Part 1: Key Facts
Student & Teacher Information
According to 2004-2005 data from the U.S. Department of Education (the latest numbers publicly available), the total number of CTE students in Ohio was 469,698. This includes the following:
- Secondary: 141,767
- Postsecondary: 199,172
- Adult: 128,759
CTE enrollment in Ohio at the secondary and postsecondary level has been increasing, while adult enrollment is trending down. At the secondary level, growth is especially being seen at the ninth- and tenth-grade levels.
For the 2006-2007 school year, there were 5,634 CTE teachers (including full and part time) at the elementary through secondary levels, for a total full-time equivalent of 5573.7.
Delivery System/School Information
Ohio has a total of 850 high schools, 94 junior high schools, 560 middle schools, 23 public community and technical colleges, and 13 public universities and colleges.
Each of the over 600 individual secondary school districts must belong to one of 91 Career-Technical Planning Districts (CTPDs) that provide for the delivery of career-technical education for Ohio's secondary and adult students. These CTPDs serve to ensure that students are offered a wide variety of program options, act as a fiscal agent for federal funding, and report data on student achievement. The CTPDs are comprised of 49 Joint Vocational School Districts (JVSDs) and 42 Comprehensive/Compact School Districts.
JVSDs are groups of predominately smaller school districts that have joined together under a formal agreement to offer CTE programs and meet state and federal requirements. In most cases, the JVSDs offer programs at a central location in a specially designed CTE center, but they may offer satellite programs at member high schools. Individual middle and high schools also offer introductory or less specialized CTE programs in a variety of areas. The 43 Comprehensive/Compact School Districts are individual school districts that are large enough to meet state and federal program requirements on their own.
At the postsecondary level, JVSDs offer courses and certificate programs up to, but not including an associate degree. This includes both one-year and two-year certificate programs. The community and technical colleges in Ohio may offer similar certificate programs in addition to associate degree-granting programs. Adult Basic and Literacy Education agencies, veterans training sites, and youth and adult correctional institutions also provide forms of CTE.
Funding/Financing for CTE
Federal: Ohio is estimated to receive $45,707,822 from the Perkins Basic State Grant and 4,449,520 from Tech Prep in FY 2007.
State: Ohio provides a base of $5,565 (for FY 2008) in foundation basic aid for each secondary CTE student FTE. Additional weighted funding for its CTE students is provided based on program of enrollment. These funds must be spent only on CTE programs and services, and school districts must provide enrollment, performance and fiscal data to the state Department of Education in return for the additional funding. No more than 25 percent of the funds may be used for personnel expenditures, while the remaining 75 percent must be used for curriculum development, purchase and implementation; instructional resources and supplies; industry-based program certification; student assessment, credentialing and placement; curriculum-specific equipment purchases and leases; CTSO fees and expenses; home and agency linkages; work-based learning experiences; professional development; and other costs directly associated with CTE programs. CTPDs also receive weighted Associated Services Funding to be used for apprenticeship coordination, CTE program development, career assessment/evaluation, career development, school improvement, and postsecondary articulation or placement coordination.
Part 2: State Administration
Key State CTE Contacts
David Burns
Executive Director of Secondary Education and Workforce Development
Ohio Department of Education
25 South Front Street, Mail Stop 602
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614-466-3904
Kathy Shibley
State Director, Career-Technical and Adult Education
Ohio Department of Education
25 South Front Street, Mail Stop 602
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614-466-3430
Fax: 614-644-5702
State Agencies
The Office of Career-Technical and Adult Education, within the Ohio Department of Education, is responsible for CTE at the secondary and adult workforce levels. This office falls under the umbrella of “Secondary Education and Workforce Development.” An organizational chart is available on the Ohio Department of Education Web site.
The Ohio Board of Regents is responsible for CTE at the postsecondary level. The Board is comprised of nine regular members and two ex-officio representatives from the state Legislature, and serves to advise the Chancellor of the higher education system, who is appointed by the Governor. Staff review two-year campus proposals to offer new associate degree programs, technical majors and one-year technical certificate programs, and makes recommendations of new associate degree programs to the Regents for their approval.
Effective in January 2009, the adult basic education and adult workforce development components of the CTE system will be moved to the control of the Ohio Board of Regents. The new system will be known as the “University System of Ohio.” This move will increase the visibility of the workforce development system and allow for a stronger continuum from secondary to workforce development and postsecondary education. It will begin to shape workforce development programs as more sub-baccalaureate in nature with clear articulation for certificate programs.
