Issue Briefs & Papers

Recent Publications

How States are Making Career Readiness Count: A 2016 Update (May 2016)
In May 2014, Achieve and Advance CTE (as NASDCTEc) released Making Career Readiness Count, the first analysis of the use of career-focused indicators in states’ reporting and accountability systems. This report takes a look at the progress made since 2014 and provides state-by-state information on how and which career-ready indicators states are including in their reporting and accountability systems, and highlights promising practices in several states at the forefront of this work. It also raises some important areas for consideration as states begin or refine their focus on career readiness.

Removing Legal Barriers Around Work-based Learning (April 2016)
In our continuing series, “Connecting the Classroom to Careers,” we look at an issue that is often a stumbling block for K-12 work-based learning – ensuring these experiences are safe and legal for students. In this brief, we feature New Jersey, Kentucky and California and their approaches to dismantling work-based learning’s legal barriers

State Policies Impacting CTE: 2015 Year in Review (January 2016)
This report, co-authored by the Association for Career and Technical Education, takes a state-by-state look at CTE-related policies passed in 2015, while drawing out major themes and trends from the year. View the webinar discussing report highlights here, and members can download the 2015 state policy tracker here.

Preparing a Globally Competent Workforce Through High-Quality Career and Technical Education (January 2016)
This report, co-authored by Advance CTE, Asia Society, Longview Foundation and ACTE discusses the importance of including global skills and perspectives into high-quality Career Technical Education.

Setting a Statewide Vision for Work-based Learning (October 2015)
This resource is the first in Advance CTE's Connecting the Classroom to Careers series, which takes a closer look at the state's role in expanding high-quality worked-based learning opportunities for all students, with a particular focus on untangling the major barriers at the K-12 level. Take a closer look at Tennessee's statewide vision and strategy for strengthening work-based learning.

Building a Strong Relationship Between Competency-Based Pathways and Career Technical Education (August 2015)
This report lays out the leverage points between Career Technical Education (CTE) and Competency-Based Pathways (CBP) and provides guiding questions to help state and local leaders consider how CTE is, can and should be a part of their CBP strategies.

Endorsements, Electives & More: CTE & State Graduation Requirements (April 2015)
This brief explores common approaches to offering or requiring CTE courses and assessments within a statewide set of graduation requirements, offers illustrative examples of state-level policies and elevates implementation issues for consideration

State Policies Impacting CTE: 2014 Year in Review (February 2015)

Jointly authored by Advance CTE and the Association for Career Technical Education, this report provides a state-by-state review of policy changes impacting CTE during 2014 across the country. In total, all but four states made legislative or regulatory changes relevant to CTE in 2014 on topics ranging from funding to credit transfer policies. You can find our 2013 State Policy Review here . Advance CTE members can download the 2014 state policy tracker here.

Assessing the Education and Employment Outcomes of Career and Technical Education Students (July 2014)

Jointly authored by Advance CTE's Kimberly Green, RTI International's Steve Klein and Jay Pfeiffer, this white paper lays out specific recommendations for how the U.S. Department of Education and future legislation from Congress can provide additional guidance to help Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act grantees generate more valid, reliable and comparable state data.

The Common Career Technical Core, Programs of Study & Industry-Based Standards (July 2014)
This paper analyzes 18 sets of industry-based standards to determine how well they match up to the Common Career Technical Core, aiming to provide actionable information to state and local CTE leaders as they think through how they use industry-based standards within the context of a comprehensive program of study.

Making Career Readiness Count (May 2014)
There is growing consensus in states across the nation that the goal of the K–12 education system is to prepare all students to graduate from high school ready for college and careers. Yet, in all but a handful of states, the priority goals set to drive student performance toward and beyond college and career readiness sputter out after the word “college.” Given the rapidly evolving needs of the American workforce, this paper proposes an expanded framework for college- and career-ready indicators that better incorporates indicators focused on career preparation.

State Policies Impacting CTE: 2013 Year in Review (March 2014)
This paper, the result of a collaboration between Advance CTE and ACTE, provides both an overview and a state-by-state review of policy changes occurring in 2013 across the country that have impacted CTE. In total, all but three states made legislative or regulatory changes relevant to CTE in 2013. It is our hope that by sharing information about the multitude of activities happening in CTE across the country, we can connect similar work occurring in different places and help our members better influence the adoption of positive CTE policies in all states.

Reflect, Transform, Lead: A New Vision for Career Technical Education

This five-part series taking a look at how far we've come since the release of Reflect, Transform, Lead:

CTE Trends

This series analyzes state CTE data and initiatives, with a focus on governance, CTE teacher shortages, funding, and Career Clusters. The series draws its findings from 2010 and 2012 surveys of State CTE Directors and compares responses to similar surveys conducted in 2003, 2005 and 2008.