FCCPS Career Technical Education Curriculum Study Report 2009-10

8/9/2019 FCCPS Career Technical Education Curriculum Study Report 2009-10

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Career and Technical Education

Curriculum Study Report2009-2010


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Table of Contents

1. List of committee members and meeting times2. Description of the Curriculum Study Process3. Philosophy and Goals4. Traditional Vocational vs. 21st Century Career Technical Education5. Examples of State and Federal Regulations Driving CTE Decisions6. Where Were We? What Did We Accomplish?7. Where Are We Now? Where Should We Be?8. Where Do We Go From Here? Observations and Recommendations


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Members of the 2009-2010


Curriculum Study Committee

Name Position

Gloria Guba Assistant Superintendent for Instruction

Jeanne Seabridge Career and Technical Education Administrator, Technology Education Teacher and BusinessInformation Teacher at MEHMS

Jon Ballou Technology Education Teacher GMHS

Chris Pikralidas Business and Information Teacher at GMHS

Janice Wolner Family and Consumer Sciences GMHS

Angelina Doolittle Family and Consumer Sciences MEHMS

Steven Knight TJ Instructional Technology Coordinator, K-12 Educ. Technology CIRT and ANGEL Admin.

Brett Sparrgrove MEH Instructional Technology Coordinator Business and Information Technology TeacherMEHMS

Susan Jinks GM Instructional Technology Coordinator

Donna Viscardi MD Instructional Technology Coordinator

MaryBeth Connelly Community Outreach/BIE Coordinator

Andy Rankin Viget Labs

Joel Block Not in attendance but provided additional informationMath and Finance and Economics Teacher at GM

Janae Rittenhouse Counseling Director MEHMS

Matt Sowers Counselor MEHMS

Elise Kenney Counselor and Career Specialist MEHMS

Judy Bracken College & Career Specialist GMHS

Amy Kurjanowicz Counseling Director GM

Ann McCarty Principal MEHMS

Juanita Briscoe FCCPS Testing Coordinator


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Ken Siekman Assistant Principal

Nancy Goldman Counselor GM

Marcia Schumann Counselor GM

Valerie Chesley Counselor GM

Brad McAdam Counselor GM

Tooze, Karin English Teacher GM / FEA (Future Educators of America) Advisor

Shumpert, Jeremy Social Studies Teacher


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Curriculum Study Committee

Schedule of Meetings

Wednesday, December 03, 2008 @ 6:00

Wednesday, January 21, 2009 @ 1:45

Monday, February 9, 2009 @ 9:00

Thursday, May 28, 2009 @ 2:30

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 @ 9:00

Wednesday November 4, 2009 @ 1:00

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 @ 1:00

Tuesday, December 1, 2009 @ 2:30


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Description of the Process

The CTE Curriculum Study Committee, composed of FCCPS administrators, counselors, teachers, parents and

community members took the following steps to review and evaluate the current program of studies, co-curricular, extracurricular and partnership programs.

1. Met to discuss the Curriculum Study Process2. Posted invitation to be on Career and Technical Curriculum Planning Committee via Falls Church Press

and the FCCPS website.

3. Reviewed the 2001-2003 CTE Curriculum Study report and identified those recommendations whichhad/had not been addressed. Answered the question What does Career and Technical Education Meanin the 21st Century?

4. Reviewed state and national standards and CTE competencies, graduation requirements, Standards ofAccreditation, the FCCPS Strategic Plan, and the VDOE Career and Technical Education Local Planfrom the 2008-2009 school year.

5. Worked on revising the CTE Philosophy and Goals Statement to reflect the current FCCPS StrategicPlan, VDOE mandates and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Act of 2006

6. Met in subcommittees to identify program curriculum, facility and personnel strengths and needs.7. Met with the B.I.E. / CTE Advisory Committee to discuss the CTE Program strengths and needs.4. Met in subcommittee to discuss newly mandated VDOE Career Planning regulations for grades 7th-12th

(8VAC20131140:Collegeandcareerpreparationprogramsandopportunitiesforpostsecondary

credit) and discussed what we need in place to satisfy these requirements.

8. Attended various CTE related meetings and conferences in order to gain additional informationconcerning Career and Technical Education at the district, local and state level.

9. Completed CTE Compliance Reporting from the VDOE for the Career and Technical Education SelfAssessment

10.Arrived at a conclusion about program status and future and agreed upon recommendations to addressidentified needs.11.CTE Curriculum Plan Report was written and Presented to the FCCPS School Board


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Falls Church City Public Schools

Career Technical Philosophy and Belief Statements

2009-2010

Philosophy:

The global nature of today's society demands academic competent, and well-trained, technology-literateindividuals. The K-12 Career and Technical Education program at Falls Church City Schools is designed tograduate students with the workplace and technical skills necessary to compete in higher education or in thehigh performance workplace.

Students must be given the opportunity to use knowledge from other content areas and learned technical skills

to design, create, and solve problems. Career Technical Education provides students with relevant contexts forstudying and learning by linking school-based education with the skills and knowledge needed for continuedsuccess in a rapidly changing and diverse technological and global society.

Students need to explore careers throughout their education in order to make a wise career choice for the future.A well designed Career Plan gives students a tool which will inform them, guide them, and provide a venue forreflection. Future career and post-secondary education decisions should be based on knowledge from careerexploration in all 16 Career Clusters as well as student interests and strengths.

We believe that.

Every individual has a need for and a right to Career and Technical Education. Students should have a multitude of Career Technical Education courses available to them. They should have the opportunity to explore a chosen CTE concentration which will enable them to achieve

a Career Technical Education Seal or Advanced Math and Technical Seal from the state of Virginia Every student can learn and be a productive member of society. The learning and development needs of students govern CTE educational decisions. All students benefit from an integrated system of academic and CTE applied learning based on rigorous

expectations and standards, throughout their school experience. All CTE teachers place the highest priority on students' attainment of literacy at levels that will serve them

throughout their lives as productive citizens and lifelong learners. Career and Technical Education happens best when the learning environment is safe, caring and respectful. Each student has unique talents, interests and needs, and comes to Career Technical Education Courses with

diverse cultural, social, moral and ethical beliefs. Data analysis drives CTE educational decisions and resource allocation and contributes to continuous

improvement. The acquisition of work skills as determined by occupational demand is necessary for the social and

economic well-being of our youth, adults, and community as a whole.


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Career and Technical Education must be active and experiential, an integration of academic and technicalskills, and offered to each student without regard to the students gender, cultural, social, economic, sexualorientation, or other background.

Career and Technical Education must be actively engaged in authentic relationships with the largercommunity to develop standards and assessments that reflect the needs of the employer community and thepursuit of further education.

Career and Technical Educators are partners with the home and the larger community as we strive todevelop informed, responsible, and participating members of society.

