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 Virginia was 364,197. This includes the following:
- Secondary: 262,486
- Postsecondary: 101,711
Delivery System/School Information
Virginia is a relatively large state with a general population of 7,642,884, according to the 2006 U.S. Census.
Public education is provided through a combination of comprehensive high schools, specialized schools, community and technical colleges. There are 302 high schools, nine jointly-operated career and technical centers, 23 Community and Technical Colleges, 14 four-year colleges and universities, and 117 private colleges and universities (in-state and out-of-state) that are authorized to operate in Virginia.
Funding/Financing for CTE
Federal: Virginia is estimated to receive $25,932,742 from the Perkins Basic State Grant and $2,419,604 from Tech Prep in FY 2007. The Basic State Grant funds allocated to local programs (85 percent of total) will be allocated based on an 85/15 percent split: 85 percent to secondary programs in local education agencies and 15 percent to postsecondary programs at community colleges.
State: On an annual basis, the State of Virginia allocates funds to support CTE entitlements. In FY 2007, the State reimbursed local districts and the nine regional CTE centers for about 26.11 percent of what they spent for CTE in the previous year. In 2007, about $5.4 million in state funds was distributed by the entitlement formula.
The Virginia Legislature also supports CTE equipment purchases and provides support through reimbursements for industry certifications, assessments, and state licensures.The 2007 General Assembly increased funding for equipment allocations for CTE from $1,800,000 to $2,300,000 for FY 2008, and increased funding for certifications from $800,000 to $1,065,133 for FY 2008.
Part 2: State Administration
Key State CTE Contacts
Secondary:
Elizabeth M. Russell
Director
Office of Career and Technical Education Services
Virginia Department of Education
P. O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218-2120
Phone: 804 225-2051
Fax: 804 371-2456
Postsecondary:
Elizabeth Creamer
Director Postsecondary Perkins/Tech Prep
Virginia Community College System
101 N. 14th Street, 15th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-819-4691
Fax: 804-819-4760
State Agencies
The Virginia State Board of Education acts as the Virginia Career and Technical Education Board with approval authority. The Virginia Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education Services, serves as the Perkins administrative branch for local school divisions and for the Perkins Title I and Tech Prep funds distributed to the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). The VCCS serves as the Perkins and Tech Prep administrative branch for the 23 community colleges.
Within the Department of Education, the director of the Office of Career and Technical Education Services (OCTES) oversees a number of positions supervising the eight career and technical program areas, Governor’s initiatives specialist, industry certification specialist and two cluster coordinators.
At the postsecondary level, along with the VCCS, the Department of Academic Services and Research is responsible for implementation of the Perkins Act.
Within the VCCS, numerous positions now dedicated to Perkins, Tech Prep, Career Coaches, and related grants and activities will come together in a new VCCS Career Pathways Unit to report to the Vice Chancellor of Workforce Development.
The CTE Resource Center: Since 1982, the Commonwealth of Virginia has supported the CTE Resource Center, administered by Henrico County Public Schools. The Center’s primary function is the development of curriculum-related publications that address specific courses or programs, encourage collaboration between career/technical and academic disciplines, correlate with national standards and industry certification requirements, and enhance comprehensive school improvement efforts. Staff members perform research, facilitate business/industry input, write, edit, organize, design, produce, print, and distribute the following materials:
- Validated task lists
- Student Compentency Records
- Curriculum frameworks
- Instructional aids
- Program marketing/recruitment aids
- Administrative guides
They also host meetings, provide library materials and offer research data for educators across the state. The center also organizes and offers CTE resources in VERSO, Virginia’s Education Resource Center Online. VERSO offers 121 complete instructional frameworks for use by Virginia educators, including links to collaborative lesson plans. A new feature for the center is live on-line assistance for educators using the database resources, so they can more easily find the resources they are seeking.
State Standards for CTE
The need for strong academic competencies in careers, as well as in postsecondary education, is addressed in Virginia through the statewide academic Standards of Learning (SOL) and through performance-based competencies in career and technical education. The mandatory SOL standards exist for all content areas in Virginia: English, mathematics, science, history and social science, the fine arts, foreign language, health and physical education, and driver education.
