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HIGH SCHOOL CAREER ANDTECHNICAL EDUCATION:Serving Pennsylvania’s Student and Workforce Needs

eplcFebruary 2016

Funding for the EPLC Career and Technical Education Project has been provided by:

The Benedum FoundationThe Hillman Foundation The Heinz EndowmentsPennsylvania Business Council Pennsylvania Association of Career and Technical Administrators

BACKGROUND OF EPLCThe Education Policy and Leadership Center was established in 1998 as a 501(c)(3)not-for-profit corporation. The Center has offices in Harrisburg, PA and began to operate on a full-time basis in January 1999. The corporation is governed by aboard of directors that includes members who have significant experience witheducation policy, government and not-for-profit organizations. The Center conductsits policy and leadership programs in cooperation with numerous local, statewideand national organizations.

MISSION OF EPLCThe Mission of The Education Policy and Leadership Center is to encourage andsupport the development and implementation of effective state-level educationpolicies to improve student learning in grades P-12, increase the effective operationof schools, and enhance educational opportunities for citizens of all ages.

Ronald Cowell, PresidentMattie Robinson, Manager of Operations and Communications

Career and Technical Education ProjectThe Education Policy and Leadership Center

800 North Third Street, Suite 408Harrisburg, PA 17102

717.260.9900eplc.org

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1High School Career and Technical Education:Serving Pennsylvania’s Student and Workforce Needs

The Education Policy and Leadership Center

Introduction 2

Leadership and Governance 5

Regional and Local Coordination 7

Building Student and Parent Awareness About Career and Technical Education 9

Relevancy and Rigor of CTE Programs 11

Assuring CTE Opportunities for All Students 13

Accountability for Effectiveness 16

State Funding 18

RECOMMENDATIONSLeadership and Governance 20

Regional and Local Coordination 21

Building Student and Parent Awareness About Career and Technical Education 21

Relevancy and Rigor of CTE Programs 22

Assuring CTE Opportunities for All Students 22

Accountability for Effectiveness 23

State Funding 24

Appendix A: List of Study Group Members and Affiliations 25

Appendix B: Sites Visited 25

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High School Career and Technical Education: Serving Pennsylvania’s Student and Workforce Needs

Youth unemployment rates in Pennsylvania and nationally aresignificantly higher than the overall state and nationalunemployment rates, and unemployment among African-American and Hispanic youth is even greater.

The cost of postsecondary education has increased at a rate fargreater than the increase in cost-of-living while public financialsupport in Pennsylvania has decreased in recent years. InPennsylvania, the cost of public higher education and the levelof student indebtedness for those who leave college with orwithout a degree are among the highest levels in the nation.

Meanwhile, there is a very large gap between available andprospective jobs in Pennsylvania and the skills of availableworkforce. Leaders of business and industry and state andregional policy leaders worry about the capacity ofPennsylvania’s workforce to fulfill the needs of employers inthe Commonwealth, now and in the decades ahead.

In this environment, there are increasing calls amongeducation, community, business, workforce, and public policyleaders for greater attention to career and technical education(CTE) and the public policies that currently or potentiallyimpact on the availability, relevancy and quality of CTE in Pennsylvania.

Although career and technical education in Pennsylvaniaexhibits significant change and many success stories, there aremany opportunities for improvement. This report is a call toaction to build upon many excellent foundations, learn fromand replicate some highly successful CTE programs found indistrict high schools and in career and technical centers(CTCs), and adopt state and local policies and practices thatwill assure we establish and sustain a system of career and

technical education for high school students in Pennsylvaniathat is the envy of other states.

While Pennsylvania’s workforce development efforts andCTE assets are important for a broad range of students andworkers, this project and report are focused on CTE at thesecondary level for students in grades 9 to 12. Nonetheless,we note that much of this report, including manyrecommendations, are predicated on the reality that CTEfor secondary students in Pennsylvania is very much affectedby much of what educators and policymakers do concerningall of P-12 education and all of postsecondary education inthe Commonwealth.

This report focuses on and organizes recommendationsaround several broad issues that are fundamental to improvethe effectiveness of Pennsylvania’s CTE system forsecondary students. These are:

• Leadership and Governance

• Regional and Local Coordination

• Building Student and Parent Awareness

About Career and Technical Education

• Relevancy and Rigor of CTE Programs

• Assuring CTE Opportunities for All Students

• Accountability for Effectiveness

• State Funding

The recommendations in the report are intended to provokediscussion and action. The recommendations are all proposedwith some specificity about “who” should do “what”. They areintended to assign responsibility and prompt the namedentities or groups to take action soon.

The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC)initiated its Career and Technical Education Project in 2014and worked throughout 2015 with a 30-member Study Group

INTRODUCTION

that has worked in an advisory role to help identify significantCTE issues, exemplary programs, and recommendations thatare cited in the report. Members of the Study Group and theiraffiliations are noted in Appendix A.

Study Group members were able to participate in several sitevisits. Each visit included very informative meetings andconversations with administrators, instructional staff, andstudents, as well as wide-ranging discussions in forums withinvited guests. Forum participants represented manystakeholder perspectives including regional K-12 education,postsecondary education, employers, organized labor,

workforce development and community development. Thesites we visited are listed in Appendix B.

This report, including its findings and recommendations, issolely the responsibility of The Education Policy andLeadership Center. But the report would not have beenpossible without the valuable assistance of all who served onthe Study Group, the hundreds who contributed to thesuccess and value of our site visits and related forums, thoseorganizations that contributed financial support for this work,and the many other individuals and organizations that providedhelpful information and ideas for consideration.

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Career and Technical Education (CTE) for high schoolstudents in Pennsylvania is not the vocational education ofyears past. In many regions of the Commonwealth, majorchanges have occurred as new programs have been created,new technologies embraced, more relationships developed,and new opportunities established for students to pursuevaried pathways that lead to substantial employment andcareers. This progress is found in career and technical centers(CTCs) as well as in CTE programs that are embedded inmany school district high schools.

However, this transformation of career and technicaleducation for high school students has not occurred uniformlyacross Pennsylvania. New or upgraded programs that offercontemporary and meaningful opportunities for all studentsremain elusive in too many communities.

Outdated views about CTE still persist among manyeducation and policy leaders, and certainly among manystudents and their parents. The failure in too many instances tohave clearly defined career pathways that include CTEoptions contributes to the attitude that CTE is only for those“not going to college” or a “dead end” option even for thosestudents with postsecondary aspirations.

Insufficient attention to CTE is also apparent at the state levelwhere CTE is not sufficiently represented on key policyboards and funding for CTE has been inadequate andunpredictable.

The observations and recommendations we offer are rooted ina belief that CTE is more vital than ever before forPennsylvania’s students, employers, workforce and,subsequently, for the Commonwealth’s economic andcommunity health.


