Revised 05/11/16 Ceres Unified School District Career Technical Education Master Plan CUSD Board Approved: June 16, 2016 Section I: INTRODUCTION Vision Statement: Career Technical Education is a sequenced course of study that provides students with academic and technical knowledge and the skills necessary to prepare them for either further education or for careers in current and emerging employment sectors. Mission of Ceres Unified Career Technical Education: Career Technical Education and Academic Education are to be viewed as complementary educational programs. Career Technical Education courses will provide students abundant opportunities to obtain or reinforce basic academic skills. Teachers will emphasize the practical applications of academics to the working world. Career Technical Education pathways will continually include research into various employment options, vocational counseling, establishment of career goals, and the development of job skills, good work attitudes and job hunting strategies. The District's CTE program will be updated regularly to reflect current vocational practices, changes in technology and labor market conditions. Equal access will be provided to all handicapped and disadvantaged individuals in recruitment, enrollment, and placement activities within the CTE program. The California Department of Education Recommendations: • The Career Technical Education Program should support a seamless transition to postsecondary education and career entry. • Career Technical Education should support mastery of essential employability skills and rigorous academic content standards. • Career Technical Education should reflect the essential knowledge and skills that students are expected to master. • Career Technical Education courses should include foundation skills that apply to all industry sectors. • Career Technical Education should be based on appropriate standards established by business and industry along with academic content standards. CUSD Strategic Plan Identifies Career Technical Education as a Priority: Ceres Unified School District established a Strategic Plan in 2001 prioritizing education goals that include objectives in the area of Career Technical Education. The Board prioritizes decisions based on the needs of students, families, and staff, strategically allocating fiscal and personnel resources to achieve the vision and mission of the district. Specifically, in the 2015-2016 Strategic Plan, the Career and Technical Education is addressed under Goal A, Conditions of Learning and Goal B, Pupil Outcomes. 1. CUSD Strategic Plan Objectives 2015-2016 (Career Technical Education): Goal A5 Access to a broad course of study • The number of Career Technical Education courses offered each year will be reported. • Continue to offer Career Technical Education course offerings that are eligible for concurrent enrollment through MJC, inclusive of all CUSD high school students. Action Plan: Maintain and expand the relationship with MJC to develop new concurrent credit courses in Career Technical Education. Collect and evaluate data on concurrent course offerings through MJC; design and implement strategies to increase course offerings. • The percentage of students enrolled in Career Technical Education courses will be reported each year. Goal B2 Increased percentage of students ready for college and career • The Career Technical education completion rate will be reported each year. The percentage represents the students enrolled in CTE courses who complete a multi-year pathway by the end of the school year. Additional Goals 1 Maintain membership of the CTE Advisory Committee that is representative of each of the four CTE pathways, which are: Manufacturing and Product Development, Public Service (Criminal Justice), Agriculture and Natural Sciences, and Information Technology. 2 All high schools will develop opportunities for students, parents and staff to participate in “post-secondary" informational events, including on and off site College and Career Fairs. 3 All elementary and junior high schools will develop and implement opportunities for students, parents and staff to participate in post-secondary informational trainings and events. 4 Update Career Technical Education Plan by May 2017. Monitor Implementation of the CTE plan for effectiveness and inclusiveness of all populations; revise based on occupational outlook and established pathways. 5 Continue to support participation in hands-on learning opportunities for students, including skill based competitions, Occupational Olympics events, Skills USA, etc. inclusive of all CUSD high school students. 6 Implement and maintain instruction that includes the state CTE content standards, as well as strategies related to the Common Core standards. 7 To ensure a variety of CTE Program Pathways are offered, CUSD will conduct labor market research to determine to most “in demand” occupations in the region. 2. Measurable Objective: As per the Table provided on page 6 of the Local Plan, CUSD has developed a CTE Pathway Development Timeline. Action Plan: Each proposed pathway will be assessed by the CTE Advisory Committee on an annual basis for current relevancy, demand, and practicality for implementation. Agenda and meeting minutes will serve as verification of the assessment of the proposed pathway to be developed, with suggestions by industry partners noted in the minutes. Final recommendations will be presented to the CUSD Board of Trustees for approval. Annually, CUSD administrators review the Strategic Plan goals, objectives, action plans and outcomes to determine their effectiveness in improving student academic achievement and success for life long learning. Recommendations are submitted to the CUSD Board of Trustees for review, consideration and approval for the coming year. Programs that are identified as part of Career Technical Education are included in this annual review process. Additionally, the CTE Advisory Committee is approved by the Board of Trustees on an annual basis to ensure that current labor market representatives and a wide variety of educators are participating in the oversight of the offerings of CUSD’s Career Technical Education programs. Section II: PLAN DESCRIPTION Ceres Unified School District has developed a Career Technical Education plan and activities that address the needs of general program planning, development, and management, as well as identifying the program components for students attending elementary, junior high and high schools within CUSD. Attachment 1, CUSD Career Technical Master Plan Outline provides a flow chart of the Career Technical Education activities that are provided for students from elementary through secondary education. General Program Components and Objectives: 1. Maximize supplemental funding sources and grants. Perkins (VEA); Agricultural Vocational Education Incentive and other career technical education funds should be aggressively sought and utilized to enhance and expand the offerings and information within the vocational programs. The CUSD Grants Specialist will seek and attempt to obtain supplemental funding to enhance the Career Technical Education programs of the District. 2. Increase and ensure special population students’ access to CTE programs. a. Transportation access will be considered for all students to attend any Career Technical Education courses. b. Staff, students and parents will be made aware of CTE courses and accommodations that will be made for students in unique populations. c. Review of prerequisites for courses with individual students during four year planning phase. d. All students, including special needs students, disadvantaged youth, English Learners, and students attending the District’s continuation and independent study high schools will be informed of the opportunities in Career Technical Education courses at the same time preparing them for college entrance. 3. 3. Increase the participation of representatives of business, industry and labor in planning, implementing and evaluating funded programs. a. Work with CTE Advisory Committee (Attachment 2, CTE Advisory Committee Member List 2016-2017) to establish community classrooms. b. Recognize business leaders who support/mentor prospective employees (students). c. Business Luncheons, regular meetings, limit meetings to one hour. d. Advisory Sub-Committees will be maintained for each of the career pathways as part of the District’s Career Technical Education Advisory Committee required by Education Code Section 8070. e. Committees will meet at least twice a year. This can be accomplished individually or as a group activity. 4. Career Technical Education Activities: a. Build into the student Master Schedule, opportunities for career exploration and exposure to career awareness activities, on and off campus. b. Planned/schedule visits/tours for students. c. Designated site administrator is the focal point for recruiting industrial involvement. d. Counselors will be aware of, and use the information available on the Department of Labor website in working with students, as well as the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the Department of Labor. High School Program Component Objectives: 1. (Planning Phase): Develop Career Technical Education Pathway Programs with Modesto Junior College in Manufacturing, Technology, Agriculture, and Public Service. a. Analyze annual industry growth information and labor market data annually as provided by the Alliance Worknet (formerly the Department of Employment and Training).