Elert Now Available

Please welcome Mr. Gary Steppe as the new Director of Career, Technical and Agricultural Education for the state of Georgia. Mr. Steppe comes from the Stephens County School System, where he served as superintendent. Prior to that, he worked in Murphy, North Carolina, where he served in various capacities from teacher to superintendent. Mr. Steppe may be reached at 404-657-8317 or gsteppe@doe.k12.ga.us.

Please welcome Ms. Vangie Stice-Israel, State Directory of Texas, Career and Technical Education. Ms. Stice-Israel can be reached at vangie.stice-israel@tea.state.tx.us or 512-936-4171.

Spring Meeting Registration Now Open

When: April 6-10, 2009

Where: Washington, DC

Hotel Reservation: Make your hotel reservation now. Ask for the State Directors Meeting.
Hilton Washington
1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 483-3000

Room rate is $189 plus tax, less than the federal per diem!

Meetings: The meetings are being held at the AED Conference Center, next door to the hotel. Free wi-fi throughout.

AED Conference Center
1825 Connecticut Ave., NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 884-8600 or (888) 324-4586.

Meeting Registration: Please register online.Your meeting registration covers three continental breakfasts, two lunches and two evening events that include dinner.

Agenda is posted online and will be continuously updated.

Logistics: Getting to the hotel and conference center: The Hilton Washington and the AED conference center are conveniently located near the Dupont Circle metro (red line) and are within walking distance to a variety of restaurants, spanning a full range of prices. For airport information, as well as detailed directions from the metro to the hotel, please follow this link.

Publications

Community Colleges Prepare "Green" Workforce: The Academy for Educational Development and the National Council for Workforce Education have published a report, "Going Green: The Vital Role of Community Colleges in Building a Sustainable Future and a Green Workforce," focusing on how some community colleges are at the forefront of creating a much-needed workforce to fill the thousands of new jobs in a emerging green economy.

Some of the green jobs addressed in these community colleges include wind power installers and maintenance workers; solar engineers and designers; green architects and designers; ethanol plant technicians; biodiesel laboratory technicians; indoor air quality auditors; and sales representatives for the above-mentioned alternative energy resources and products.

This report provides examples of community colleges that are successfully implementing green-centric instruction, as well as a reference guide, contacts and action steps for other institutions wanting to model environmentally friendly programs at their schools.

Joint Report Addresses Actions Needed to Improve Schools: The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) recently released a joint report representing the four organizations' shared vision for the changes needed in today's high schools. This report, "Accelerating the Agenda: Actions to Improve America's High Schools," builds on the national imperative set forth at the 2005 National Education Summit on High Schools and measures how states are progressing in improving America's high schools while citing the challenges that remain in ensuring high school students are prepared for college and career success in the global economy.

CTE is highlighted within the report on several different occasions. Specifically, the report states that students can be better prepared for college and entry-level technical occupations by elevating academic standards and high school graduation requirements to a college- and career-ready level. This can be done by offering students other high-quality pathways, such as career technical education and dual enrollment.

It also maintains that states can provide students with various high-quality pathways to earn a diploma by making career technical education more rigorous and increasing college-level learning opportunities. Additionally, the report highlights emerging trends, such as greater appreciation for international benchmarking and an increased focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education that have the capacity to improve student success in the global economy.

High Schools Can Prepare Students for the World of Work: The MDRC has published an evidence-based memo directed at the new Congress and Administration, stating that career and technical education can help prepare high school students to enter into postsecondary employment and education.

According to a long-term study of Career Academies by MDRC - rigorous evidence confirms that the Academies can produce lasting employment and earnings gains. This applies in particular to young men and at-risk students without reducing the chances that students earn a postsecondary credential.

These findings, along with an existing network of organizations already in place to strengthen local programs, provide the basis for engaging a broad range of students in high-quality Career Academies throughout the country.

Facts, Figures and...

Other Good Stuff

NCES Updates Website: The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recently updated the State Education Reforms (SER) website. This website, which is based on the report "Overview and Inventory of State Education Reforms: 1990 to 2000," primarily draws on data collected by organizations other than NCES. It collects and disseminates state-level data on education reform. The data focuses on four areas:

1) standards, assessment, and accountability;
2) school finance reforms;
3) resources for learning; and
4) state support for school choice options.

The Role of an Advanced Technology Center (CITE) in Promoting Case-Based Learning and High School Redesign: The American Youth Policy Forum recently hosted a briefing focusing on how the work at the Center for Innovation in Technological Education (CITE) has influenced Metro Nashville Public Schools and other partners in Nashville, TN. With the help of CITE, the district has created a system to bring community organizations and resources into alignment to support youth and high school performance. The forum also described how CITE is working to reshape teacher training and classroom instruction, and how these elements are the cornerstone of the district's vision for high school redesign. CITE's mission is to support and accelerate the implementation and practice of proven contextual teaching and learning methods, connecting education with careers and technology to meet the needs of the 21st Century workforce.
Presenters included:

Sydney Rogers, Executive Director, Alignment Nashville, TN;
Nicholas Holland, President and CEO of Centresource, Business partner of the IT Career Academy at Stratford High School, TN;
David McNeel, Former Principal Investigator, Center for Innovation in Technological Education (CITE), TN; and
Starr Herrman, Director of Smaller Learning Communities/Career Academies, Metro Nashville Public Schools, TN.

TSA Introduces STEM Competition Standards: The Technology Student Association (TSA) has released competition standards for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Through participation in TSA competitive events, STEM students will have the opportunity to learn and compete in a hands-on venue while gaining a broader understanding of these specific content areas. These competition standards are directly aligned with national STEM standards.

Career Clusters

Registration is now open for the 7th Annual Career Clusters Institute.

Find out more:
When: June 15-17, 2009

Where: Omni Hotel, Ft. Worth TX

Hotel Reservations: can be made at the Omni Hotel special reservation link for our members.

Meeting Registration: can be made by accessing the Career Clusters website registration page.

The main registration page of the website lists all the details. Register early to get the best rate!

With ONE new location, THREE exciting general sessions, and 60+ breakout sessions, "Career Clusters: The Building Blocks of Change" will be a Career Clusters Institute you won't want to miss! As leaders across the country continue to focus on Career Clusters and programs of study, the Career Clusters Institute is the place to find out what is new, learn from best practices, and discover innovative strategies for implementing and integrating Career Clusters and programs of study successfully. Join us this June in Fort Worth to take part in our growing annual Institute and find out for yourself what is going on with Career Clusters today! Register early to secure your spot. The popular strands format will be continued this year to help you choose which sessions best fit your needs:

Strand A: Clusters as a Model for Collaboration;
Strand B: Clusters as a Tool for School Reform and Improvement ;
Strand C: Career Clusters and Programs of Study; and
Strand D: Clusters-specific Instruction and Implementation.