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CTE Newsletter
August 2023
This update is provided by the Career and Technical Education team at the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. We welcome your support in encouraging anyone who would benefit from the information to join our listserv. Individuals can sign up here. Questions can be shared with CTE@che.IN.gov.
The Indiana Association of Career and Technical Education (IACTE) and Vincennes University invites you to join us September 21-23 at the Indianapolis Marriott East for unparalleled networking and professional development, covering high-quality secondary and postsecondary CTE. Be inspired by our keynote speakers, network with companies offering the latest collection of CTE products and services, attend workshops that will take a deep dive into critical topics surrounding CTE and make new connections with your colleagues from around the state.
To view the schedule and register for this annual event, go to indianaacte.org and follow the links for conference registration.
3 Pre-Conference Workshops on September 21: For new CTE educators or those who would like to further their CTE knowledge, the state CTE team is once again partnering with IACTE to provide 3 pre-conference workshops. The pre-conference workshops have been designed based upon different roles most commonly involved in CTE. The agenda for each workshop can be found here.
New and Newer CTE Instructors (September 21): This workshop is an annual tradition of the IACTE conference. The focus of this session is to help new and newer (1st and 2nd year) instructors better understand the common elements in a high-quality CTE program. Breakout sessions will include practical strategies for integrating aligned standards and competencies with engaging instruction, providing students with the opportunity to earn dual credits and postsecondary credentials, making your CTE program accessible to all learners and connecting your program to business and industry. This session will be co-facilitated by FocusEd mentor coaches with years of experience in CTE classrooms.
As with last year, instructors participating in the Workplace Specialist program that register and attend this session will only need to attend the general session for Workplace Specialists on Friday. This option will allow the instructors the opportunity to participate in more elective sessions on Friday.
Expanding High-Quality Work-Based Learning Programs (September 21): This session is aimed at WBL coordinators or other individuals who work closely with students to participate in WBL experiences. This pre-conference session will cover important state policies and discuss strategies for improving the WBL experiences at your school. Time will be spent discussing the quality components of WBL, including the development of training plans. Attendees will also be given information on an upcoming online WBL Resource Hub being developed by state agencies, the Indiana Chamber’s Institute of Workforce Excellence and other stakeholders.
Empowering Students through CTE (September 21): This workshop is designed to help school administrators and counselors better understand how CTE can be implemented in their schools to empower students and get them started on a successful career path. Workshop attendees will see the vision for CTE in Indiana and discuss key strategies for communicating the power of CTE with students, families and community stakeholders. The session will include time to discuss the nuts and bolts of CTE in Indiana, including policies around funding and Graduation Pathways. Significant time will be spent on implementation strategies for Next Level Programs of Study and strategies to continue bolstering student outcomes in CTE programs.
Learn more at indianaacte.org and follow the links for conference registration. We are looking forward to seeing you there!
Industry Certification Exams Reimbursement
Final Reminder - The state will once again be distributing a $200,000 line item for industry certification exams. The funds are intended to cover the costs of any exams taken during the 22-23 school year.
Schools and career centers should enter any certification exams (passed or failed) completed by students during the 22-23 school year by September 1. Following collection of this data, the funding will be distributed to schools this fall. Please contact Jedd Vance with any questions.
As previously shared, this line item has been increased from $200,000 to $2,000,000 for this fiscal year (23-24 SY). The process for distribution of the line item may adjust this year. Any changes will be communicated later this fall.
Dual Credit Guidance for CTE Courses
Increasing the availability and accessibility of attaining college credit and credentials is one of the primary goals of NLPS. “Dual credit” can be difficult to navigate given the variety of options in terms of postsecondary providers and opportunities.
In collaboration with postsecondary entities, a guidance document for schools and career centers on several important topics related to offering secondary NLPS courses for college credit has been developed and can be found here. The information contained in this guidance document will be added to or incorporated in other NLPS resources this fall.
The data specialists from the CTE team are currently in the process of holding fall training sessions for the state’s CTE data management system, InTERS. These sessions throughout September are open to anyone who is involved in handling CTE data on behalf of a school or career center. Find the schedule for in-person sessions here. A webinar was held earlier today and the recording can be found here.
Career Scholarship Account Opportunity
The Commission for Higher Education, Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Treasurer of State released initial information on the new Career Scholarship Account (CSA) opportunity earlier this month. The CSA program was established by legislation passed during the 2023 session and provides $5,000 annually to students enrolled in eligible programs to cover the eligible costs of career coaching and navigation services, postsecondary education and training, transportation and equipment and certification and credentialing examinations.