Virginia has developed detailed instructional frameworks for 121 of its CTE programs. Each framework includes detailed and specific Task/Competency, Task Definition, and Process/Skill questions. Additionally, for each Task/Competency, a related SOL is explained, references to competitive events in the relevant Career Technology Student Organization are listed, and relevant components from “All Aspects of Industry” and references to standards developed by national organizations affiliated with the instructional program are noted. State Board of Education regulations specify that local CTE programs must meet the criteria for state-established standards (8VAC20-120-110). Legally, these competencies are not considered “voluntary” or “model” competencies, they are mandatory for localities to follow. Local districts do have the authority to modify the competencies for students with disabilities who are covered by an Individualized Education Plan or a Section 504 Plan.
To ensure that CTE completers are ready for success in the workplace, Virginia also has standards for Workplace Readiness Skills. These standards are embedded in each of its career courses. Accompanying each skill is listed a standard for demonstrating the skill. The skills are:
- Demonstrate reading skills on a level required for employment in a chosen career field.
- Demonstrate math skills on a level required for employment in a chosen career field.
- Demonstrate writing skills on a level required for employment in a chosen career field.
- Demonstrate speaking and listening skills on a level required for employment in a chosen career field.
- Demonstrate reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Demonstrate understanding of the "big picture."
- Demonstrate a strong work ethic.
- Demonstrate a positive attitude.
- Demonstrate independence and initiative.
- Demonstrate self-presentation skills.
- Maintain satisfactory attendance.
- Participate as a team member to accomplish goals.
Program Approval/Quality Control
To ensure that programs and courses offered in localities are consistent with employment demand and opportunities in the particular community, the local program/course approval is based on labor market data secured from such resources as Career Connect, Career Prospects, and the Virginia Employment Commission. The local school divisions are required to submit data on labor market and/or employment needs and student interest. Career and technical education program integrations of curriculum offerings are also encouraged when competencies require skill development from two or more concentrations (e.g., advanced electronics and entrepreneurship).
Part 3: CTE Initiatives & Related Policies
State Education & Workforce Agenda
Governor Tim Kaine has placed an emphasis on improving reading and literacy among first and second graders. The governor also endorsed expanding the Virginia Preschool Initiative by including high-quality private pre-school programs, including faith-based programs, and increasing teacher compensation by about 3 percent. Governor Kaine also fully endorses career and technical education as shown through his support of the Governor’s Career and Technical Academies and the Governor’s Exemplary Standards Program that will be funded through an NGA STEM grant and WIA funds.
Former Governor Mark Warner, who is currently running for a U.S. Senate seat, actively endorsed career and technical education during his administration, and also led the National Governor’s Association focus on high school redesign in 2005.
The Department of Economic Development has targeted the following industry clusters for focused development:
High School Redesign
Higher student achievement is the goal of the Virginia Board of Education’s efforts to improve public education. The Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (8 VAC 20-131) places emphasis on raising achievement standards for students; schools in Virginia earn accreditation based on student achievement outcomes, rather than just inputs. The Virginia Board of Education has begun an extensive discussion to explore the role that graduation should play in determining the accreditation status of Virginia’s high schools.
Each student in middle and secondary schools shall take all applicable end-of-course Standards of Learning tests. Students who achieve a passing score on an end-of-course SOL test shall be awarded a verified unit of credit in that course. Of the 22 units of standard credit required for a Standard Diploma in Virginia, 6 of these credits are required to be verified credits. The Advanced Studies Diploma requires 9 of the 14 credits to be verified.
For Standard Diplomas, students who complete a CTE program sequence and pass an examination or occupational competency assessment in a career and technical education field that confers certification or an occupational competency credential from a recognized industry, or trade or professional association, or acquires a professional license in a career and technical education field from the Commonwealth of Virginia may substitute the certification, competency credential, or license for (1) the student selected verified credit and (2) either a science or history or social science verified credit when the certification, license, or credential confers more than one verified credit.
The examination or occupational competency assessment must be approved by the Board of Education as an additional test to verify student achievement. For the Advanced Studies Diploma, a student may utilize additional tests for earning one verified credit in computer science, technology, career or technical education or other areas as prescribed by the Board in 8VAC20-131-110.
Virginia will continue to reinforce high academic achievement for secondary students and provide postsecondary connections through the High Schools That Work program, State Scholars Initiative (Commonwealth Scholars Initiative), Tech Prep programs, statewide articulation agreements, and dual enrollment courses.
