January 21, 2016 – Silver Spring, MD – Today, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc), released the third annual report, “State Policies Impacting CTE: 2015 Year in Review.” It is the only report of its kind that provides a comprehensive scan of all newly passed policies impacting Career Technical Education (CTE) across the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
By taking a state-by-state look at the more than 125 CTE-related laws, executive orders, board of education actions and budget provisions passed across the country during 2015, this report reveals the year’s major themes and trends in policymaking. Last year, there was a strong focus on leveraging CTE in meaningful ways to boost state economies and close the skills gap, including encouraging business and education partnerships and improving work-based learning opportunities for students. Additionally, there was a dramatic increase in policies supporting career and academic guidance and awareness, with twice as many states enacting policies compared to the previous year.
“High-quality CTE is a solution to the skills gap affecting many state economies, and I am thrilled to see additional emphasis placed on these programs through the policies detailed in this report,” said ACTE’s Executive Director, LeAnn Wilson. “This report will provide insight to all CTE stakeholders – from policymakers to business leaders seeking to be more engaged in CTE in their community. By examining this report’s findings, we can foster a stronger CTE enterprise for all.”
“We are excited to see the sustained interest and support for high-quality CTE across the states,” said NASDCTEc’s Executive Director, Kimberly Green. “This report underscores how critical CTE is to states’ efforts to expand educational opportunity that leads to successful careers. We encourage CTE leaders and policymakers to use this report as a resource and guide when crafting CTE policies and strategies in their own states.”
Contacts:
Katie Fitzgerald, NASDCTEc
kfitzgerald@careertech.org
301-588-9630
Sean Lynch, ACTE
Slynch@acteonline.org
703-683-9312
About ACTE
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, guidance counselors and others at all levels of education. ACTE is committed to excellence in providing advocacy, public awareness and access to resources, professional development and leadership opportunities.
About NASDCTEc
The National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) was established in 1920 to represent the state and territory heads of secondary, postsecondary and adult Career Technical Education (CTE) across the nation. NASDCTEc, through leadership, advocacy and partnerships, aims to support an innovative CTE system that prepares individuals to succeed in education and their careers, and poises the United States to flourish in a global, dynamic economy.
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