The Career and Technical Educators encourages all students to develop to their fullest capacity and toachieve their life goals

Statement of Goals:

The following goals are identified as supporting the philosophy for Career Technical Education. The CTE

program, curriculum and assessment decisions shall be driven by these goals:

To adapt to the constantly changing socioeconomic needs through the induction of technological and uniqueeducational programs such as Articulation Agreements with Area Colleges, State and NationalCertifications and Licensure, Cooperative Education, Tech Prep, Skills USA, Apprenticeship and InternshipPrograms.

To promote student participation in workplace based experiences (e.g. co-op, student apprenticeships,internships, job shadowing, career fairs, field trips and guest speakers) for applied learning and careerexploration.

To encourage students to participate in student leadership organizations and opportunities.(FBLA FutureBusiness Leaders of America, TSA Technology Student Association, DECA - Delta Epsilon Chi(marketing), FEA Future Educators Association, HOSA Health Occupation Students of America,FCCLA - Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, SkillsUSA, and FFA Future Farmers ofAmerica)

To align current CTE curriculum with the K-12 International Baccalaureate model. To increase the academic skills of career/technical education students through the use of integrated content

areas and lessons designed around the federal governments STEM initiative To provide a variety of CTE extracurricular activities which foster interaction among parents/guardians,faculty, staff, and students. (First Lego League, First Robotics Competition, Project Lead the Way, National

Engineers' Week Future City Competition, Exploravision, NASA, etc) To collaborate with Business & Industry, National Associations, and Advisory Committees to promote,

establish, maintain, and evaluate the vocational/career technical programs in order to maintain the highstandards of the school curricula.

To maintain effective partnerships to promote development of the Falls Church workforce. To ensure a student's right to develop his/her potential regardless of race, color, sex, religion, age, handicap,

national origin, or sexual orientation. To support and enhance the student use of current and future technologies along with providing adequate

facilities, instructional resources, and instructional time To teach students the required skills to effectively communicate. To prepare students for future career changes and technological advances. To provide an atmosphere of strong work habits interpersonal communication, mutual confidence, respect

for authority, friendliness, and cooperation while maintaining a safe and nurturing environment supportedby discipline which is consistent, firm, and fair.

To provide guidance for students concerning personal, educational, and career issues. To provide continuous development of rigorous, progressive, and research-based career/technical education

curricula in order for students to acquire the necessary skills to meet all the state and federal requirements. To promote the positive image of career/technical education.


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To provide relevant and focused professional development for K-12 teachers. To recruit and retain highly qualified career/technical teachers and administrators. To exceed minimum requirements of state and federal legislation. To continue to update, monitor, and practice all building safety protocol and procedures to ensure a safe

working environment for its faculty, staff, and visitors as well as a safe learning environment for students To help learners work both as a team and think independently, complete skill and safety competencies, and

be self-directed with their education and career goals. To foster student awareness of their role as citizens of communities by participation in community service

experiences.

To promote teaching that recognizes differences in learning styles and uses a wide variety of methods. To provide curricula and instruction that integrates academic, technical, interpersonal, and other

competencies with industry standards, entrepreneurial opportunities, and higher education requirements. To provide lessons that encourages problem solving skills, creative thinking and innovative ideas. To frequently evaluate goals, programs and performance in order to make continuous quality improvement

in Career and Technical Education for students.


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Traditional Vocational vs. 21st Century Career Technical Education

The philosophy statement and goals reflect the committee's affirmation of ongoing changes in best practice and theory in

CTE instruction. The table below explains in simple terms how CTE advocates see these changes in secondary schools

Traditional Voc-Ed New Secondary CTE Systems

Developing narrow skills Developing an ability to learn Job training Education and Career preparation Taking academic "shortcuts" Succeeding in rigorous and relevant academics (i.e.

International Baccalaureate, Tech Prep and DualEnrollment Opportunities)

Teaching the task (rotelearning)

Solving problems (understanding)

Entry-level job competencies(certification)

Solid foundation in basic skills, thinking skills, andpersonal qualities (postsecondary transitions)

Independent secondary andpostsecondary voc-ed

Secondary-to-postsecondary articulation of 1-4 yearinstitutions.

Equipment-based curricula Knowledge- and technology-based curricula Lower academic standards

and expectations

All students taught to the same high standards

Academics not connected Contextual teaching and learning with the use ofintegrated lessons and focus on the federalgovernment initiated STEM (science, technology,engineering and math) program focus.

Student placement based onlow academic performance(tracking)

Career guidance/pathways

Why do I have to learn this?

I can use this! Now, I know why I need to knowthings like math and science!

"Not for my kid" "Useful for everyone" Teaches 21st Century Skillsthat all students need to know, be able to do andunderstand in order to be successful in the future.

Excerpted from the NTPN (National Tech Prep Network) publication Connections, Volume 13, # 3 (Spring 2003, p.1)


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Examples of State & Federal Regulations & Reports

Driving CTE Decisions

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act 2006 (Perkins):

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) was most recently reauthorized in August2006. The purpose of Perkins is to provide individuals with the academic and technical skills needed to succeedin a knowledge- and skills-based economy. Perkins supports career and technical education that prepares itsstudents both for postsecondary education and the careers of their choice.

serving as a catalyst for change by driving program improvement developing a strong accountability system that ensures quality and results strengthening the integration of academic and career and technical education ensuring access to career and technical education for special populations, including students with

disabilities developing and improving curricula purchasing equipment to ensure that the classrooms have the latest technology providing career guidance and academic counseling services providing professional development and technical assistance for teachers, counselors and administrators supporting career and technical education student organizations

ACTE Association for Career and Technical Education, The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act 2006 (Perkins)http://www.acteonline.org/perkins.aspx

"Preparing the Workers of Today for the Jobs of Tomorrow,"

A new report by President Obamas Council of Economic Advisors highlights the importance of CTE andcommunity and technical colleges in Americas economic recovery. The report, "Preparing the Workers ofToday for the Jobs of Tomorrow," looks at the industries and areas that are projected to have high job growthand how community and technical colleges can help lead the way in these areas and in other segments of thecountrys economic recovery. Some of the highlights of this report that showcase the importance of CTE are:

The fastest-growing segments of jobs are those that require an associate degree or postsecondary CTEcertification or credential.

The current postsecondary system, while effective, needs to be improved to better align with the needsof the labor market and to encourage completion of postsecondary training and degrees.

Research shows that associates degrees or postsecondary CTE credentials in high-demand/high-skillareas like health care or STEM/technical fields are more valuable to earning a high salary than otherassociate degrees.

One very important aspect of an effective postsecondary system is an integration of CTE and adult basiceducation skills to create more contextualized learning. Students in an integrated program are morelikely to improve their basic education skills and to earn college-level credits.


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The fastest growing jobs require employees to have greater flexibility in their technical skills and tohave well-developed 21st century skills.

The report also contains language that supports the concept of career pathways beginning at the secondary leveland continuing into postsecondary education. "These programs typically involve a careful map of requiredcourses and training, designed to be internally coherent and linked to the demands of specific jobs. Careerpathways can begin as early as middle school and can include accelerated programs that blend basic skills andoccupational training."

