New Dimensions in CTE

The president of the New Jersey School Boards Association, Karen Cortellino, M.D., and the Association’s executive director and CEO, Dr. Timothy Purnell, convened a committee of 13 representatives from local boards of education, school administration, business and industry, and higher education, and presented the following charge:

The Committee on Educational Opportunities for the Career-Focused Learner will review the 2018 report of the NJSBA Task Force on Educational Opportunities for the Non-College-Bound Learner. It will consider recent developments affecting enrollment, staffing, programming, facilities and funding. As necessary, the committee will update findings and recommendations of the 2018 report and will make additional recommendations. 

Chaired by Ray Morris, a long-term member of the Newton Board of Education and a participant in NJSBA’s 2018 project, the committee broke new ground with information on the state of CTE in New Jersey’s public schools, the labor market, dual enrollment, work-based learning, teacher certification and other critical areas. In addition, the committee gave particular attention to collaboration and partnerships, student awareness of post-secondary pathways, and public perception of CTE and jobs that do not require a four-year college degree.

The result is “New Dimensions in Career and Technical Education,” which reflects extensive research, consultation with experts, and deliberation by the panel.

The committee’s 13 members represented local school boards, the NJSBA leadership, local district administration and staff, higher education, and business and industry. Its 29 recommendations are guided by an overarching goal: New Jersey’s schools must ensure that all students are aware of the full breadth of post-secondary career and education pathways and that they have access to these opportunities.

A Look Back

As a starting point, the committee looked at concerns identified in NJSBA’s 2018 project, including the following:

• Demand for career and technical education exceeds the capacity of available programs.
• A lack of financial resources impedes the establishment of new CTE programs, particularly in comprehensive high schools.
• A shortage of qualified CTE teachers hinders program growth.
• Students and parents have limited awareness of post-secondary opportunities that do not involve immediate enrollment in four-year baccalaureate or other college programs.
• Curriculum needs to be realigned to reflect job-ready knowledge, along with the technical and “soft” skills (e.g., punctuality and teamwork) valued by employers.
• Far too prevalent is the misperception that pursuing a career pathway after high school is inferior to entering a four-year degree program.

To address these concerns, the 2018 report included 69 recommendations for action by school districts, the state and federal government, business and industry and other stakeholders.

Where We Are Now

The 2024 NJSBA committee found that over the past six years, public policy levels have resulted in substantial progress toward many of the goals of NJSBA’s initial study. Career-focused learners have benefited from New Jersey’s Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act; the federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V); grant programs aimed at expanding CTE in comprehensive high schools and promoting apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships; state initiatives addressing dual enrollment; increased collaboration between comprehensive high schools and county vocational-technical schools, and partnerships among secondary schools, higher education and business and industry.

Nonetheless challenges remain with program capacity and access, funding, staffing, and awareness of post-secondary pathways, among other areas.

Conclusions and Recommendations

To further advance educational opportunities for the career-focused student, the 2024 NJSBA committee made 29 new and revised recommendations in 11 areas.

Program Capacity/Facilities

The Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act increased CTE programming and capacity in the state’s county vocational-technical schools. However, demand still exceeds capacity, according to the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools.

The NJSBA supported the bond act, which funded facility expansion and infrastructure improvement in the state’s 21 county vocational-technical school districts. At the same time, the Association stated that any new programs to fund CTE facilities should be available to all districts, including those operating comprehensive high schools.

The mission of the state’s county vocational-technical schools, and CTE in general, is to provide programming that leads to a wide range of post-secondary experiences, including employment, apprenticeships and enrollment in two-year and four-year institutions of higher education.

However, the committee believes there still exists a particular need to expand programming in the building trades and other areas that do not require a college degree. For comprehensive high schools, these programs are expensive to operate and equip.

The 2024 NJSBA committee made the following recommendations:

1. The state should consider additional funding for the expansion of CTE programs and facilities to address the current shortfall in capacity.
2. Funding to expand facilities for career and technical education should be accessible to comprehensive high schools that operate state-approved CTE programs of study.
3. County vocational-technical school districts should ensure the availability of programs that meet students’ and local employers’ needs in the construction trades (e.g., plumbing, electrician, HVAC, welding) and in other in-demand areas that do not require a college degree.

Perkins V

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (“Perkins V”), the 2018 reauthorization of the federal Perkins Act, and the state’s plan to administer it reflect the principles of NJSBA’s initial study. These include aligning programming with the labor market, collaborating with business and industry, giving students the ability to earn industry-valued credentials, expanding work-based learning and beginning career awareness efforts in middle school.

Described as a blueprint for a state career-education and workforce effort, New Jersey’s Perkins V plan lists four goal areas: quality programs; work-based learning; career advisement and development, and teacher recruitment and retention.

This year, 132 New Jersey secondary schools received a total of $16.9 million in Perkins funding. However, through its activities, the 2024 NJSBA committee heard concerns that the Perkins grant application process can be difficult for small school districts to navigate.