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[ From Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for 2013-2014 school year. ]

Of 550,758 Pennsylvania students in grades 9 through 12, there were 65,563 students (approximately 12%) enrolled in CTE programs.

PDE worked with 135 high schools that hold PDE approval for CTE, with 14,994 students in grades 9 through 12 in CTE programs.

PDE worked with 86 Career and Technical Centers (CTCs) that enrolled 50,569 students.

CTCs are joint schools consisting of school districts within an approved Area Vocational Technical School attendance area that agree to offer their students CTE at a common location/campus. As a member of a CTC, each member school district has representation on the joint operating committee (JOC). The JOC performs the

same duties as a school board, which includes approving the CTC budget. Member schooldistricts fund the operation of the CTC as determined by the articles of agreement.

The 2014-2015 state budget included $62,000,000 for career and technical education and $3,000,000 for CTE equipment grants.

Pennsylvania receives approximately $40 million related to the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006

which support 97 secondary schools and 34 postsecondary entities.

PDE’s Bureau of Career and Technical Education works with the 34 postsecondary institutions which receive federal Carl D. Perkins funds. These institutions include

14 community colleges, two private licensed schools, one state university, one specialized associate degree granting institution, four private 2-year colleges, one

private state-aided university, three private colleges, one state-related university, and one college of technology. In addition, six career and technical centers offer Licensed

Practical Nursing programs and receive Perkins funds to offer the programs.

Other postsecondary institutions that do not receive federal Carl D. Perkins funds are also engaged with school districts and CTCs through dual enrollment and articulation agreements and benefit many high school CTE students. These

include public and private colleges and private licensed schools.

PROFILE OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN PENNSYLVANIA

Effective leadership takes many forms, includingeffective governance. Pennsylvania’s CTE systemfor high school students is very dependent on

effective leadership, both formal and informal.

Leadership by state policymakers is critical especiallybecause state policymakers have so many policy levers attheir disposal to affect directly or indirectly the condition ofCTE throughout the state. From their use of the “bullypulpit,” to enacting statutes and regulations, to the exerciseof appointing authority to convening and planningactivities, and to appropriating funding and attachingconditions to funding, state policymakers are in a positionto dramatically make a difference — often very quickly.

Current staff members of the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Education dedicated to CTE issuesdeserve kudos for commitment and effectiveness.However, current policies and practices at the statelevel leave opportunity for state policy leaders todemonstrate more serious attention and commitmentto — and to effectively support — a strong statewidesystem of CTE for high school students.

The governor can strongly influence the statewideenvironment for CTE by his public statements, hisdirection to key cabinet officials, his appointments to

key agencies, and his recommendations for agencystaffing and for legislation and budgets.

State agencies such as the State Board of Education(which is also the State Board of VocationalEducation) and the State Workforce DevelopmentBoard must each give substantial and strategicattention to CTE issues, genuinely engage all relevantstakeholders, and more regularly collaborate witheach other about CTE issues.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives iscommended for establishing a Select Committee toconsider a variety of career and technical educationissues. A report on the findings of the SelectCommittee is due by the end of 2016. The committeeshould consider the findings and recommendations ofthis EPLC report, especially those directed to stateagencies and state officials, including the Legislature.The committee is also gathering important informationfrom many stakeholder organizations and will have animportant opportunity through its report toacknowledge the importance of CTE and theresponsibility for the General Assembly to take actionto more effectively support CTE.

Leadership at the regional and local level is also vital. Sitevisits and many discussions with Study Group members

LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE


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and others have emphasized repeatedly the importanceof effective leadership in community and region tosupport CTE. Leadership at the regional and local levelinevitably shapes public perceptions about CTE,resources for CTC and district programs, opportunitiesfor students, and ultimate value for the workforce.

There is no “magic bullet” or single prescription forlocal and regional leadership. It takes many forms, butusually occurs when one or more individuals andorganizations step forward.

On site visits, our Study Group learned more aboutvarious entities taking the lead to bring togetherrelevant organizations to collaborate about CTEactivities. Each is a model that might be replicated inwhole or in part. Lessons can be learned from all. They included:

• Intermediate unit leadership for consolidating andoperating CTCs in Chester County.

• Leadership by CTC boards and administrators inLehigh Valley and in Berks County.

• Community college leadership providing aregional Advanced Technology Center inWestmoreland County.

• School district leadership in expanding CTE in theChartiers Valley School District in Allegheny County.

• Regional leadership by the nascent WestmorelandCounty Leadership Forum on WorkforceDevelopment led by business organizations andworkforce development agencies.

In each instance, there are present seasoned anddedicated school leaders who have a thoroughknowledge of CTE, recruit a strong administrative andinstructional team, and build a strong and widespreadnetwork of relationships and CTE supporters.

At each of the sites visited, regional collaboration isseen as a key “success” ingredient. Ideally, regardlessof who is the primary convener, the regionalcollaboration brings to the table CTCs, school districts,intermediate units, postsecondary schools, local

workforce development boards, and other workforce,economic, and community development agencies.

It is often stated that business and industry needs to bemore involved in the decision-making about CTEprograms, be they in CTCs or in district high schools.This employer perspective leadership is essential, butcannot simply be ordained.

It must be noted that thousands of employers alreadyserve on occupational advisory committees for CTEprograms in CTCs and in district high schools. Theseemployers are in very important positions to influencethe programs and curricula for CTE offerings andundoubtedly play a very influential role in the decision-making about such matters. And some seek a largerrole for employers in CTC governance.

We recommend a modest and voluntary change for thegovernance of CTC boards (joint operatingcommittees). The members of CTC boards are nowselected by the school district boards of directors thatare a part of a CTC’s joint operating agreement. Werecommend state legislation to allow a CTC board toexpand its membership by adding by appointment nomore than two individuals who represent a local privatesector employer perspective.

But the commitment and attention of all school districtboards of directors to CTE issues can be enhanced ifmore individuals with an employer perspective wouldchoose to seek — and win — election to the boards ofdirectors in school districts. Such individuals thenwould be very logical candidates to also represent theirschool district on the joint operating committees fortheir regional CTC. Statewide and local businessorganizations should encourage their members toconsider school board service.

The interest of CTE and CTE students would bebetter served if all superintendents, school principals,and school board directors were well-informed aboutCTE issues and opportunities. The report thereforeincludes suggestions to enhance professionaldevelopment about CTE for all school leaders andschool board members.

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The challenges confronting CTE planners andproviders — including funding and otherresources, the varied needs of students and

employers, the complexity of forecasting workforceneeds, and the multiplicity of education providers andCTE stakeholders — demand regional and localcooperation among all the relevant parties.