CTE-Related Graduation Requirements Summary: According to the Education Commission of the States, Virginia students must choose between CTE and another course option to meet graduation requirements. Students may also substitute an approved CTE course for a standard core course to meet high school graduation requirements. A state-level CTE diploma or endorsement is available.
Career Academies
There are currently five Career Academies recognized by the Career Academy Support Network in Virginia. Through an NGA STEM grant, Virginia is poised to begin up to six Governor’s Career and Technical Academies in Fall 2008. These Academies, at a minimum, will address two Career Pathways; one that must be STEM related and one that must meet the workforce needs of the region. The Virginia State Board of Education has also approved criteria that will allow other divisions to open Governor’s Career and Technical Academies without the NGA STEM grant.
Role of Career Clusters
To achieve the goal of developing statewide career pathways, the Department of Education and VCCS will work with state-level stakeholders in education and economic and workforce development to identify and prioritize, from the list of U.S. Education Department career clusters and pathways, those pathways that are most critical to Virginia’s economic future.
From the list of prioritized pathways, the VCCS will work with colleges to develop a core set of competencies at the postsecondary level for each identified pathway. These competencies will then become the foundation for a core or common set of foundation level courses for each selected pathway that will be uniform throughout the VCCS. This common core of foundation level courses could be offered not only by all VCCS colleges offering the identified career pathways, but would also serve as the core set of courses for apprentice-related instruction, dual-enrollment, and other education and training programs connected to the VCCS career pathways system. This common set of competency-based foundation courses will become a statewide set of dual-enrollment courses that will allow for the creation of statewide career pathways from secondary to postsecondary career and technical education programs.
Secondary career and technical education in Virginia has eight program areas, each of which is designed to prepare students for particular fields of study that require rigorous mastery of both academic and technical skills. The Department of Education will place special emphasis on prioritized pathways that impact Virginia’s economic future, but will also address career pathways that are in areas of continued workforce openings and emerging occupations.
Academic Integration
Virginia has already undertaken significant steps to promote the integration of academic content and CTE content. First, the state matched up the Task Lists for CTE secondarycourses with Academic Standards of Learning. The State has also encouraged the development, and sharing of, academic/integration lesson plans.
Furthermore, the Virginia Career and Technical Education Curriculum Resource Center will also provide assistance in developing, updating and dissemination of academic integration curriculum and other products.
Through the High Schools That Work initiative, academic and career and technical teachers have also developed collaborative lesson plans. Schools are requested annually to submit exemplary plans that support HSTW key practices and reinforce the Virginia SOLs. The lesson plans undergo a review process and are disseminated statewide via the Virginia Career and Technical Education Resource Center Web site to assist teachers with implementing innovative, rigorous collaborative lessons.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Initiatives
The Department of Education will continue to support the Geospatial Instructional Application Initiative begun in 2006 that provided an opportunity for each middle and high school to receive geographic information systems (GIS) software to enhance instruction in agricultural education, geography, science, and technology education by engaging students in the content through geospatial applications. First priority in this endeavor was given to agricultural, geography, science, and technology education teachers. The Geospatial Instructional Applications Institutes provided high quality professional development experience using ArcView 9 GIS software and global positioning system (GPS) units. These technologies allow teachers to explore and analyze the natural and human-made world, from local to global, with their students.
Secondary/Postsecondary Linkages
During the 2007–2008 transition year of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, Virginia will provide samples of state approved programs of study in Information Technology and Manufacturing for possible adoption by local educational agencies and postsecondary institutions as an option to students when planning for and completing future coursework. These programs of study incorporate both the secondary and postsecondary elements of a program of study as required by Perkins and are built on written program articulation agreements that provide a consistent procedure whereby high school graduates of public schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia who are enrolled in these programs may transition into an appropriate community college associate of applied science or associate of science degree program in Information Technology or Manufacturing without duplication of instruction.
Local educational agencies may also develop local agreements and programs of study with community or four-year colleges that include the required components as set forth in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 and that have been approved by the Virginia Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education Services, and the Virginia Community College System.
