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 Utah was 217,039. This included the following:
- Secondary: 134,594
- Postsecondary: 54,248
- Adults: 28,237
Delivery System/School Information
Utah’s delivery system of career and technical education consists of forty school districts, and CTE is offered in all 109 high schools and 141 middle schools. There are nine postsecondary institutions in Utah that offer technical programs, including community colleges, technical colleges, skill centers, and other public and private two-year and four-year colleges.
The state is divided into eight planning regions, with each region given the charge to coordinate programs and avoid unnecessary duplication at all levels. To ensure this, CTE directors from the postsecondary institutions and districts in each region meet as a group regularly to review and coordinate all CTE programs seeking state or federal funds.
Funding/Financing for CTE
Federal: Utah is estimated to receive $12,656,383 from the Perkins Basic State Grant and $1,196,451 from Tech Prep.
State: In addition to federal CTE funding, state funding for CTE is based on the regular Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU), including incentives to provide career and technical education in all forty school districts. The standard WPU amount is $2,514, with CTE getting an additional $1,817.This additional CTE funding is matched by the school districts. The funding is used for salaries, equipment, teacher training, comprehensive counseling and guidance, work-based learning, CTE high school courses, skill certification and accountability reporting.
Part 2: State Administration
Key State CTE Contacts
Mary Shumway
State Director
Career Technical Education
Utah State Office of Education
Post Office Box 144200
Salt Lake City, UT 84114
Phone: 801-538-7852
Fax: 801-538-7868
State Agencies
The State Board of Education has been designated the eligible state agency to receive and allocate federal CTE funds. The State Office of Education Career and Technical Education (CTE) section is designated as the responsible agency for developing and implementing the State Perkins Plan. The CTE director is designated as the responsible person. A Perkins Coordinator and appropriate staff may be designated and funded from administrative funds provided by the Perkins law.
The Utah State Board of Regents, under the Utah Code, is vested with the control, management, and supervision of public institutions of higher education, including two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
State Standards for CTE
The Utah Department of Education has established state curriculum standards for each of the following CTE program areas: Agricultural Education; Business Education; Economics & Entrepreneurship; Family & Consumer Sciences Education; Health Science & Technology Education; Information Technology Education; Keyboarding Education; Marketing Education; Pre-Engineering & Technology Education; Trade & Technical Education; and CTE Introduction. The content standards are course specific, and focus on work readiness skills and occupationally specific skills.
Program Approval/Quality Control
CTE programs offered in Utah's public education system must meet state program standards and be approved by the Utah State Board of Education. State CTE program funds may be used only for approved CTE programs. Utah uses a four-phased approach to maintaining program and performance accountability:
- Annual Membership Reporting
- Annual Self Evaluation
- On-site Evaluation
- Student Performance on core indicators
Part 3: CTE Initiatives & Related Policies
State Education & Workforce Agenda
Utah utilizes the Workforce, Education and Economic Development Alliance (WEEDA) to promote the state education and workforce agenda. This alliance includes the following agencies: Department of Workforce Services, Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Utah State Office of Education, Utah Commissioners Office of Higher Education, Utah Office of Adult Education, Utah State Office of Rehabilitation. The purposes are to connect Utahans to educational and other workforce development activities, develop ongoing partnerships focused on targeted industries and occupations, support memorandum of understanding, provide economic development and workforce alignment and foster Workforce Innovation In Regional Economic Development and STEM initiatives.
High School Redesign
In August of 2006, the Utah State Board of Education increased academic requirements in math, language arts and science. The goal of the State Board is to increase the academic rigor of high school in order to prepare all students to meet their academic and career potential for life after high school. The new requirements recognize some CTE courses for math, language arts and science credit.
Career Academies
According to the Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program database, over the length of the program, 14 high schools in Utah have received 18 SLC grants. Grantees uses these funds to create career academies, school-within-a-school, advisory classes, academic teaming, freshman academies, academic communities, and ninth-grade transition services.
Several school districts provide programs through the National Academy Foundation. The academy models of smaller learning communities, community partnerships, and professional development are utilized. The following programs are provided in some Utah School Districts: Academy of Finance, Academy of Information Technology, and Academy of Travel and Tourism.
