The state Board of Regents has been considering the creation of a Career and Technical Education graduation pathway for some time now. The proposal to substitute a CTE exam for the global history exam has languished as the search for the "right" assessment to substitute ensued. And there is little indication New York is any closer to figuring out how best to create the explicit pathways to college and career readiness that are imperative in our global economy.
The current CTE system operated by BOCES — largely half-day and focused on junior/senior year of high school — has proven very effective in engaging students, raising graduation rates and providing rigorous applied-learning experience. The experience of our neighbors to the east suggests it's time we move to a regional model to expand those successes and finally offer students a full-time comprehensive CTE experience.
Massachusetts is home to the highest achievement test scores in the country for its public school students. If compared to other countries, Massachusetts would rank sixth worldwide in eighth-grade math.
The state's regional technical high school system has been dubbed the "Cadillac of CTE" by Harvard University's Pathways to Prosperity report.
Students focus on a career track while learning the core curriculum subjects such as English, Math and Science. All while adhering to the same Common Core State Standards and graduation requirements as a traditional high school.
In 2013, the majority of students at all grade levels enrolled in the state's regional technical schools generated "advanced" scores in the math and English language arts portion of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, the state's standardized test. Four of the six schools with the biggest gains of students scoring proficient or higher on these tests were technical schools.
Furthermore, these schools boast a significantly lower dropout rate than the state average; some have the state's highest graduation rates, and these numbers include special education students. Additionally, over half of Massachusetts CTE graduates pursue postsecondary education.
The focus on a career gives students the vision to see how doing well academically will benefit them in college and career choices. This is the value of creating explicit career pathways.
Students enrolled in a program of choice are more motivated and confident thanks to work-based, hands-on learning opportunities such as job shadowing and internships at local businesses. Students want to be active learners. They benefit from exposure to the world of work. These programs provide those opportunities.
According to Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce, there will be 47 million job openings by 2018. About one-third will require an associate's degree or certificate, and nearly all will require real-world skills that can be mastered through CTE. Similar projections have been made about job creation right here in Tech Valley.
The question for us is: are we adequately preparing our students to compete for those jobs and will they have the knowledge and skills required to be ready for college and career in Tech Valley or the global job market?
Data suggests Massachusetts' students who've completed high school at a regional technical school will have a competitive advantage for these jobs. Shouldn't New York's students be afforded a similar opportunity?
Time is wasting. The success of Massachusetts' comprehensive regional technical high schools is worth the attention of the Board of Regents, the Legislature and the governor as New York figures out how best to promote higher graduation rates, readiness for college, career and citizenship and a robust economy with a well-prepared workforce.
Baldwin is district superintendent of Questar III BOCES.