan and Andrea Venezia, The Governance Divide: A Report on a Four-State Study on Improving College Readiness and Success (San Jose: The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 2005).

Remediation: Another take

• Once many of these same students get into college, 40% of four-year students and 63% of two-year students require remediation. (a report from Education Commission of the States)

College readiness* (2005 ACT tested students)

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%

% of HS Graduates Who are College Ready-Reading

College ReadyTotal

College ReadyAA/ Low Income

College ReadyHA/ LowIncome

College Degree: At What Cost?

According to the Public Interest Research Group's Higher Education Project,

39 percent of new graduates with loans carry an "unmanageable debt,"

The Emergent Workplace

Recall the assumptions: the emergent workforce requires:

More emphasis on mathematics, science, engineering and technologyMore emphasis on “college for all”All students need the same 4x4 curriculum

What the data show…

94% of workers reported using math on the job, but, only1

• 22% reported math “higher” than basic• 19% reported using “Algebra 1”• 9% reported using “Algebra 2”

Among upper level white collar workers1

• 30% reported using math up to Algebra 1• 14% reported using math up to Algebra 2

Less than 5% of workers make extensive use of Algebra 2, Trigonometry, Calculus, or Geometry on the job2

1. M. J. Handel survey of 2300 employees cited in “What Kind of Math Matters” Education Week, June 12 2007

2. Carnevale & Desrochers cited in “What Kind of Math Matters” Education Week, June 12 2007

College for all?

0

5

10

15

20

25

30 % of 1996-7Graduateswith BA orgraddegrees(1)% of Jobsestimated torequire 4-yeardegree orhigher(2)

(1) Current Population Survey (2000)

(2) Bureau of Labor Statistics (2002)

The Fallacy of Composition: What is true for the individual will also

be true for the large group or society as a whole.

(Cappelli, 2008)

The Effect?

This would (and some argue has) lower the price of an educated worker (Cappelli, 2008)Downward occupational mobility

Recall the assumptions…

India & China are producing more engineers than U.S.• US produces 222,000 engineers• India produces 215,000 engineers• China produces 352,000 engineers*

We are not graduating enough engineers• S&E wages have actually declined in real terms

and unemployment rates have increased**

* Duke University Study, 2006; **Rand, 2006;

What the data show…

Analysis of the flow of students up through the S&E pipeline, when it reaches the labor market, suggests the education system produces qualified graduates far in excess of demand: S&E occupations make up only about one-twentieth of all workers, and each year there are more than three times as many S&E four-year college graduates as S&E job openings Urban

Institute, 2007. 435,000 U.S. citizens and permanent residents a year graduated with bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in science and engineering. Over the same period, there were about 150,000 jobs added annually to the science and engineering workforce. . http://www.businessweek.com/print/smallbiz/content/oct2007/sb20071025_827398.htm

The Real Labor Opportunity

Middle Skill Occupations

Fastest Growing Jobs - 2016

Real employment opportunities: 45% growth in Middle Skill Occupations (164 Million Workers by 2016)

Changes in workforce demands

Labor Market Skill Distribution - 2016

Montana and Middle Skill Occupations

Middle Skill Occupations (B.A./B.S. NOT Required)

OccupationAir Traffic ControllerStorage and distribution managerTransportation managerNon-retail sales managerForest fire fighting/prevention supervisorMunicipal fire fighting/prevention supervisorReal estate brokerElevator installers and repairerDental hygienist Immigration and Customs inspectorCommercial pilot

Salary102,30066,60066,60059,30058,920

58,902

58,72058,71058,35053,99053,870

Farr, M. & Shatkin, L. (2006) The 300 Best Jobs That Don't Require a Four-Year Degree. (US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)

What Employers Really Need

What are Employers not Getting?

HS Reform & Labor Market Realities

…to right these workplace problems, policy makers are looking in the wrong direction…paying attention to skills workers really need to succeed, not on an assumed set of skills that may not be so critical after all . . .Robert Lerman (2008)

What are the real school problems?

