Career and technical education has become a growing focus in schools across the country. Through key state and federal legislation, lawmakers have emphasized the importance of preparing students for in-demand careers and connecting schools with industry. A major part of this work depends on high-quality professional development designed specifically for CTE teachers.
CTE teachers are expected to bridge the gap between classrooms and the workplace. But even with federal funding dedicated for CTE-specific PD, questions remain around whether schools and districts are offering the right kinds of professional learning to meet CTE teachers’ needs.
Why CTE-Specific PD
All teachers benefit from professional development to improve their instructional practice and strengthen classroom management, but CTE teachers often require additional support due to the nontraditional pathways that bring many into the profession and the unique demands of their role. Many come to teaching through alternative certification programs, which means they may not have had the same preparation and support as traditionally trained teachers. Additionally, they manage highly specialized tasks like building industry partnerships and creating work-based learning experiences for students. Given the specific demands of the role, access to high-quality, CTE-specific PD is especially critical.
What We Learned From Teachers
We surveyed 160 CTE teachers across Kentucky, asking them to rate how much they needed different types of PD and how often those opportunities were actually available. By comparing the two, we identified the areas where teachers perceived the biggest gaps.
Teachers identified the areas of greatest need as follows:
- Work-based learning
- Hands-on learning in online environments
- Advisory board engagement
- Business and industry engagement
- Instructional toolkit creation
- Industry-specific curricula
On the other hand, topics like fostering effective classroom environments, engaging in online teaching, promoting inclusive and equitable classroom environments, and building relationships with students had the smallest gaps between need and availability. In other words, PD that is specialized for CTE teachers is often missing, while more general PD aimed at traditional classroom teachers is sufficiently available.
As one teacher put it, “professional development at the school level is based on [the] traditional schoolteacher.” Another secondary teacher emphasized that professional development seems to be designed for “elementary school environments or new teachers.” These perspectives highlight a persistent mismatch between the specialized professional learning CTE teachers need and the generalized offerings that dominate most PD systems.
Recommendations
Diversify PD Options
One way to better meet teachers’ needs is to broaden PD offerings and let teachers choose sessions that are most relevant to them. Some schools have adopted personalized PD models where educators select from a range of options. While this approach works well, smaller or resource-limited schools may struggle to provide enough variety internally. A practical alternative is to lower barriers for teachers to attend external PD (e.g., work-shops, conferences, industry trainings).
Teachers in our study said they wanted these opportunities but often could not attend them because of costs, substitute coverage challenges, or lack of district support. Schools could make a big difference by being more flexible in supporting teachers who want to seek out external PD opportunities. This would help individual teachers grow and also allow them to bring new skills and ideas back to share with their colleagues.
Support Teacher-Led PD
Several teachers suggested that PD would be more useful if it was led by colleagues with relevant expertise. For example, teachers with strong industry backgrounds could lead sessions on workplace connections, while those with stronger classroom experience could guide PD on instructional practices. By tapping into staff expertise, schools can provide CTE-specific PD at a lower cost while also valuing experienced teachers as leaders.
Conduct Regular Needs Assessments
Our study found that teachers rated nearly every PD topic as more needed than available. This trend highlights a misalignment between what is offered and what teachers actually need. Schools and districts can fix this by conducting regular needs assessments, which are short surveys or discussions that ask teachers what supports would help them most and what supports are currently lacking. These assessments ensure that PD planning is responsive rather than generic, making learning experiences more useful and impactful for CTE teachers.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that not all teachers have the same needs. CTE teachers, in particular, play a unique role in preparing students for the workforce, and their PD needs often look different from those of traditional teachers. Supporting them well means being intentional about offering PD that speaks directly to their industry-focused roles.
Our findings show that while general PD is sufficiently available, CTE-specific PD remains limited. Schools and districts can better support teachers by offering more choices, reducing barriers to external PD, creating teacher-led opportunities, and regularly assessing teacher needs. By taking these steps, schools can ensure that PD is not only more relevant for CTE teachers but also more impactful for students’ learning and career readiness.
Jeffrey C. Sun, J.D., Ph.D., is professor of higher education and law, the Gradie R. & Mary D. Rowntree Endowed Chair in educational administration and policy, and director of the SKILLS Collaborative at the University of Louisville.
Heather A. Turner, Ph.D., is the director of research and policy for the SKILLS Collaborative at the University of Louisville.
Mitchel R. Mandel is a Ph.D. student in educational leadership at the University of Louisville whose research focuses on teacher professional learning, emerging technologies in education, student motivation, and equity in PK–12 systems. He previously taught high school science in Colorado and Kentucky.
