Career TEchnical AND Adult Education News

Gov. DeWine will provide his remarks and address career-technical educators at the 2019 Legislative Seminar on Jan. 23.

"I am so pleased that Gov. DeWine will take the time to meet with career-technical educators at the Legislative Seminar," said Christine Gardner, Ohio ACTE Executive Director.  "He has long been a supporter of CTE, and we appreciate that he will make our conference one of his first addresses at such a busy time - the very beginning of his term as Ohio Governor," Gardner added.

Click here for the complete Seminar agenda and to register.

Additionally, students will have an opportunity to learn about the building blocks of state government and watch the inauguration.  At noon on Jan. 14, Gov.-elect Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Gov.-elect Jon Husted will take the oath of office during a public ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. There are many learning opportunities connected to this event, and the Ohio Department of Education has resources for educators to jump-start classroom excitement.

Students in the classes of 2019 and 2020 now have additional options to satisfy state graduation requirements. Students who entered grade 9 after July 1, 2014, are the first to earn diplomas under the new graduation requirements.

Click here for related article.

The following Ohio CTE students have been selected as Ohio's five CTE Presidential Scholars Program semi-finalists by the Ohio Department of Education.  Click here to read their background and accomplishments.  The students will be recognized at the 2019 Legislative Seminar on Jan. 23 in Columbus. Each of the semi-finalists will be invited to apply to the National Presidential Scholars Program. This is the fourth year that career technical students will be represented among the US Presidential Scholars. Out of all the applicants nationwide, 20 CTE students will accepted and invited to Washington D.C. in June as national scholars.

• Kathryn Chludzinski - Columbiana County CTC/Precision Machining and Manufacturing
• Blake Christopher Kalina - Medina County CC/Public Safety                            
• Pauline (Ulamila) Hicks (Uluiviti) - Upper Valley CC/Medical Careers Academy
• Mumino Mahadi Pemba - South-Western CC/Multi-Skilled Heath
• Nul Dev Rai - College and Career Academies of Akron (Akron Public)-PLTW Biomedical Science

Congratulations to the semi-finalists, their instructors and their schools! Click here to read about each of the students and their accomplishments.

For more information about the Presidential Scholars Program, click here.

Regional meetings are being hosted by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Higher Education to provide an opportunity for input in the state planning process for Perkins V.  The meeting will include:

• A general overview of the Perkins V Transition Plan;
• The Perkins V 4-year State Plan development process; and
• Opportunities for stakeholder feedback on topics related to the state transition and 4-year plans.

All regional meetings will be held from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Meals are not provided, but there will be a break for lunch. Please plan accordingly.

On July 31, 2018, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, or Perkins V, was signed into law. This legislation:

• Requires extensive collaboration among State- and local-level secondary, postsecondary, and business and industry partners to develop and implement high-quality CTE programs and programs of study;
• Introduces a needs assessment to align CTE programs to locally identified in-demand, high-growth, and high-wage career fields;
• Strengthens the CTE teacher and faculty pipeline, especially in hard-to-fill program areas, including STEM;
• Promotes innovative practices to reshape where, how, and to whom CTE is delivered;
• Expands the reach and scope of career guidance and academic counseling; and
• Shifts responsibility to States to determine their performance measures, including new program quality measures, and related levels of performance to optimize outcomes for students.

This meeting is recommended for Superintendents, Career-Technical Education Directors, Treasurers and Postsecondary and Adult Perkins recipients. Subsequent meetings with broader stakeholders will be scheduled in the future.

To RSVP for one or more of these meetings, please click on the below link. Relevant materials will be sent in advance of the meeting.

• Northeast: Tuesday, January 22: RG Drage Career-Technical Center
• Southwest: Thursday, January 31: Sinclair Community College
• Northwest: Thursday, February 7: Owens Community College
• Central: Monday, February 11: Columbus City Schools Southland Facility
• Southeast: Thursday, February 14: Washington County Career Center

Please contact Samantha Fallucco with questions regarding registration.

Gov. Kasich signed HB 491 on Dec. 19 that extends the additional options in place for the class of 2018, to the class of 2019 with no changes.  It also extends the options one additional year to 2020, but with a few modifications, including:

• Students need a cumulative GPA of 2.5 for the final two years of high school (instead of just the last year)
• The “capstone project” option must comply  with ODE guidance and include a process for evaluation
• Students who utilize the work/community service hours option must comply with ODE guidance and verification requirements

Two career centers, Warren County Career Center and Laurel Oaks Career Campus (Great Oaks), were among Ohio schools receiving a Purple Star designation for their commitment to serving military-connected students and their families.   State Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria announced Dec. 7 that 57 Ohio schools received the designation; it is the first time career centers are among those recognized, according to ODE.

 “Purple Star schools provide our military children and families with the resources they need to be successful. We’re thankful for their service and honored to continue the important work of improving services for Ohio’s military families,” said Superintendent DeMaria.

The Purple Star designation for military-friendly schools recognizes schools that show a major commitment to serving students and families connected to our nation’s armed forces. The Purple Star Advisory Board, formed by the Ohio departments of Education, Higher Education, Veterans Services and Adjutant General, helps decide eligibility.

A Purple Star school will receive the designation for two years. After two years, the school must reapply. The Purple Star emblem was selected because purple symbolizes support for military families.

There are 34,000 children in Ohio with one or more parents serving in the military. This includes the children of active duty, reserve and Ohio National Guard members. Some of these children will attend six to nine different schools throughout their K-12 educational experiences. In addition to changing schools often, a student can be affected by a parent’s deployment. Schools can help students and families face these issues by connecting them with the resources they need.

The full list of schools receiving the designation and how to apply can be found by clicking here.

The Ohio Senate Education Committee convened Dec. 5 to consider a number of bills, including HB 491—which focuses primarily on licenses for pupil service personnel. Importantly, the committee accepted an amendment to HB 491 that addresses student graduation requirements for the class of 2019 & 2020.  The amendment extends the additional options in place for the class of 2018, to the class of 2019 with no changes.  The amendment also extends the added options one additional year to 2020, but with a few minor modifications. 

                Ohio ACTE has been advocating for an extension of the additional options and is pleased to see the Ohio General Assembly’s progress on the issue.  We will continue to monitor HB 491 as it moves through the legislature and is ultimately delivered to Governor Kasich for signature by the end of the year.

Read more - click here

- Will Vorys, Dickinson Wright, Ohio ACTE Legislative Counsel

Ohio ACTE has opportunities for students to receive scholarships and recognition. 

1. Scholarship for Future Education: Each year, Ohio ACTE awards up to two Darrell Parks Student Scholarships, which provide $1,000 toward the continuing education of career-technical graduates. Click here for more information. The deadline for submission is March 1, 2019.

2. Design the Annual Conference Program Cover:  Ohio ACTE is looking for CTE student designed submissions for the front cover of the 2019 Connections to Education Conference program. The program is distributed to all conference attendees, presenters and vendors, and the contest winner will receive recognition in the program and the Ohio ACTE website! Click here for more information. The deadline for submission is May 12, 2019.