Who convenes this disparate group of interests andorganizations may vary from region to region, but theymust be convened and must collaborate. Only througheffective collaboration will opportunities for studentsbe maximized, workforce needs identified andaddressed, and finite public and private resources mosteffectively utilized.

Site visits by our Study Group identified varioussources of leadership as cited elsewhere in this report.But a common element present in all the sites visitedwas a broad base of relationships and partners, andgenuine collaboration for planning and execution.

Most of the relevant “partners” for coordinatedplanning and execution of CTE efforts receive someform of state funding. If a coordinated effort for

regional and local CTE planning and execution isimportant — and it should be valued — the Governorand General Assembly should reasonably requirerelevant entities receiving state funding todemonstrate that they participate in regional and localpartnerships for planning and delivering CTEprograms for high school students, out-of-schoolyouth, and others.

In most regions if not all, the local WorkforceDevelopment Board (WDB) is a key instrument forplanning and coordinating workforce developmentefforts. In all cases, this has implications for CTEprograms for students of all ages, including high schoolstudents. In all cases, therefore, the WorkforceDevelopment Board membership should include atleast one administrator of a career and technicalcenter, an intermediate unit, and a school district, andwhere such institutions are present in the region, atleast one administrator of a community college,Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education(PASSHE) university, and private licensed careercollege or school. The federal requirement for a certainpercentage of members on the WDB to be from

REGIONAL AND LOCAL COORDINATION


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business and industry is acknowledged, but does notdetract from the necessary role of education providersto effectively address workforce development needs.

Business-education partnerships exist in many regionsof the state and are a form of collaboration that canprovide many kinds of support for effective CTEprograms. These partnerships vary greatly in scope ofactivity and real engagement in CTE planning andimplementation, but they offer another model forregional and local CTE coordination that is sonecessary. A little more than a year ago, all local WDBs(WIBs at the time) received $100,000 grants from stategovernment to support the development ormaintenance of business-education partnerships.

To develop regional leadership and operationalpartnerships among school districts, career andtechnical centers, postsecondary institutions, businessand industry, labor, and other workforce and economicdevelopment entities, the Pennsylvania Department ofLabor & Industry or the Department of Community &Economic Development should:

• Review and evaluate the use and effects of therecent round of state grants to WIBs to supportbusiness-education partnerships;

• Identify and make available information about thecharacteristics of successful business-educationpartnerships, especially those affecting CTE; and

• Offer competitive grants to regional business-education partnerships to develop and implementregional strategies to deliver CTE programs tohigh school students and others.

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The challenges confronting CTE planners and

providers — including funding and other resources,

the varied needs of students and employers, the

complexity of forecasting workforce needs, and

the multiplicity of education providers and CTE

stakeholders — demand regional and local

cooperation among all the relevant parties.

Throughout this project, we have heard many timesthat CTE suffers an “image” problem. Manystudents and their parents, and even many

educators, consider career and technical education to beof insufficient quality or relevancy for the vast majority ofstudents. This “image” problem will not go away if it is leftto CTE leaders alone to make the case for CTE.

The “image” issue is central to improving theeffectiveness of the state’s CTE system to serve the needs of students and workforce and requiresattention by state policy leaders and statewide leadersof the business community.

We recommend that the state departments ofEducation, Community and Economic Development,and Labor & Industry work with statewide businessorganizations to develop and implement through apublic-private partnership a statewide publicawareness campaign that promotes the importance ofCTE and the multiple career pathways available tostudents, including CTE.

Many school districts and CTCs are already takingeffective steps to address the CTE “image” issue.There are many excellent examples of outreach tostudents and parents about CTE options and career

pathways that include, but do not stop with, CTE.Successful efforts to address the image problem needto be identified and replicated in other areas.

It is generally agreed that the information needs toreach students and their parents, and that the flow ofinformation needs to start early — no later than, andpreferably earlier than, the middle grades.

Student and parent visits to CTCs are highlyrecommended, and it has been emphasized that thebest “ambassadors” for CTE are students who arethemselves in CTE programs. Messages from recentsuccessful CTE graduates are a big plus!

It is equally important to familiarize school leaders,counselors, and teachers with the full-range of CTEoptions available. Everyone who can influence theeducation and career opportunities considered bystudents with whom they work needs to be fully awareof CTE value and options. This can be accomplished in many ways including visits by K-12 teachers andschool counselors to CTE programs and centers andthrough professional development. These professionaldevelopment opportunities should be prioritized andpresented by CTCs, school districts, professionalassociations, and the Department of Education.

BUILDING STUDENT AND PARENT AWARENESSABOUT CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION


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It is particularly important that all school counselors befully informed about CTE value and options, and thatthere are a sufficient number of counselors to provideall appropriate services to students, includinginformation and advice about CTE options. It isgenerally agreed that many districts and schools havefar too few school counselors to adequately serve theneeds of all students. This longstanding problem wasmade worse in many districts that have reportedcounselor position cuts blamed on deteriorating fiscalcircumstances in recent years.

While we do not suggest a mandatory student-to-counselor ratio in the schools, the current ratio isestimated to be about 450:1, nearly double the ratio of250:1 that is often suggested by the professionalcommunity in Pennsylvania and nationally. Statepolicymakers and local decision-makers need to worktogether to address a problem that has seriousimplications for all students. Thus far, the GeneralAssembly has ignored the 2015-2016 budget requestmade by the governor for $8 million to improve thenumber of school counselors with attention given toCTE opportunities.

The staff capacity of the Pennsylvania Department ofEducation has been adversely impacted by repeatedbudget cuts during the tenure of several governors

and legislative leadership of both parties. These cutshave had widespread and damaging effects for schooldistricts, educators, and students. We recognize theprecarious and unenviable budget reality that theGeneral Assembly repeatedly presents to theDepartment, but some staff cuts must be reversed inorder to serve educators and the interests of students.

The Governor and Secretary of Education candramatically improve the capacity of the Departmentof Education to support the school counselorcommunity by filling at least one full-time position inthe Department of Education dedicated to workingwith school counselors. This will obviously benefit theentire school counselor community, but the positioncould be structured to have special impact oncounseling for students about CTE value and options.There may already be sufficient flexibility in the use offederal Perkins funds to provide resources for thisneeded position in the Department.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education can helpfurther to address the CTE image and information issueby developing and maintaining a one-stop on-lineresource center about career and technical educationfor students, parents, educators, and school leaders.This resource center is in addition to the “best practices”site that is also recommended elsewhere in this report.

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“Career and Technical Education in the past was

viewed as the path for those students who were not

going to college. Career and Technical Education

today provides an opportunity for all students, those

preparing for employment directly after graduation

and those planning to continue their education at a

postsecondary institution.”

