1. Rethinking Career Education in Nebraska
- Author
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Wise, Rachel, Blomstedt, Matt, and Foor, Ryan
- Abstract
When the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) began rethinking Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Nebraska in the early 2000s, it first developed the Nebraska Career Education Model to provide a framework for career awareness and for structuring CTE courses and programs. The model defined six major career fields: agriculture, food, and natural resources; business, marketing, and management; communication and information systems; health sciences; human sciences and education; and skilled and technical sciences. These career fields are further broken down by career clusters, which map out the courses a student needs in order to pursue a career. In a second phase, NDE developed Nebraska Career Connections, a free online career planning and information tool for students and teachers to learn about career fields and pathways. It also links to the Nebraska Department of Labor's workforce trends and information. Adult learners looking for a new career or pursuing postsecondary education also use Career Connections. To implement the Career Education Model, NDE developed a process it called reVISION, in which schools and local communities analyze current career education programs, research school and community needs, and make the adjustments needed to prepare students for postsecondary education and careers. The Nebraska State Board of Education began conversations on Perkins V in spring 2019, anticipating the approval of a state plan in the spring of 2020. NDE and the state board must develop and submit a Perkins V state plan that outlines how the state will comply with the provisions of the federal law, passed in 2018. The state board sees this process as an opportunity and responsibility to build a vision and policy framework around CTE. Although NDE used their regulatory authority in the past to address pieces of the CTE puzzle, now is the time to step back and ensure that the state's policies and regulations build a cohesive system of career education from elementary through high school. A good state plan will point Nebraska toward effective use of regulatory authority that will align policy with practice and fill gaps at the policy and practitioner level. Over the next year, Nebraska will be building on the strong foundation of the reVISION effort to address current gaps in the CTE system. The primary challenge will be linking the Perkins V state plan with work to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
- Published
- 2019