ACTE Strategic Direction and Vision Statement
MISSION
Provide educational leadership in developing a competitive workforce.
Vision Statement
Empowering educators to deliver high quality CTE programs that ensure all students are positioned for career success.
Strategic Themes
- Member Value and Engagement
- ACTE’s success is reliant on the success of its divisions, state associations and educators. Strengthening and supporting leadership and alignment throughout this infrastructure will increase both capacity and member value.
- Professional and Leadership Development
- It is time to reinvent ACTE’s professional development system with the intention of growing every member, every year. Existing resources and delivery systems will evolve to meet the diverse needs of educators from pre-service to retirement. The system will use professional development to build capacity and confidence so that ACTE members grow from learners to leaders. It will provide high quality professional development available through a variety of delivery channels.
- Advocacy and Awareness
- ACTE is seen as the credible source of information on U.S. Career and Technical Education. Through CTE brand development, advocacy and prioritized audience targeting, ACTE can impact the perceived value of CTE. Ultimately, ACTE can leverage its reputation to advocate for and change perceptions of CTE in targeted audiences
- Strategic Partnerships
- ACTE is well positioned to serve as the liaison between business leaders, education leaders and policy makers. Expanded connections and shared initiatives with national CTE organizations like Advance CTE and the Career Technical Student Organizations will create a coherent system for connecting employers in the career education conversation.
- Innovation
- From expanding CTE opportunities for middle school students to addressing emerging occupations, local programs need access to innovative curriculum and approaches aligned to ACTE’s High-quality CTE Framework to meet the education and training needs of America’s students and employers. ACTE’s expansive grassroots delivery structure offers an exceptional path to identify and scale innovation throughout the K-20 system.
Strategic Plan Elements
Theme: Overarching area of impact that is critical in the organization’s attainment of mission and vision. Themes are listed in prioritized order.
Strategy: Strategies direct the overall effort for each theme. They are rooted in the opportunities that were identified in the situational analysis and are meant to provide direction to ACTE’s staff and leaders. Strategies are listed in priority order by Theme.
Key Performance Indicator: Performance indicators are the measure of performance (e.g., professional development participation rate, member retention rate, regional events) in relation to a strategic goal or action.
Target: Agreed upon goal of performance for a defined period of time. Targets will be based on baseline data, proposed by staff and reviewed and approved by the Board annually.
Tactic: Tactics are the “how” behind each strategy. They specify initiatives or actions that will be put in motion to advance the organization’s ability to meet the strategy and performance target. Tactics are meant to be staff driven, dynamic and revised periodically based on the effectiveness of the work.
Member Value and Engagement
ACTE’s success is reliant on the success of its divisions, state associations and educators. Strengthening and supporting leadership and alignment throughout this infrastructure will increase both capacity and member value.
Strategies
- Build ACTE’s organizational capacity through a state, regional, and divisional support framework
- Develop a comprehensive system for identifying and onboarding potential members (all types)
- Retain members by communicating value, engaging current members, and delivering an easy, intuitive renewal process (all types)
Key Performance Indicators
- Increase number of states with unified (or comparable) dues structure
- Strengthen the quality and consistency of the leadership delivered at the state level
- Expand participation of historically under-represented populations (HURP) in leadership programs and positions
- Increase in new membership (disaggregated by type, division and level; secondary and postsecondary)
- Maintain high levels of membership retention (disaggregated by type, division and level; secondary and postsecondary), benefit participation, and overall engagement
Professional and Leadership Development
It is time to reinvent ACTE’s professional development system with the intention of growing every member, every year. Existing resources and delivery systems will evolve to meet the diverse needs of educators from pre-service to retirement. The system will use professional development to build capacity and confidence so that ACTE members grow from learners to leaders. It will provide high quality professional development available through a variety of delivery channels.
Strategies
- Create a continuum of high-quality professional development and leadership development experiences delivered through a diverse, but aligned set of channels
- Develop an intuitive member profile that recognizes and encourages professional and leadership development planning and participation
Key Performance Indicators
- Expanded delivery of professional and leadership development offerings through non-conference mediums and non-ACTE sources
- Develop and implement a plan for measuring and improving the quality of ACTE’s professional and leadership development offerings through needs assessments and surveys
- Deliver robust professional and leadership development that addresses ACTE’s high-quality CTE framework and other content priorities
- Develop a system to equip members to create their own professional and leadership development plans through ACTE’s online profile
- Increase in percent of members with a professional and leadership development experience each year
Advocacy and Awareness
ACTE is seen as the credible source of information on U.S. Career and Technical Education. Through CTE brand development, advocacy and prioritized audience targeting, ACTE can impact the perceived value of CTE. Ultimately, ACTE can leverage its reputation to advocate for and change perceptions of CTE in targeted audiences.
Strategies
- Develop an action plan to define the critical role of and enhance the public dialogue on CTE with targeted audiences
- Educate and mobilize stakeholders for positive legislative impact at the state and federal level
Key Performance Indicators
- Increase positive media coverage (National awareness, public appearances, press releases)
- Increase positive perception of CTE (students, parents, employers, counselors, administrators)
- Increase participation in CTE Month activities, showcases
- Increase support for legislation that supports CTE at the national level
- Increase the use of ACTE advocacy training and resources
Strategic Partnerships
ACTE is well positioned to serve as the liaison between business leaders, education leaders and policy makers. Expanded connections and shared initiatives with national CTE organizations like Advance CTE and the Career Technical Student Organizations will create a coherent system for connecting employers in the career education conversation.
Strategies
- Identify and target businesses, organizations, schools and governmental entities for mutually beneficial partnerships
- Align partnerships to member, division and organization needs
Key Performance Indicators
- Increase in new, mutually beneficial partnerships (disaggregated by Division)
- Sustain, retain, and grow “key” partners
- Expand ACTE’s showcase and promotion of local and national models of business-education partnerships and other entities supportive of CTE
- Strengthen the alignment of partnership activities with ACTE’s strategic plan and content priorities
- Ensure that Division VPs are informed and included in projects that relate to their sectors
- Expand direct impact of ACTE’s partners on our members through increased connection points, funding for CTE programs, and other opportunities that meet our evaluation criteria
- Increase level of support ACTE’s partners provide to ACTE’s initiatives and activities (indirect impact on ACTE members)
Innovation
From expanding CTE opportunities for middle school students to addressing emerging occupations, local programs need access to innovative curriculum and approaches aligned to ACTE’s High-quality CTE Framework to meet the education and training needs of America’s students and employers. ACTE’s expansive grassroots delivery structure offers an exceptional path to identify and scale innovation throughout the K-20 system.
Strategies
- Strengthen ACTE’s capacity to identify and source models of innovation and emerging trends impacting CTE
- Embed strategies for showcasing, fostering, scaling, and sustaining innovative approaches to CTE through ACTE’s delivery systems and partner channels
Key Performance Indicators
- Develop a process to identify ‘innovation’ and emerging trends (as they are defined and recognized in the broader education field)
- Successfully source models of “innovation” that address the elements of the high-quality CTE framework, represent each of ACTE’s Divisions, and address ACTE’s content priorities
- Increase placement of news and articles on innovative CTE practices through ACTE marketing channels and external platforms
- Increase professional development offerings, events and sessions that model innovative practices across all Divisions and elements of the high-quality CTE framework
- Expand opportunities to expose members to industry trends and new technologies
- Create more opportunities for members to connect with business and industry support and grant funds available for fostering innovative CTE programs