Jacqueline L. CullenExecutive Director, Pennsylvania Association of Career

and Technical Administrators (PACTA)

“A Pathway Program of Study is a program of

interconnected academic and elective classes revolving

around a career or subject theme, integrated with

experiential learning and close connections between

secondary and postsecondary education, training and

apprenticeship, so that the individual can successfully

enter and advance in a Career Pathway.”

Hans MeederPresident of the National Center for College and Career Transitions

Manager of Pennsylvania Pathways Innovation Network

CTE programs are often criticized as too oftennot very rigorous or not relevant to real jobopportunities and current or future careers in

a workplace that increasingly requires technicalcompetencies. In addition, too many CTE students arenot performing well on the state assessments that arerequired of all high school students.

We support the current expectation that all students,including those in CTE programs, will demonstrate thesame academic proficiencies and complete the sameassessments provided in state regulations for highschool students. It is not in the interest of CTE studentsor the long-term interest of CTE programs to createany appearance or reality of lesser academicrequirements and expectations.

It is noteworthy, however, that many CTE students alsocomplete one or more NOCTI exams and earnindustry-related credentials that demonstratecompetencies beyond the regular high school diploma.This fact should be celebrated widely rather thanlamented as an undue burden. This is the reason whyelsewhere in this report we recommend that thisinformation be included on the School PerformanceProfile (SPP).

On site visits, our Study Group witnessed remarkableexamples of modern, high quality, and rigorous CTEprograms challenging students and preparing themwith experience and skills that will serve them well incontinuing education and the workplace. But one mustnot assume this is the fact for all students in all schoolsand all CTE programs.

Nor do we dismiss the suggestion that too many CTCand district high school programs still offer programsthat prepare too many students for occupations thatlack equivalent job openings — and not enoughstudents for positions that offer opportunities forcareers with higher wages and prospects for long-termemployment and promotion in a workplace demandingever more sophisticated skills.

For this reason, we recommend several specific actionsto improve the capacity of policy leaders andeducators for informed decision-making aboutestablishing, strengthening, or curtailing CTEprograms, and the advice given to students.

• The Department of Labor & Industry and localworkforce development boards must assure highquality labor market data are provided to those

RELEVANCY AND RIGOR OF CTE PROGRAMS


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who develop and implement CTE programs andadvise students. High quality and reliable data thatis timely and user-friendly are vital for programplanning and advice to students.

• The Department of Education should haveresponsibility to routinely identify and disseminateinformation about effective CTE programs andbest practices to CTE policymakers,administrators, and faculty. This work to identifyand disseminate information can build upon thecurrent collaboration of the PennsylvaniaAssociation of Career and TechnicalAdministrators and the Pennsylvania Departmentof Education to provide a website that sharesresources, tools and promising practices amongPennsylvania’s CTE Community.

The information and resources found atpacteresources.com were submitted by CTEadministrators, instructors, and educational leadersand are intended for use by the CTE community. Anumber of the posted resources are the result ofthe Technical Assistance Program supported bythe Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureauof Career and Technical Education.

• The Department of Education and the board ofdirectors of each school district and CTC shouldconduct program review, evaluation, and revisionto ensure CTE programs are relevant and reflectthe labor market demands of the district and CTCregions. This review, evaluation, and revisionprocess must be at regular intervals, be informedby high quality data, and engage all relevantstakeholder groups.

• All approved secondary CTE programs shouldprovide the opportunity for their students to earnrecognized industry related certifications orcredentials that lead to increased employability.Not all current CTE programs comply with thisrecommendation, thus denying students a valuableasset upon program completion.

The relevancy and rigor of CTE programs in districthigh schools and in CTCs can also be better assuredwhere there is effective coordination among allrelevant CTE providers and stakeholders. Our severalrecommendations to enhance coordination at theregional and local level will help to better assure therelevancy and rigor of CTE programs.

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NOCTI (National Occupational Competency TestingInstitute) delivers a battery of assessments orstandardized tests for students studying career andtechnical programs in high schools and technicalcolleges in the United States. The assessments, basedon a job and task analysis process, incorporate inputfrom subject matter experts representing regions ofthe United States in secondary and postsecondaryeducation as well as business and industry. Theassessments are updated on a regular basis and arealigned with national academic standards (math,science and language arts) as well as business andindustry standards.

On site visits, our Study Group witnessed

remarkable examples of modern, high quality, and

rigorous CTE programs challenging students and

preparing them with experience and skills that will

serve them well in continuing education and the

workplace. But one must not assume this is the fact

for all students in all schools and all CTE programs.

Career and technical education is one of thevery valuable options on the public education“choices” or opportunity menu for students,

but this choice varies substantially for studentsdepending on the school district where they live. Thisinequity is not due to financial considerations alone andis often attributable to matters more easily addressed.

We urge policy and education leaders to prioritize theinterests of students in considering important CTEpolicy and program issues. Our recommendations buildon existing law and successful practices that are theroutine in some districts and CTCs.

Current law requires every school district to integrateCareer Education and Work standards throughout thecurriculum for all students. Every superintendent andschool board needs to ensure their district is fulfillingthis basic obligation.

Districts typically do some form of comprehensiveplanning. The comprehensive plan of every districtshould clearly articulate its commitment to multiplecareer pathways available to its students, and how thedistrict will ensure that every student has theopportunity to pursue a career pathway appropriate to

the student’s interests and capabilities. Schoolcounselors and CTE administrators and instructionalleaders should be engaged in the development of thispart of the comprehensive plan and the school boardshould hold the superintendent and itself publiclyaccountable for the implementation of the district’scommitment to a career pathway for every student.

Promoting student and parent awareness about CTEvalue and options and ensuring student access tohigh quality CTE options will be advanced byappropriate professional development in the schooldistrict. Every school district should clearly articulateits commitment to professional development that willbe provided to assure that all educators,administrators, and board members are informedabout CTE needs and opportunities that are orshould be available to its students. The school boardshould hold the superintendent and itself publiclyaccountable for the implementation of thiscommitment to professional development.

In too many instances, students prefer a CTC programor school that is not available to them under existingagreements. Often these are programs and schoolsthat are closer to their home school or residence than

ASSURING CTE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL STUDENTS


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is the CTE program usually available to them. In manycases, the interest of the student is accommodated, butnot always. The interest of the student should beprioritized and the General Assembly should enactlegislation that will require every school district andCTC to enter into any necessary agreements that willenable any student the option to attend any secondary-level career and technical program that is not availableto them under existing agreements.

Transportation issues are often a practical barrier tostudents exercising this form of CTE school orprogram choice and current state law limits a schooldistrict’s obligation to transport a student only to aCTC of which the district is a member. The GeneralAssembly should consider how to reduce the financialburden to students in these circumstances.

