A Strategic Plan for Career and Technical Education Richardson ISD

A Strategic Plan for Career and Technical Education Richardson ISD Submitted by the RISD CTE Leadership Team September 8, 2014

Table of Contents Vision Statement... 2 Guiding Principles... 2 CTE Task Force Leadership Team... 2 Executive Summary... 3 Section 1: CTE in RISD... 4 The Importance of CTE... 5 Why CTE? Why Now?... 7 Workforce Projections... 9 Priority Industries... 12 Section 2: Strategies to Improve CTE in Richardson ISD... 13 Strategy 1: Create Sustainable Relationships with Partners in Priority Clusters... 15 Strategy 2: Enhance CTE Curriculum in Priority Clusters... 16 Strategy 3: Build Organizational Capacity to Manage and Deliver CTE Program... 17 Strategy 4: Guide Students along Clear Pathways to Higher Education... 18 Strategy 5: Ensure Facilities Support Goals of CTE Program with Emphasis on Priority Clusters... 19 Strategy 6: Improve CTE Program Effectiveness and Participation through Parent and Student Engagement... 20 Section 3: Moving Forward: Implementing the Strategic Plan... 21 Appendix A: CTE Task Force Steering Committee... 23 Appendix B: CTE Task Force Members... 24 1

Vision Statement Contribute to a vibrant workforce by partnering with the business community to equip students for success within their chosen career paths. Guiding Principles To guide the work of RISD s Career and Technical Education (CTE) department, the following principles were developed to guide current and future work: Relevance Highly qualified instructors deliver relevant instruction using technology/equipment that mirrors the workplace. Open Access Every student can participate, including those who are college-bound. Advisors are the CTE Pathway Experts Focusing on Program of Studies, academic and experiential skills, and making pathway/postsecondary connections. Driven by Needs of the Local Economy The local economy drives program offerings through active partnerships. Data-Driven Performance is measured, including student engagement, persistence, achievement, and post-secondary transitions. CTE Task Force Leadership Team Sandra Hayes, RISD Assistant Superintendent, Technology Danny Stotts, RISD Director, Career and Technical Education Kim Caston, RISD Board of Trustees Kris Oliver, RISD Board of Trustees Katie Patterson, Texas Schools Project and Community Member 2

Executive Summary Richardson ISD has a vibrant and robust Career and Technical Education Program. CTE is a sequence of courses taken by students as a means to increase their awareness of career paths, provide student engagement opportunities with partnered connections to local businesses and enhance their preparation for post-secondary. Texas state statistics show that students in a CTE program have a higher graduation rate than those who do not follow a CTE sequence. RISD recognizes that now is the time to expand CTE opportunities for students in our high schools to prepare students for life after high school. With the passing of HB 5 in the 2013 Texas Legislature, industry endorsements have become a key player in the success of students entering the workforce or post-secondary. RISD has formed a CTE Task Force whose assignment is to create a five year strategic plan to move the district forward with enhanced, relevant opportunities for students in CTE courses. This task force has a five-member leadership team comprised of district administrators, board of trustee members, and a community member. From that group, a steering committee comprised of local post-secondary leaders, business leaders, city leaders, chamber of commerce leaders and senior district leaders began the challenge. (Steering committee members listed in Appendix A.) The final piece was the creation of a task force composed of the two previously mentioned groups plus additional business leaders from the four priority industries identified for expansion in RISD, as well as campus teaching staff and administrators. (Task force members listed in Appendix B.) The task force agreed that it was of great benefit to students and the local economy for RISD to increase the number of students learning about career paths and completing a sequence of courses, resulting in industry certifications and clear connections to post-secondary or local job opportunities. 3

Section 1: CTE in RISD CTE has evolved over the years, as depicted in the time line above. In the 1970 s, CTE focused on vocational education. After the paramount study, A Nation at Risk, was published in 1983, CTE evolved to a more technical focus, incorporating greater computer usage. The Perkins Act (1984) also enhanced CTE, providing federal funds to increase the quality of CTE with a focus on improving the economy. CTE in RISD gained greater focus in the 1990 s, as magnet programs were launched at Richardson High School. Facility-based programs included culinary arts, health, and robotics. By 2006, CTE programs in the district expanded to six program areas and then to all 16 in 2007 when the 16 federal clusters were created. With the implementation of HB 5 and an increased number of RISD graduates not pursuing college, a CTE task force was convened in 2013 to develop a strategic plan for the future. 4