State Standards for CTE
The Ohio Office of Career-Technical and Adult Education is currently involved in a process of developing and revising technical content standards in each of its 16 career fields. These standards outline what students should know and be able to do in each broad field. The standards include core competencies that span the entire field, including technical skills, business processes, problem solving and critical thinking, leadership and teamwork; and pathway and specialization competencies related to specific occupational knowledge and skills. Related academic content standards are embedded as well. A timeline for the development of standards is available on the Department’s Web site, with all standard revisions to be complete by summer 2008.
The standards have been validated by business and industry representatives working in partnership with both secondary and postsecondary educators. They will form the basis of all secondary and postsecondary CTE in Ohio, and the foundation for the development of comprehensive career pathways connecting education and the workplace.
Program Approval/Quality Control
At the postsecondary level, the Ohio Board of Regents must approve CTE programs that lead to certificates and associate degrees. These programs are approved based on procedures outlined in the Ohio Board of Regents Operating Manual for Two-Year Campus Programs. Components reviewed include the need for the program, whether it duplicates other offerings, costs involved, benefits for students, and potential enrollment.
At the secondary and adult levels, requirements for the approval and funding of programs are outlined in rule 3301-61-03 of the Ohio Administrative Code. New CTE programs must be approved by the Ohio Department of Education using the CTE-26 Application for Approval of Secondary Career-Technical Programs. Programs in each school district must specify the sequence for grades nine through twelve, include work-based learning experiences, identify postsecondary and employment options, meet size and scope requirements of twelve programs in at least eight of the career fields, and meet the guidelines below. Other guidelines include (excerpted from Ohio Administrative Code):
- Workforce development advisory committees reflecting career fields and authorized by boards of education at the local level will engage business/industry and postsecondary representatives and utilize input from professional associations, labor, government, and the community. Advisory committees will identify new and emerging careers; advise current programs on curriculum, assessment, work-based learning, facilities and equipment; and engage educators to improve and expand programs.
- Courses of study must be current and based on business-validated technical content standards; accrediting association and/or licensing agency standards when applicable; and academic content standards.
- Facilities and equipment must support instruction of the technical and academic content standards and reflect current and emerging technology in the career field.
- A performance system must report student academic proficiency, technical proficiency, high school graduation and post-program placement.
The Department of Education has plans to develop additional secondary CTE Quality Program Standards in 2008. These standards, which all state-approved programs will eventually have to meet, will include factors such as 1) inquiry-based curricular and instructional strategies; 2) use of state-of-the-art industry and educational technology; 3) work-based learning opportunities; and 4) alignment with economic/workforce development needs.
Part 3: CTE Initiatives & Related Policies
State Education & Workforce Agenda
The Ohio CTE system is collaborating with other secondary and postsecondary education entities to work toward the achievement of three goals: 1) 100 percent high school graduation; 2) students prepared through rigorous curriculum for postsecondary study and careers; and 3) accountability tied to performance and connected to funding.
The visibility and credibility of CTE is growing significantly among the political constituency in Ohio. A new organizational approach in the Department of Education puts CTE at the political table as leaders work with economic development entities and the governors’ office. Senior leadership meetings of the Superintendent of Education now include a representative of CTE interests.
High School Redesign
Beginning with the graduating class of 2007, all Ohio students must pass the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) to receive a high school diploma. The OGT is comprised of five subject-area exams given for the first time at the end of a students tenth-grade year, covering the subjects of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.
In 2006, the Ohio Legislature passed new legislation requiring a more rigorous “academic core.” As such, Ohio will have a set of graduation requirements patterned after the Indiana “Core 40” beginning with the high school class of 2014. These requirements will include four years of math, including Algebra II or its equivalent; three years of science with inquiry-based laboratory experience, including physical science, biology, and advanced study in one or more of the following sciences: chemistry, physics or other physical science; advanced biology or other life science; astronomy, physical geology or other earth or space science; four years of English; three years of social studies, including American History and American Government; one half unit of health; one half unit or two semesters of physical education; and a combination of five units to be chosen from among foreign language, fine arts, business, technology and CTE.
Under the new policy, students can also receive a Career-Technical Diploma with honors, which requires completing the core, plus additional requirements such as completing four units of a CTE program that leads to an industry-recognized credential, apprenticeship or is part of an articulated career pathway which can lead to postsecondary credit; achieving a 3.5 GPA; earning a 27 on the ACT or 1210 on the SAT; and achieving the proficiency benchmark on the appropriate state-approved technical assessment. CTE students may also receive an Award of Merit for outstanding achievements.
