This update is provided by the Indiana Office of Career and Technical Education, housed under the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet. The Office of CTE provides an update on activity related to CTE on a bi-weekly basis throughout the academic year.
The bi-weekly update is the primary way the Office of CTE shares information related to career and technical education with the entire CTE community. We welcome your support in encouraging anyone who would benefit from the information to join our listserv. Individuals can sign up here. If you are no longer interested in receiving these updates, a link to unsubscribe can be found at the end of this update. Questions can be directed to CTE@gov.IN.gov.
FocusEd Mentors
Mentor Requirements: Over the last two years, the Office of CTE has partnered with the Indiana Association of CTE to focus on teacher recruitment, retention and professional development. The goal was to unify the segmented efforts that were taking place in order to have a greater impact. One of the results of this partnership has been the creation of the FocusEd division of IACTE.
A primary goal of the FocusEd strategic plan is to provide mentorship programs throughout the state for all CTE areas. This plan includes organizing mentorships and providing mentor coaches throughout the state. Through discussion it was decided this spring that it would be best to have FocusEd organize all of the mentors for the Workplace Specialist programs instead of duplicating efforts.
While the Office of CTE highly encourages schools and career centers to provide a mentor teacher to all new or newer teachers, only teachers that are enrolled in the Workplace Specialist I Training Program are required to be assigned a mentor teacher.
Next Level Programs of Study
Course Code Update: The Office of CTE has received several questions lately about proper course codes for NLPS courses. We encourage everyone to refer to the updated Master Pathway Document, Review Document, and NLPS Funding Memo that are available here and to discard any earlier versions of the review document or NLPS course lists. As we have previously shared, changes to course titles and/or course codes were made to these documents from when they were first released as a result of the competency vetting process that took place last spring.
The Master Pathway Document provides a summary of courses that were changed. Courses that have new titles or course codes are identified with red text. The updated Review Document represents the most accurate information available for NLPS courses.
Our office is aware of specific issues with some new NLPS course codes (7000's) being unavailable through the Department of Education (DOE), particularly for users of the Skyward Student Management System. We are working with Skyward and DOE to correct these issues. The course codes are available and working properly in InTERS. The information submitted into InTERS is what is used to determine CTE funding. Our office will share information as soon as a solution is reached with the help of Skyward and DOE.
NLPS 2021-2022 Opt-Ins and 2022-2023 Launch: Thanks to feedback from schools and career centers in recent weeks, our team has been able to collect information about the number of schools that have opted in to offering NLPS courses for the 2021-2022 school year. At least one school or career center has opted into NLPS in 46 of the 52 pathways available for the 2021-2022 school year and over 450 schools are opting into at least one NLPS course. Office of CTE staff will be continuing to collect feedback from these programs and schools as we prepare for statewide implementation of NLPS next year.
The full slate of NLPS courses available in the 2022-2023 school year will be shared in October following the State Board of Education meeting. Schools can expect an updated Course Titles and Descriptions, additional trainings and webinars, an updated Career Guide, and additional resources to help prepare for implementing NLPS in the 2022-2023 school year.
Updated CTE Career Guide: An updated version of the Indiana CTE Career Guide will be released in October. Our team received a lot of positive feedback last year on the guide and are excited to make an updated version available again this year. The guide will largely remain the same, but contain a few important updates regarding Next Level Programs of Study and other topics. Individuals will continue to be able to access the guide in an online format for free and print copies will be available for order. Information regarding ordering hard copies of the updated Career Guide will be shared in the next update in early October.
CTE Concentrator Student Progress App
Office of CTE staff have received several questions recently stemming from errors on graduation reports. A reminder that the CTE Concentrator Student Progress App can be a helpful tool to utilize for these questions and others. This app allows users to find information on a student’s progress within a CTE Pathway. You can also determine whether a student has reached CTE concentrator status for the purposes of Graduation Pathways. If a student has not yet reached concentrator status, users can view a student’s completed or currently enrolled courses and the remaining courses necessary to become a CTE concentrator. The app may also be used without individual student information to browse available pathways and the courses contained within each pathway. Information is available for Perkins IV, Perkins V, and Next Level Programs of Study pathways.
A counselor or other school official will need a student’s last name and student testing number (STN) to utilize the app. Any questions related to the new app can be directed to Jedd Vance (JeVance@gov.IN.gov) or Chris Deaton (ChDeaton@gov.IN.gov).
K-12 SEALs Transition to CTE
A transition of the Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeships from the Department of Workforce Development to the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet has been in the works for the last several months and is expected to be finalized soon. One of the main initiatives of OWBLA has been the development of State Earn and Learn (SEAL) programs. SEALs are a form of work-based learning that can utilize registered or non-registered apprenticeships. Since its inception, OWBLA has worked with 55 high schools and career centers over the last few years to develop nearly 100 SEALS in the K-12 or youth space and around 30 in the adult space.
As the office transitions, K-12 SEALs and WBL will now be overseen by the OCTE to allow OWBLA more time to focus on adult SEALs and registered apprenticeships. The transition provides an opportunity to better and more directly integrate K-12 SEALs and other pre-apprenticeship programs within ongoing efforts to improve Indiana’s CTE system. Integrating pre-apprenticeship programs into NLPS will help to decrease duplication of effort, increase employer engagement, and help improve the quality of outcomes available to students.
The GWC Policy Committee (a committee made up of several members of the GWC) is currently in the process of evaluating existing pre-apprenticeship programs (SEAL’s, Modern Apprenticeships, etc.) to develop a framework of standards that programs must meet. During this period of transition, the OCTE is going to pause on certifying any new SEALs. OCTE staff will place a priority on working with pending SEALs to minimize any impact this pause may have.
Any questions about existing or pending K-12 SEALs may be directed to Tony Harl. Schools may receive an email from the OWBLA Regional Director that was serving as your point of contact for a SEAL as a reminder and to help facilitate the handoff of K-12 SEALs between OWBLA and the OCTE.
Employer Connector Tool Student Release Forms
The Governor’s Workforce Cabinet recently launched a new tool that allows employers to more easily connect with CTE students who are looking for employment opportunities. The new tool allows employers to connect with students by requesting their contact information through an online form that is received by Office of CTE staff. Employers can request information for students who have obtained CTE concentrator status and the tool allows them to focus on any particular program that is of interest to the employer. Comments or questions regarding the tool can be directed to SRourke@gov.IN.gov.
Office of CTE staff have begun fielding requests from employers utilizing the tool. As a reminder, students can only be connected with employers if they have completed a CTE Student Release Form. The form can be found at the following links: English version, Spanish version. While the form is entirely optional for students to complete, schools are required to make the form available and encouraged to explain the benefits available through the new tool. Students should be assured that their information will only be shared with legitimate Indiana employers who are seeking to provide information about available career opportunities.