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Beltway News
Photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Congressional Action
Congress will meet the week of December 8 to consider a legislative package to provide short term relief to the US auto industry. President Bush would like to have a bill to sign by the end of this week, but it is still not clear whether the House and Senate can gather enough votes to pass a package that will be agreeable to all.
While this is occurring, Senators, House members and their staffs are continuing to discuss funding levels to include in the FY 09 Omnibus Appropriations bill. An alert/update on this situation was sent out to state directors and associate members on December 8. This bill will be voted on by the new Congress in January and sent to President Obama for his signature.
Timetable for FY 10 Federal Budget
Because next year is the first year of a new Presidential administration, the timeline for consideration of the president's budget submission is slightly altered. Normally, the White House presents a budget bill to Congress the first week of February. However, because President Obama will have only been in office for two weeks at that point the process is modified. The White House will provide a budget outline to Congress around the last week of February which will include a broad outline of Presidential budget priorities. The detailed Administration budget is expected to be sent to Congress in late April.
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Our address
8484 Georgia Avenue,
Suite 320
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
The Mission of NASDCTEc is to provide leadership for career technical education's role in education, workforce preparation and economic development. |
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Upcoming Conferences
Save the Date
2009 Spring Meeting
April 6-10, 2009
Lodging at the Hilton Washington, with meetings to be held at the adjacent AED Conference Center
More information coming soon!
2009 Career Cluster Institute
June 15-17, 2009
Omni Hotel, currently under construction
Ft. Worth, TX
Call for Presenters Now Open For the 2009 Institute
Theme: The Building Blocks for Change
This year's Career Clusters' Institute will focus on how states and local institutions are addressing the 15 Critical Components of Career Clusters' implementation. We are currently seeking proposals for presentations. Proposals may be submitted online. The deadline for submission is January 9, 2009.
National Association of Career and Technical Education Information (NACTEI)
When: May 12-14, 2009
Where: Albuquerque NM
For more information, go to http://www.nactei.org. | |
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Member News
George Burns, Postsecondary Perkins Specialist, has retired, and Linda Corr-Mahugh has joined the Montana Staff in his former capacity. Ms. Corr-Mahugh was a former director of Career and Technical Education in Issaquah, Washington, bringing with her a strong educational and Perkins background. To contact: email lcorr-mahugh@montana.edu and phone 406-444-6570.
Watch for registration, coming soon
The Spring 2009 State Director's meeting is in the planning stages. Registration information will be posted at www.careertech.org by the end of December. |
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Publications
- Assure that students enroll in a course of study aligned with college and career readiness standards
- Provide high-quality curriculum and teacher support materials
- Align high school standards with the demands of college and careers
- Build better student assessments
- Provide information and accountability systems that ensure expectations are met
This report is a product of Measures that Matter--a joint, ongoing effort by Achieve, Inc. and The Education Trust to provide strategic and technical guidance to states to help create education policy that prepares students for college or the workplace. |
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Facts, Figures and...
Other Good Stuff
The National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (NRCCTE) updated its website with a focus on student engagement, achievement, and transition. The website has expanded to include more research information, webcasts and podcasts. Members can send their name, email address, and/or mailing address to nrccte@louisville.edu to become a member of the new mailing list, which offers the latest updates for research and news from the field.
NRCCTE has also just released the report What Will Be the Impact of Programs of Study? A Preliminary Assessment Based on Similar Previous Initiatives, State Plans for Implementation, and Career Development Theory. This report explores states' implementation of programs of study, and concludes that programs of study can enhance the effectiveness of CTE by aligning secondary and postsecondary instruction, using rigorous and relevant technical content with challenging academic standards.
NCES expands the State Education Reforms (SER) website:The SER website, which draws primarily on data collected by organizations other than NCES, compiles and disseminates data on state-level education reform efforts in four areas:
- Standards, assessment, and accountability
- School finance reforms
- Resources for learning
- State support for school choice options
Specific reform areas include student and teacher assessments, adequate yearly progress, statewide exit exams, highly qualified teachers, open enrollment laws, and charter schools.
State Allocations Split: Information from the Perkins IV 5-year plans shows that on average states dedicate 64% of their funds for secondary activities and 36% for postsecondary purposes. The number is derived by totaling the averages of each state's percentage allocation. However, the numbers are slightly different when one considers the percentage breakdown of actual dollars spent nationally. This calculation shows that nationwide 59.9% of all dollars are spent on secondary programs and 40.1% of funds are spent on postsecondary activities. For more information about these calculations call our office at 301-588-9630.
State Legislative Activity
California: Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed two bills to connect CTE to postsecondary and career options. Under Assembly Bill 2855, the Superintendent of Public Instruction must issue grants to establish partnership academies in green technology in each of California's 9 economic regions. Assembly Bill 876 directs postsecondary assistance to develop a statewide, integrated model CTE curriculum, and to publish an online resource that lists academic and technical courses meeting certain state university requirements. The online resource must also identify partnerships between high schools and postsecondary institutions that grant university credit or advanced standing for students who complete specific high school pathway programs. |
Career Clusters 
WHAT'S UP WITH CAREER CLUSTER'S LEADERS is an effort to highlight a different Cluster Leader. Each Cluster Leader is asked to submit an article about news in their specialty area. This month's featured Career Cluster is:
Health Science by Carole Stacy MSN, MA, RN
The Health Science Cluster has had a busy and productive year. We have disseminated the 10 Interdisciplinary Health Science units to over 500 schools. An additional 10 units are being developed. The units are designed to provide academic rigor using a healthcare context and student produced projects.
In 2008 the national health science assessment was taken by more than 3000 students as an end of course test for health science completers. The test data analysis from 2008 was utilized to review and revise the assessment that will be used for the 2009 year end testing. The National Consortium on Health Science Technology Education is developing 11 modules, one for each foundation standard, that will provide a guide for health science teachers as they develop curriculum that includes the national health science cluster standards. The modules will be ready for dissemination at the Career Cluster Institute in June 2009.
Members of the Health Science Cluster Advisory Committee were utilized to review the modules developed as part of the STEM project. Feedback from the reviewers was very positive about the module content and student activities.
The National Health Science Conference was held in Raleigh, North Carolina October 22 to 25, 2008. There were almost 400 participants involved in 56 breakout sessions, 30 exhibitors, and a field trip to the Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center on campus at North Carolina State University. The site of the 2010 conference is Minneapolis, Minnesota. | |
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