There are many examples throughout the state of CTEoptions for students that include “dual enrollment”opportunities for students to be earning postsecondarycredits even while completing their CTE program andbefore high school graduation. We heard of one example

of a student who was awarded his associates degree justdays before he walked across the stage to receive his highschool diploma. These dual enrollment agreements are animportant part of career pathways for many students. Theyenhance the learning opportunities for students, can betterprepare them for work, and can make postsecondaryeducation more affordable for many students.

There are exemplary examples of dual enrollmentagreements in many districts and CTCs and theyinvolve community colleges, PASSHE universities,non-public colleges, and many private licensedcareer colleges and schools. But these opportunitiesare not available to all otherwise academicallyqualified students.

State government has been inconsistent andunpredictable in its financial support for dualenrollment agreements for high school students. TheGeneral Assembly should provide some fundingsupport as it did until 2010 and as proposed in 2015 bythe Governor. The funding is important, but thefunding also gives the Department of Education someleverage to influence the nature of these agreementsthat should be structured to promote greater access,affordability, and transferability of earned credits forstudents.

But dual enrollment agreements do not and should notexist only when and where there is dedicated statefunding to help. Dual enrollment agreements should bethe norm wherever they can serve the best interests ofstudents and this is a responsibility of school districts,CTCs, and postsecondary education.

Dual enrollment agreements of necessity must remainvoluntary and will vary in scope and details. However,the General Assembly should enact legislation toencourage every community college, PASSHEuniversity, and private licensed career college andschool, to enter into dual enrollment agreements withschool districts and career and technical centers, andto report to the Secretary of Education annually allsuch dual enrollment agreements.

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“Modern CTE is far different from the days of

‘Vocational Education.’ Students have the

opportunity to take several pathways for the end goal

of being gainfully employed and having a fulfilling

life. With added academic rigor and the ability to

earn college credits while in a Career and Technical

program, CTE provides opportunities for a very

academically diverse population.”

Seth SchramPrincipal

Chester County Technical College High SchoolBrandywine Campus

Similarly, articulation agreements between and amongschool districts, CTCs, and postsecondary institutionsare increasingly vital to establishing predictable andindustry relevant career pathways for students in CTEprograms. But such relationships and agreements arenot prevalent enough to benefit all students who couldbe better served. Many students can benefit when theysee a predictable path forward, knowing that if theysuccessfully complete certain courses and programs,they are assured access to next steps on the path to acareer objective.

Like dual enrollment agreements, articulation agreementsmust remain voluntary and will vary in scope and details.But especially among publicly funded institutions, it isreasonable to expect articulation agreements will becomemore commonplace. The General Assembly haspreviously enacted legislation creating certainexpectations pertaining to articulation between andamong community colleges and PASSHE universities.

Articulation agreements can help to ensure thedevelopment and implementation of career pathwaysfor all students, including those in CTE programs, andtherefore the General Assembly should enactlegislation to encourage every community college,PASSHE university, and private licensed career collegeand school to enter into articulation agreements withschool districts and CTCs that will establishpredictable and industry relevant pathways forstudents to move from high school to postsecondaryeducation to career, and to report to the Secretary ofEducation annually all such pathways agreements.

CTE opportunities for students can be enhanced,public resources efficiently used, and additional privateresources attracted when school districts, career andtechnical centers, and postsecondary educationinstitutions strategically and routinely work together.We have elsewhere addressed the merits of regionaland local coordination, but here want to stress theimportance of educational institutions — especiallythose that are publicly funded — working together asmuch as is practical. Such collaborative efforts should

routinely extend to the planning of new programs andfacilities and include the efficient sharing of existingand future facilities, faculty, and other resources.

State policies pertaining to requirements for schooladministrator preparation programs and professionaldevelopment opportunities for all educators can helpto improve a school culture that historically hasundervalued career and technical education. The StateBoard of Education and Department of Educationshould revise requirements for administratorpreparation programs to assure that these programspromote CTE familiarity and understanding for everyeducator seeking superintendent certification. Also,the Department of Education should include in itsonline menu of professional development for teachers,school counselors, and administrators courses thatpromote awareness and capacity building to supportCTE opportunities for all students.

Real workplace experience is an important part of theCTE experience for students. State and localorganizations representing employers should routinelyencourage their members to create opportunities forhigh school students to have real work experiencesthrough internships, apprenticeships, work co-ops, andsummer employment.

We must note that the Study Group frequently heardabout and discussed the challenges for someemployers presented by state-required backgroundchecks for employers or their representatives whowould have “regular contact” with students. The lawwas recently amended to ease some of this burden, butthe issue was repeatedly cited as a barrier to securingmore real work opportunities for students. We believethe interest of the students reflected in the current lawis paramount and make no recommendation forchanges. However, state lawmakers should be mindfulof this issue whenever the law is further reviewed.

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Although there are frequent demands frompolicymakers and others for moreaccountability in the K-12 public education

system, there is in fact more accountability than everbefore. Expectations for student performance aremore demanding than ever, and there is publiclyavailable much more information about how schoolsare performing than in any past era.

Students in CTE programs in district high schools and inCTCs are expected to demonstrate proficiency on stateassessments as are all other high school students. And infact they are usually required to pass additional examsrelated to occupational fields for which they are studying.

In recent years, state government has begun to reporton the performance of schools through the SchoolPerformance Profile (SPP). As with any report card, theitems reported on the SPP suggest what is valued bythose who require the reporting, and it would be quitenatural that such an indication of “value” wouldinfluence the behavior of those who are required to dothe reporting.

The Department of Education is currently conducting areview of the content of the SPP and is entertaining

suggestions about what changes might be made to theSPP. We recommend that the SPP should recognizeschool performance relative to career preparation andCTE by including items related to student performanceon National Occupational Competency TestingInstitute (NOCTI) exams and achievement ofoccupation certifications. It is also recommended thatthe SPP require districts to report on the percentageof students for whom an individual career and workplan has been developed by the 8th grade, and howmany students complete a CTE program with anindustry recognized credential.

In an environment in which CTE advocates and thisreport emphasize the importance of CTE and call foradditional public and private investments in CTE, itwould be helpful to education leaders and topolicymakers at the state and school district level — andquite reasonable as well — to have better informationabout what happens to students after they completevarious CTE programs in district high schools and in CTCs. Such information would better enableeducators and policymakers to gauge the effectivenessof programs and schools to prepare students forpostsecondary education, jobs, and careers.

ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EFFECTIVENESS

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Survey and anecdotal information provide someincomplete answers to this very fundamental question,but there is no systematic statewide data system tofollow-up on CTE students after graduation. Acollaborative effort by the departments of Educationand Labor & Industry to use existing data would needto assure anonymity for individual students, but wouldproduce valuable information to help inform educatorand policymaker decisions about the value andeffectiveness of programs and the direction of futureinvestments. However, all should be cautioned to notmake judgments about the “success” of students or thevalue or effectiveness of programs based upon wageinformation alone.