-ACTE AssociationforCareerandTechnicalEducation,"Preparing the Workers of Today for the Jobs of Tomorrow,"

http://www.acteonline.org/ctepolicywatchblog.aspx?id=9472&blogid=3512,PostedbyPPDat7/15/20099:20AM

VDOE Guidelines for Academic and Career Plans

The Board of Education included in its 2009 revisions to the Regulations Establishing Standards for AccreditingPublic Schools in Virginia, (8 VAC-20-131-5 et seq) provisions for each middle and high school student to havea personal learning plan that aligns academic and career goals with the students course of study. On February19, 2009, the Board adopted the revised Regulations, also known as the Standards of Accreditation[http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Accountability/soafulltxt.pdf]. The section pertaining to Academic and

Career Plans reads:

Beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year, all schools shall begin development of a personal Academic andCareer Plan for each seventh-grade student with completion by the fall of the students eighth-grade year.Students who transfer from other than a Virginia public school into the eighth-grade shall have the Plandeveloped as soon as practicable following enrollment. Beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year, studentswho transfer into a Virginia public school after their eighth-grade year shall have an Academic and Career Plandeveloped upon enrollment. The components of the Plan shall include, but not be limited to, the student'sprogram of study for high school graduation and a postsecondary career pathway based on the student'sacademic and career interests. The Academic and Career Plan shall be developed in accordance with guidelinesestablished by the Board of Education and signed by the student, student's parent or guardian, and school

official(s) designated by the principal. The Plan shall be included in the student's record and shall be reviewedand updated, if necessary, before the student enters the ninth and eleventh grades. The school shall have met itsobligation for parental involvement if it makes a good faith effort to notify the parent or guardian of theresponsibility for the development and approval of the Plan. Any personal academic and career plans prescribedby local school boards for students in grades 7-12 and in effect as of June 30, 2009, are approved to continuewithout further action by the Board.

VirginiaDepartmentofEducation,VirginiaBoardofEducation,September17,2009

2)


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Where Were We?

Previous Recommendations: Were the Goals Accomplished?Career Technical Education Program

2001-2003Elementary Schools

In order to meet the CTE program goal of raising awareness about careers among elementary students, theelementary schools should

Increase communication about taught curriculum among teachers of different teams and grade levels.The table provided in the appendix shows CTE curriculum information gathered by CTE curriculumstudy members. It can serve as a starting point for communication and additional articulation.

Provide staff development opportunities for the delivery of a curriculum based on inquiry, problemsolving, and an overall emphasis on original design. Committee members suggest that this staffdevelopment occur in conjunction with training and curriculum implementation that is part of the

science curriculum initiative. Contact information for potential trainers and training sites is provided inthe appendix.

*Goal was accomplished.The IB Primary Years Program addressed the need for the increased communicationconcerning taught curriculum. The PYP program also addressed the need for delivery of a curriculum based on

inquiry, problem solving, and an overall emphasis on original design.

The B.I.E. (Business in Education) committee has been instrumental in promoting career awareness at the

elementary school level. Captain Relevance was created to help inform children of careers and the academic

relevancy of obtaining specific skills in order to be successful in their occupation.

Middle School

In order to meet the middle school CTE program goal of providing opportunities for career exploration, themiddle school should

Give the highest priority to expanding CTE curriculum options especially in the area of design andtechnology. This expansion would help eliminate the current misalignment of the middle and highschool curriculum and effectively prepare students for both high school science and CTE courses. Thecommittee recommends the implementation of modular programs that can target students across abilityor achievement levels, allow students to explore a wider range of CTE topics, and provide additionalopportunities to strengthen students in objectives examined in SOL tests. All mid-level students can be

expected to benefit from this approach, but most especially so students in grade eight who are preparingto transition to the high school and who are beginning to make decisions about the direction their highschool and post-secondary education will take.

While priority should be given to the topics studied most intensively in high school, that is, totechnology education and science, the family and consumer science program can be improved also withthe acquisition of modular units.


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*Goal was accomplished.The LabVolt module system was purchased for the 7th grade Technology Educationcourse and the 6

thgrade Family and Consumer Sciences course. This modular approach created a multimedia

rich format which delivered differentiated content embedded with SOL standards from math, science, social

studies and Language Arts. The topics are divided by Career Clusters and students choose the career area to

study based on assessment data from an online interest inventory. The CTE program was also expanded by

adding an Introduction to Technology/Engineering course in 6th

grade, a Food and Nutrition course in 7th

grade and a Video, Media course in 6th

grade and the MEH-TV morning announcements program was added to

teach Television Production skills in 7th

grade.

In addition to classroom improvements the Counseling department has initiated a Career Fair highlighting all16 career cluster areas. Local community members are invited to meet with students and discuss their careers,

education, training, licensure and skills needed for their occupation.

High School

In order to meet the CTE program goal of preparing students for the work place and post secondary educationthe high school should seek to address the declining enrollment and the apparent lack of student interest in CTEcourses. In particular, the committee recommends that the high school

Continue to update and aggressively market CTE courses Continue to offer a desktop publishing course Continue to provide enrollment opportunities at Arlington Career Center Expand its offerings to include the IB Business Management course, with an implementation date of fall

2004. Continue to explore the feasibility of offering an IB design and technology course, a course that faculty

members have determined requires expertise across curricular areas and therefore may have to be taughtby several faculty members.

*Goal was accomplished.The CTE courses for Arlington Career Center are marketed through an establishedannual field trip in the fall to ACC for all 9

thgraders at George Mason High School. The existing CTE courses

at George Mason are marketed by the Technology Education Teacher and the Family and Consumer Sciences

Teacher. The FACS area visits the 7th

graders at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School to promote the HighSchool FACS courses. The Technology Education students visit MEHMS to assist with First Lego League.

Gourmet Cooking I and Fashion Design I were added to the FACS program. Video & Media and Computer

Graphics were added as part of the Tech-Ed program. The Business and Information Technology course

Desktop Publishing (Yearbook Journalism) is offered but only during after school hours. The teacher is paid an

EPED. A Finance course was added and is being modified to fit the requirements of the new graduation

regulations.

The IB Business Management is currently being offered at George Mason High School. The IB Design and

Technology course has been approved but is not being offered for the 2010-2011 school year.

Systemwide

The committee supports the Virginia Tech Study suggestions for high school students to have careerexploration experiences, internships and other work-site opportunities that help enhance students'awareness and understanding of careers and successfully prepare students for employment or post-secondary education.

The committee further believes that middle school students and high school students should continue toexperience career exploration days and job shadowing in the community workplaces.


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The committee strongly urges that FCCPS provide and design the instructional spaces needed to allowdelivery of the programs described in this report.

*Goal was accomplished.High school students have career exploration experiences provided to them by theCareer Specialist at George Mason High School. The middle school is providing an annual career fair for all

Middle School students to participate in. The Middle Schools instructional spaces were provided with the

construction of the new building.

*Goal was not met. Co-op, Internships and other work-site opportunities are not offered other than limited

opportunities for a few students which include Life Skills and ACC students. Job shadowing opportunities formiddle school students are no longer being offered nor are they being offered at the high school. The high

school instructional facilities for CTE areas are still inadequate for the learning of 21st

century skills.


