Career Opportunities: Career Technical Education and the College Completion Agenda. Part III: Promising CTE Policies from across the States
Author: Shulock, Nancy
Date: 2012-09-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Higher Education,Educational Attainment,Community Colleges,College Role,Labor Force Development,Human Capital,Certification,Educational Finance,Alignment (Education),Credentials,Labor Market,High School Graduates,College Graduates,State Agencies,Employment Opportunities,High Schools,Accountability,Associate Degrees,Bachelors Degrees,Employers,Planning,Curriculum Development,State Standards,Language Skills,Mathematics Skills,Dual Enrollment,Experiential Learning,Financial Support,Costs,Career Education,Technical Education,Vocational Education

California's community colleges are key to resolving the shortage of educated workers that is threatening the competitive position of the state's economy. Tremendous potential for addressing this challenge resides in the system's career technical education (CTE) mission which, with appropriate structures and support, could help many more students earn credentials with value in the workplace. In two previous installments of a four-part series of reports titled Career Opportunities: Career Technical Education and the College Completion Agenda, we concluded that the CTE mission in the California Community Colleges is not organized and supported optimally to produce the outcomes that the state needs. CTE is fragmented, lacks sufficient stable funding, and is not well integrated into the core of the college system. The extensive program offerings are not well targeted to labor market needs, resulting in an inefficient use of resources. The lack of common standards across similar programs devalues the credentials awarded by the system because employers are uncertain of the knowledge and skills possessed by students who attain the credentials. Students are given too little encouragement and guidance to find their way into and through CTE programs. This report, Part III of the series, examines policies and practices in other states that might offer helpful lessons for shaping CTE in California's community colleges to better meet student and employer needs. It provides brief examples (with endnotes that point readers to additional information) in the following five policy areas: (1) Determining What Degree and Certificate Programs to Offer; (2) Curriculum Structure and Delivery; (3) High School--Community College--Workplace Pathways; (4) Financing CTE--College and Student Costs; and (5) Accountability. Appended to the report is: Some Reports on Highlighted State Policies and Notes. [For related reports, see &quot;Career Opportunities: Career Technical Education and the College Completion Agenda. Policy Brief&quot; (ED534075); &quot;Career Opportunities: Career Technical Education and the College Completion Agenda. Part I: Structure and Funding of Career Technical Education in the California Community Colleges&quot; (ED534073); &quot;Career Opportunities: Career Technical Education and the College Completion Agenda. Part II: Inventory and Analysis of CTE Programs in the California Community Colleges&quot; (ED534074); and &quot;Career Opportunities: Career Technical Education and the College Completion Agenda. Part IV: Aligning Policy with Mission for Better Outcomes&quot; (ED574502).]