The 2024 NJSBA committee made the following recommendations:

4. NJSBA will advocate for continuation of current funding levels under the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act.
5. The New Jersey Department of Education should provide support to help school districts in the Perkins grant application process. Local school districts should take advantage of the current resources available through the NJDOE Office of Career Readiness.
6. Comprehensive high schools seeking assistance in developing Perkins grant applications should also consider reaching out to county vocational-technical school districts, which have a high level of experience in the process. In turn, county vocational-technical schools should consider sharing information about the application process with local school districts.

Funding CTE in New Jersey

School districts still face financial obstacles in establishing and maintaining CTE programs. Greater financial support is necessary to ensure availability, access and quality of programming for all career-focused learners.

There is no state aid category to support CTE programs in comprehensive high schools. However, New Jersey offers grant programs to advance aspects of CTE in selected county vocational-technical schools and comprehensive high schools. Some are designed to create models for replication statewide.

A number of school districts have expanded and maintained CTE opportunities through partnerships with community colleges and area businesses, alternative funding sources, and interlocal agreements between county vocational-technical schools and comprehensive high schools.

The 2018 report found that funding through county workforce development boards presents a potential revenue source for CTE programs. However, federal statute and regulation restricts the amount of this funding that can be directed toward programming for currently enrolled high school students,

Based on its research and a review of the previous report, the 2024 NJSBA Committee made the following recommendations:

7. The state should provide adequate technical and financial support to ensure the growth and maintenance of CTE programs in all school districts. In particular, it should establish a funding stream to support CTE programming in comprehensive high schools.
8. The New Jersey School Boards Association should advocate for changes in federal law and U.S. Department of Labor regulations to enable Workforce Development Boards to use a larger share of federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds for the training of currently enrolled high school students.

Collaboration and Cooperation

Often misunderstood are two key concepts: The mission of county vocational-technical school districts, and the goal of comprehensive high schools in providing CTE.

Shared-service arrangements between comprehensive high schools and county vocational- technical schools can expand student access to CTE, control costs and promote efficient use of facilities and other resources. NJSBA’s new report references such arrangements in Bergen, Hunterdon and Morris counties.

Through its research, the 2024 committee also found numerous examples of CTE programs operated by comprehensive high schools that address the needs of career-focused students and employers.

Under the current legal framework, however, a shared service agreement with a county vocational-technical school is necessary for out-of-district students to attend CTE courses at a comprehensive high school.

The committee also found that a concern expressed in the previous report remained relevant: The departure of top students from comprehensive high schools to selective academies operated by the county vocational-technical school districts can result in a misperception of the quality of the local school district’s education program.

The 2024 NJSBA committee made the following recommendations to facilitate collaboration among county vocational-technical schools and comprehensive high schools and to expand program capacity through cooperative arrangements:

9. NJSBA and the county school boards associations should provide county vocational-technical schools with the opportunity to discuss their mission, programming and opportunities for partnerships with local school boards.
10. The New Jersey Department of Education should establish regular forums for comprehensive high schools that operate CTE programs and county vocational-technical schools, so they can interact, learn about developments and obtain critical information.
11. To expand programming and access to CTE, county vocational-technical schools and local school districts are encouraged to enter into interlocal agreements to establish satellite campuses and/or programs at comprehensive high schools.
12. Through a pilot program or other means, the state Legislature and the New Jersey Department of Education should determine the efficacy of permitting school districts with comprehensive high schools to establish interlocal agreements with one another for the provision of state-approved CTE programs of study. Such agreements should reflect the needs of business and industry and ensure equitable access to programming, cost-efficiency and non-duplication of existing programs.
13. To provide a clear picture of education quality, the NJDOE should revise the measurement system used in School Performance Reports, so that the quality of education in comprehensive high schools is not portrayed inaccurately due to the loss of high-achieving students to specialized programs operated by county vocational-technical schools. In addition, county vocational-technical school districts should share information on test scores with the local school districts from which they draw students.

The Labor Market: What Employers Want, What Students Need

Assessing state, regional and local economic and employment trends is essential for local school districts to build effective career and technical education programs. As part of the state’s approval process for CTE programs of study, New Jersey Administrative Code requires that school districts:

• Document a need in a “high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand current or emerging occupation.”
• Establish a CTE program advisory committee that includes not only parents, students and educators, but also representatives of business and industry and labor organizations.

The Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment required under Perkins V and the state’s implementation plan takes place every two years “to facilitate alignment between CTE programs and labor market needs, ensuring that students are trained for high-skill, high-wage, in-demand jobs.”

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association stresses that a “strong, reciprocal and responsive relationship between the business community and education partners is imperative to promoting career and technical education.” A recent nationwide survey, sponsored by an educational consulting firm and technology provider, found that 90% of human resources professionals believed that “enhanced collaboration with K-12 and postsecondary institutions is essential for building talent pipelines.”

NJSBA’s 2018 report and the Association’s long-term policy support collaboration with business and industry to develop programs that meet student and employer needs. The 2024 NJSBA committee found that the following recommendations from the previous report are especially relevant:

14. Local school districts should actively forge relationships and networking opportunities with business organizations and community groups to obtain information and share resources related to the labor market.
15. Local boards of education should establish relationships with county, municipal and state government. For example, representation by a school district on the community Industrial Development Board (or similar structure) could provide a forum for local industry to explain the skills needed by entry-level employees.
16. County vocational-technical schools should actively share information with local boards of education about the needs of employers and the skills that the business community requires of its employees.

