>

>THE OVAE REVIEW

>

>December 15, 2005

>Beto Gonzalez, Acting Assistant Secretary

>Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE)

>U.S. Department of Education

>

>Angela Desrochers-Editor

>

>The Review is an update from the Office of the Assistant Secretary at the 

>Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education.

>

><<http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/ovaereview/orev121505.html>http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/ovaereview/orev121505.html> 

>

>

>Greetings from the Acting Assistant Secretary

>

>Recently, I had the privilege to speak at the annual conference of the 

>Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE).  Excerpts from my 

>speech are below.  My message was simple.  All students need a firm base 

>in academics if they are to be successful in the 21st century economy.

>

>Federal involvement in vocational education is almost one hundred years 

>old. The first vocational education act, of 1917, aimed to train students 

>for jobs in an economy that was becoming rapidly industrialized, by 

>targeting practical skills and training.  The landscape has changed, and 

>we owe it to our students to adapt our goals and strategies to the new 

>environment in which we find ourselves.

>

>There are four major changes that have taken place over the last hundred 

>years that must inform the new direction of career and technical 

>education.  However, all of these changes only serve to magnify the 

>importance of a challenging academic base for all students.

>

>A hundred years ago the vast majority of students were not graduating from 

>high school, much less completing any postsecondary training.  But the 

>jobs that those young people filled have either ceased to exist or are 

>severely diminished.  Today, the fastest growing jobs require in depth 

>technological knowledge and strong analytical skills.  In many cases, 

>traditional distinctions no longer make sense.  For example, once being an 

>auto mechanic required little to no academic training.  Now, most cars and 

>trucks include more sophisticated computers then the Apollo 11 spacecraft, 

>requiring advanced postsecondary training and a good grasp of 

>technology.  In this modern environment, a rigorous academic preparation 

>is a practical education.

>

>Another important change is the quick pace of globalization, which has 

>created a global job market more fluid than any in history.  Futurist Alan 

>Toffler said a few years ago the illiterate of the 21st century will not 

>be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, 

>and relearn.   A solid academic foundation will help today s students 

>adapt to the projected 15 careers they will have in their lifetime.

>

>Along with globalization comes increased competition from 

>abroad.  Outsourcing is making inroads into skilled as well as unskilled 

>employment.  Employers are going abroad to find well educated and trained 

>employees because the American educational system is not doing an adequate 

>job.  Too many of our students are being out-educated, out-performed, and 

>will soon be out-employed by foreign competition.  We need to equip our 

>students to thrive in this new environment.

>

>The last change is the awareness of our accountability for the persistent 

>achievement gap affecting minorities and the academically 

>disadvantaged.  These groups traditionally participate in vocational 

>education in high numbers and we are letting them down.  We know, for 

>example, that educational level directly correlates with earning 

>capacity.  And we know that education must expand our students choices, 

>not limit them.  That is how education promotes freedom, equality, and 

>human dignity.

>

>However, there is good news for the achievement gap.  Increasingly, 

>evidence shows that achievement rises along with expectations.  No Child 

>Left Behind is ensuring high expectations for all children and it is 

>working.  A new Nation s Report Card came out recently.  Achievement is on 

>the rise-especially for fourth-graders.  African-American and Hispanic 

>students are posting all-time high scores in a number of categories.  High 

>expectations are liberating, not punitive.

>

>These four changes to our educational and social landscape make it clear 

>that the vocational educational models of the past will not serve the 

>needs of American students in this, the 21st century. We can no longer see 

>vocational education as an alternative to a rigorous academic 

>curriculum.  However, we will continue to build on the strengths of 

>vocational education -- strengths like using extracurricular learning to 

>enhance the classroom experience.

>

>What we must recognize is that your students don t need to choose between 

>academic excellence in the classroom and practical experience in a 

>technical vocation.  If we provide them with both, then they are doubly 

>empowered to choose a successful path in life, and then choose and choose 

>again as new opportunities, new challenges, or simply new interests, arise.

>

>I look forward to continuing to work together to ensure every student 

>receives the education they need to thrive in the 21st century.

>

>Happy Holidays.

>

>Beto Gonzalez

>

>Community Colleges

>

>Community College Working Group on Adult Education held in Washington, DC

>

>On November 28, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education sponsored the 

>sixth in a series of Community College Working Group Meetings.  These 

>meetings bring together community college presidents or chancellors 

>together with leaders from the Office of Vocational and Adult Education 

>(OVAE) and other federal offices to discuss opportunities, challenges, and 

>promising practices.