Ohio is pursuing CTE improvement and high school reform together, not as two separate activities. There has been a concerted effort to put CTE at the center of high school transformation as Department of Education leaders have recognized that much that is needed in high school transformation is found in the key practices of CTE.
The Ohio Department of Education is moving away from a traditional program-by-program response to high school reform to an approach of getting the whole high school enterprise to focus on the needs of students to transform high schools. Leaders are looking at the educational pipeline and focusing on three critical transition points: the transition from 8th to 9th grade; the transition at the end of 10th grade when students begin to take concentrations of CTE, AP and International Baccalaureate courses; and the transition from high school to postsecondary education. At each transition point, high school leaders are asking, “What goods, services, and tools can be deployed to help students get through the pipeline successfully?” In this context, CTE is seen as a resource to help students make successful transitions.
The Ohio Department of Education is also working to push CTE programs and pathways earlier into the school experience (such as through High Schools That Work and Project Lead the Way), to reach students earlier in the pipeline before these transitions must occur.
Career Academies
Career academies are being planned and implemented in comprehensive high schools and career centers throughout Ohio, in both urban and suburban areas. Ohio career academies serve 100-300 students in a single career field. They often build on the efforts of Tech Prep and High Schools that Work. As of November 2007, there are 36 academies throughout Ohio.
Role of Career Clusters
In 2004, Ohio adopted 16 “career fields” modeled after the States’ Career Clusters Initiative and aligned with national efforts to broaden CTE. These career fields include:
- Agricultural and Environmental Systems
- Arts and Communication
- Business and Administrative Services
- Construction Technologies
- Education and Training
- Engineering and Science Technologies
- Finance
- Government and Public Administration
- Health Science
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Human Services
- Information Technology
- Law and Public Safety
- Manufacturing Technologies
- Marketing
- Transportation Systems
Ohio is using the career fields as the basis for developing both broad and specialized technical content standards. The career fields and these standards serve as the basis for curriculum, instruction, assessment and program design at the local level. Programs designed around career fields address the needs of an entire industry/business sector.
Each career field is comprised of various career pathways (series of academic and technical coursework and other educational learning experiences leading to a career specialty and employment in a career field). Pathways help to facilitate seamless high school-to-postsecondary and postsecondary-to-workplace transitions.
Academic & CTE Integration
The Ohio Resource Center has developed the “Standards First” project to assist academic and CTE teachers in making connections between subjects to integrate academic and technical content. Through the project, more than 340 web-based resources have been developed or identified and organized. These resources, including professional reading and sample lesson plans, show how academic content can be taught in the context of careers. The database is searchable by career area or academic subject, and samples include clearly identified academic standards. In addition, the Ohio Instructional Management System provides a number of lesson plans in technology that can be used by academic teachers to integrate contextual content, and Inquiry-based Instructional Units are available in many career areas from the Ohio Resource Center. They encourage students to ask questions, learn concepts, and explore possible solutions within a real-world, project-based context.
The state is currently developing technical content standards that will include embedded academic standards, and this process is complete in some subject areas. Focus is especially being placed on this effort in early grades and at critical transition points, with resources being developed to show school districts and teachers what must be done. Ohio is also looking at more professional development opportunities at both the secondary and postsecondary levels to prepare teachers to integrate academic and CTE content; utilizing more team teaching approaches between academic and CTE teachers; and cross-licensing of CTE teachers to enhance academic integration.
Secondary/Postsecondary Linkages
During FY 2008, Ohio plans to develop state model programs of study to meet requirements of the new Perkins law. During this process, recommended criteria and processes for the development of local programs of study will also be designed.
Ohio is also in the middle of an initiative to more closely align high school and adult workforce CTE programs to Ohio public, two-year and four-year colleges, as required by H.B. 66 passed in January 2007. The initiative, led by the Board of Regents in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Education, is known as the “Career-Technical Credit Transfer (CT2).” The effort will lead to policies and procedures that ensure students at adult CTE institutions or secondary CTE institutions can transfer technical courses that adhere to recognized industry standards to any state institution of higher education "without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers." Instructors in specific career areas are working to develop agreed upon learning outcomes and associated credit recommendations. In related efforts, a system of “stackable certificates” is being developed to align industry training and pre-college coursework with for-credit offerings through a system of standardized certificates.
