Gaps in Understanding the PD Needs of Postsecondary CTE Educators: A white paper from CAST examines how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can improve postsecondary CTE instruction and boost student outcomes.

In a separate study, the authors found that there is a lack of research and guidance on postsecondary CTE professional development (PD) practices. Moreover, interviews they conducted revealed that postsecondary CTE instructors struggle with supporting students and managing their classroom. Because teacher self-efficacy—the belief in one’s ability to help students learn—relies on positive PD experiences and is tied to higher student outcomes, the authors argue that there is an urgent need to fill the postsecondary CTE PD gap and propose UDL as a potential solution. 

UDL’s emphasis on student access and success makes it applicable to postsecondary CTE and can increase self-efficacy, according to the authors. They point to the experiences of postsecondary CTE instructors who received UDL-based PD from CAST; the instructors described shifting their perspectives to focus on how they present information to students, such as utilizing videos to introduce a piece of equipment, and being more aware of the different ways students process information and express their knowledge.  

Moving forward, the authors provide a series of recommendations that call on stakeholders to implement UDL-based PD for postsecondary CTE instructors, including promoting awareness of UDL, conducting research and investing in teacher support initiatives. 

A Regional Look at the ROI of California’s Community and Career Colleges: A study from College Futures analyzes the return-on-investment (ROI) of California’s community and career colleges. The researchers compared the median salary of graduates from individual colleges to the median salary of a California high school graduate with no postsecondary education ($32,476). They then calculated how long it took for college graduates to recoup the costs of their credential based on their additional earnings. 

The researchers found that the ROI varied greatly between California’s regions. Thirty-eight percent of community and career colleges in the Bay Area enable students to recoup the costs of their credential in under a year compared to only six percent in the Inland Empire; notably, 34% of colleges in the Inland Empire provide no economic returns at all. Differences also emerged between public and private colleges, with 40% of public community and career colleges allowing students to recoup costs in under a year compared to five percent for private colleges. The top 25 institutions with the quickest ROI span the entire state and allow students to recoup costs in under six months; these colleges also primarily serve low-income students, charge less than $5,000 annually, and demonstrate earnings that are at least $10,000 more than a high school graduate. 

A 50-state Analysis of College, Career, Military and Civic Readiness Indicators: A report from the Urban Institute and All4Ed examines how states are utilizing and measuring college and career readiness (CCR) indicators. The author scanned indicators across all 50 states and Washington, DC, and found the following: 

• Forty-two states use at least one CCR indicator in their federal or state accountability systems, with 17 states using multiple.  
  • 20 states also measure military or civic readiness. 
• AP or IB coursework is the most common college readiness measure used by states (35), followed by dual or concurrent enrollment (34) and college admissions tests (25). For career readiness measures, industry-recognized credential attainment is most common (23), followed by CTE pathway completion (16) and work-based learning (14). 
• Only 12 states report data on how students demonstrate readiness through their CCR measures. 
• Twenty-six states exclusively rely on input measures—such as test scores—to measure a student’s readiness rather than outcomes measures such as wages and college enrollment. 

American Sentiment Toward The Skilled Trades: A recent survey from The Harris Poll investigates how individuals view careers in the skilled trades. The researchers surveyed over 2,000 adults aged 18 and older across the nation and found the following: 

• Americans overwhelmingly support the skilled trades: 90% of respondents believe that the skilled trades offer a fast and affordable path to a good career while 91% believe they are as important as white-collar jobs. Ninety percent agree that most people do not realize how high paying the skilled trades can be. 
  • Attitudes differ by age group: 59% of boomers said that the skilled trades offer the best job opportunities compared to only 38% for Gen Z. 
• Across all age and racial/ethnic groups, respondents said that the biggest barrier for individuals pursuing skilled trades is that trade careers are seen as less prestigious than other occupations. Other barriers ranked highly by respondents include lack of awareness of trade careers, pressure to attend a four-year college and trade careers not being seen as financially rewarding.