ACSA has released a draft position paper on Career Technical Education.

The paper, which has been sent to ACSA committees and councils for review, was developed by a CTE working group made up of a cross-section of ACSA leaders and chaired by ACSA Vice President Chuck Weis. The position paper will serve as a foundation for ACSA’s policy and advocacy decisions on CTE, and is expected to go before the ACSA Board in February for approval.

In developing the position paper, ACSA leaders based their recommendations on several key guiding principles, including student preparation, the role of adult education, and local control and system coordination. ACSA’s policy recommendations are focused on several main areas: funding and resources; program development – access to CTE courses and best practices; professional development and certification; accountability, assessment and performance standards; career guidance and awareness; flexibility of time and program delivery; and the role and responsibility of other education systems. Meantime, the state is in the process of developing a plan for career technical education, as required by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006. The 2008-12 California State Plan for Career Technical Education is a comprehensive approach to meet the changing demands of the state’s workforce and the global economy.

The draft plan, which will go to the State Board of Education for approval in January, was developed with input from the field obtained via the Web and public hearings held across the state in September. WestEd has assisted in this process by hosting a Web site, www.www.wested.org/cteplan, which features the document as well as a timeline of key events, resources and contact information.

In addition, the California Department of Education has unveiled a new framework for career technical education. The document, “Career Technical Education Framework for California Public Schools: Grades Seven Through Twelve,” provides schools with a blueprint for how to integrate rigorous standards into the classroom and develop the relationships to make career technical education successful for 21st century learning. It also is designed to assist students in preparing for high-skill, high-demand occupations in current or emerging professions and meet the continuing needs of the workplace.