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Fall 2007/Spring 2008 e-Bulletin Board Newsletter
Volume 18
Administrative News
Temple Center Celebrates Three Decades of Service
Frank DiNatale presents the plaque to Dr. Walker
The Temple Center for Professional Development in Career & Technical Education celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a festive luncheon on the Temple Main Campus in the Great Court, Mitten Hall, on April 3. Guests included Dean Kent McGuire and CITE Chair Catherine Schifter, both of whom congratulated the Center on its many achievements. PDE representative Frank DiNatale presented a congratulatory plaque on behalf of the Bureau of Career & Technical Education in Harrisburg. The event, coordinated by Gloria Heberley, featured displays that provided attendees with the opportunity to review historical and current information about Center events and activities.
The theme, Three Decades of Service, was detailed in a presentation by Tom Walker, Center director and provided an overview of a comprehensive briefing document that graphically depicts the contributions of the Center to Temple University, CTE teachers, and students in the eastern region of Pennsylvania. The following is an excerpt from the introduction to that briefing document:
The State Board of Education created centers for the preparation and development of vocational education professional personnel in January 1978. In so doing, the Board acted on the recommendation of the PA Vocational Teacher Education Advisory Committee to consolidate funding resources regionally and thereby enhance services to public secondary vocational education. At that time, state and federal vocational education funds were being awarded to numerous higher education providers in the Commonwealth. This practice of “spreading out” the resources drew criticism from the field as being too diffuse and not producing a lasting impact. The PA Department of Education’s (PDE’s) original documents defined centers as follows:
A center will be an institution [that] has and uses a ‘critical mass’ of appropriate resources in a manner that is flexible and responsive to the priority staff development needs of vocational educators. It will be created in response to documented needs and will have a geographic location that will promote efficient and effective use of funds. (Swatt, 1978, p. 4).
Following a call for proposals, three institutions prevailed and were named Centers for Vocational Education Professional Personnel Development: The Pennsylvania State University, Temple University, and the University of Pittsburgh. Each university was given responsibility for providing services to roughly one-third of the state (Temple, the eastern region; PSU, the central region; and Pitt, the western region). Pitt was subsequently replaced by Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) as the Center for western PA in the early 1980s. The term vocational education in the title for Centers was officially changed to career and technical education in 2001.
Centers are guided in fulfilling PDE’s definition for them by a set of clearly defined objectives/activities, which currently include (a) occupational competency assessment; (b) outreach: traditional undergraduate courses; (c) outreach: field-based, competency-based teacher education; (d) outreach: traditional graduate courses; (e) outreach: field-based, competency-based leadership training; (f) continuing technical and professional development (regional and school-by-school); (g) pre-induction for new teachers; (h) placement; (i) recruitment; (j) occupational experience; (k) curriculum dissemination; (l) disadvantaged/disabled learners; and (m) research. A unique feature and pre-condition for being a Center is that activities and services must supplement, not supplant, existing university services. Consequently, as suggested by the use of the term “outreach” within several center objectives, most of a Center’s activities take place off-campus throughout the region it serves, at local schools or off-campus university centers. For Temple, this means services throughout the 17-county eastern region of PA, an area that stretches from the Maryland border in the south to the New York state border in the north, and from the New Jersey border in the east to an imaginary line running north and south through Reading, PA in the west.
This year, 2008, marks Temple’s 30th year as a Center, providing systematic career and technical professional education outreach services to the eastern region. Since the Center’s inception, our programs have played a vital role in the professional development of teachers, specialists, guidance counselors, and administrators who prepare students for the workplace and for continuing their education, and have impacted the field of vocational teacher education in general. We are genuinely proud of these programs and take immense pride in improving them and keeping them viable and at the cusp of professional practice as they were when we inherited them. We are hopeful too that our current work and the next 30 years will be as far reaching.