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Where Are We Now? Where Should We Be?

Career Technical Education Program2009-2010

Business and Information Technology:

Mount Daniel Elementary School

o Business and Information Technology Curriculum Internet Safety Intro to Keyboarding Into to Digital Photography

o Equipment/Software Elmos needed Digital Cameras needed

o Career Connections Career Community Helpers and BIE Involvement. Career awareness embedded within other content areas.

o Facility Trailers are being used for computer labs. The trailers are overcrowded. Time is wasted going from building to trailers. Teacher sight area is limited to monitor students work due to lab layout. Difficult to get to students who need assistance when in trailer No room for student or teacher work areas. Highly recommend building one or two computer labs as an addition to the Mt. Daniel building.

o Staffing Needs or Training Adequate part time technician and a full time paraprofessional assigned to computer lab.

o Special Ed / ESOL -Technology and/or Career support Adaptive software is available along with other remedial and skill building software programs.

Thomas Jefferson Elementary

o Business and Information Technology Instruction Internet Safety Keyboarding


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o Equipment/Software Would like to have Apple Mac computers in some areas where appropriate in order to enhance

student learning. ANGEL is being used by teachers and students Wireless equipment not working needs infrastructure. Need laptops but cannot support them without a wireless network.

o Career Connections BIE Career Bulletin Boards

o Facility Wireless building needed

o Staffing Needs or Training Lost a lab Paraprofessional last year. This position needs to be reinstated. Students used to receive

consistent keyboarding time when a paraprofessional was assigned to the lab. This is not the casenow.

o Special Ed / ESOL -Technology and/or Career support Learning Skills students each have assigned laptops. Computer lab is part of special educations schedule

Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School

o Business and Information Technology Curriculum Keyboarding 5th Grade

o Curriculum needs revised to satisfy changes in the VDOE student competency requirements Computer Concepts 6th grade

o Course phased out with loss of Business and Information Technology period in the schedule.Some computer time is regained as a part of the Introduction to Technology curriculum.

o Equipment/Software Provide up to date and appropriate equipment and software to support the curriculum. Dual platform experience for students is needed in the use of APPLE vs. Windows technology.

Students should have access to the tool that works best to complete the task at hand.

o Career Connections Students explore careers, write age level appropriate rsums and fill out job applications. Workplace readiness skills are emphasized. Students learn essential office software and keyboarding techniques Guest speakers are invited into classes to discuss their occupations

o Facility No concerns. Facility is adequate.

o Staffing Needs or Training Internet Safety Training was conducted this year Business and Information Technology teachers are encouraged to attend professional conferences in

their content areas. Recommended that staff stays current with new and emerging technologies.


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o Special Ed / ESOL -Technology and/or Career support All students have the opportunity to attend CTE courses Para-professional assistance is available when necessary Students in need are given a differentiated or modified curriculum.

o Student Leadership Organizations FBLA-Middle Level chapter should be started at FCCPS

o other 7th grade Civics and Economics class explore entrepreneurship. Career Week at MEH BIE is interested on doing more with a career focus at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School

George Mason High School

o Business and Information Technology Curriculum Finance and Economics

o Curriculum has been written to comply with the VDOE graduation requirement which requiresone credit in Financial Literacy before graduation.

Computer Science all levelso Currently a math course which qualifies as a Business and Information Technology course in the

area of Programming 6640 and 6641. Must check to see if all competencies are being met. Internet Applications

o Currently a math course which qualifies as a Business and Information Technology course in thearea of Design, Multimedia and Web Technologies 6630. Must check to see if all competenciesare being met

Economicso Currently a Social Studies course which qualifies as a Business and Information Technology

course in the area of Principles of Business and Marketing 6115. Must check to see if allcompetencies are being met

Desktop Publishingo Currently being offered as an after school course. Must check to see if all competencies are being

met and whether or not the state will approve it as a CTE course since it is not offered during theschool day.

IB Business Management IB Information Technology in a Global Society

o Equipment/Software Most equipment and software is adequate at this time but needs to be kept up to date.

o Career / Post-Secondary Education Connections Need to involve more community members as guest speakers. Need to pursue Dual Enrollment opportunities with local universities within the walls of GM Need to pursue Co-op, internship and workplace opportunities

o Facility No wireless in some areas of the building. Some wireless hubs are not working.

o Staffing Needs or Training


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Need a certified Business and Information Technology teacher that teaches advanced computeroffice application skills. There are currently no Business Application courses being offered at thistime.

Business and Information Technology teachers are encouraged to attend professional conferences intheir content areas.

Recommended that staff stays current with new and emerging technologies. Financial Literacy course (Personal Finance and Econ.) has been expanded in order to accommodate

new graduation requirements.o This summer the UBD curriculum was written for the course.o Based on the state requirements, the current teacher is certified to teach the personal finance

and econ class as a math teacher. This teacher also has a degree in accounting and onlywould need 3 classes to get an additional endorsement in business even though it is notnecessary.

o It is proposed that the class not be a continuous one year class for everyone. It can be a twosemester course so that kids can take the first semester their Junior year, before TOK, and thesecond semester senior year, after TOK.

o The challenge will be getting the class to work with the schedules of many of our overbookedstudents.

o Special Ed / ESOL -Technology and/or Career support Life Skills students are given workplace opportunities

o Student Leadership Organizations FBLA and a DECA- student leadership association chapter should be started at FCCPS

o Licensures and Certifications Students taking Business and Information Technology as a completer are expected by VDOE to

obtain certification or licensure by the state. This may result in a MOS or NOCTI certification. Atthis time we offer no Industry certification or licensure other than at ACC

o Other It is recommended that we support the Arlington Career Center in offering rigorous CTE programs

for our students. There is concern that there are too many scheduling conflicts which impede the ability for most

students to take desired CTE courses at George Mason High School or at ACC.


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Family Consumer Sciences.


o Family and Consumer Sciences Curriculum FACS I 5th Grade FACS II (module) 6th Grade Nutrition and Wellness 7th Grade

o Equipment/Software The MEH FACS computer module lab is in need of curriculum and equipment updates. Modular

units need to be updated by replacing them with Synergistics modules. LabVolt has not beenupdating their curriculum and has not shown much attention to this product line. This product isbeing phased out by the company. Doolittle and Seabridge have met with the Synergistics vendorand have tested the product. It is very sophisticated and satisfies the VA SOLs, CTE competenciesand focuses on STEM based lessons. The product is web-based and updated frequently.

