Forty-two Governors delivered their 2017 State of the State addresses, and workforce development and CTE emerged as a strong priority–the second most popular education topic mentioned in Governors' State of the State addresses, after school financing. In addition, while the need for CTE programming aligned to labor market demands is high, many States and local school districts are reporting significant shortages of CTE teachers. Data reported to the Department of Education in 2016, for example, show that 32 States are experiencing shortages of CTE teachers.
In October 2017, the Department awarded five High School CTE Teacher Pathway Initiative (CTE-TPI) grants totaling $4,046,951. The initiative was intended to improve CTE programs assisted under the Perkins Act by increasing the supply of high school CTE teachers for CTE programs that align to in-demand industry sectors or occupations in States and communities where shortages of such teachers exist. CTE-TPI projects are in their 4th year of implementation, under no-cost time extensions. To learn more about each grant’s project goals and activities regarding CTE teacher recruitment and retention, click on the links below.
The Broward Educating Superior Technology Teachers (BESTT) project is building the high school CTE teacher pipeline in Computer Science (CS) and Information Technology (IT) to address the skills gap in Broward County’s CS/IT in-demand industry occupations. To expand and improve technology programming and encourage students to enroll in CS/IT pathways, BESST recruits and prepares Broward Schools CTE teachers, non-CTE-teachers, industry professionals, and Broward College Education Pathway students to earn a Business Education 6-12 certification that will enable them to teach beginning technology courses in the middle grades. Participants go through the program as a cohort, first joining a community of practice that introduces the content knowledge needed to earn a Business Education 6-12 certification and best practices in IT education. The cohort then enrolls in a specially designed Broward College course to prepare for the Business Education 6-12 Florida Teacher Certification Exam. After successful completion of the course, participants are offered intensive support as needed to prepare for the certification exam. The current cohort targets Broward Schools Special Education and JROTC instructors to improve student access to the technology course offerings in their schools. The project is working with school administrators to use the newly certified teachers most effectively to expand technology programing in their schools. To offer more advanced CS/IT courses at the high school level, BESST also recruits experienced Broward Schools CS/IT CTE teachers to enroll in coding courses at Broward College. Participants in this cohort are preparing for the Computer Science K-12 certification exam.
Project partners include:
The Oregon High School CTE Teacher Pathway project is building the high school CTE teacher pipeline in program areas aligned with the in-demand industry sectors of Healthcare, Construction, Advanced Manufacturing, and Information Technology. The project offers 2 options -- one for industry professionals that possess required industry work experience but need required education coursework for licensure, and the other for fully licensed non-CTE teachers that need planned and coordinated work experience in order to add a CTE endorsement. Both options include cohort-building, networking, and mentoring by experienced CTE teachers. Portland Community College (PCC) offers all the required education courses needed for CTE licensure by industry professionals. PCC also developed and delivers the new state-required Exploring CTE in Oregon course needed for CTE licensure for participants in both options. All program participants are mentored via an online community of practice offered through PCC’s online learning platform. Topics align with ACTE’s 12 Elements of a High Quality CTE Program of Study and immediate needs identified by the participants. The online mentoring format provides an opportunity to support new CTE teachers and experienced CTE teacher mentors from across the state.
Project partners include:
The Kansas Statewide CTE Mentoring Network is building the high school CTE teacher pipeline in program areas aligned with Kansas in-demand occupations in Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences, Business, Media, and Technology, Design, Production, and Repair, and Health/Public Service. The project has enhanced and expanded the state approved CTE teacher mentoring program at the Kansas Center for Career and Technical Education (KCCTE) at Pittsburg State University. The Southeast Kansas Education Service Center manages the project and provides fiscal oversight. The project is building a cadre of experienced CTE teacher mentors to support early career and alternative licensed CTE teachers throughout Kansas. Mentoring is provided primarily through an online community of practice organized by career field into five facilitated “Our Place” communities. With mentors’ guidance, CTE teacher mentees complete online Explorations modules that have been designed to deepen their teaching practice and boost their effectiveness with students. Each Exploration follows a Plan/Prepare, Teach/Assess, and Reflect/Analyze cycle and is based on classroom practices that can be adapted to a mentee’s own unique teaching situation.
Project partners include:
The New Jersey High School CTE Teacher Pathway Initiative project is building the pipeline for high school CTE teachers in program areas aligned with New Jersey’s in-demand industry sectors of Advanced Manufacturing; Life Sciences; Healthcare; Technology; Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics; Food Manufacturing; and Construction & Utilities. The project offers a CTE Teacher Bridge Program to enable general education teachers to become CTE teachers through industry externships, mentorship by an experienced CTE teacher, and co-teaching with an experienced teacher. The project is also establishing a new CTE teacher preparation program. Currently, Brookdale Community College offers the only alternate route provisional CTE teacher preparation program in the state. The project is working with a state university to create a second alternate route provisional CTE teacher preparation program to provide greater access to provisional teacher preparation programs and alternate pathways to advance degrees. In addition to meeting the state’s rigorous expectations for teacher preparation programs, the new program will include -- high-leverage practice competency-based curriculum; synchronous and asynchronous online-modules/courses; applicable and relevant assignments; face-to-face opportunities for CTE teachers to learn from one another; summer and winter entry points; and pedagogical mentoring. In response to district and candidate feedback, some of whom already have bachelor’s degrees, the 3-tiered teacher preparation program will offer credit towards an associate’s, bachelor’s, and graduate degree.
Project partners include:
The Tennessee Experienced Professionals in the Classroom (EPIC) project is building the high school CTE teacher pipeline in program areas aligned with Tennessee’s In-Demand industry sectors of Advanced Manufacturing, Health Science, and Information Technology. Historically, industry professionals transitioning into CTE teaching have enrolled in one of the state’s Occupational Educator Preparation Programs (EPP). Until EPIC, all Occupational EPPs were located at a 4-year college or university. To improve the rigor and relevance of the state’s Occupational EPPs, EPIC established a consistent set of guidelines for all EPPs and conducted audits of existing Occupational EPPs to ensure they had the right structures and components in place to meet the new requirements. To expand opportunities and provide more affordable options for individuals to become CTE teachers, EPIC began working with new types of providers (a community college and local school district) to pilot an alternative Occupational EPP. The most promising pilot to date has been a district-led Occupational EPP. In 2019, following a rigorous application and approval process, Rutherford County Public Schools received approval from the State of Tennessee to administer the first ever district-led Occupational EPP. Using the Southern Regional Education Board’s (SREB) Teaching to Lead Teacher Preparation Program, Rutherford County Public Schools’ Occupational EPP offers an affordable and relevant alternative for new CTE teachers. EPIC is now expanding the pilot to other parts of the state to meet local demand for effective high school CTE teachers. To further strengthen the CTE teacher pipeline, and in response to district feedback, EPIC is also piloting district- or consortium-led occupational teacher mentoring programs to improve the retention of CTE teachers. Tennessee has leveraged Perkins reserve funds to fund over half of the new occupational teacher mentoring programs.
Project partners include:
Jenny Lambert
Jenny.Lambert@ed.gov
(202) 245-6899
Robin Utz
Robin.Utz@ed.gov
(202) 245-7767
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
Division of Academic and Technical Education