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Improving The Image of Career & Technical

Education

G. James Pinchak, Ph.D.

Ohio ACTE Conference

July 30, 2014

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Today’s Message

Congratulations!

1. You are part of something great!

2. You are part of something needed.

4. You must market your program to students and families to survive.

5. You can not do this alone, you must network with others.

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The Good News!

The needs of our students, the concepts we teach, the instructional strategies we apply and services

we provide have never been more widely accepted.

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The Bad News:

Confusion about who we are, what we do and why we do it also has never been greater.

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In the past two years I have visited sixteen countries and everyone I met wants the same things.

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1. Economic security and opportunities for themselves and their families

2. A home, a car and a better life for their children

3 . A happy life doing the things that they enjoy.

And they understand that a quality education is essential to achieving these goals.

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What they don’t want in their children’s education:

1. The stigma of a “special student”

2. An educational program that prevents their children from going to college

3. An educational program that leads to a dead end career in a low paying job

4. A program that limits the child’s contact with other students.

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They understand that each year society provides fewer and fewer

good paying jobs for students who do not have a rigorous education

and technical skills for the workplace.

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They do want an education that inspires students to learn, grow and be better than they are!

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In China teachers call parents and complain when students do not learn…………….

In the US parents call teachers and complain when students do not learn!

Changes in the US:

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You must communicate regularly with students and their families

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The Elective Dilemna

Except in a few rare situations, Career & Technical Education Courses are Elective Courses.

No one is mandated to take them!

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The Elective DilemmaNo school is required to offer any specific CTE course!

We are in a free market economy and you must market your program or you will not have a job!

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The Best Electives1. Help build the students GPA

2. Are challenging but fun

3. Don’t require a great deal of homework

4. Offer college credit

5. Have attractive facilities and classrooms

6. Offer credentials and build resumes

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Not Just College and Careers

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We Must Dig Deeper

And Make Stronger Connections!

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Occupations and Majors Matter!

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Evolving Concepts:

1990’s

School-To-Work Transitions

2000’s

Preparation for Careers and College

2010’s

Preparation for Occupations and Majors

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To select the best CTE electives, students have to leave some of their friends behind.

Snoop Dogg says,“If you ain’t losing friends, you ain’t growing up.”

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Growing Awareness of Wellness

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Ohio State University Student Wellness Center 2014

Nine Dimensions of Wellness

Emotional WellnessThe emotionally well person can identify, express, and manage the entire range of feelings and would consider seeking assistance to address areas of concern.

Career WellnessThe professionally well person engages in work to gain personal satisfaction and enrichment, consistent with values, goals, and lifestyle.

Social WellnessThe socially well person has a network of support based on interdependence, mutual trust, respect and has developed a sensitivity and awareness towards the feelings of others.

Spiritual WellnessThe spiritually well person seeks harmony and balance by openly exploring the depth of human purpose, meaning, and connection through dialogue and self-reflection.

Physical WellnessThe physically well person gets an adequate amount of sleep, eats a balanced and nutritious diet, engages in exercise for 150 minutes per week, attends regular medical check-ups, and practices safe and healthy sexual relations.

Financial WellnessThe financially well person is fully aware of financial state and budgets, saves, and manages finances in order to achieve realistic goals.

Intellectual WellnessThe intellectually well person values lifelong learning and seeks to foster critical thinking, develop moral reasoning, expand worldviews, and engage in education for the pursuit of knowledge.

Creative WellnessThe creatively well person values and actively participates in a diverse range of arts and cultural experiences as a means to understand and appreciate the surrounding world.

Environmental WellnessThe environmentally well person recognizes the responsibility to preserve, protect, and improve the environment and appreciates the interconnectedness of nature and the individual.

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The CTE Curriculum Needs to Address Wellness

“Those who do climb the ladder, against the odds, often pay a little-known price: Success at school and in the workplace can exact a toll on the body that may have long-term repercussions for health.”

(Miller, Chen & Brody)

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New National Awareness of the Need for All Types of Wellness and Avoidance of Risky Behaviors

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Like it or not CTE is still the best hope graduation for students in the bottom

half of the bell curve.

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New National Report Released April 2014

Houston We Still Have a Problem!

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“For the first time in U.S. history the nation’s high school

graduation rate rose above 80 percent”

2014 Building a GradNation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout

Epidemic report released April 28 by Civic Enterprises

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Ohio Graduation Rates 2012:

White 86%

Hispanic 68%

Black 61%

Econ. Disad. 68%

SWD 61%

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½ slide picture

Ohio Graduation Rates 2012

Overall 81%Low Income 68%

Non-Low Income 89%

Percentage of Low Income Students

37%

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High School Graduation Rates

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Resilient Children

 

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Educational reform moves like a “Slinky Dog Toy”

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After years of educational reform addressing the needs

of the top half, attention is returning the students at the

bottom.

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The front moves immediately than the middle sags.

Finally energy and attention in focused on the back half.

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We must offer students in school opportunities for success in life upward mobility

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… And avoid the costs of Social Isolation

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Goodhart’s Law:

When a measure becomes a goal, it ceases to be a good

measure.

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Stand up if you tutored a student to pass

the OGT

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Stand up if you intervened with a student

who wanted to commit suicide?

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Stand up if you intervened to help

students select a career path where they

are successful?

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Stand up if you had a student come and

thank you for changing his/ her life?

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Be Positive, Be Positive, Be Positive

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CTE Changes Lives!

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What Are You Waiting For?

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Warning Danger Will Robinson!

We are not our students friends and we not their

parents!

“Conduct Unbecoming the Profession” Is Always a Danger!

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G. James Pinchak, Ph.D. LPC Senior Lecturer

Workforce Development & Education

College of Education & Human Ecology

The Ohio State University

Room A466, PAES Building305 West 17th Ave.

Columbus, OH 43210-1224Mobile: 614.270.2547

Email: Pinchak.1@osu.edu