Handicapped kitchen is in need of a stove with an oveno Career / Post-Secondary Education Connections

Need to involve more community members as guest speakers.o Facility

Layout is not classroom friendly. Very difficult to see students behind all of the poles. Classroom is crowded with computer lab sharing the lab space. Would prefer to place computers in a

separate classroom if available (i.e. room 219)

o Staffing Needs or Training Family and Consumer Sciences teachers are encouraged to attend professional conferences in their

content areas. Recommended that staff stays current with new and emerging technologies and best practice.

o Special Ed / ESOL -Technology and/or Career support All students are given the opportunity to take CTE courses. Courses are differentiated and modifiedto suit their needs.

o Student Leadership Organizations FCCLA and an FEA- student leadership association chapter should be started at FCCPS

o Licensures and Certifications


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Students taking Family and Consumer Sciences as a completer are expected to obtain certification orlicensure by the state. This may result in a NOCTI certification. At this time we offer no Industrycertification or licensure other than at ACC


o Family and Consumer Sciences Curriculum FACS III 8th Grade Introduction to Culinary (Introduction to Gourmet Cooking) - GM Culinary I (Gourmet Cooking I) - GM Fashion Design and Marketing - GM

o Equipment/Software Please refer to Facility below.

o Career / Post-Secondary Education Connections Tech Prep and Dual Enrollment opportunities within the walls of GM should be considered. Internships and workplace opportunities should be considered. A Career Plan of Study must be created for each cluster. This plan must incorporate academics and

electives in the plan. The plan should focus on a cluster, pathways and occupations which demandskills taught in these courses.

In order to provide students at GM with career cluster opportunities related to Hospitality andTourism, Health Science, Human Services, Marketing Sales and Service, and Agriculture, Food andNatural Resources we feel it is necessary to offer at least one elective from each cluster.

Need to involve more community members as guest speakers.o Facility

FACS room needs gutted or placed in a new facility.o Ideal floor plan would include 3 rooms.

One room would house 4 regular kitchens and one commercial kitchen. The second room would be a classroom with a textiles area for sewing and a childcare

section. In addition to this a separate area should be set up for 5 modular stations that kidscan rotate into.

The third area would be located between the two classrooms. Half of it would serve as astorage room and laundry room with washer and dryer. The other half would be a diningroom/restaurant area with buffet for serving faculty and other groups. Can double as aconference room.

o New facility equipment needs 4 regular kitchens with stoves, refrigerators, garbage disposals, dish washers, microwaves

and deep sinks. 1 commercial kitchen to meet the competencies for the Culinary 1 course Necessary equipment to meet the needs of Culinary I Washing machine and dryer Utility sink Modular computers and work tables

o Staffing Needs or Training Family and Consumer Sciences teachers are encouraged to attend professional conferences in their

content areas. Recommended that staff stays current with new and emerging technologies and best practice.


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More FACS courses would require a full time FACS position.o Special Ed / ESOL -Technology and/or Career support

All students are given the opportunity to take CTE courses. Courses are differentiated and modifiedto suit their needs.

o Student Leadership Organizations FCCLA - student leadership association chapter should be started at FCCPS. FEA Future

Educators Association is already being offered to students as a before school club.

o Seals, Licensures and Certifications A certain percentage of students taking Family and Consumer Sciences as a completer are expected

to obtain certification or licensure by the state. We currently have none and are looking into astandard Workplace Readiness Exam which will result in a NOCTI certification.

At this time we offer no Industry certification or licensure other than at ACC Two 36 week courses or one 36 week and two 18 week courses from a concentration should be

offered to allow students the opportunity to obtain Completer status. This would qualify students forthe Career and Technical Education Seal and the Board of Education's Seal of AdvancedMathematics and Technology.

o Other It is recommended that we support the Arlington Career Center in offering rigorous CTE programsfor our students.

There is concern that there are too many scheduling conflicts which impede the ability for studentsto take desired CTE courses.


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Technology Education

Elementary Schools

o Technology Education Curriculum Recommendation to integrate Children and Engineering program from VDOE with science classes at

TJ and Mt. Daniel in order to compliment he PYP program.


o Technology Education Curriculum Introduction to Technology 6th grade Technology Systems 7th Grade Introduction to Video and Media Technology 6th grade Television Production 7th grade

o Equipment/Software The Module curriculum needs to be updated and replaced with a new vendor (SYNERGISTICS).

The current software and computer technology will be entering the sixth year at the beginning of the2010-2011 school year.

The current company (LabVolt) has not been good about updates and the curriculum in the Tech Labhas numerous errors which have to be corrected by the teacher.

SYNERGISTICS offers a web-based curriculum which is updated frequently. All curriculum isaligned to Virginias SOLs, Integrated with other content areas and meets the STEM guidelines.

The cost will be high since the hardware and software should be replaced at the same time in orderto prevent technical issues with compatibility problems.

In hindsight a rotational plan should have been put in place every 5-6 years for this type of update tothe FACS and Tech-Ed labs at MEH. This needs to be placed in the CTE curriculum plan for thefuture.

o Career / Post-Secondary Education Connections Students use BRIDGES for career exploration in 7th grade Students use Jobs in Pawland for career exploration in 5th grade All modules in 7th grade have a career focus An effort to invite more career guest speakers is needed.

o Facility Facility is adequate

o Staffing Needs or Training


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Technology Education teachers are encouraged to attend professional conferences in their contentareas.

Recommended that staff stays current with new and emerging technologies and best practice.o Special Ed / ESOL -Technology and/or Career support

All students are given the opportunity to take CTE courses. Courses are differentiated and modifiedto suit their needs.

o Student Leadership Organizations TSA- student leadership association chapter should be considered at MEH

o Extracurricular Activities MEH-TV Studio Morning Announcements Technical Crew for the school play First Lego League


o Technology Education Curriculum Technical Drawing and Design Architectural Drawing and Design Engineering Drawing and Design IB Design Technology Graphic Communications Systems (Computer Graphics) Video and Media Technology (Film Studies)

o Equipment/Software Equipment and software needs to meet industry standards and be kept updated. Refer to Facility for more information.

o Career / Post-Secondary Education Connections Tech Prep and Dual Enrollment opportunities within the walls of GM should be considered. Internships and workplace opportunities should be considered. In order to provide students at GM with career cluster opportunities related to Architecture &

Construction, Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications, Science, Technology,Engineering & Mathematics, and Manufacturing we feel it is necessary to offer at least one electivefrom each cluster.

Two 36 week courses or one 36 week course and two 18 week courses from a concentration shouldbe offered to allow students the opportunity to obtain completer status.

An effort to invite more career guest speakers is needed. A Career Plan of Study must be created for each cluster. This plan must incorporate academics and

electives in the plan. The plan should focus on a cluster, pathways and occupations which demandskills taught in these courses.

Last year a Career Plan of study for the cluster of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematicswas created for Falls Church Schools 7th through Post secondary schooling. It is recommended that one for Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications be created this

year since we have courses in place to meet the requirements from the state. A sample Plan of Study catalog was viewed which focuses on the Career clusters for course

selection. This is the type of plan the state wants implemented in all VA high schools. Thecommittee would like to see Falls Church develop such a plan that meets the needs of the FallsChurch student.


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o Facility Ideal floor plan would include 3 rooms.

o One room would house a computer labo The second room would be a workshop with machineryo The third area would be located between the two classrooms. Half of it would serve as a

storage room and. The other half would be a video and media center with a TV-Broadcastarea and Theater viewing area.