Virginia has decided that Tech Prep funding will be maintained as a separate program during the Perkins Act implementation. Community Colleges must be the lead agency in the Tech Prep consortium, with additional guidelines established by the state. Funds will be allocated on a competitive basis to the colleges that successfully demonstrate (through their applications and prior performance) their ability to successfully fulfill the intent of the VCCS Tech Prep program.
A statewide articulation agreement between the VCCS, representing the Commonwealth’s 23 community colleges, and Virginia Department of Education representing the Commonwealth’s public high schools has been completed and will provide a consistent procedure whereby high school graduates of public schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia who are also Business and Information Technology – Interactive MediaCTE program completers may move smoothly and expeditiously into community college associate of applied science or associate of science degree programs in Information Technology without duplication of instruction or testing. This agreement initially targets specific web technologies and computer information systems courses, but will guide the development of high school to community college articulation pathways in other career and technical education areas.
College CTE Credit for High School Students: The 2004 Virginia General Assembly directed the Board of Education, the State Board for Community Colleges, and the State Council of Higher Education to develop a statewide template for articulation agreements for career and technical education (CTE).
The Virginia Plan for Dual Enrollment, enacted in 2005, gives a state-wide framework for dual enrollment arrangements between the public schools and community colleges. These arrangements may be made at the local level, i.e., between the representatives of boards of the participating public school and the participating community college authorized to contract such agreements. These arrangements may be formed in three distinct ways. First, high school students may be enrolled in the regularly scheduled college credit courses with the other students taught at the community college. Second, high school students may be enrolled in specially scheduled college credit courses conducted exclusively for high school students taught at the high school. Third, high school students may be enrolled in specially scheduled college credit courses conducted exclusively for high school students taught at the community college.
To increase portability of college credits earned through early college programs to all 23 community colleges, beginning in 2007-2008, dual-enrollment will become the primary vehicle in Virginia of awarding early college credits in career and technical education program areas.
The state has also developed the “Commonwealth College Course Collaborative” that helps to aid in dual enrollment and articulation programs by identifying a common set of subjects that allow Virginia students the chance to earn a semester's worth of college credit while in high school that will be accepted statewide. The collaborative is comprised of 13 credit hours that are accepted at all of the participating institutions for degree credit. Students may earn as many as 20 additional degree credits at some schools.
Core Courses include Biology, Psychology, and U.S. History, and additional subjects include Art History, Economics, English, General Physics, Mathematics, and Music Appreciation. Every public college in Virginia participates (except VMI), as do the 24 undergraduate private institutions that make up the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia, and 24 Community Colleges.
Career Guidance & Advisement
Information on all career and technical education programs/courses is accessible to students, parents, counselors, teachers, and administrators through the online Career Planning Guide and through the r u Ready magazine provided to eleventh-graders and the r u Ready parent brochures distributed to eighth-graders’ parents. Students may search the Career Planning Guide to determine their most effective CTE course of study for a variety of career goals.
Other on-line resources include:
- Virginia VIEW is the Career Information System for the Commonwealth of Virginia and provides information to all citizens about educational and career opportunities.
- KnowHowVirginia is a long-term public awareness campaign designed to:
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- inform students and their parents, teachers, and counselors of rewarding career opportunities, particularly in high-demand and emerging fields;
- promote quality CTE in middle and high schools to support career exploration and preparation; and
- ensure a larger pool of qualified, motivated applicants for Virginia businesses and industries.
Under the Perkins Transition Plan, Virginia is utilizing guidance counselors, career counselors, and career coaches in a highly interactive connection between community colleges and their feeder high schools. Career coaches are community college employees who are based in local high schools to assist students in preparing for higher education and careers and to increase student access to college programs and services, postsecondary faculty, and business and industry. Currently, career coaches are based in more than 80 of the 399 high schools, alternative centers, charter schools, Governor’s schools and combined schools in Virginia. The VCCS and Department of Education continue to develop and expand the Career Coaches initiative statewide.
Technical Skills Assessments
The Department of Education promotes The Path to Industry Certification: High School Industry Credentialing initiative that encourages students to work toward a selected industry credential or state license while pursuing a high school diploma. Students who earn a credential by passing a certification or licensure examination may earn up to two student-selected verified credits to meet graduation requirements.
A credential is defined as:
- a complete industry certification program, e.g., Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).
- a pathway examination that leads to a completed industry certification, e.g., automotive technician examinations from ASE.