Role of Career Clusters
While Utah has not adopted the Career Clusters framework for its guidance and advisements, its CTE program offerings seem to be organized around a more traditional programmatic approach. According to information gathered by the Career Clusters initiative, Utah says it “is integrating the careers clusters approach within our comprehensive guidance model. We are organizing career fields around the Holland Codes for consistency with Utah’s counseling practices. The state has identified specific pathways in CTE areas that have matured as a result of Tech Prep indicatives and have linked them to various clusters. Health Science and Information Technology pathways have been implemented for a number of years. A framework has been developed at the state level and local consortia are developing training and marketing materials to help students and parents understand opportunities available in these pathways.” Already there are publications about the statewide Pathways initiative that are being adapted to reflect more specific regional efforts. The state has encouraged such efforts through posting electronic copies of publications (handouts, marketing brochures, presentations, etc.).
Academic & CTE Integration
In August of 2006, the Utah State Board of Education increased graduation requirements with a recognition that applied academics and academic integration are important for Utah High School students. These new requirements recognize and foster CTE courses as academic credit and the development of integrated courses that combine academic and CTE content and instruction. For example, Utah fully recognizes the following courses for state academic graduation credit: Applied Math, Principles of Technology, Biology Agriculture, Electronics, Business Math, Accounting, Computer Programming, Medical Anatomy and Physiology, Business Communication, Animal and Plant Science, Pre-Engineering, and Biotechnology.
Local districts have conducted on-going staff development activities with CTE teachers regarding integrating math, science and language arts into CTE curriculum. The activities have been sustained over several years and CTE teachers now have access to integrated curriculum tied to Utah’s core.
Secondary/Postsecondary Linkages
College CTE Credit for High School Students: Concurrent enrollment (dual enrollment) provides high school students with the opportunity to enroll in a college or university course for credit. These courses are generally taught by a high school instructor at the high school. Utah’s concurrent enrollment program began over 15 years ago. Annually there are approximately 57,000 credits generated through concurrent enrollment and half of these credits are in articulated CTE courses. School districts have developed articulation agreements with all postsecondary institutions to help students bridge the gap between secondary and postsecondary training.
In 2006, the state formed the “K-16 Alliance” which includes members of the Utah State Board of Education, Utah State Board of Regents, Legislators, Governor’s Office, and staff. The goals of the alliance are to: 1) assure high school students are prepared appropriately for college; 2) Assure teachers are prepared and supported to assist their K-12 students to meet state curriculum core standards through both pre-service and in-service models; 3) provide every parent, student, teacher, advisor, and counselor with the expectations for college entrance and success at every institution; and 4) create and enforce graduation standards that match entrance requirements for postsecondary institutions.
Programs of Study Implementation: The new Perkins law will support a major initiative in Utah to develop and implement Programs of Study or CTE Pathways. Students interested in CTE will be encouraged to concentrate in CTE Programs of Study. CTE Programs of Study are state-recognized coherent groupings of courses within CTE.
At the high school level, the State is developing 62 programs of study, each consisting of coherent groupings of courses preparing students for further education at the postsecondary level and entry into high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand occupations. These are being developed by state specialists in conjunction with teacher committees, with input from district CTE directors. Courses within the programs of study use state-approved curricula, follow state-approved standards, and are assessed using standard skill tests.
Each program of study will be an integral part of a CTE Pathway mapped from grades 7-12, and then on to postsecondary majors and technical programs, and high-wage, high-skill, high-demand occupations. Similar maps would be developed for each program of study at every high school where the program is offered. The Utah Department of Education envisions that these maps would include information on which courses are offered as concurrent credit, and how the programs are articulated or linked between the high school and the college. Pathway information will enable students to understand both secondary and postsecondary course requirements for the programs.
Students interested in CTE careers will be encouraged to focus in one of the 62 programs to prepare for high school graduation as well as advanced postsecondary training and employment in high-skill, high-wage, high-demand occupations.
Tech Prep/Consortia: According to the State Perkins Plan, under the new Perkins law, Utah will not fund Tech Prep separately. However, the state plans to use a variety of initiatives to facilitate and coordinate communication of best practices, including print materials, the CTE Web site, statewide trainings, and on-site visits.
Utah will fund a regional pathway initiative from Perkins Reserve and State Leadership funds. The recipients receiving these funds will assume responsibility for coordinating CTE Pathways implementation for a specified CTE planning region (including all secondary LEAs and postsecondary institutions within a geographical area).