Since multiple courses are being taught simultaneously it is important that the instructors view is notimpaired. All three classrooms should be an open area or separated by windows.

Equipmento Utility sinko Computer stations in lab with SmartBoard and projector with speaker system.o video equipment for filming, editing and broadcastingo Workshop area with woodworking and metal working machinery and adequate ventilation

fans.

o Staffing Needs or Training Technology Education teachers are encouraged to attend professional conferences in their content

areas. Recommended that staff stays current with new and emerging technologies and best practice.

o Special Ed / ESOL -Technology and/or Career support All students are given the opportunity to take CTE courses. Courses are differentiated and modified

to suit their needs.

o Student Leadership Organizations TSA, Skills USA, Project Lead the Way - should be considered at GM

o Seals, Licensures and Certifications A certain percentage of students taking Technology Education courses as a completer are expected

to obtain certification or licensure by the state. We currently have none and are looking into a

standard Workplace Readiness Exam which will result in a NOCTI certification. At this time we offer no Industry certification or licensure other than at ACC Two 36 week courses or one 36 week and two 18 week courses from a concentration should be

offered to allow students the opportunity to obtain Completer status. This would qualify students forthe Career and Technical Education Seal and the Board of Education's Seal of AdvancedMathematics and Technology.

o Extracurricular Activities Technical Crew for the auditorium operations First Robotics Competition Channel 12 Partnership

o Other It is recommended that we support the Arlington Career Center in offering rigorous CTE programs

for our students. There is concern that there are many scheduling conflicts which impede the ability for students to

take desired CTE courses.


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Career EducationElementary Schools

o Career Education Instruction Instruction is embedded within content areas

o Career / Post-Secondary Education Connections B.I.E. created a Captain Relevance character and bulletin board project to reinforce the concept of

academics and how they relate to skills needed in a certain career field.


o Career Education Instruction Career education is taught to 5

th

, 6th

and 7th

graders by the Career specialist at Mary Ellen HendersonMiddle School during FLEX

Career exploration lessons are taught in all CTE courses.o Career / Post-Secondary Education Connections

Students use BRIDGES for career exploration and portfolio creation. It is recommended that theBridges program be utilized for the 7-12 Career Plan mandated by the state for graduationrequirements.

Career Plans are needed that focus on various Career Pathways and Career Clusters. The state hascreated templates for us to use. The templates need to be populated with academic and electivecourses from 7-12th grades that fulfill the skills and knowledge necessary for being successful in this

pathway. In addition, courses necessary at a post secondary level must also be included along withoccupations relating to the pathway, recommended CTE courses and electives, certification andcredentials approved by VDOE and offered locally, additional learning opportunities through studentassociations, work-based learning, the career assessment tool being used for the Career Plan, Post-Secondary placement assessments, and four year university degree or major necessary to obtain acareer in this pathway.

Students use Jobs in Pawland for career exploration in 5th grade An annual Career Fair is held at MEH


o Career Education Instruction Career education is taught by the Career Specialist at George Mason High School. Career exploration lessons are taught in all CTE courses. EEI - Education for Employment Introduction for students identified with disabilities or disadvantaged

is provided for ESOL and Lifeskills. (need to check on competencies being met and breadth of service)

o Career / Post-Secondary Education Connections


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Students use Naviance for career exploration and portfolio creation. It is recommended that the Bridgesprogram be utilized for the 7-12 Career Plan mandated by the state for graduation requirements.Naviance would be used to supplement the Career Plan.

Career Plans are needed that focus on various Career Pathways and Career Clusters. The state hascreated templates for us to use. The templates need to be populated with academic and elective coursesfrom 7-12th grades that fulfill the skills and knowledge necessary for being successful in this pathway.In addition, courses necessary at a post secondary level must also be included along with occupationsrelating to the pathway, recommended CTE courses and electives, certification and credentials approvedby VDOE and offered locally, additional learning opportunities through student associations, work-

based learning, the career assessment tool being used for the Career Plan, Post-Secondary placementassessments, and four year university degree or major necessary to obtain a career in this pathway.

It is recommended that a stronger partnership be created with NOVA and Post-secondary institutions inorder to create the Career Plan and work out articulation agreements for Dual Enrollment and Tech Prepopportunities.

o The Career Coach program in Virginia is providing colleges and school divisions with increasesand improvements in:o Dual-enrollmento Enrollment in community college and postsecondary CTE programso Relations between high schools and community collegeso

Partnerships with business and industryo An opportunity to meet President Obama's challenge, in the American Graduation Initiative,

to provide high school students comprehensive, personalized services to help them plan their

careers and stay in school

o Supporting Program Areas: Comprehensive Guidance: Assists students through specific self-appraisal and self-improvement

activities to enable effective planning to meet their personal education and career goals. Work-Based Learning: Gives students the opportunity to learn a variety of skills by expanding the

walls of classroom learning to include the community. By narrowing the gap between theory andpractice, work-based learning creates meaning for students. (Job-shadowing, guest speakers,

internships, co-op work placement, community career awareness, career fair)

Community BIE Involvement:o Career Connections

Need to explore the local community to see what businesses use various CTE Skills. Need to invite guest speakers from the community to share their careers with students. Need to Plan field trips of local businesses that use CTE skills. Need to encourage students to take electives in areas that would benefit them in their

career choice.

o Recommendation of Workplace Readiness Skills Students need writing, spelling and email etiquette skills to be reinforced in all academic

areas. Students need to understand and exhibit all VA Workplace Readiness Skills.

o Other Encourage students to explore online software and web tutorials concerning new software

applications or technologies.


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Where Do We Go From Here?

Observations and RecommendationsCareer Technical Education Program

2009-2010

Curriculum: Observation-

o Most CTE curriculum has been updated and revised in a timely manner. Some areas still need tobe written or updated to include VDOE competency requirements, 21st Century Skills andWorkplace Readiness Skills.

o New courses need to be developed at George Mason that meet the job market demands, fit into acareer pathway, meets the minimum VDOE requirement for eleven CTE courses with at leastthree completer options to be offered at each secondary school, and satisfy a desired completeroption for students.

o Some academic electives are currently not considered CTE at GMHS since they are offered byother departments even though the topics are considered CTE by the state.

o ACC has a variety of courses that satisfies the VDOE CTE student competencies and completerrequirements.

o Many ACC courses are now being offered for Dual Enrollment and Tech Prep with NOVA.GMHS does not offer Tech Prep or Dual Enrollment in GMHS. Few students are taking coursesat a post-secondary establishment to obtain Dual Enrollment status.

o Students do not have Cooperative Education, apprenticeship or internship experiences while atGMHS.

o The CTE curriculum areas at GM only consist of FACS, Tech-Ed and Business even thoughthere are 9 areas available for students to participate in. They are Technology and EngineeringTechnology, Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Business Education, InformationTechnology Education, Economics and Entrepreneurship Education, Agricultural Education,Health Science and Technology Education, Marketing Education, Skilled and Technical Sciences

Educationo Career Education programs that promote knowledge of careers of all types of employment

opportunities along with marketable skills are being infused in the K-12 curriculum. There ishowever little mention of military careers.

o Career guidance, job seeking skills and job placement services are provided to students includingthose identified as handicapped.

o Since the last CTE Curriculum Study the Business and Information time has been lost for 6 th and7th grades.

o Desktop Publications (Photo Journalism) is offered as an after school course for high schoolcredit.

o Some CTE curriculum needs to be updated to meet the approved UbD guidelines and newVDOE-CTE changes.

o IB Film Studies is available to be added as a Technology education courseo Television Production is an approved course which has not been offered in years at GMo The school board metrics would like to show an increase in students taking IB courses. Many IB

courses are considered CTE

Recommendation o Teachers are continued to be paid compensation for curriculum writing time.