Temple University Center for Professional Development in Career & Technical Education Faculty and Staff
Chester P. Wichowski, DEd, Associate Center Director
Nancy B. Erwin, PhD, Director, Continuing Technical and Professional Education
Joy Barcus, MS, Certification and Degree Advisor
Victor Gbomita, EdD, Program Administrator, Field-Based Teacher Education
Gloria Heberley, EdD, Program Administrator, Support Services
Thomas Pivnichny, MS, Leadership Director
Field Resource Associates |
Regional Resource Persons |
Center Office Staff |
Consultants |
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Program of Studies
by Chester P. Wichowski, Associate Center Director
 Dr. Wichowski |
The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 was unanimously approved by the Senate on July 26, 2006, and by the House with a vote of 399 for and 1 in absence on July 29, 2006. The passage of this legislation by such an extraordinarily high level of bipartisan support is truly a testament to the importance our legislators have placed on this legislation. This Perkins Act is the fourth in a series that began in the early 1960s. This further illustrates the continued interest that the congress has maintained in supporting, as well as identifying, new pathways for the career and technical education community to follow in order to meet the workforce education and economic development needs of the country. Clearly, this has proven to be a wise and productive piece of legislation over the last four decades and is likely to be productive in the decades to come. In response to Perkins IV, Pennsylvania, like all states, was required to develop a plan for implementing the Program of Study concept. The PA POS Template was developed by representatives from the Governor’s Office; PA Department of Education, Bureau of Higher Education and Bureau of Career and Technical Education; PA Department of Labor and Industry; CTE professional development centers; curriculum specialists; and tech prep coordinators. The PA POS Template, developed to comply with Perkins IV as well as appropriate elements of PA School Code, provides guidance and support for the alignment of CTE curriculum between secondary and post-secondary programs. Although this may seem similar to existing tech prep programs that have been in place for more than 15 years, the primary difference is that the POS places greater emphasis on the articulation of CTE content and, for the first time in federal CTE legislation, a recognition of industry-based certificates. A listing of 64 high priority occupations has been identified by the PA Department of Labor and Industry to be used for the implementation of the PA POS Template. The initial application of the PA POS Template will involve 7 of the high priority occupations by June 30, 2008. An additional 24 will be developed during the 2008-2009 academic year. The first step in the implementation of the PA POS Template identifies occupational content to serve as core for articulation between secondary and post-secondary programs on a statewide basis. To achieve this, a statewide occupational advisory committee for each high priority occupational area has been formed. Each committee will include statewide representatives of occupational advisory members from local CTCs and CTE faculty from secondary and post- secondary settings. Details on the implementation of the PA POS Template are continually updated and can be accessed in the Program of Studies section of the PDE website. Dr. Wichowski served as the chair of the committee to develop the PA Program of Studies Template for the PA Department of Education, Bureau of Career and Technical Education. A copy of the PA POS Template and the companion list of definitions are included for your reference.
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Template for Programs of Study Each Program of Study (POS) shall be developed in compliance with all of the following template elements: 1. Incorporate and align secondary and post-secondary programs: (a) using Pennsylvania approved SOC Codes and CIP Codes; (b) by developing a competency list based on an occupational analysis using resources such as O*NET, VTECS, and MAVCC; (c) by aligning with PA recognized industry-based credentials or certifications; and (d) by securing validation of the Occupational Advisory Committee. 2. Include coherent and rigorous academic content aligned with PA Academic Standards and relevant career and technical education content integrated in a coordinated, non-duplicative progression of courses that align secondary and post-secondary education to adequately prepare students to succeed in careers. 3. Include the opportunity for secondary education students to earn post-secondary education credits through dual or concurrent enrollment, articulated credit, or other ways which lead to a PA-recognized, industry-based credential, credit- bearing certificate, or associate or baccalaureate degree. 4. Establish all new career and technical education programs based upon the current PA Department of Labor and Industry’s High Priority Occupations list. 5. Develop articulation agreements between secondary and post-secondary institutions which shall include:
(NOTE: Underlined words are defined in the glossary below.) |
CIP Codes – Classification of Instructional Programs – CIP 2000
BCTE CIP Codes –
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/career_edu/cwp/view.asp?a=122&q=102644
Federal CIP Codes –
http://www.nces.ed.gov
The purpose of the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) is to provide a taxonomic scheme that will support the accurate tracking, assessment, and reporting of fields of study and program completion activity. CIP Codes were originally developed by the US Dept of Education's National Center for Education Statistics in 1980, with revisions occurring in 1985 and 1990. The 2000 edition (CIP 2000) is the third revision of the taxonomy and presents an updated taxonomy of instructional program classifications and descriptions.