>

>The November 2005 Working Group focused on adult education and the 

>community college - helping Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English 

>Literacy (EL) students move through career pathway programs in community 

>colleges.  Eleven presidents or campus leaders of community colleges 

>participated in the sessions, with two additional presidents serving as 

>presenters.  The session included two panels focusing on strengthening the 

>success of community colleges in moving students through adult basic 

>education and language proficiency classes into credit-bearing and 

>credential-earning career pathways.  The first panel discussion focused on 

>research, initiatives, as well as foundation and business support.  The 

>other explored promising models or practices in three different states 

>(Ohio, Oregon, and Washington).  The college presidents engaged in topics 

>including support services for low skilled adults, models for financial 

>incentives for students, financing integrated training and English 

>literacy instruction, and collaborative models for supporting career 

>pathway initiatives.

>

>A summary of the meeting will include sections on the key challenges, as 

>well as recommendations for action by colleges, employers, and state or 

>federal policymakers and administrators.  In addition, there will be a 

>summary of the primary points or programs cited by the panelists.

>

>For more information please go to, 

>www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/cclo/index.html 

><<http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/cclo/index.html>http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/cclo/index.html>

>

>Adult Education and Literacy

>

>STAR Teachers Test Evidence-Based Reading Strategies

>

>One hundred and twenty adult education teachers, newly trained in 

>evidence-based methods to teach adults reading, returned to six pilot 

>states this month for the implementation phase of STAR (Student 

>Achievement in Reading).  STAR is a nearly $6M, seven-year OVAE investment 

>running through spring of 2008.  Pilot states participating in STAR 

>include California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Ohio, and South Dakota.

>

>In the first phase of STAR, experts developed a reading toolkit of 

>assessments and strategies for intermediate level adult reading 

>instruction.  STAR s trained teachers now will use toolkit diagnostics to 

>identify students strengths and address students limitations using 

>evidence-based toolkit strategies.  STAR teachers are excited about the 

>project because they can identify key areas in which students need help, 

>and students appreciate teachers who have tools that address their 

>specific academic needs.  For example, two adult students may be assessed 

>at a fourth grade reading level.  One adult may perform at that level due 

>to problems with vocabulary, but the other student may have problems with 

>comprehension.  While appearing to be identical, these issues differ and 

>must be addressed by different techniques.  After using assessments in the 

>toolkit to determine student reading levels, STAR teachers will pull 

>evidence-based strategies from the toolkit to address specific reading 

>components and help each student develop particular skills.

>

>This implementation phase also will determine to what degree teachers can 

>use techniques from the toolkit supported by research in their classrooms, 

>given any administrative barriers that exist.  STAR participants are 

>discovering the importance of changing how local programs are organized. 

>They are identifying issues such as managed enrollment, differentiated 

>instruction in multi-level classes, teacher planning time and 

>instructional leadership as being key to their plans for success.  States 

>are discussing how funding policies may help or hinder implementing 

>evidence-based reading practice and how to deliver professional 

>development that supports site-based reform.   Over the next several 

>months, STAR teachers will bring research and reality together.  Stay 

>tuned for updates on how STAR is combining the two successfully in adult 

>education classrooms.

>

>For more information, please go to

><<http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/reading.html>http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/reading.html> 

>

>

>Secondary, Career and Technical Education

>

>Perkins Data Quality Institute (DQI)

>

>OVAE will provide training via the Perkins Data Quality Institute (DQI), 

>to be held in Washington, D.C., from noon on February 8 to noon on 

>February 10, 2006.  The prospective agenda and logistical information may 

>be found at the Peer Collaborative Resource Network (PCRN) Web site 

>(www.edcountability.net <http://www.edcountability.net>).

>

>There will be five objectives, but standardizing definitions and measures 

>for the Perkins core indicators of performance will be the ultimate 

>goal.  The institute will feature federal and state panelists who will 

>discuss their strategies and tools for ongoing improvements in program and 

>data quality.

>

>This DQI training will continue with regional meetings to be held in May 

>2006, but as of now those dates and location have not been 

>confirmed.  Please stay tuned to the PCRN Web site for information about 

>these regional meetings.

>

>There is a $175 registration fee for the February DQI; the last day for 

>registration will be January 13, 2006.  For more information, please 

>contact Jay Savage at (202) 245-6612 or jay.savage at ed.gov 

><<mailto:jay.savage at ed.gov>mailto:jay.savage at ed.gov>.

>

>U.S. Denmark Partnership Meeting

>

>On November 16, 2000, the U.S. Department of Education and the Danish 

>Education Department signed a partnership agreement designed to help each 

>country with improvement of their vocational and technical education system.

>

>As a part of the agreement the two countries formed a Steering Committee 

>that meets on a yearly basis to discusses ideas of mutual interest.  This 

>year s meeting was held in Copenhagen preceded by two days of site visits 

>to a number of educational settings in Jutland, a province about two hours 

>from Copenhagen.  The American delegation, led by the Acting Assistant 

>Secretary, visited business colleges, a science gymnasium, and a 

>vocational-technical center.  These visits illustrated both the 

>commonalties and the differences of the two educational systems.  Although 

>Denmark is much smaller in size than the U.S., it is challenged by many of 

>the same issues: globalization of the marketplace, an aging population, 

>and an increasing immigrant population.