The Importance of CTE Research conducted by the leadership team uncovered that 87% of Dallas County residents work in Dallas County. Therefore, after analyzing Dallas County labor data, the leadership team was able to identify four priority industry/cluster sets that represented the largest job growth over the next ten years in the county. Along with this data, the leadership team also included in the parameters the need for students to earn a living wage, which was determined to be a minimum of $30,000 annually. From the data analysis, four priority industry/cluster sets were determined to be the drivers of the initial change in the CTE program. These four industry/cluster sets are: Education & Training, Business/Marketing/Finance, Health Science and Information Technology (IT)/Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). High School Campus Total School Enrollment 2013-2014 CTE Program Student Enrollment 2013-2014 % of Students Enrolled in CTE Programs L.V. Berkner 2,528 2,106 83% Lake 2,495 1,539 62% Highlands J.J. Pearce 2,176 1,074 49% Richardson 2,564 2,126 83% TOTALS 9,763 6,845 70% 5

The following table shows the number of students enrolled by campus in the 16 Federal Clusters for the 2013-14 school year. Federal Clusters Agriculture Food & Natural Resources Architecture & Construction Arts, A/V Technology & Communications Business Management & Administration L.V. Berkner Lake Highlands J.J. Pearce Richardson 89 - - 94 37 91 92 81 128 231 75 169 75 145 58 126 Education & Training 24 36 27 16 Finance 56 76 22 104 Government & Public Administration - - - 29 Health Science 87 157 56 311 Hospitality & Tourism 234 77 96 283 Human Services 419 263 260 294 Information Technology 113 85 100 173 Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security 123 197 122 87 Manufacturing 25 38-23 Marketing 180 62 136 154 Science, Technology, Engineering & Math 516 81 30 122 Transportation, 60 - - - Distribution & Logistics TOTAL 2,106 1,539 1,074 2,126 6

Why CTE? Why Now? RISD has emphasized CTE to varying degrees in the past and currently delivers a CTE program, largely dependent on federal funding, which offers a wide spectrum of courses. With changes to graduation requirements and the increasing needs of RISD graduates to be college and career ready, there are a number of opportunities for CTE improvements and community-wide benefits. One opportunity for improvement is CTE s flexibility to provide multiple pathways for all students. Regardless of post-secondary path, CTE can play a role in a student s chosen path: 1. Provide students with experiential learning or to determine interest in subject matter/career. 2. Provide students with no plans for post-secondary training or education with a career pathway. 3. Provide students with plans for post-secondary training/education a career pathway. 4. Provide students with plans to pursue bachelor s degree a career pathway. 7

CTE is of vital importance to all of RISD s stakeholders: To Students: CTE plays a critical role in College and Career Readiness. Provides RISD students with an awareness of career path options. Provides needed technical skills and certifications for the 25% of RISD graduates who are not going to 4 or 2-year colleges. Offers highest level of relevant workforce training to RISD students before graduation. Leads to higher post-secondary persistence: 70% of CTE students persist in postsecondary education compared to an average state target of 58%. Identifies knowledge/skill gaps to be filled in post-secondary education. To Employers: Cultivates a skilled workforce. Connects students to local businesses during secondary schooling to increase likelihood they will return to the area after college graduation. To City/Local Economy: Provides opportunities for graduates to become contributors to the community because twenty-five percent remain in the area. Attracts new businesses to area through the availability of skilled workforce. 8

Workforce Projections A central outcome of student success for CTE is the student s ability to obtain living-wage employment after they have completed their schooling, at whatever level is appropriate for their chosen career path. To ensure students have the best opportunity to obtain such employment in our area, we first analyzed workforce projections for Dallas County. InterLink, a well-regarded nonprofit whose mission is to bridge the gap between business, education and government to develop a quality work force with a globally competitive advantage, publishes a series of reports on workforce projections in a 16 county area of North Texas. These reports, in addition to Texas Workforce Commission data, were used to analyze the current and future state of workforce opportunity for RISD students. Below are findings that highly influenced the committee s work: 87% of Dallas county residents work in Dallas County $30,000 is acknowledged as a living wage Methodology Focusing on occupations whose entry wage was $30,000 or greater, the committee determined natural breaks in occupational growth, focusing on occupations projecting an increase of 750 or more new jobs in Dallas County between 2010-2020. (Engineer occupations were combined for the analysis.) Based on federal guidelines, all occupations are assigned to an industry cluster. Below is a list of the top 20 occupations, based on the projected increase in new jobs. The table and pie chart below assign the identified occupations to their particular industry cluster. (The count for each cluster is the projected number of jobs added for that cluster in Dallas County from 2010-2020.) 9