A high and rising drop out rateStudents who graduate are lacking in basic math and science skillsMost students think they are going to college but do not prepare for it or any other possible future

The real challenges of education reform are:

Engagement – attending school and completing (graduating) high schoolAchievement – academic (and technical) course taking; grades, test scoresTransition – to postsecondary education without the need for remediation; and to the workplace

FINDING SOLUTIONS TO THE REAL PROBLEMS OF

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION REFORM

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CTE?

81% of dropouts said “real world learning” may have influenced them to stay in

school

Bridgeland, et al - Gates Foundation Report, 2005

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

CTE/Academic course-taking ratio

Prob

abili

ty o

f dro

pout

Tests & GPA 1 s.d. below grand means Tests & GPA at grand means Tests & GPA 1 s.d. above grand means

CTE and School Engagement

CTE Structures and Pedagogies and Dropping Out

Students in or Career Majors are 16% more likely to graduate from high school.Students in Tech Prep are 30% more likely to complete high school. Students who participated in specific STW activities are 18% more likely to complete high school.

Stone & Aliaga, 2005

CTE & Achievement

CTE concentrators take more and higher level math than general track counterparts (Stone & Aliaga, 2002)CTE concentrators increased 12th grade NAEP by 8 scale points (vs 4 for non-CTE students) in reading; 11 points (vs. no change for non-CTE students) in math (NAVE, 2004)Students in schools with highly integrated, rigorous academic & CTE programs have significantly higher student achievement in reading, math & science than students in other schools (SREB, 2004)

CTE & Transition to Work

CTE graduates are 10-15% more likely to be in the labor force and earn 8-9% more than academic graduates (Sage Foundation Report, 2001)7 years following graduation, CTE students had earnings that increased by 2% for every CTE course they took (NAVE,2004)HS CTE concentrators are 2.5 times more likely to be working while pursuing postsecondary education than are college prep students (SREB, 2006)

CTE: What do we know?

CTE keeps kids in schoolCTE helps kids focus their PS education plansCTE is an economic benefit to participants and to statesCTE-based structures can affect achievement and transition of youth to college and work, but . . .

PROGRAMS OF STUDY

One Solution to the Real Problems of Education

A cluster or pathway approach to solving the “problem” of high schoolStrategy to organize instruction and student experiences around career themes (Focus on an industry cluster of related occupations)Incorporates existing school reform strategies (career academies, career pathways, small learning communities, Tech Prep)Connects to business and higher education

Perkins – “Programs of Study”

• State approved programs, which may be adopted by local education agencies and postsecondary institutions to be offered as an option to students when planning for and completing future coursework, for career and technical content areas.

• Incorporate secondary education and postsecondary education elements;

Programs of Study Element 2

Include . . . coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant career and technical content in a coordinated, non-duplicative progression of courses that align secondary education with postsecondary education

. . . to adequately prepare students to succeed in postsecondary education;

 Programs of Study – Element 3

May include the opportunity for secondary education students to participate in dual or concurrent enrollment programs or other ways to acquire postsecondary education credits;

What systems issues will you need to address?Dual Enrollment Options• Student attends CC• CC Instructor comes to HS• HS teacher teaches CC course

Programs of Study – Element 5

Lead to an industry-recognized credential or certificate at the postsecondary level, or an associate or baccalaureate degree.

Programs of Study Require a Career Development Framework:

Elementary• Students begin CD by heightening their

awareness of career opportunitiesMiddle School• Focus: Exposure to and exploration of

careersHigh School• Students investigate and prepare for their

future careers through experience based work opportunities (IL State Board of Education, 2000)

A Career Development Approach

Fantasy…Growth …Exploration………Establishment

Elementary Middle High WBL/College School School School

How Personal Pathways Work

K-5: Career AwarenessIntroduction to the world of careers

6-8: Career ExplorationDiscovering interest areas

Grade 8: TransitionChoosing a career cluster and major (can change easily at any time later)

9-12: Career PreparationAcademics and technical courses, intensive guidance, individual graduation plans

Postsecondary: Career PreparationAchieving credentials: college, certification, apprenticeship, military

Employment: Career AdvancementContinuing Education and Lifelong Learning

Steps to Success

Career Clusters – Program of Studies

New Mexico’s Career Clusters

Career Clusters

Skills and

Abilities

Key Jobs

Middle Skill Occupations: Energy and Power

Energy Competency

Model

• Lineworker, • Plant Operator• Technician• Pipefitter / Pipelayer

Construction

Maintenance Operations

Engineering and Technology

Science and Math

Career ClustersA grouping of occupations and broad industries based on commonalities. The sixteen career clusters provide an

organizing tool for schools, small learning communities, academies and magnet schools.