>

>The agreement emphasizes three key areas:

>·       Exploring cooperation, information sharing, and research relating 

>to the development of skill standards, curriculum, assessment and teacher 

>development. ·       Using technological resources to improve business and 

>vocational education in colleges, technical and business schools, and 

>other agencies. ·       Developing joint projects through learning, 

>organizational and institutional partnerships.

>For more information about the partnership, please go to 

>www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/usdnmrk/index.html 

><<http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/usdnmrk/index.html>http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/usdnmrk/index.html>.

>

>National Association of Manufacturers Releases 2005 Skills Gap Report

>

>According to the recently released 2005 Skills Gap Report, produced by the 

>National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), there is a serious shortage 

>of qualified manufacturing employees in the United States of America.

>

>The Survey exposes a widening gap between the dwindling supply of skilled 

>workers in America and the growing technical demands of the modern 

>manufacturing workplace, explained NAM President John Engler. He further 

>went on to say It is essential that America close this skills gap if we 

>are to maintain our edge in the global marketplace and remain the world s 

>leader in innovation.

>

>More than 80 percent of manufacturers surveyed are experiencing an overall 

>shortage of qualified workers, while 46 percent reported that the skill 

>levels are poor among current employees.

>

>To address some of the critical issues facing manufacturers, the report 

>recommends:

>·       Educators to emphasize science, math and technology-related 

>programs in K-12 curricula and invest more in teacher 

>education;  ·       State education standards to include career education 

>as measurable criteria for K-12 success;  ·       Employers to invest at 

>least 3 percent of payroll whenever possible in training for current 

>employees; and  ·       Government to partner with business to improve the 

>K-12 and community college system to develop a high-performance workforce.

>The 2005 Skills Gap Report is based on responses from more than 800 

>manufacturers of all sizes nationwide and is the first new comprehensive 

>survey about the American manufacturing workforce in five years.  It is 

>available at www.nam.org/2005skillsgap 

><<http://www.nam.org/2005skillsgap>http://www.nam.org/2005skillsgap>.

>

>(Excerpts from National Association of Manufacturers press release, Nov. 

>22, 2005)

>

>Other Department News

>

>Secretary s Rural Education Task Force

>

>To respond to the needs of children in rural schools, Secretary Margaret 

>Spellings re-invigorated the Rural Education Task Force.  Acting Assistant 

>Secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education Beto Gonzalez 

>is the Task Force Chair.  Linda Hall, who is the Executive Director of the 

>Task Force, will be assisting him.  The Rural Education Task Force is 

>designed to bring renewed attention to the problems and issues of rural 

>schools in meeting the challenges posed by the No Child Left Behind Act.

>

>The purpose of the Task Force, supported by the Center for Rural Education 

>is to:

>·       Serve as the voice of rural education both within the Department 

>and in the rural community  ·       Coordinate and implement outreach 

>efforts to rural constituents  ·       Develop a dissemination plan, 

>targeted to rural communities  ·       Facilitate working groups that 

>examine both challenges and promising practices of rural 

>education  ·       Produce policy documents and publications that address 

>issues in the rural community

>Questions regarding the Task Force and its activities may be sent to 

>RuralED at ed.gov <<mailto:RuralED at ed.gov>mailto:RuralED at ed.gov>.

>

>Statement from Secretary Spellings on Release of Bush/Clinton Katrina Fund 

>Grants

>On December 7, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings released the 

>following statement applauding the release of $90 million in grant relief 

>money from the Bush/Clinton Katrina Fund:

>"The announcement today by former Presidents Bush and Clinton exemplifies 

>our nation's spirit of unity and compassion. Their generosity and 

>dedication in establishing this fund has been more than matched by the 

>overwhelming response of Americans, who have dug deep to help their 

>neighbors in need. "Hurricane Katrina stripped the Gulf Coast region of 

>even its most basic and essential services, shutting down hundreds of 

>schools and displacing hundreds of thousands of students. One-third of the 

>grant funds, $30 million, will go toward repairing or replacing buildings 

>and equipment at institutions of higher learning. It will also support the 

>faculty and staff who have seen their lives interrupted by the storm. We 

>cannot allow the accumulated research and hard work of these fine teachers 

>and scholars to be washed away. "The U.S. Department of Education 

>continues to do its part as well. We are working with states and schools 

>in the region and elsewhere to ensure a minimum of disruption for 

>students. We've held roundtable meetings with education and mental health 

>experts to help children and families recover. We established the 

>Hurricane Help for Schools online clearinghouse, which enables Americans 

>to match their donations to meet schools' most pressing needs. To date, 

>more than 500 matches have been made. And President Bush has proposed an 

>urgently needed education relief package, which we are eager to see 

>Congress approve. "In this season of giving, the American people have sent 

>a positive and powerful message to the world-our nation will come together 

>in times of need."

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