Alaska’s Education & Early Development, and Labor and Workforce Development departments, and the University of Alaska teamed to develop the Alaska Career and Technical Education Plan, their strategy to prepare students to be lifelong learners who can contribute to and succeed in their economy. Most significant is the plan’s assertion that it proposes a CTE system that is not a separate ‘track’ designed for students who are not college bound. “The CTE system described in the plan ensures that all students – whatever their ultimate career goals – have the employability skills that are necessary for success in life as well as employment.”

Alaska’s plan consists of a set of strategies and action statements, which include:

• Make transitions planned and accountable for both successful student progress and systemic cooperation.
• Align curricula and all training institutions to meet current industry standards – including academic, professional and technical skills – from elementary through professional development levels.
• Identify and promote CTE delivery models that ensure students have the knowledge and skills needed for further training and careers.

Ms. Costin brings years of Career Technical Education experience to her new role. During her 19 years with the Department of Education, Loretta has served in various capacities, including the Director of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (2002-2004); Director of the Division of Workforce Development Education (2000-2002); Bureau Chief, Program Improvement and Accountability (1997-2000);  Director, Standards, Benchmarks and Frameworks (1994-1997); Program Director, Marketing Education (1990-1994); and Program Specialist, Marketing Education (1985-1990).   Prior to becoming an education administrator, Loretta taught Marketing Education at Rutherford High School in Panama City, Florida.

We welcome Loretta Costin as Florida’s new State Director. She can be reached at loretta.costin@fldoe.org.

PARCC is a coalition of 26 states and will test students’ ability to read complex text, complete research projects, excel at classroom speaking and listening assignments, and work with digital media. The consortia will replace the single year-end high stakes test with a series of assessments given throughout the year. PARCC’s application stated that its assessment system “will provide the tools needed to identify whether students—from grade 3 through high school—are on a trajectory for postsecondary success and, critically, where gaps may exist and how they can be remediated well before students enter college or the workforce.”

SBAC is comprised of 31 states that will test students using computer adaptive technology that will ask students tailored questions based on their previous answers. The consortia will still use a single test at the end of the year for accountability purposes, but will create a series of interim tests throughout the year to let students, parents, and teachers know whether students are on track. You can see which states are included in both of the consortia here.

In a speech this morning at Achieve, Inc. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that states in both consortia have agreed to set the same achievement levels or cut‐scores on their  assessments and that the Department will ask them to collaborate to make sure student test results are comparable across participating states. Duncan also laid out how these assessments differ from existing state tests, including the use of smart technology, immediate feedback, accommodations, and the use of formative assessments that document student growth. Finally he said that “for the first time, the new assessments will better measure the higher‐order thinking skills so vital to success in the global economy of the 21^st century and the future of American prosperity. To be on track today for college and careers, students need to show that they can analyze and solve complex problems, communicate clearly, synthesize information, apply knowledge, and generalize learning to other settings.”

As you may be aware, there was a third group of states, the State Consortium on Board Examination Systems, that applied for $30 million in funding under the competition to support assessments at the high school level. However, this group did not win an award.

1. Earning
2. Spending
3. Saving
4. Borrowing
5. Protecting against risk

You may access the competencies in the Federal Register Notice requesting comments. Comments are due by September 12, 2010.

The number of professional science master’s (P.S.M.) degree programs in American universities has grown over the past two years and is now available at nearly 100 universities. “The degrees represent a response from academe to repeated calls from corporate and political leaders for better articulation of American graduate education with the country’s work-force needs,” the article said. Industry wants workers who have in-depth knowledge and the know how to apply it.

Companies, government agencies and nonprofits seek P.S.M. graduates with the expectation that they help be innovative and contribute to the knowledge-based global economy.  P.S.M. degree programs include rigorous course work in science or mathematics for fields with high career demand. In addition, courses require students to obtain a background workplace in areas such financial and project management, communication, teamwork, ethics, and regulatory affairs. The universities coordinate with employers to ensure that the programs are equipping students with real and timely economic demands.

As P.S.M. degrees grow in demand, the need for individuals — of all ages and across all job sectors — to obtain both academic and technical skills will likely be more apparent.