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o Research needs done on current career demands in the local, state, national and global jobmarket. A study of current CTE electives needs to take place to ensure that the courses meet acompleter requirement and match courses necessary to fulfill a multitude of Career PathwayPlans.

o Academic electives need to be studied to see if they meet VDOE - CTE requirements bysatisfying the VDOE competencies. If this is the case we can claim them on VDOE - CTE andPerkins reporting which may result in additional funding from the state and federal governmentsfor FCCPS. Courses will then qualify to be added to the Career Pathway Plan as CTE courses.

o We should continue to encourage students to take advantage of Dual Enrollment opportunitieswhile attending ACC. Dual Enrollment opportunities should be made available in GMHS. It isrecommended that we accept the services of NOVA for the Career Coach program which willassist students in taking Dual Enrollment and Tech Prep courses and Career Planning for Post-Secondary 2 or 4 year education as well as for the Workforce upon graduation from high school.

o Cooperative Education, apprenticeship and internship opportunities should be built into the CTEcurriculum as requirements for students that are working towards a completer in a specific CTEarea. Local business need to be contacted in order to find suitable Cooperative Education,apprenticeship and internship opportunities

o The CTE areas of study need to be expanded in order to meet the needs of all students. Somecourses offered by other departments may qualify if they are teaching the state mandatedcompetencies and the teacher is highly qualified in the area being taught. We cannot rely on

ACC to meet a majority of our CTE needs for Career and College Preparation.o It is recommended to look into a JROTC- CTE program for interested students.o Career guidance, job seeking skills and job placement services should continue to be

implemented through Guidance and CTE courses.o Build Business and Information lessons into other content areas or FLEXo Desktop Publishing should be offered during the school day as an opportunity for all students.o Curriculum needs to be updated to meet the approved UbD guidelineso Consider adding IB Film Studies to the GMHS schedule. Need to consider how it impacts course

selection choices for non-IB students.o Consider reinstating Television Production as a course and/or Co-op workplace experience at

Channel 12 with Tech-Ed teacher as the co-op teacher.

o Offer IB Economics or AP Economics or consider an IB Economics/Personal Finance course andto support the school boards IB metric. Consideration needs to be given to regular educationstudents not interested in taking IB level courses and how this may impact their choices.

Instruction: Observation-

o CTE instruction is based on an integrated curriculum where students participate in units in whichthe content of several academic subjects are integrated.

o All CTE areas involve relevant and authentic project-based learning activities.o During Cooperative learning greater personal growth is observed when students interact with

others during learning experiences. Learners take on leadership roles and contribute to theproblem solving process.o Lessons are differentiated to allow for the success of learners of varied abilities and talents, by

engaging multiple intelligences, and different styles of learning all students achieve the samelearning objectives.

o Students have sufficient access to current technologies in the classroom which support thelearning process.

Recommendation


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o Teachers need to continue to have staff development opportunities which will support the use ofbest practice in the classroom.

o Up to date and sufficient equipment and materials must continue to be available for studentlearning to take place.

Assessment:o Observation-

o Teachers use Pre-Assessment, Formal Assessment and Project Based Assessment to check forstudent understanding of the curriculum. Rubrics are utilized before the lesson, throughout thelearning process, and again at the end of the lesson so that students know what they are beingassessed on.

o VDOE - CTE Student Competency Records are not being filled out for each student that takes aCTE course. These are to be kept on file for a 5 year period. Records must show an 80% passrate in order to be considered for a completer.

o The state requires 33% of all CTE students qualifying as a completer to take some sort ofcertification or licensure assessment. We currently do not assess any students at GMHS otherthan the few that attend ACC. The students attending ACC do not always take the certificationassessments even thought they meet the requirements to do so.

o Students are taking Career Assessment surveys through Bridges and Naviance. The Career Planrequires that the students have a 7th grade - post-secondary plan, and collect data on careers thatfollow them from 7th to 12th grades.

Recommendation o Teachers need to continue using proper assessment tools to measure student understanding.o VDOE is piloting a program called Can Do through Arlington School Division which is an

online version of the Student Competency Record required by the state. When it becomesavailable to all districts staff development should be provided to all teachers instructing a CTEcourse in the use of the system for recording student competency attainment. Since this is a timeconsuming task and it is mandated by the state consideration should be given to compensatingteachers for at least one extra work day in their contract. Many other divisions allow variousCTE staff addition days in their contract for this and maintenance of equipment and labs.

o FCCPS can meet the certification requirement for completers at GMHS by administering aNOCTI Workplace Readiness Assessment. The cost is currently $18.50 for an online assessment.The state was covering the cost of certification and licensure in the past. It is recommended thatthere is better communication between GMHS and Arlington Career Center to check ourstudents progress towards certification, licensure or dual enrollment opportunities. All ACCstudents taking two 36 week courses should take a certification test before graduation.

o It is recommended that students use the Bridges Career Assessment program through themajority of their 7-12 Career Planning experience. The Bridges Career Assessment Programneeds to be visited often and populated with assessment results, student favorites, journal entries,college searches, academic records and other information useful for applying to college orentering the workforce.

o The Counseling Staff at George Mason High School must have time provided to them in order topopulate the VDOE Career Plan Templates for students to access when planning their highschool course selection from 7th through 12th grades. These plans should be part of the courseselection guide and placed within the Bridges Career Planning Program. Parents or guardians arerequired to sign off on student selected Career Pathways of choice. The course selection guideshould be redesigned in order to display the Career Plan options.


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Personnel Observation-

o The CTE department is the smallest department at the high school with only 1.5 staff membersassigned specifically to CTE instruction.

o The CTE department does not have a Department Head at the High School Level like all otherdepartments.

o Career and Technical Education has many state and federal mandates that other areas do nothave. State and federal reporting is overwhelming and touches many aspect of K through Post-

secondary education. Since the CTE CIRT has no release time CTE is not represented adequatelyat the federal, state or local level. The CTE focus is changing and staff needs to stay current withthose changes.

o The CTE program needs to be strengthened and aligned at the high school level in order to meetthe needs of the students. A CTE administrator needs to be available in order to initiate programimprovement.

o Paraprofessional at Thomas Jefferson for the computer lab was lost. The Keyboarding program issuffering.