All school districts are required to integrate CareerEducation and Work standards throughout the K-12curriculum, and also to have a career path planidentified for every student by the 8th grade. Thefulfillment of these two requirements shouldcomplement other efforts to engage more students toseriously consider CTE options as part of one or morepathways to work and career.

State policy can further support these two K-12requirements by requiring districts to publicly reporton how the Career Education and Work standards arebeing implemented in the district and (as suggestedabove) to include a report on the SPP about thepercentage of 8th grade students with completedcareer path plans. If state policymakers are seriousabout these two current requirements that areintended to improve student readiness for work andcareer, these modest accountability measures are veryappropriate and necessary.


In an environment in which CTE advocates and

this report emphasize the importance of CTE and

call for additional public and private investments in

CTE, it would be helpful to education leaders and

to policy makers at the state and school district level

— and quite reasonable as well — to have better

information about what happens to students after

they complete various CTE programs in district

high schools and in CTCs.

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Funding is a significant variable that influencesthe availability of quality CTE programs andstudent access to such CTE opportunities.

Currently, there is wide disparity of availability andstudent access, often dictated by the relative wealth ofa student’s home district or the regional CTC. Theinadequate level of state support for public schoolsgenerally, and for career and technical education inparticular, contributes to this great disparity.

It is not irrelevant to this discussion that Pennsylvania isjudged by many to have the most unequal statewidesystem of resources and, subsequently, opportunitiesfor K-12 students. This has serious implications for CTEopportunities as well.

For less wealthy school districts — those that are mostdependent on state funding help — they often do nothave sufficient financial capacity to initiate andmaintain their own high quality CTE programs,especially those requiring large investments forequipment or for which there may be a small numberof students interested. These same districts often donot easily absorb additional costs of sending studentsto CTCs.

Even wealthier school districts hard hit by state fundingdecisions and steeply increased pension costs in recentyears have had powerful disincentives to increase thenumber of CTC students or the amount of financialsupport for CTCs.

Direct state support for career and technical educationhas been stagnant for several years. Dedicated fundingproposed by Governor Wolf for 2015-2016 toencourage innovation in CTE has been caught up in thestate budget impasse, and the future for all CTE-related funding looks cloudy and unpredictable.

The cost of equipment, especially high tech equipmentthat is costly and needs to be updated frequently, is asignificant barrier for the establishment andmaintenance of many of the programs that can bestprepare students for new or evolving industries thatpromise job-growth in the foreseeable future. Whilebetter coordination and sharing among institutions canbe of some relief, school districts and CTCs need morestate help in meeting these extraordinary costs. Thisshould include greater tax incentives for business andindustry to provide support for CTE.

STATE FUNDING

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These are very challenging circumstances in which tohope many school districts and CTCs will expand andimprove CTE opportunities for a larger number ofstudents. It is therefore imperative that statepolicymakers increase financial as well as the rhetoricalsupport for career and technical education forsecondary students.

The forthcoming report from the House SelectCommittee on Technical Education and CareerReadiness (due late 2016) will be an importantopportunity to demonstrate real support for CTE. Thecommittee needs to remind House and Senatecolleagues of their responsibility to support CTEopportunities for all students, and to makerecommendations about specific ways in which toincrease state funding support.

We recommend that improved state support for CTEinclude increased basic education funding to alldistricts and increased dedicated funding for CTE.Ideally, the General Assembly will see fit to incorporatea component for CTE into the new basic educationfunding formula recommended in June 2015 by theLegislature’s Commission on Basic Education Funding.Other important support should be in the form of CTEequipment grants, competitive CTE innovation grants,and grants to expand student counseling, especiallypertaining to CTE opportunities. An expanded EITCprogram can help direct business and industry grantsto CTE programs as well.

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“The CEOs of Pennsylvania agree. If we want to

improve our workforce in the Commonwealth, we

have to invest in modern, high quality Career

Technology Education. The hardest jobs to fill are

the ‘middle skills.’ The best career pathway for these

good paying jobs starts with Career Technology

Education.”

David W. PattiPresident & CEO

Pennsylvania Business Council

High School Career and Technical Education: RECOMMENDATIONSeplc

The Governor should direct state cabinet-levelofficials who oversee relevant departments andagencies to develop and implement a strategic planto support and promote high-quality career andtechnical education opportunities for allPennsylvania students, thus preparing all studentsfor success in the workplace.

The Governor and the State Senate, exercisingtheir respective authority to nominate and approvemembers of the State Board of Education, shouldassure the State Board of Education includes at leasttwo members on each of the two councils of theBoard who have meaningful experience with careerand technical education, as intended by languagecurrently in the School Code. For at least onemember on each council, this experience shouldinclude significant service as a CTE instructionalleader or CTE administrator at the secondary level.

The Governor should assure that at all times oneor more appointed members of the State WorkforceDevelopment Board has current or recentexperience as a secondary level CTE instructionalleader or administrator.

At least once a year, the State WorkforceDevelopment Board and the State Board ofEducation should meet concurrently to considercareer and technical education issues and othereducation issues related to workforce development.

The General Assembly should amend the SchoolCode to provide that the board of directors of acareer and technical center shall have the authorityto appoint on a staggered basis, for terms of fouryears, no more than two individuals representingbusiness and private employer perspectives asadditional board members with voting authority.

A comprehensive and strategic review of theCommonwealth’s Perkins Plan and state CTEprograms and policies should be initiated by theState Board of Education and the Department ofEducation as soon as practical, engaging all relevantstakeholders and recognizing that the CTEenvironment is dynamic and has changedsignificantly.

The State Workforce Innovation andOpportunity Act (WIOA) Plan to be submitted to theU.S. Department of Labor in March 2016, and theperiodic revisions that are permitted thereafter,should not substitute for the need forcomprehensive review and revision of the state’sPerkins Plan, but should nonetheless reflect howcareer and technical education for high schoolstudents will be supported and strengthened as anintegral part of the state’s workforce developmentstrategies.

State and local organizations representingemployers should routinely encourage theirmembers to serve on local boards of schooldirectors, the governing boards of regional careerand technical centers, and occupational advisorycommittees for secondary CTE programs.

The Governor and General Assembly mustassure each annual state budget provides theDepartment of Education and other relevant stateagencies the financial resources and authorized staffcomplement to effectively implement therecommendations of this report.

