National Research Center for Career and Technical Education

Green-Focused Programs of Study: Five States Present Their Work at the 2010 Career Clusters Institute

The NRCCTE's Technical Assistance Academy is supporting states in developing green-focused programs of study (POS). The Academy process is a strategy for building replicable implementation models to bring POS to scale. Five states have been participating in the process-- Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, and Oregon-- and recently presented their work at the 2010 Career Clusters Institute in a special green strand of sessions. The overview session, led by NRCCTE Director Jim Stone and Ivan Charner, explored the implications of the emerging green labor market for the delivery of CTE and the larger role that POS play in the NRCCTE's research agenda. Read more about these and related green-focused POS sessions and download the states' presentations.

New Video on Programs of Study at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College 

What do Programs of Study look like from a community college perspective, and what are the unique challenges of postsecondary institutions serving diverse student and community needs in difficult economic times? The NRCCTE visited Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (OCtech) in Orangeburg, SC, and talked to administrators and faculty about how OCtech's POS meet South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act (see the NRCCTE's related research study) and Perkins IV mandates and provide rigorous academic and technical learning opportunities to secondary and postsecondary students throughout the region. Read more about OCtech and watch the video here.

The NRCCTE in May's Techniques Magazine

Several articles by NRCCTE staff and researchers are featured in the current Techniques, including "The Promise of Middle-Skill Occupations," by Center director Jim Stone, Orville Blackman, and Morgan Lewis, and two articles related to the Authentic Literacy in CTE study by Travis Park and his research team. These include "Reading Frameworks in CTE: Pilot Study Findings" (Travis Park, Laura Santamaria, Barrett Keene, and Liz van der Mandele) and "Practical Literacy Matters: Teacher Confidence is Key" (Laura Santamaria, Marissa Taylor, Travis Park, Barrett Keene, and Liz van der Mandele). Read the articles in the online version of Techniques.

Center Report - A Common Postsecondary Data Dictionary for Perkins Accountability 

The NRCCTE's data dictionary project focuses on developing a common postsecondary CTE data dictionary for use by practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. It is the result of a collaborative partnership between NRCCTE, MPR Associates, Inc., and Perkins accountability specialists in 12 states. This project assesses the feasibility of creating a voluntary, nationwide data dictionary that can be used to standardize the reporting of postsecondary accountability reporting requirements for Perkins IV. A critical finding of the project is that participating states were able to uniformly define many data elements that can be used to construct and report on postsecondary accountability measures required by the Perkins Act. States and the project team selected data elements with a view toward what information might be needed if and when the Perkins Act is reauthorized. To read more, download the full report (PDF document).

Center Report - Capitalizing on Context: Curriculum Integration in Career and Technical Education

The NRCCTE has undertaken three scientifically based research studies in an effort to determine whether the integration of CTE courses with academic content can increase student achievement. These include the Math-in-CTE study, completed in 2005 (Stone, Alfeld, Pearson, Lewis, & Jensen, 2006); the Authentic Literacy Applications in CTE pilot study, completed in 2009, with a full-year study launched in 2010; and the Science-in-CTE pilot study, launched in 2010. This report contains a summary of findings from the Math-in-CTE study, with emphasis on the five core principles that emerged from the study. Evaluation data collected from Math-in-CTE technical assistance sites further illustrate these principles. This report also contains findings from the Authentic Literacy in CTE pilot study and evidence from that study supporting the five core principles. To read more, download the full report (PDF document).

Center Report: Professional Development for Secondary Career and Technical Education: Implications for Change

This paper addresses the professional development needs of secondary-level CTE teachers and examines the research base underlying our understanding of what skills and knowledge teachers need to identify their students' leaning needs and deliver instruction that responds to those needs. This paper also presents what its joint authors judge to be the types of skills and knowledge that secondary CTE teachers require to respond to CTE's broadened purpose of enhancing academic skills and preparing students for an array of occupations within defined occupational clusters. To read more, download the full report (PDF document).

Our Latest Podcasts