 Dr. Folkers joins NASDCTEc during a crucial time, as the organization leads a refreshed agenda for career technical education (CTE), which aims to be a rigorous academic system that also trains students for the jobs of tomorrow. To achieve its vision for CTE, NASDCTEc has adopted the National Career Clusters model as the official framework of all CTE programs. The comprehensive Career Clusters model provides students with a strong pipeline from high school to college and to career. Dr. Folkers will be charged with spearheading the National Career Clusters Initiative, a model intended to prepare all students for college and career.

Dr. Folkers comes to the organization with more than 20 years of CTE experience. Beginning as a high school agricultural education instructor and local FFA Advisor at Lakeview High School, Columbus, Nebraska, Dr. Folkers went on to serve in different leadership roles within the National FFA Organization. In his most recent position as the Assistant State Career and Technical Education Director for the Nebraska Department of Education, Dr. Folkers was involved with the creation and implementation of the Nebraska Career Education model that incorporated the States’ Career Clusters framework in supporting the development of college and career readiness among Nebraska’s students.  

We look forward to working with Dr. Folkers in his exciting new role. “I hope to capitalize on my previous experiences with career technical education to help me take NCTEF’s vision and the Career Clusters framework to the next level, by encouraging people to adopt and implement the framework,” Dr. Folkers said. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Folkers. He can be reached at dfolkers@careertech.org.

A recent article, Effectiveness of Fully Online Courses for College Students: Response to a Department of Education Meta-Analysis, assesses a meta-analysis conducted in 2009 by the U.S. Department of Education. Researchers found that online learning could be beneficial for well-prepared and financially stable students. As for lower income students and underprepared students, online learning does not seem to be as accessible or effective.

Supporters of online learning feel that, potentially, these programs can provide superior learning outcomes as well as increased access for students because of reduced costs and commute time. While this could hold true, many researchers and higher education institutions are still not completely supportive. Some research suggests that students who complete online courses do indeed learn as much and are just as satisfied as students in regular classroom environments, while other research shows that students are less likely to complete online courses in general.

The report did point out various discrepancies within the study. The first concern was the lack of comparative outcomes between online and face-to-face learning. Another issue found was the absence of diversity among the types of online courses assessed. All of these courses were some form of computer or technical related course, making it easier to use the online learning method. Finally, the samples chosen for these studies were all from mid-sized or larger universities. Five of the samples were rated by U.S. News and World Report as “selective” or “highly selective” schools, which raise issue of diversity among the types of students who were assessed. Taking all of these factors into account, the report concluded that while online courses can be effective for prepared students, this form of learning needs a great deal of improvement in order to achieve its original goal of increasing accessibility to college and improving student achievement through higher education programs.

1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Hawaii
4. Massachusetts
5. Maryland
6. New York
7. North Carolina
8. Ohio
9. Rhode Island
10. Washington, D.C.

The 10 winning States have adopted rigorous common, college- and career-ready standards in reading and math, created pipelines and incentives to put the most effective teachers in high-need schools, and have alternative pathways to teacher and principal certification.

There was no immediate word on how much money each winner will receive, but awards will be based on States’ student population. In the first round of grants, Delaware was awarded $100 million and Tennessee received $500 million. In a statement, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that this round of finalists was very competitive and that the Department hopes to have a round three of grants, using $1.35 billion requested in the President’s FY11 budget.

Among the other findings in The State of State Standards – and the Common Core – in 2010 report:

• The Common Core standards are clearer and more rigorous than the ELA and math standards presently used by the vast majority of states.
• The Common Core standards are superior to standards currently in use in 39 states in math and 37 states in English. For 33 states, the Common Core is superior in both math and reading.
• Three states have ELA standards that are superior to the Common Core: California, the Dis­trict of Columbia, and Indiana.
• Eleven more states have ELA standards that are at least as clear and rigorous as the Common Core (or “too close to call”).
• Eleven states and the District of Columbia have math standards in the “too close to call” category, compared with the Common Core standards.

To date, 36 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Common Core State Standards. One of the factors that these states and those that have not adopted thus far must take into account is the comparison of their state standards with the Common Core. What Fordham’s analysis shows is that for many states that choose to adopt the Common Core Standards, the bar will be raised for student achievement.