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LEADERSHIP ANDGOVERNANCE

Leadership in Harrisburg and localcommunities is vital to assure that an effectivestatewide system of career and technicaleducation that recognizes and addresses theneeds of students and employers is available.The need for leadership starts with electedstate policymakers, and must include otherstate and local officials and agencies, and everyschool district and career and technologycenter (CTC) governing board, along with theirpostsecondary school partners.

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RECOMMENDATIONS20

High School Career and Technical Education: RECOMMENDATIONS eplc

The Governor and General Assembly shouldconsider applying appropriate conditions andexpectations to appropriations for funding schooldistricts, intermediate units, career and technicalcenters, postsecondary institutions, and workforcedevelopment boards. These conditions andexpectations should require funding recipients todemonstrate that they participate in regional andlocal partnerships for planning and delivering CTEprograms for high school students and others.

Every local Workforce Development Boardshould include at least one administrator of a careerand technical center, an intermediate unit, and aschool district, and, where such institutions arepresent in the region, at least one administrator of acommunity college, state system university, andprivate licensed career college or school.

To develop regional leadership andoperational partnerships among school districts,career and technical centers, postsecondaryinstitutions, business and industry, labor, and otherworkforce and economic development entities, thePennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry or the Department of Community & EconomicDevelopment should offer competitive grants toregional business-education partnerships to developand implement regional strategies to deliver CTEprograms to high school students and others.

Through a public-private partnership, thePennsylvania departments of Education, Communityand Economic Development, and Labor & Industryand statewide business organizations should developand implement a statewide public awarenesscampaign that promotes the importance of careerand technical education and the multiple careerpathways available to students, including CTE.

School district superintendents and boardmembers should assure that all middle school andhigh school students, and their parents, are regularlyinformed about the multiple career pathwaysavailable to students, depending on the individualstudent’s interests and capabilities.

School district superintendents and boardmembers, working with administrators and thegoverning boards of regional career and technicalcenters, should adopt policies and practices thatassure every middle school student will have at leastone orientation presentation and visit to a regionalcareer and technical center to observe and toexplore the programs and opportunities available tohigh school students.

REGIONAL AND LOCALCOORDINATION

Within any geographic region of the state,there are usually many and varied educationaland workforce development entities thatcontribute to preparing students for success inthe workplace and careers, and to fulfilling theworkforce needs of business and industry inthe region. These objectives for students andworkforce development can best be addressedwhere there is planning and implementationcoordination and cooperation among relevantregional and local organizations.

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BUILDING STUDENT ANDPARENT AWARENESS ABOUT CAREER AND

TECHNICAL EDUCATIONCareer and technical education suffers to asignificant extent an “image” problem amongmany students and their parents, and evenmany educators. Too often, they considercareer and technical education as being ofinsufficient quality or relevance for the vastmajority of students. Unfamiliarity andmisinformation need to be combated withbroadly disseminated information about thevalue of career and technical education andopportunities for students.

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RECOMMENDATIONS 21

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High School Career and Technical Education: RECOMMENDATIONSeplc

Statewide professional associationsrepresenting school board directors, schooladministrators, principals, teachers, and schoolcounselors should incorporate into the professionaldevelopment activities for their respective membersmultiple opportunities to develop greater awarenessof career and technical education programs andrelated workforce opportunities for students.

School boards and the boards of career andtechnical centers should ensure that there aresufficient school counselors in middle schools, highschools, and career and technical centers to provideappropriate career pathway information to allstudents and their parents.

The Pennsylvania Department of Educationshould develop and maintain a one-stop on-lineresource center about career and technicaleducation for students, parents, educators, schoolleaders, and others.

The Governor and the Secretary of Educationshould ensure that there is at least one full-timeposition in the Department of Education dedicatedto working with school counselors.

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor &Industry in partnership with the state’s local workforcedevelopment boards should periodically review thequality, accessibility and utility of labor market dataprovided to state agencies, school districts, career andtechnical centers, postsecondary educationinstitutions, workforce development boards, and otherworkforce development organizations that use such

data to advise students and for CTE programdevelopment and improvement.

The Pennsylvania Department of Educationshould routinely identify and disseminateinformation about effective CTE programs and bestpractices, serving as a reliable resource for CTEpolicymakers, administrators, and faculty.

The Pennsylvania Department of Educationand the board of directors of each school district andeach CTC should conduct CTE program review,evaluation, and revision processes to ensure CTEprograms are relevant and reflect the labor marketdemands of the district and CTC regions.

All approved secondary CTE programs shouldprovide the opportunity for their students to earnrecognized industry related certifications orcredentials that lead to increased employability.

Also see Recommendations 10, 11, and 12 concerningRegional Coordination.

The superintendent and board of every schooldistrict should ensure that their district fulfills theobligation to integrate Career Education and Workstandards throughout the curriculum for all students.

Every school district should clearly articulatein its comprehensive planning a commitment tomultiple career pathways available to its students,and how the district will ensure that every student

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RELEVANCY AND RIGOR OF CTE PROGRAMS

The relevancy and rigor of career andtechnical programs in regional centers andhigh schools should be assured by timelyinformation from state agencies to schoolleaders, regional coordination among relevantagencies, continuous review by district andcenter boards, and the sharing of informationabout effective programs and practices.

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ASSURING CTEOPPORTUNITIES

FOR ALL STUDENTSAssuring the opportunity for career readinessfor every student is a core obligation ofeducation policymakers, and CTE must be a vitalpart of the opportunity menu available to allstudents in all schools districts. Decision-makingby CTE policy leaders and administrators at thestate, school district, and CTC level mustprioritize the interests of students.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

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High School Career and Technical Education: RECOMMENDATIONS eplc

has the opportunity to pursue a career pathwayappropriate to the student’s interests andcapabilities. The school board should hold thesuperintendent and itself publicly accountable forthe implementation of this commitment.

Every school district should clearly articulatein its comprehensive planning the professionaldevelopment that will be provided to assure that alleducators, administrators, and board members areinformed about career and technical educationneeds and opportunities that are or should beavailable to its students. The school board shouldhold the superintendent and itself publiclyaccountable for the implementation of theseprofessional development plans.

The General Assembly should enact legislationthat will require every school district and CTC toenter into any necessary agreements that will enableany student the option to attend any secondary-levelcareer and technical program that is not available tothem under existing agreements.

The General Assembly should enact legislationto encourage every community college, PASSHEuniversity, and private licensed career college andschool, to enter into dual enrollment agreementswith school districts and career and technicalcenters, and to report to the Secretary of Educationannually all such dual enrollment agreements.

The General Assembly should enact legislationto encourage every community college and everyPASSHE university, and private licensed careercollege and school, to enter into articulationagreements with school districts and career andtechnical centers that will establish predictable andindustry relevant pathways for students to movefrom high school to postsecondary education tocareer, and to report to the Secretary of Educationannually all such pathways agreements.