Dual or Concurrent Enrollment –
http://www.project720.org/content/view/36/117/
This articulated program allows students to earn college credit and attend high school at the same time. Dual enrollment is a locally administered program that allows a secondary student to concurrently enroll in post-secondary courses and to receive both secondary and post-secondary credit for the coursework. Local programs are run through partnerships between school entities and eligible post-secondary institutions.
High Priority Occupations -
http://www.able.state.pa.us/career_edu/lib/career_edu/2007_WIA_HPOs.pdf
These occupations include job categories that are in demand by employers, have higher skill needs, and are most likely to provide family sustaining wages. Category is used as a strategic process to identify training programs and dollars spent. A High Priority Occupations SOC/CIP Crosswalk search is located on the PDE website.
MAVCC –
http://www.mavcc.org
The Multi-state Academic and Vocational Education Curriculum Consortium provides career and technical instructional materials.
Occupational Advisory Committee -
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/career_edu/cwp/view.asp?A=122&Q=89932
This committee comprises representatives from local business and industry who are actively involved in the occupation for which training is being provided. Representation should also include management and labor personnel, homemakers, career and technical education students, recent graduates, post-secondary faculty, home school and CTC Counselors, and members of the community. This committee shall provide advice on program content and performance objectives to the classroom teacher. The classroom teacher will set performance objectives.
O*NET –
http://www.onetcodeconnector.org
Developed by the US Dept of Labor, O*NET provides information pertaining to SOC Codes. O*NET lists job descriptions, tasks, and information on related occupations, occupations with similar codes, and detailed work activities.
PA Academic Standards –
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/stateboard_ed/cwp/view.asp?a=3&Q=76716
Approved educational standards, which include the literary, artistic, career education and work, conventional, and/or theoretical knowledge, but not including technical or professional studies.
SOC Codes – Standard Occupational Classifications System –
http://www.bls.gov/soc
The 2000 Standard Occupational Classification System (SOC) is used by Federal statistical agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data. All workers are classified into one of over 820 occupations according to their occupational definition. To facilitate classification, occupations are combined to form 23 major groups, 96 minor groups, and 449 broad occupations. Each broad occupation includes detailed occupations requiring similar job duties, skills, education, or experience. General questions concerning the SOC may be sent by fax to 202-691-6444.
Crosswalk searches are available comparing the following: Standard Occupational Classifications (SOC), Military Occupational Classifications (MOC), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), Registered Apprenticeship System (RAIS), and the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT).
VTECS –
http://www.vtecs.org
A consortium of states whose members pool resources to develop competency-based career and technical education products that are validated by business, industry, and labor. These industry-based resources and services are used for the improvement of career and technical education and workforce development instructions, assessment, certification, and delivery.
PA Recognized Industry-Based Credentials or Certifications –
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/career_edu/cwp/view.asp?A=117&Q=80692
The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Career and Technical Education, has compiled this resource guide which lists industry-recognized certifications for career and technical programs in Pennsylvania’s career clusters. The goal of the resource guide is to assist schools with identifying organizations that provide industry-recognized certifications that relate to Pennsylvania CIP Codes for program approval.
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