The Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA) was an exciting and innovative change under the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V). The CLNA was identified to support data-driven decision-making and more closely align planning, spending and accountability activities under Perkins V. After the…

Student career development is an important element of a high-quality career and technical education (CTE) program. Students enrolled in programs with high-quality career development activities are able to identify a personalized career plan related to their strengths, interests and abilities, and are informed about post high school education and…

Now that we have seen the end of 2020 temporary emergency actions, states have returned to passing legislation that affect Career Technical Education (CTE) and career readiness at pre-pandemic numbers with a new emphasis on systemic solutions that deliver equitable access for each learner to participate in opportunities that lead to career…

The year 2020 saw significant state legislative actions, executive orders, and budget provisions that had a profound impact on funding related to Career and Technical Education (CTE) and career readiness. This report from the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and Advance CTE is the eighth annual review of CTE and career…

In recent years, there have been large investments in technology to transform learning; a multitude of tools exist today for students, parents and teachers to choose from. New technologies have been particularly useful in student career development as well (Escueta, Quan, Nickow, & Oreopoulos, 2017). These technologies have improved the…

The power of career and technical education (CTE) programs rests in the strength of the teachers and administrators working to provide quality CTE for students. While the scope and nature of teacher certification is fairly well documented, the scope and nature of requirements for those professionals in administrative roles in CTE is not. The goal…

Career and technical education (CTE) programs are increasingly engaging a broad range of stakeholders, including parents and community organizations, to improve CTE programs, better serve students and help communities in need. This resource will focus on ways that CTE educators can communicate with, collaborate with and support current and…

Comprehensive, high-quality career development includes work-based learning (WBL) experiences such as workplace tours, job shadowing, school-based enterprises, internships, and apprenticeships. In addition to the activities themselves, WBL is often best defined by a strong partnership between an education program, an employer, and a motivated…

Self and career awareness breeds purpose and meaning, enhancing the self-direction and hope of youth. Early career and skill development also enable more harmonious curricular, postsecondary and future career plans. Career and technical education (CTE) leaders have an important responsibility to inform and influence elementary school systems…

Twenty-six years ago, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) first introduced the term "social emotional learning" (CASEL, 2021). SEL is defined today as "the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage…

Collaboration is a bit amorphous, but research has highlighted important strategies and promising practices. Along with understanding the collaborative process, a deep understanding of school counseling and career and technical education (CTE) in each district is needed. For example, contemporary school counselors focus on the American School…

As the country continues to grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Career and Technical Education (CTE) stakeholders around the nation are thinking ahead to what education might look like in the future. Whether schools and postsecondary institutions will be able to open fully for the next school year using social distancing methods,…

On the federal and state levels, 2019 was an important year for Career Technical Education (CTE). In addition to creating their four-year state plans for the federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), at least 45 states and Palau enacted at least 208 policy actions related to CTE and career…

For nearly a century, career and technical education (CTE) programs across the United States have focused on equipping students with technical and life skills to help them become productive citizens. This brief report presents the benefits of CTE.

In the 2018 calendar year, 42 states and Washington, D.C., passed a total of 146 policy actions related to Career and Technical Education (CTE) and career readiness, including legislation, executive orders, board of education actions, budget provisions and ballot initiatives. While roughly 100 fewer policies were passed in 2018 than in 2017, this…