College Tech Prep is implemented through 23 consortia lead by community and technical colleges and including employers, universities and secondary schools. The program is jointly managed by the Ohio Board of Regents and the Office of Career-Technical and Adult Education. Through the development of the new state plan required by the Perkins Act of 2006, Ohio is renewing its commitment to Tech Prep and is instituting a new “Tech Prep Guarantee.” All secondary CTE programs will eventually become “Tech Prep” programs and all students will be enrolled in an advanced curriculum.
Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, all new programs must meet Tech Prep requirements, and over the five years of the Perkins plan, all other programs must transition to Tech Prep. Tech Prep programs will continue to have open admission to all students, but will require high expectations for students’ academic and technical achievement. Students will have to meet certain standards to receive the “Tech Prep” designation. Tech Prep consortia will be responsible for the number of students that achieve this designation and are able to complete programs and degrees. While numbers may be low at first, Ohio will use a growth model to measure progress.
Career Guidance & Advisement
Ohio provides the Individual Academic and Career Plan (IACP) as a self-directed, online planning tool to help students with academic and career decision-making. It is designed for middle, high school and college students. The IACP is embedded in the online student portfolio within the Ohio Career Information System (OCIS). The IACP is designed to facilitate guidance from parents/guardians and educators as students articulate aspirations, explore careers, set goals, plan coursework, identify internships and scholarships, and record grades and test scores. It includes such elements as the student’s selected career field and pathway, a list of courses and grades earned, test results, and plans for future academic and work-based experiences.
There are nearly 1,200 Ohio Career Information System (OCIS) site license holders throughout the state, and over 70 percent of these sites have opted to include the new online student portfolio. For those schools without a site license, a version of the IACP is available on the Ohio Career Development Web site.
Technical Assessments
Ohio Career-Technical Competency Assessments are end-of program and modular exams available to students in select CTE programs. Tests may be taken online or in paper and pencil format, and are aligned to state technical content standards.
Current Ohio plans call for an accountability system that includes technical attainment based on an assessment that focuses on foundational knowledge and skills that are broader in nature than an occupational credential and credential attainment based on industry assessments of specialized technical skill.
Business & Industry Involvement
The State requires program advisory committees including business and industry representatives for all local workforce development programs and recommends these committees for Career-Based Intervention programs and Work and Family Studies programs. The advisory committee is required to meet at least once annually and is encouraged to be involved in all aspects of program improvement and student learning.
At the state level, planning is underway for a 2008 education and economic development summit in conjunction with business representatives, state agencies, and community partners. The summit will focus on how education can connect statewide to workforce and economic development efforts, and will cover such topics as innovation and entrepreneurship. Ohio has also partnered with business entities such as the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation and Rockwell Automation to expand its Project Lead the Way programs.
Educator Development
The Ohio State University and the Ohio Department of Education, Office of Career-Technical and Adult Education, collaboratively sponsor a leadership academy to “develop a pool of visionary leaders who have the knowledge and skills necessary to lead change and improve the quality of career technical and adult education programs.” The year-long program, known as the CTAE Leadership Ohio Academy, includes face-to-face and online professional development, activities and networking related to personal leadership development, collaboration and accountability, legislation, policy, instruction and advocacy.
In order to increase the pipeline of educators entering CTE, the Ohio Department of Education has provided an annual funding allotment to university CTE teacher preparation programs. There is still a concern however, that these programs are not outputting enough teachers to replenish the system when CTE teachers start to take advantage of eligible retirements in larger numbers. Ohio is reviewing teacher preparation programs and asking “what do you need at the college level to produce an excellent CTE teacher?” as well as looking for new and innovative ways to prepare teachers.
Part 4: Results
The Ohio 2005-2006 High School Career-Technical Performance Profile showed that 93.4 percent of CTE students in the final course of their program had passed the Ohio Ninth-Grade Proficiency Test, and 97.6 percent obtained a high school diploma. Six to eight months after program completion, 52.4 percent were enrolled in some form of postsecondary education, and a total of 93.3 percent were enrolled in postsecondary, employed, or had joined the military. Enrollment and performance of students by career field area is also available.
CTE students are participating in rigorous academic courses during high school as well. According to the Ohio Career-Technical and Adult Education FY2006 Fact Sheet, “of the students enrolled in mathematics and/or science classes that receive career-technical weighted funding, 42 percent are enrolled in physics, chemistry or an advanced science, and 45 percent are taking Algebra II or advanced mathematics classes that support their career-technical learning.”
This state profile was developed by the Association of Career and Technical Education with the assistance of the Meeder Consulting Group, LLC. If you need further information or more specific details, please contact ACTE. Customized reports can be developed on specific topics or entities. Last Updated 12/10/07