- a state-issued professional license, e.g., Cosmetology.
- an occupational competency examination, e.g., skill assessments from the National Occupational Competency Institute (NOCTI).
The Virginia State Board of Education approves for student-selected verified credit only those examinations that meet the following criteria:
- They must prepare students for an occupation or occupational area.
- They must be knowledge-based, as opposed to performance-based. Credentials may contain a performance-based component, but it is not required.
- They must be in a career and technical education field that confers a credential from a recognized industry, trade, or professional association or entity.
- They must be administered on a multi-state or international basis.
- They must be standardized and graded independent of the school in which the test is given.
In order for students to use approved credentials for student-selected verified credit, their career and technical education teachers must hold at least one credential that is “targeted for instruction” in the courses being taught. The Virginia Department of Education provides training for career and technical education instructors interested in earning certification or licensure in selected areas. From January 2004 through July 2007, 1,962 credentials have been awarded to career and technical education teachers.
Students who complete a career and technical education program sequence and pass an examination or occupational competency assessment in a career and technical education field that confers certification; or earn an occupational competency credential from a recognized industry, trade, or professional organization; or acquire a professional license in a career and technical education field from the Commonwealth of Virginia may substitute the certification, competency credential, or license for (i) the student-selected verified credit and (ii) either a science or history and social science verified credit when the certification, license, or credential confers more than one verified credit. The examination or occupational competency assessment must be approved by the Board of Education as an additional test to verify student achievement.
Virginia continues to be a national leader in aligning career and technical education programs with business and industry expectations. Students who earn one or more external credentials have a distinct advantage in entering their chosen field of employment and/or in continuing their career preparation through higher education.
Business & Industry Involvement
Virginia’s regulations for CTE (8VAC20-120-50), issued by the State Board of Education, require that each local education agency or region establish a general career and technical education advisory council to provide recommendations about current job needs and the relevancy of CTE programs. The purpose of the general council is not to advocate for or advise about a specific career cluster or occupational specialty, but to provide a broader perspective about the relevance and effectiveness of CTE programs offered within the local education agency or region.
There is also a state-level Virginia Advisory Committee for Career and Technical Education. The committee is made up of fourteen people knowledgeable about and concerned about career and technical education. Members serve three-year staggered terms. The function of the Virginia Advisory Committee for Career and Technical Education is to assist in providing information about the needs of career and technical education students and programs to the Board of Education and the Department of Education and to make recommendations regarding career and technical education.
Educator Development
Virginia is working on a concerted effort to help teachers and administrators succeed in their roles. The Spring 2007CTE Administrators’ Updates began the process of a statewide initiative of connecting high schools and postsecondary institutions through the identification of Career Pathways: Plans of Study (programs of study). LEAs are required to document plans that run from middle school through postsecondary. These must be signed by the participating agencies.
Funds will also be used for professional development, curriculum development, and development of career and technical student organization scholastic and leadership activities. Program improvement will be supported for new courses that address identified high-skill, high-demand, and high-wage jobs in Virginia.
New strategies that are currently being employed by the VCCS and that will be expanded in 2007-2008 are establishing professional development designed to better connect secondary and postsecondary education by increasing the number and percentage of secondary teachers eligible to be credentialed for dual-enrollment and other collaborative endeavors.
In 2005-2006, college and high school faculty were brought together as teams by the VCCS in professional development targeted to academic/career and technical integration and integration of technology into both CTE and core academic courses. Regional teams of teachers and faculty came together as a result of this training to collaboratively develop service- and project-based learning activities for students, to develop business partners, to start new dual-enrollment courses, and to articulate programs.
In one community college service region, mathematics faculty from the community college and area high schools are regularly meeting to address the high rate of developmental courses being required among high school graduates in that local area and to collaboratively develop strategies to lower that rate. Through local college grants and Perkins leadership funds, additional pilots of teacher-faculty work teams dedicated to solving specific performance issues in CTE programs will be implemented and assessed.
As noted earlier, Virginia has created the Virginia Career and Technical Education Curriculum Resource Center (VCTERC).The VCTERC offers many products and services to assist the Virginia Department of Education and all localities in preparing students for career and lifelong learning. The extensive resources of the center are readily available to CTE teachers.
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 7/18/08