Dallas County Workforce Projections Top 20 Occupations, # Change Occupational Title # Change 2010-2020 Education Registered Nurses 7,600 Associates Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 6,420 Bachelors Accountants and Auditors 3,580 Bachelors First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 3,350 HS Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 3,120 Bachelors Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 3,120 Bachelors Engineers (COMBINED) 2,470 Bachelors Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific 2,460 HS Postsecondary license Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 2,280 Business Operations Specialists, All Other 1,970 HS Software Developers, Systems Software 1,930 Bachelors Computer Systems Analysts 1,860 Bachelors Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants 1,840 HS Software Developers, Applications 1,800 Bachelors Sales Representatives, Services, All Other 1,650 HS Lawyers 1,550 Doctorate Management Analysts 1,520 Bachelors General & Operations Managers 1,510 Associates Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists 1,430 Bachelors Network and Computer Systems Administrators 1,430 Bachelors TOTAL 50,630 10

Dallas County Workforce Projections - By Cluster Cluster Occupations Entry Wage, Annual Number Change 2010-2020 Education & Training 4 $41,290 13,450 Business Administration 7 $44,514 12,480 Health Science 4 $48,422 11,490 Marketing, Sales & Service 6 $37,329 8,220 Information Technology 5 $60,702 8,000 Finance 5 $48,950 7,500 Law, Safety & Security 4 $47,928 4,760 Architecture & Construction 4 $37,824 3,960 STEM 16 $62,953 2,470 Manufacturing 1 $32,739 920 73,250 11

Priority Industries/Clusters Based on our analysis, the following clusters were identified to have the greatest opportunity of RISD students in the coming years: Education & Training Business, Marketing, Finance Health Science IT/STEM The following chart shows the number of students enrolled in 2013-2014 by campus in the priority industry/cluster sets. Federal Clusters 2013-2014 Education & Training Business Management & Administration Marketing Finance L.V. Berkner Lake Highlands J.J. Pearce Richardson Total 24 36 27 16 103 75 145 58 126 404 180 62 136 154 532 56 76 22 104 258 Health Science 87 157 56 311 611 Information Technology Science, Technology, Engineering & Math Sub-Total, Priority Clusters Total Enrolled CTE Students 113 85 100 173 471 516 81 30 122 749 1,051 (50%) 642 (42%) 429 (40%) 1,006 (47%) 3,128 (46%) 2,106 1,539 1,074 2,126 6,845 12

Section 2: Strategies to Improve CTE in Richardson ISD 13

From the four subcommittees a list of commonalities emerged. Below is a model representing these commonalities aligned to the six strategies. Build Pipeline of Connections Personnel Pathways with Higher Education Student Internships Teacher Professional Development Guest Lecturers Adjunct Professors Company Grants CTE Advisors subject matter experts & student guides CTE Qualified/Certified Teachers Adjunct Professors RISD Career & Technical Education Commonalities across all Four Priority Industries Collaboration with DCCD / UTD / & 4-year colleges to facilitate student pathways for post-secondary tracks Increased Dual Credit for upper level CTE courses Expanded Certificates Certifications/Licenses CTE Curriculum Facilities K-12 Student Engagement 21 st Century Soft Skills (Communication/Critical Thinking/ Leadership) Real world experiences in curriculum Course Sequencing Curriculum review to ensure relevance to workforce requirements 21 st Century Learning Environments RISD facilities mirroring the workplace Student/ program capacity (square footage) expansion Equipment relevant for the required skills Increased student enrollment in CTE courses K-6 exposure to CTE courses & experiences Increased opportunities for student CTE extra & cocurricular activities CTE Summer Camp experiences 14