Reserve funds will be used to support a Pathways Coordinator for each region to aid in implementation. They will work with CTE directors of eligible recipients in developing links, articulation agreements, and concurrent enrollment; and providing professional development and technical assistance to teachers, counselors, and administrators in the development and implementation of the CTE Pathways initiative.
The state has developed a template for each of the regions to use when they develop an articulation agreement. Each region is asked to keep the signed agreements on file for review. The high school-to-college-to-career pathway will be put on the state Web site for all to use.
A Regional Pathway Implementation Plan will be developed within each region describing how the region and eligible recipient within the region will be implementing CTE Pathways articulation agreements. The State Executive Committee will review the results at the end of each year.
Career Guidance & Advisement
One of Utah’s major foundations for preparing secondary students for high school graduation and beyond is the comprehensive counseling and guidance program. While this is primarily funded through State funds, the CTE Pathways initiative will also play a role. Comprehensive counseling and guidance includes a Career Information System and the student education occupation planning (SEOP) process, through which students learn about interests, careers and pathway options.
The most ambitious project underway will assure broad dissemination of information about the programs of study via the state’s Career Information Delivery System (CIDS). Work has already begun on the development of the CTE pathways database. This relational database will reflect the 62 statewide pathways, including the academic and CTE courses that have been defined to help students achieve high school graduation and transition to college and careers. Further, all of the regional postsecondary pathway maps (i.e., programs of study) will be effectively linked to facilitate an efficient search-and-sort process to deliver information specific to the user’s needs.
The Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) is a full partner in the WEEDA (Workforce, Education, and Economic Development Alliance). USHE will provide information and tools such as Utah Mentor, the Utah Majors Guide, and the Utah Transfer Guide to assist students transitioning to the workplace. Emphasis will be placed on providing seamless transition to and from the workplace, providing access to programs that will provide basic skills training and pathways to certificates and degrees.
Business & Industry Involvement
Utah has a work-based learning structure that provides opportunities for CTE students to participate in a variety of career exploration activities in high-skill, high-wage or high-demand occupations. Businesses and government agencies will partner with schools and higher education institutions to provide appropriate learning experience for students. CTE students also have the opportunity to gain greater understanding of an industry through active involvement in a CTE student leadership organization.
CTE programs have regional and statewide advisory committees to assist in curriculum development, relevance to the workplace and skill assessment. The postsecondary institutions have well-established, strong business and industry advisory committees.
Technical Skills Assessments
Utah’s CTE courses are standards-based and include technical skills assessments at the end of most courses. This helps assure adherence to rigorous curriculum standards and relevant student skill attainment.
Educator Development
The state conducts annual CTE Summer Professional Development. This is a high quality, sustained, intensive and focused professional development event, with over 2,200 teachers and administrators attending multi-day events. Sessions are planned by state CTE program specialists who collaborate with CTE teachers and CTE directors. Teachers are given new industry skill information, new curriculum ideas, and the latest research information in their program areas, and have opportunities to share ideas with other teachers and colleagues.
The New Teacher Academy is a professional development program that provides continuing education opportunities and support for provisionally certified CTE teachers. The program aids in retention and professional development by providing essential teaching skills to individuals with content expertise but limited pedagogical knowledge. Further, the program supports new CTE teachers by reducing stress, promoting the sharing of resources, and helping to form a common bond of expectations, acceptance and understanding among the population of teachers.
All new teachers are required to participate in the Entry Years Enhancement (EYE) program. This is a structured support and enhancement program for beginning teachers. EYE provides the novice teachers with school, district and state support for a three-year period. The goal of EYE is to encourage beginning teachers to develop effective teaching skills and strategies as described in the Utah Professional Teacher Standards (UPTS), with assistance from experienced colleagues. In addition, all new CTE teachers are encouraged to participate in the Utah CTE New Teacher Academy.
Experts in business and industry are encouraged to transition to teaching through the Career and Technical Education Alternative Preparation Program (CTE/APP). The CTE/APP is an alternative licensure route for the experienced professional. Individuals with a combination of work experience and education may qualify for the licensure route. Minimum requirements include: (1) Documented evidence of six years of full-time occupational work experience directly related to the licensing area; OR (2) Documented evidence of a bachelor’s degree and two years of full-time related work experience; OR (3) Documented evidence of an associate’s degree and four years of full-time related work experience.
Part 4: Results
Coming Soon!
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 3/10/08
