Career and technical schools strive to not only teach the technical skills required for students enrolled in their programs, but they also try to ensure that students achieve on state standardized academic tests. In Pennsylvania, all students are required to take the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSAs). The PA Department of Education’s Bureau of Career and Technical Education has developed many initiatives to help improve student achievement on this exam for students enrolled in CTE. One specifically is the PIL (Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership) program. This 30-hour program was developed to “provide CTE leaders with the knowledge and skills to work with teachers to improve the achievement on the PSSA math and reading assessments.” Participants were provided with material to understand the PSSA assessment for math and reading, and taught how to enhance instruction for the areas addressed.

An article by Sarah Womer of The Yuma Sun describes how students in the Yuma Union High School District are using online surveys to express their opinions regarding Career and Technical Education. This high school district is currently conducting surveys seeking opinions on forming a Joint Technical Education District (JTED) in Yuma County. According to Womer, “A JTED is an independent school district specifically established to offer and fund career and technical education/vocational programs for high school students from participating school districts.”

In a struggling economy where finding a job can be difficult, recent college graduates are faced with the realization that possessing a college diploma does not automatically guarantee employment. In addition, although a formal education used to be a “must” for every individual who sought a well-paying job, recent trends have indicated that this may not be the case anymore.

Too often classroom teachers hear the questions, “Why do I have to learn this?” or “When will I ever use this in the real world?” in reference to the material they are teaching. Their students are bored sitting through lessons about material that they see as irrelevant to their current lives. But what if those lessons were taught in ways that made them both current and relevant? What if our students were introduced to that material in the context of how it can be applied in the real world? That’s exactly what 21st Century CTE is doing for our students, and one program in Florida is a prime example.

Success isn’t a one-track deal

This article, by William C. Symonds and Cindy Zehnder, raises the controversial question of whether or not we should insist that high school students pursue postsecondary education. Too often we are programmed to believe that the only option after graduating from high school is to attend college and hopefully gain employment in one’s chosen field. Ask any high school senior these days what is the number one question you are most often asked by adults, and the response will likely be either “what college will you be attending?” or “have you selected a major yet?” But what if, instead of expanding our children’s options by insisting they attend college, we are actually limiting their potential for future success?

A typical conversation among a group of high school students today would not involve the topic of careers or entering the workforce. But for students enrolled in Career and Technical Education (CTE), this may come up in conversation, as they are on the path to preparing for their futures after they graduate. Joe Robertson of the Kansas City Star wrote an article on the increasing popularity of CTE programs among high school students, stating that “14.5 million of them nationwide will be participating in career and technical education programs.” He also alludes to a shift away from the old stereotype of “vo-tech” schools being a place designed for students that had no plans to go on to college.