To ensure RISD students receive the highest level of CTE education, allowing them to successfully pursue their chosen career path, the following strategies and actions were developed to support this initiative. Each strategy includes both short-term and long-term actions that will guide achievement of each strategy: Strategy 1: Create Sustainable Relationships with Partners in Priority Clusters Short term actions (2014 2015) o Expand work based learning experiences including industry relevant student internships or work study placement programs. o Enhance teacher professional development by incorporating real world experiences and including industry subject matter experts in the planning and delivery of the training. o Hire two CTE Advisors o Incorporate guest lecturers from industry into curriculum/classroom. o Redefine how partnership opportunities are handled in RISD. o Roles and responsibilities of district and foundation personnel o Structure of partnership program (levels, branding, etc.) o Create Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to define relationship with business/industry partners o Research policies and partnerships that allow industry experts to teach or co-teach CTE courses. o Identify the needs for the priority industries/cluster sets in terms of relationship, resources and contacts. Long term actions (2 5 years) o Implement MOUs with partners for priority industries/cluster sets; should cover grants and provision of instructors/facilities. o Create an adjunct CTE model that allows industry experts that are not certified teachers to jointly instruct CTE courses alongside a certified CTE classroom teacher. o Manage and cultivate the relationships with partners. o Add two additional CTE advisors for a total of four 15

Strategy 2: Enhance CTE Curriculum in Priority Clusters Short term actions (2014 2015) o Engage industry experts to evaluate and make recommendations. o Emphasize 21 st Century soft skills (communication, critical thinking, and leadership). o Work with Principals on completion of course sequences for CTE certifications/certificates, and dual credit. o Work with Director of Counseling and Campus Counselors educating students and parents on Endorsements and opportunities. Long term actions (2 5 years) o Evaluate curriculum on an ongoing basis to maintain relevance to evolving career requirements. o Invest in needed equipment. 16

Strategy 3: Build Organizational Capacity to Manage and Deliver CTE Program Short term actions (2014 2015) o Hire 2 CTE advisors. o Train CTE teachers in PBL model. o Prioritize teacher allocations for upper level CTE courses (despite small class sizes). o Perform HR research and planning to allow for adjunct professors. o Enhance teacher professional development by incorporating real world experiences and industry subject matter experts. o Create forum for training/communication with campus leadership focused on CTE. o Create forum for training/communication with campus counselors. Long term actions (2 5 years) o Hire 2 additional CTE advisors. o Hire adjunct professors. o Conduct ongoing evaluation/adjustment of professional development. 17

Strategy 4: Guide Students along Clear Pathways to Higher Education Short term actions (2014 2015) o Work with local higher education institutions to sustain and expand dual credit and articulations. o Promote awareness of pathways and transitions for students to higher education programs. o Create a process that transitions students from high school to higher education. Long term actions (2 5 years) o Expand additional opportunities for health science certifications. o Create a sequence in priority industries/cluster sets that allows students to receive a minimum of nine college hours before graduation. 18

Strategy 5: Ensure Facilities Support Goals of CTE Program with Emphasis on Priority Clusters Short term actions (2014 2015) o Complete comprehensive assessment of current facilities in conjunction with industry partners to determine gaps. o Based on assessment, develop: o Action plan for immediate enhancements that can be made to existing facilities. o List of capital needs for consideration as part of 2016 bond. Long term actions (2 5 years) o Identify capital projects as part of 2016 bond: o Expanded health science facilities. o Expanded IT/STEM facilities. o Modify existing classroom learning environments to provide additional flexibility and mirror workplace environment. 19

Strategy 6: Improve CTE Program Effectiveness and Participation through Parent and Student Engagement Short term actions (2014 2015) o Emphasize K-6 CTE exposure and experiences; possibilities of using enrichment clusters. o Investigate CTE summer camp experiences to engage more students (expand budget). o Emphasize extra & co-curricular activities to engage more students (expand budget). o Create and execute communications plan to educate students and parents about CTE. Long term actions (2 5 years) o Maximize students in upper level courses/completion of course sequence. 20

Section 3: Moving forward: Implementing the Strategic Plan Implementation of this strategic plan will be managed by RISD s CTE Department: Danny Stotts, CTE Director Yvonne Flowers, CTE Specialist Beth Brown, CTE Advisor Janie McGinty, CTE Advisor Progress reports will be provided to Sandra Hayes, Assistant Superintendent, Technology, with a year-end summary provided to the board of trustees. The addition of two more CTE Advisors for 2015-2016 will allow each high school campus to have one CTE Advisor to work with students, cultivate relationships with partner businesses, monitor student and program progress, and communicate information to the CTE Department. Because this strategic plan is a multi-year plan, the leadership team will convene on a bi-annual basis to assess progress, discuss challenges and make adjustments to the plan, as needed. 21