School districts, career and technical centers,and postsecondary education institutions shouldstrategically and routinely work together whereverpractical to maximize career and technicaleducation awareness and opportunities for

students, including collaboration relative toprograms, facilities, and faculty.

The State Board of Education and Departmentof Education should revise requirements foradministrator preparation programs to assure thatthese programs promote CTE awareness for everyeducator seeking superintendent certification.

The Department of Education should include inits online menu of professional development forteachers, school counselors, and administratorscourses that promote awareness and capacity buildingto support CTE opportunities for all students.

State and local organizations representingemployers should routinely encourage theirmembers to create opportunities for high schoolstudents to have real work experiences throughinternships, apprenticeships, work co-ops, andsummer employment.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education’sSchool Performance Profile (SPP) report card shouldbe revised to additionally report on career andtechnical education information such as: a) numberof students successfully completing NOCTI examsand the number of NOCTI exams successfullycompleted; b) the percentage of students for whoman individual career and work plan has beendeveloped by the 8th grade; and c) how manystudents complete a CTE program with an industry-recognized credential.

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ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EFFECTIVENESS

Education leaders and policy leaders canbenefit from improved information about thequality and effectiveness of career andtechnical education programs, especiallypertaining to outcomes for students. Suchinformation should help to inform decisionsabout the establishment, content, andcurtailment of programs and schools; the useof financial resources; and advice to students.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

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High School Career and Technical Education: RECOMMENDATIONSeplceplc

RECOMMENDATIONS

The General Assembly should enact legislationthat requires each school district to periodicallyreport publicly about how the statewide CareerEducation and Work standards for students areimplemented in their district.

The state departments of Education and Labor& Industry, using student data and wage record data(while respecting the anonymity of individualstudents), should establish a data system andprotocol to report on the effectiveness of career andtechnical education programs and to provideguidance for subsequent policy-making by schooland public policy leaders.

The Governor and General Assembly shouldsupport and annually fund a statewide K-12education finance system that is based on theprinciples of equity, adequacy, predictability, andaccountability, and that assures sufficient resourcesto prepare every student to be ready for success inpostsecondary education, career, and citizenship.

The Select Committee of the House ofRepresentatives, in its report on technical educationand career readiness due in 2016, shouldacknowledge and make recommendations thataddress the responsibility of the General Assemblyto provide more sufficient financial resources tosupport career and technical education at thesecondary level in order to address seriousunderfunding issues that serve as substantialbarriers to the availability of high-quality,contemporary career and technical educationopportunities that meet the needs of all students aswell as the state’s employers.

The Governor and General Assembly shouldsupport an amendment to the recently adoptedBasic Education Funding Formula to reflect anadded weight factor for career and technicaleducation enrollment as a basic component of thecost of education for all school districts.

The Governor and General Assembly shouldprovide an annual increase in the Career andTechnical Education line item in the state budget atleast equal to the annual published “index” increaseallowed for school district revenues.

The Governor and General Assembly shouldprovide for an annual appropriation of at least $10million to support equipment purchases for careerand technical education programs.

The Governor and General Assembly shouldenact and annually fund a five-year SchoolCounseling Improvement Program designed toassist school districts to enhance career counseling,with an emphasis on building more awarenessamong students and their parents concerning careerand technical education opportunities.

The Governor and General Assembly shouldamend the Educational Improvement Tax Credit(EITC) program to provide for a separate categoryof tax credits for eligible taxpayers to support careerand technical education equipment purchases, andto fund this category with an additional EITCallocation so as to not reduce current allocations forany other EITC categories.

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STATE FUNDINGThe unevenness of CTE opportunities forstudents, and the uneven capacity of districtsand CTC’s to support high quality CTEprograms, is often related to funding issues.There are several state budget-related actionsthat the Governor and General Assemblyshould support to enhance career andtechnical education opportunities for all studentsand strengthen workforce development effortsfor the Commonwealth. Most important, ofcourse, is the state’s general support for basiceducation since it is this annual appropriationthat strongly influences each district’scapacity to support educational opportunitiesand services for all students, including optionsfor career and technical education. But severalother areas of directed funding also cansignificantly affect CTE choices and quality.

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EPLC Career and Technical Education Project Study Group MembersCarol Adukaitis, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education

Bonita Allen, Pennsylvania PTA

Elizabeth Bolden, Pennsylvania Commission forCommunity Colleges

Judith Bookhamer, Pennsylvania School CounselorsAssociation

Diane Bosak, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry

Jim Buckheit, Pennsylvania Association of SchoolAdministrators

Lee Burket, Pennsylvania Department of Education

Joseph Clapper, Pennsylvania Principals Association

Jackie Cullen, Pennsylvania Association of Careerand Technical Administrators

Jake Dailey, Pennsylvania Business Council

James Denova, The Benedum Foundation

Richard Dumaresq, Pennsylvania Association of PrivateSchool Administrators

Liz Ferry, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce

Laura Fisher, Allegheny Conference on CommunityDevelopment

Dan Fogarty, Berks County Workforce Investment Board

Ty Gourley, The Hillman Foundation

Alex Halper, Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry

Clyde Hornberger, Consultant

Eric Kratz, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry

Nathan Mains, Pennsylvania School Boards Association

Kenneth Mash, Association of Pennsylvania StateCollege and University Faculties

Kevin McKenzie, Allegheny Conference on CommunityDevelopment

Jessica Meyers, ASSET STEM Education

Karen Molchanow, State Board of Education

David Namey, Pennsylvania State Education Association

David Patti, Pennsylvania Business Council

Cynthia Pulkowski, ASSET STEM Education

John Pulver, Pennsylvania Association of Career andTechnical Administrators

Laura Saccente, PSAYDN, Center for Schools andCommunities

Aaron Shenck, Pennsylvania Association of PrivateSchool Administrators

Abby Smith, Team PA Foundation

Stanley Thompson, The Heinz Endowments

Kirk Williard, Chester County Intermediate Unit

Stephen Zori, The College Board

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High School Career and Technical Education: Serving Pennsylvania’s Student and Workforce Needs eplc

The EPLC CTE Study Group visited several sites tolearn more about CTE leadership models and CTEopportunities available to students.

EPLC and Study Group members want to expressappreciation to the board members, administrators,instructional staff, and students at each site.

Appreciation is also extended to all of the communityrepresentatives who participated in very informativeforums that were conducted in conjunction with eachsite visit.

Chester County Technical College High School —Brandywine Campus (October 26, 2015)

Advanced Technology Center at WestmorelandCounty Community College (November 4, 2015)

Berks Career and Technology Center (November 23, 2015)

Lehigh Career and Technical Institute (December 15, 2015)

Chartiers Valley High School (January 7, 2016)

Study Group Site Visits

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX A

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