Science, Technology, Engineering and

MathematicsPlanning, managing, and

providing technical services

Architecture and Construction

Designing, planning, managing, building and maintaining the

built environmentClus

ters

Path

ways

Manufacturing Production Process Development:

Quality Assurance

ManufacturingPlanning, managing, and performing the processing

of materials into the intermediate or final

products

Energy Career Cluster Map

Design and Pre-construction

Maintenance, Installation & Repair

Logistics & Inventory Control Pathway

• Summer Camp• Lego League• Career Choices• Science Fairs• Career Day

Focus Career Exploration

The Education Continuum

Middle School

High School

Technical and Community

College

Military and Second Career

The Education Continuum

Middle School

High School

Technical and Community

College

Military and Second Career

• Career and Tech Ed. Majors• Career Academies• Summer Academies• Boy Scout merit badges• Robotics Competitions• Science Fairs• SkillsUSA

Focus Work Readiness and

Skill Building

The Education Continuum

Middle School

High School

Technical and Community

College

Military and Second Career

•Boot Camps •Regional Skill Centers•Associate Degrees•Common Curriculum•Partnerships for hands on training

Focus Specific Career Skills

The Education Continuum

Middle School

High School

Technical and Community

College

Military and Second Career

•Job Corp•Helmets to Hard Hats

•Career Transition Office training support

Focus Transition Skills

CURRICULUM INTEGRATION

A Second Solution to the Real Problems of Education

Why Focus on technical & academic integration?

CTE provides a math-rich context CTE curriculum/pedagogies do not systematically emphasize academic skill development

Curriculum Integration Approaches

Incorporating more academics into CTEIncorporating more CTE into academicsVertical alignment (articulation)Senior projectsCareer AcademiesCareer Clusters

One ApproachMath-in-CTE

A study to test the possibility that enhancing the embedded mathematics in Technical Education coursework will build skills in this critical academic area without reducing technical skill development.

1. What we did2. What we found3. What we learned

Key Questions of the Study

Does enhancing the CTE curriculum with math increase math skills of CTE students? Can we infuse enough math into CTE curricula to meaningfully enhance the academic skills of CTE participants (Perkins III Core Indicator)Without reducing technical skill developmentWhat works?

Study Design: Participants

Participants

Experimental CTE teacherMath teacher

Control CTE teacher

Primary Role

Implement the math enhancementsProvide support for the CTE teacher

Teach their regular curriculum

What we tested: Professional Development

CTE-Math Teacher Teams; occupational focus Curriculum mappingScope and SequenceOn going collaboration CTE and math teachers

What we tested: The Pedagogy

1. Introduce the CTE lesson2. Assess students’ math awareness3. Work through the embedded example4. Work through related, contextual examples5. Work through traditional math examples6. Students demonstrate understanding7. Formal assessment

What we found

Students in the experimental classes scored significantly higher on Terra Nova and AccuplacerThe effect: 71st percentile & 67th percentileNo negative effect on technical skills11% of class time devoted to enhanced math lessonsFive core principles emerged

Power of the New Professional Development Model

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Math teacherPartners

ExperimentalCTE Teachers

Control CTETeachers

Math in CTE Use 1 Year Later

Old Model PD

New Model

PD

Total Surprise!

Challenge to you

Clarify the problem• High skill?

AND/OR• Middle skill?

Build an appropriate response• Career clusters to organize pathways to a productive

future• Program of studies to help parents and their children

plan for that productive future• Teach the critical core curriculum in a context that adds

meaning and value to student learning

For more: James.Stone@Louisville.edu

www.nccte.org