Provider Application: The provider application can be found here. Provider applications are reviewed by CHE and any questions related to applying can be shared with CSA@che.in.gov.
Student Application: The student application can be found here. Questions from students or parents related to student applications are best directed to CSA@tos.in.gov.
Enrolling Students in WBL Experiences
Updated WBL Level Definitions: As part of the initial communication around House Enrolled Act 1002, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) released updated definitions of their four levels of Work-Based Learning (WBL). These definitions replace the definitions of the four 0 credit courses that were introduced last year. You can find the updated WBL Definitions here. The four levels are:
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0543 Work-Based Learning Level 1: Employability Skills (WBL Lvl 1)
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0544 Work-Based Learning Level 2: Internships (WBL Lvl 2)
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0545 Work-Based Learning Level 3: Modern Youth Apprenticeship/Pre-Apprenticeship (WBL Lvl 3)
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0546 Work-Based Learning Level 4: Federal Registered Apprenticeship (WBL Lvl 4)
WBL Lvl 1 may be used to denote completion of the Graduation Pathways Employability Skills experience, along with WBL Lvl 2 experiences and above. Only WBL Lvl 2 experiences and above will count for Perkins. The metric used by the CTE team for Perkins is a 75+ hour experience in a single placement, connected to a student’s CTE program of study.
Enrolling Students in WBL Experiences: Enrolling students in the 0-credit courses described above was optional last year, but is now required by IDOE for purposes of tracking WBL experiences for Box 2 of Graduation Pathways and Indiana GPS.
Students must still enroll in any applicable associated CTE course to receive CTE funding and earn credits, no funding will be tied to the 0-credit courses. Examples include Cooperative Education, Career Exploratory Internship, the WBL Capstone course or a NLPS Capstone Course. A few example student scenarios are shared below:
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Example 1: A student is taking WBL Capstone (5974). The student would be enrolled BOTH in Course 5974 AND in Course 0544 (WBL Lvl 2).
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Example 2: A student is participating in the NLPS Capstone course for the Pre-Nursing program of study. The student would be enrolled in BOTH the Healthcare Specialist Capstone (7255) AND in Course 0544 (WBL Lvl 2).
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Example 3: A student is participating in a school-based enterprise. The student would only enroll in Course 0543 (WBL Lvl 1) as this is a level 1 experience and there is no CTE course to also enroll the student in.
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Example 4: A student is participating in a Modern Youth Apprenticeship. The student would only enroll in 0545 (WBL Lvl 3) as this is level 3 experience and there is no CTE course to also enroll the student in. The student would also enroll in any CTE courses being used as related instruction as part of the Modern Youth Apprenticeship.
NOTE: Schools and career centers are encouraged to attend the upcoming InTERS trainings described earlier in the newsletter to receive more information on inputting WBL experiences.
WBL Capstone vs. NLPS Capstone Courses: An important item to remember when classifying WBL experiences is the distinction between standalone experiences (such as the WBL Capstone Course) and an embedded experience (such as a NLPS Capstone Course). See the “NLPS Capstone Courses” section on Page 3 of this past newsletter for clarification on the differences between these courses to ensure students are enrolled correctly.
Online/Virtual CTE Courses
Our team has received several questions regarding online and virtual CTE courses and how the language in HEA 1591 impacts the ability to offer courses in a virtual or online format. As a reminder, there were 18 NLPS approved for 100% virtual delivery last school year. The 18 are listed below:
Agriscience, Biomedical Sciences, Business Administration, Business Operations, Computer Science, Digital Design, Education Careers, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Finance and Investments, Hospitality Management, Human Services, Insurance, Legal Studies (Paralegal), Marketing, Natural Resources, Nutrition, and Software Development.
One additional program is now also available for full virtual delivery, Criminal Justice. The policy document released last fall will be updated and shared in September to reflect this change and some other minor language updates to ensure maximum clarity.
Schools and career centers are reminded the classroom instruction portion of any program of study, virtually approved or not, may be offered virtually if the in-person requirements are met through any one of a variety of options (Hybrid/Blended Model). These options include:
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Lab time at the home high school;
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Completing courses with in-person and/or lab requirements through a career center, postsecondary institution or eligible training provider; or
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An employer provided work-based learning program.
Mentor registration is now open for the workplace specialist program. All new workplace specialist teachers must be assigned a mentor and complete the mentoring program through FocusEd. Any new teacher may also get a mentor and participate in the mentoring program.
Please register mentors as soon as possible. If a teacher starts after September 1 and a mentor is assigned please still register them and email Shelley Rust focusedmanager@indianaacte.org.
Mentors will receive 30 PD points for completing the mentor program. The link to register mentors can be found here.
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