On April 27, the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Education Reform held the first in a series of hearings on vocational and technical education as it prepares to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act (P.L. 105-332).
Chair Mike Castle (R-DE) said that since the 1998 reauthorization of the law, progress has been made “in modernizing vocational and technical education programs by creating an initial performance accountability system and strengthening the focus on academic performance among participating students. Whether a student progresses directly to the workforce, or goes on to an institution of higher education it is imperative they have a strong academic base.”
Stating that it is “not a one size fits all world,” Ranking Member Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) argued that vocational education programs should not force a student to choose between learning skills and academics. She also expressed her hope that the reauthorization bill would include an extension of the Women’s Educational Equity Act.
The subcommittee first heard testimony from Dr. Sandra Walls-Culotta, principal of Sussex Technical High School in Georgetown, Delaware. She explained that the school was redesigned in 1991 as a comprehensive technical high school for grades 9 through 12. Students are able to select a career “cluster,” which allows students to participate in academic courses and career programs in automotive technologies, health and human services, communication and information technologies, and industrial engineering. Dr. Walls-Culotta said that the “heart of the program at Sussex Tech is the integration of academic and technical instruction. The term ‘Techademic’ was coined by an English teacher at our school to demonstrate the goal of integrating a career-technical curriculum with academics.” She explained that students’ scores on academic achievement tests had improved significantly, noting, “These accomplishments would not be possible without a curriculum that integrates academics and technical course work, which provides students the basis for improving academic achievement.”
Dr. Carl Wong, Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools, said the county works with community colleges and state universities to provide students with career development and workforce preparation skills that are “responsive to local and regional labor market demands.” Explaining that a student’s path through high school is no longer characterized as “college-bound” vs. “work-bound,” he stated, “Our prevailing philosophy and practice is the integration of workforce and academic skills so that all education is essentially career/technical/vocational education.”
Testifying on behalf of Greenville Technical College in Greenville, South Carolina, Dr. Thomas Barton explained that Greenville Tech uses Perkins funds to serve the needs of special student populations, including travel and child care costs for single mothers and English as a second language programs. He also noted the diversity of the students that attend Greenville Tech, pointing out that 50 percent of the students are over the age of 24, some students are seeking a degree or certificate, and others are looking to upgrade a skill set to advance their careers. Dr. Thomas argued that the current law is insufficient in addressing the needs of those students who are not going directly from high school to community college. He stated, “The current indicators reflect the Act’s overall orientation toward secondary CTE [career and technical education] programs by focusing primarily on program completion. While a focus on completion may be appropriate for high school students, postsecondary performance indicators should reflect the diverse goals of community college students. In addition to degree and certificate attainment, industry-defined skill acquisition, transfer, and employment should be counted as program successes, because these are the goals students come to our college to achieve.”
Marie Zwickert of Cisco Systems, Inc. highlighted the Cisco Networking Academy Program, a “comprehensive e-learning program” that is designed to teach students Internet technology skills. She explained that the program allows students to “apply classroom learning to actual technology challenges, which ultimately prepares tomorrow’s workforce for life-long learning opportunities, and motivates them to continue their education and learning.” Cisco also has established The Gender Initiative, which addresses the gender digital divide by seeking ways to increase women’s access to IT training and career opportunities. Ms. Zwickert said that Cisco partners with educational institutions to collect information on best practices in recruitment and retention strategies, then based on those findings, “We are developing tools and resources, such as a gender module for teachers of programs, marketing materials, gender websites, media presentations and role models designed to attract and retain more women to the field of IT.” In addition, through the Gender Equal Access in Technology Project, Cisco partners with high schools to encourage more girls to participate in the Cisco Networking Academy Program.
During the question and answer session, Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) asked about the success of The Gender Initiative at Cisco. Ms. Zwickert told the story of a student in Columbus, Ohio who “had the propensity for IT” and participated in the program at her high school. She is now attending Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio where she is studying business administration with a minor in computer science.