Recommendation o At minimum, the CTE department at the high school should be increased by making the current

FACS and Business areas full time positions which are devoted entirely to their CTE area of

expertise.o A .5 CTE Administrator position would allow time for Department Head duties as well as

Curriculum Instructional Resource Teacher responsibility, act as the ACC liaison, and local,state, and federal reporting requirements.

o As mentioned above, state and local reporting should be assigned to an individual that has beenallotted time for collecting data, writing reports, overseeing curriculum and assessment,budgeting and representing the department.

o CTE staff must be provided reimbursement and release time for attending local, state, andnational conferences in order to stay abreast of new CTE initiatives. Staff development isencouraged in STEM Education, state licensure and certification, cooperative educationopportunities for students and Career Planning.

o Re-hire paraprofessional for Thomas Jefferson Elementary.Budget

Observation-o The CTE budget has been used to purchase up to date equipment, textbooks, allow teachers to

attend staff development opportunities and purchase materials for project-based learning.o The middle school Tech-Ed and FACS module labs are in need of equipment replacement and

curriculum software updates. The labs were not placed on a replacement schedule with the rest ofthe building. The current manufacturer (LabVolt) has not kept up with curriculum updates andshows little interest in doing so. There curriculum is riddled with errors in the Tech lab which areconstantly being corrected by the teacher. Replacement cost is estimated at $180,000.00 to

replace the equipment and software in both labs.o The CTE Administrator position.

Recommendation o The FCCPS school division should continue to support the CTE department by providing them

with an adequate budget.o The MEHMS modules in FACS and Tech-Ed should be replaced with the Synergistic web-based

program. This program is updated on a regular basis and is aligned with VA SOLs and followsguidelines for STEM and content integration of all subject areas.


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o Budget consideration should be given for a .5 CTE Administrator position.Facilities

Observation-o The facilities at GMHS are inadequate for instructional purposes. Conditions are overcrowded

and some areas lack equipment needs to satisfy VDOE competency requirements.o The wireless infrastructure in all buildings is inadequate.o Mount Daniel is in desperate need of a computer lab within the building. Current lab is crowded

and in a trailer.

Recommendation o It is recommended that the school division follows through with building a new high school

which allows for adequate CTE space and meets the needs of CTE students to acquire 21stCentury skills in all 9 CTE areas of study.

o Find a way to boost the wireless signal in all buildings.o Expand the Mt. Daniel building to allow for up to date computer lab access and infrastructure.

Extracurricular Observation-

o Students are participating in the First Lego League at MEH, the First Robotics League at GMHS,the Technical Crew for the spring musical at MEH, the Technical Crew for the stage crew atGMHS, the MEH-TV crew for the morning announcements and for opportunities at Channel 12.

o We currently have very few student leadership associations for students to participate in. FEA isbeing offered at GM and ROTC is offered through ACC.

Recommendation o Teachers should continue current activities and explore other CTE related competitions and

activities for K-12 students to participate in. Parent and community help should be recruited inorder to offer as many opportunities as possible.

o In order to be compliant with the Carl D. Perkins regulations it is recommended that the CTEprogram begin student leadership chapters at FCCPS in the middle and high school. The

recommended chapters to begin with are FBLA Future Business Leaders of America, TSA Technology Student Association, DECA - Delta Epsilon Chi (marketing), FCCLA - Family,Career and Community Leaders of America, and Skills USA

Program Milestones There was only one completer option offered to CTE students at GMHS during the last CTE Curriculum

Study Report. There are currently 18 completer options at GMHS.

There were no Career and Technical Seals or Advanced Math and Technical Seals offered to CTEstudents at GMHS during the last CTE Curriculum Study Report. There were 6 recipients at GMHS and11 from ACC during the 2008-2009 school year.

The Technology Education Curriculum and Family and Consumer Sciences curriculum were almostnon-existent at the middle school level during the last report. The focus has gone from bird houses andchocolate chip cookies to a state of the art program which offers 3 courses of study in each area.

The middle school CTE classrooms during the last curriculum study were inadequate and did notprovide a safe, clean or well equipped environment that was developmentally appropriate for middleschool students. The current facility is well equipped and provides adequate space.


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There was no Career Plan for students to follow in the past. None of the courses were aligned to CareerPathways or college majors. We are currently in the process of creating a state mandated career plan for7-12 grades.

During the last CTE curriculum study the only extracurricular CTE event was the First Roboticsprogram and Technical Crew for GMHS. We now have a MEH-TV crew at the middle school alongwith a Technical crew for the spring musical. The First Lego League was formed this year at MEH andstudents are having more opportunities to participate in CTE competitions and activities.

There was no well written CTE curriculum during the last CTE curriculum study. We currently havemost CTE curriculum in the approved UbD format. All curricula are aligned to the state standards and

competencies. The career focus went from a very small experience to embedded career awareness at the elementary

levels, an extensive career fair at the middle school, CTE courses that focus on careers and the additionof a 7-12 online career assessment program for students to explore careers and create an online portfolioof career interests.

The CTE teachers see the need for teaching lessons centered on STEM (Science, Technology,Engineering and Math) The CTE programs integrate all academic content areas into their lessons. Webelieve that the students need to see the relevancy of having the academic knowledge and technicalskills to solve a problem. In the past the focus was very narrow.

FEA (Future Teachers of America) student organization has been established at GM for interestedstudents as a before school club. Students visit classrooms and assist teachers by tutoring needy

students. In the Business and Information Technology Department at GM an Entrepreneurs Club was organized

to complement the IB Business and Management (IBBM) and The Association with the NorthernVirginia Incubator was introduced this year as part of the IB Business Management course.

The CTE program is slowly gaining respect from the school community and community of Falls Churchas being an essential part of the students educational experience. CTE encompasses much more than ithad in the past. Technology and Engineering Education encompasses materials, processes andtechnologies used in manufacturing, construction, transportation, communication and engineeringrelated technologies. Family and Consumer Sciences Education involves child development, food andnutrition, food services, culinary arts, hospitality, interior design, and fashion design. BusinessEducation involves accounting, administrative procedures, banking and finance, business computertechnology, communications and web page design. Information Technology Education encompassesdatabase development, digital media, network design, programming and software engineering, technicalsupport, and web development. It also includes Agricultural Education which focuses on horticulture,animal science, agricultural engineering, and agricultural business and management. Economics andEntrepreneurship Education encompasses aspects of economics, entrepreneurship and financialliteracy. Health Science and Technology Education encompasses biotechnology, dental assisting,emergency medical technicians, medical assisting, nurse assisting and pharmacy technician. MarketingEducation involves advertising and promotion, e-commerce marketing, fashion merchandising, sportsand entertainment marketing and travel and tourism. Skilled and Technical Sciences Educationencompasses a wide range of trades including auto mechanics, carpentry, commercial art andphotography, commercial aviation, cosmetology and barbering, drafting, fire science, law enforcement

and welding.

FCCPS Career Technical Education Curriculum Study Report 2009-10

Documents

Transcript of FCCPS Career Technical Education Curriculum Study Report 2009-10