Measurement of Success One of the guiding principles of this plan is that it is data-driven. Various performance areas will be measured, including student engagement, persistence, achievement, and post-secondary transitions. Outputs Number of students enrolled in a CTE course (by grade level, campus, cluster, number of years in CTE sequence) Number of courses offered (by campus, cluster) Number of allocations scheduled for CTE courses (by campus, cluster) Number of dual credit and articulation courses offered (by campus, cluster) Number of students participating in internships and work study (by grade level, campus, cluster) Number of students completing a CTE sequence (by campus, cluster) Number of students receiving certifications (by type, grade level, campus, cluster) Number of students matriculating to post-secondary (by campus, cluster) Number of CTE teachers trained in PBL model (by campus, cluster) Number of CTE teachers receiving enhanced professional development (by campus, cluster) Outcomes Percent of students taking one CTE course (by grade level [7-12], campus, cluster) Percent of students completing a CTE sequence (by campus, cluster) Percent of students receiving certifications (by type, grade level, campus, cluster) Percent of students participating in extra/co-curricular activities (by type, grade level [7-12], campus, cluster) Percent of CTE teachers trained in PBL model (by campus, cluster) Percent of CTE teachers receiving enhanced professional development (by campus, cluster) Percent of elementary campuses offering enrichment clusters focusing on four priority clusters Percent of students to identify possible career paths of interest (by grade level [6-12], campus, cluster) Percent of students matriculating to post-secondary (by campus, cluster) 22

Appendix A CTE Task Force Steering Committee Members November 2013 Organization Representing Individual RISD Assistant Superintendent, Technology Sandra Hayes RISD Director of CTE Danny Stotts Leadership Team RISD Board of Trustees Kim Caston RISD Board of Trustees Kris Oliver Texas Schools Project and Community Member Katie Patterson Chamber City Management Richardson Richardson Richardson Dallas City of Richardson City of Richardson City of Dallas Bill Sproull Pam Krause John Jacobs Lanet Greenhaw Dan Johnson Shanna Sims-Bradish Theresa O'Donnell Elected Officials Higher Ed Richardson City Council Dallas City Council Richland College University of Texas at Dallas Mark Solomon Jerry Allen Kay Eggleston Courtney Brecheen Education Educate Texas, RISD Board of Trustees Kristin Kuhne Business School District TX Instruments Methodist Richardson Medical Center Bank of America Superintendent Deputy Superintendent, Instruction Deputy Superintendent, Finance Assistant Superintendent, Secondary Melendy Lovett / Lisa Brady-Gill Ken Hutchenrider Bill Packer Kay Waggoner Patti Kieker Tony Harkleroad Bob DeVoll 23

Appendix B CTE Task Force Members Committee Organization Individual Education & Training CTE Task Force Leadership Team RISD, Principal, RHS Richland College UTeach, University of Texas, Dallas Educate Texas; RISD, Board of Trustees RISD, Teacher UTeach, University of Texas, Dallas RISD, Asst. Superintendent, Human Resources UTeach, University of Texas, Dallas Katie Patterson Charles Bruner Kay Eggleston Bill Gammons Kristin Kuhne D Nelle Lyons Jim McConnell Fernando Medina Bill Neal Business, Marketing & Finance Health Science Information Technology, STEM CTE Task Force Leadership Team RISD, CTE Advisor RISD, CTE Specialist RISD, Principal, LHFC Bland Garvey Frost Insurance Maverick Commercial RISD, CTE Advisor RISD, Assistant Principal, RWJH Bank of America Bank of America CTE Task Force Leadership Team Methodist Richardson Medical Center Methodist Richardson Medical Center Phytel RISD Teacher DCCCD CTE Task Force Leadership Team CTE Task Force Leadership Team Cisco Sology Solutions Texas Instruments G Systems Texas Instruments GXA Networks RISD Principal, STEM Academy RISD Teacher Dean A/C Kris Oliver Beth Brown Yvonne Flowers Bill Gallo Bill Kaiser Kenneth Lawrence Brad Lipton Janie McGinty Eric Pacheco Jim Teliho Kevin Williams Danny Stotts Dustin Clark Chris Lloyd Melissa Neidhart Stacey Pierce Shannon Ydoyaga Kim Caston Sandra Hayes Mark Bovee Ed Christmas Kimberly Gonzales Andrew Kahn Steve Lyle Alicia Makaye Elizabeth Swaner Henry Vo Kirk Wilson 24