Work-Based Learning

Work-based learning—apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, internships, etc. — is an essential element of CTE, often leading to industry credentials. Developing high-quality work-based learning is one of four goals set out in New Jersey’s Perkins V Plan. In addition, a school district’s Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment, a step in applying for Perkins funding, must describe the work-based learning opportunities in its CTE programs.

While enabling students to acquire technical skills, work-based learning also introduces key soft skills desired by employers, such as interview techniques, working in teams, communication, time management, critical thinking and punctuality.

NJSBA’s 2018 report included six recommendations reflecting the importance of work-based learning and the acquisition of “soft skills.” The document also praised Colorado’s CareerWise Program, which provides three-year apprenticeships to high school students and leads to industry credentials and associate degrees.

The 2024 NJSBA committee found that the rationale underlying these goals is still critical to expanding high-quality CTE programs. In particular, the committee emphasized its support for the following recommendations contained in the 2018 report:

17. School districts should provide exposure to various post-secondary opportunities through work-based learning, including community-based instruction, job shadowing, internships, pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships. These efforts should focus on career opportunities that will exist when students graduate, which will be affected by artificial intelligence, robotics and automation.
18. School districts should ensure that the curriculum provides all students with instruction in the “soft skills,” such as punctuality and teamwork, that are necessary for workplace success.

Additional Recommendations

The committee also explored a host of other topics, many of which were a focus of the 2018 report of the NJSBA Task Force on Educational Opportunities for the Non-College-Bound Learner.

They included:

• Dual enrollment, which enables students to graduate from high school with a certification that qualifies them for employment or an associate’s degree, or both.
• A continuing shortage of CTE educators.
• A lack of awareness of post-secondary options that do not involve a four-year baccalaureate program.
• The public perception of career and technical education
• How students, parents, educators and government leaders view CTE and post-secondary pathways not involving immediate enrollment in four- year colleges.

These areas were focal points for several more recommendations in “New Dimensions in Career and Technical Education” – and they are listed below:

19. Local school districts are encouraged to establish and/or expand partnerships with institutions of higher education to provide dual enrollment programs that will enable students to acquire college credit and/or industry-recognized credentials.
20. Local school districts should utilize the Dual Enrollment Toolkit and other resources available from the New Jersey Department of Education, as well as the information in the committee’s report, to create or expand dual enrollment opportunities.
21. The State Board of Education should amend training requirements under the Alternate Route to Certification for candidates seeking CTE endorsements, thereby reducing the time needed to acquire certification from two years to one year.
22. To raise awareness of the full range of career pathways, school districts should provide programming for all students beginning in the elementary grades and continuing through middle school and high school.
23. Formalized efforts should ensure that, by middle school, every student can benefit from a program that helps him or her identify potential future careers based on interest, aptitude and ability.
24. School districts should consider incorporating online resources sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Education and the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development — New Jersey Career Assistance Navigator  and My Career NJ — into career awareness and guidance programs.
25. NJSBA will continue to support legislation and government initiatives that promote an accurate perception of career and technical education and address the needs of career-focused learners.
26. NJSBA will continue to advance the interests of career-focused learners through training, information and advocacy.
27. The New Jersey School Performance Reports should give the same weight to career-related post-secondary pathways, such as apprenticeships, as it does to college admissions.

Artificial Intelligence

Lastly, the report addresses artificial intelligence, which presents “unprecedented opportunities and profound challenges” in terms of its use by students and staff and its integration into curriculum. For career and technical education, AI poses an additional challenge: Its impact on the labor market — i.e., future jobs and the skills demanded by those positions — and the alignment of programming with the needs of business and industry.

In a statement that now seems prescient, NJSBA’s 2018 report recommended that career awareness activities and work-based learning “should focus on opportunities that will exist when students graduate, which will be affected by artificial intelligence, robotics and automation.”

Six years later, based on its communication with labor department officials and a review of recent state-level activities, including the November 2024 Report to the Governor on Artificial Intelligence, the 2024 NJSBA committee made the following recommendations:

28. School district leaders and career and technical education staff should review the Report to the Governor on Artificial Intelligence. In addition, they should access resources available through the NJDOE Office of Innovation, the U.S. Department of Education, the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
29. The New Jersey School Boards Association will continue to provide information on developments in artificial intelligence and its impact on the public schools through its training and communications services.

Take a deeper dive into the above recommendations by reading the full 146-page report. Visit www.njsba.org/news-information/projects to view the report along with other NJSBA research projects.

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Frank Belluscio III is the retired deputy executive director and director of communications of the New Jersey School Boards Association. He served as a consultant to the committee and spearheaded the drafting of the report.

https://www.njsba.org/news-information/school-leader/new-dimensions-in-career-and-technical-education/

New Dimensions in Career and Technical Education

A new NJSBA report assesses the state of CTE and offers a number of recommendations to boost opportunities for students

By Frank Belluscio III

https://www.techedmagazine.com/category/news-by-industry/