On November 13-14, 2024, Colorado held its inaugural Career Technical Education (CTE) Data Summit at the Douglas County School District Legacy Campus in Lone Tree.

This state-of-the-art facility—dedicated to connecting passions with pathways through robust CTE programs—set the stage for a groundbreaking event. Over 100 attendees from across the state convened to connect, collaborate, and share strategies for leveraging data to enhance CTE programs’ quality and access for all learners.

This CTE Data Summit was a powerful model for fostering cross-sector collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and strategic alignment in CTE. States should consider hosting their CTE Data Summits as a promising avenue to strengthen data literacy among stakeholders and drive more informed policy and program improvements.

Setting the Tone for Collaboration and Impact

The Summit began with a powerful opening by Dr. Sarah Heath, Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Affairs. Dr. Heath grounded attendees in the reality of modern education: a time of scarce resources and increasing demands for evidence of outcomes. She challenged participants to reflect critically on their existing data and use collective insights to strengthen opportunities for learners. Dr. Heath’s message emphasized unity, referring to the Colorado CTE community as a supportive family.

Highlighting the work of the H.B. 22-1215 task force, Dr. Heath celebrated CTE leaders as pivotal contributors. They were uniquely equipped to provide critical data for the task force’s mission of designing policies to expand secondary, postsecondary, and work-based learning integration. Her remarks underscored the value of the newly developed high-quality CTE metrics in demonstrating the tangible impact of CTE on learners.

The state’s commitment to accessibility was evident through financial support for attendees, including hotel accommodations and mileage reimbursements—a significant incentive for smaller districts.

A Summit with a Purpose

The Summit offered a robust agenda with resources, networking opportunities, and interactive sessions. Resource tables featured materials from Advance CTE and other partners, while QR codes provided access to additional tools. A disco theme added a touch of fun, complemented by door prizes that energized the participants. The state’s commitment to accessibility was evident through financial support for attendees, including hotel accommodations and mileage reimbursements—a significant incentive for smaller districts.

Colorado’s Commitment to Data-Driven Decisionmaking

Colorado has been a staunch user of Advance CTE’s tools and resources, such as the Opportunity Gap Analysis and the CTE Goal-Setting Tool, which supports setting goals for increased learner access to CTE.  The state is now advancing its data analysis to the next level. Advance CTE participated in the Summit to present to CTE leaders across the state and to learn from their experiences. This dialogue focused on how a customized CTE data analysis and goal-setting tool might further support their daily work in providing high-quality CTE opportunities for all learners.

In partnership with Advance CTE, Colorado is embarking on an exciting new project to develop a customized data tool that aligns with the state’s data reporting structures and enhances existing analysis efforts. This project will be completed in March 2025 and includes developing accompanying literature and training resources to ensure leaders can effectively leverage the new tool.

Key Themes and Takeaways

The event’s sessions delved into topics central to advancing CTE in Colorado:

• Leveraging Data for Improvement: Attendees explored strategies to ensure data systems capture meaningful insights on experiential opportunities and workforce readiness.
• Enhancing Postsecondary Connections: With secondary data collection well underway, the Summit highlighted the importance of adding postsecondary data points, particularly for work-based learning.
• Sustaining and Scaling High-Quality CTE: Presentations and discussions reflected a collective desire to align data initiatives with Colorado’s upcoming strategic plan, ensuring CTE’s impact continues to grow.

Looking Ahead

As Colorado plans to sustain this annual event, the Summit showcased the strength of its CTE community. By fostering connections across educational levels and partnerships—supported by the state’s Community College System—the event set the stage for continued progress.

The legacy of the first Colorado CTE Data Summit is clear: a commitment to building a data-driven, learner-centered future for CTE. Attendees left inspired and equipped to amplify the role of data in shaping high-quality career pathways across the state.

To learn more about ways Advance CTE can support your work, please reach out to Advance CTE’s Director of Technical Assistance, Brenna Bartlett, [email protected].