Santiago Canyon College

Career Technical Education:

Your Guide to Developing and Implementing a CTE Teacher Preparation Pipeline Program

For the 2008-2009 academic

school year, Santiago Canyon College (SCC) was once again

awarded a Teacher Preparation Pipeline Grant by the Chancellor’s

Office of the California Commu-nity Colleges to help address the

anticipated shortage of secondary and community college career

technical education (CTE) teach-ers. This guide is being pre-

sented as “Your Guide to Devel-oping and Implementing a CTE

Teacher Preparation Pipeline Pro-gram” for other colleges that are

seeking to implement and expand

a teacher preparation pipeline for their respective students. This

guide will help colleges navigate uncharted territory by providing

detailed information and strate-gies used to developing a teacher

preparation pipeline geared to-ward recruiting and retaining stu-

dents along with business and in-dustry professionals. Our hope is

that other colleges can benefit from this guide by learning about

a successful approach that worked for SCC, allowing those

new to CTE a chance to glean in-

sight and ideas for their own suc-cessful practice.

Creating the Pipeline

In This Section:

• Communication Vehicles

- Website

- Newsletter - Interest Cards

• CTE Database

• Outreach and Recruitment

- High School Outreach - On-campus Outreach

- Business and Industry Outreach

• Articulation

• Curriculum Development

Given that the main principle of

the grant was to address the pro-jected shortage of CTE teachers,

SCC uniquely coined its program

“CTE Teach!” For the 2008-2009 grant year, Santiago Canyon Col-

lege focused its efforts on three of its fastest growing career educa-

tion programs, Survey/Mapping Sciences, Water Utility Science,

and Public Works.

Communication Vehicles

Marketing materials (i.e. pam-

phlets, flyers, posters) were im-mediately designed in order to ef-

fectively promote the CTE Teacher Preparation Pipeline.

(See “Attachment A” as an exam-ple of SCC’s pamphlet designed to

promote the pipeline)

Website - Designing a website can

be one of the most effective ways of marketing a new program. A

comprehensive website was cre-ated with several features, re-

sources and links that students can access for more information.

For example, students can fill out an interest card online and be en-

tered in the CTE Database, view program requirements and trans-

fer articulation information, view the latest edition of the CTE Teach

newsletter, and read about up-coming events. SCC’s CTE Teach

website can be viewed at:

www.sccollege.edu/cteteach

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Newsletter - Newsletters can be a

creative and fun way to promote your CTE program. Topics may

include faculty interviews, student testimonials, and upcoming

events.

(See “Attachment B”)

Interest cards - Interest cards are a great way to get students and

professionals connected to your CTE Teacher Preparation Pipeline

Program, and can be distributed during each presentation. The

information collected can provide

valuable insight into each individ-ual’s personal and professional

goals, both on and off campus.

Cards may consist of personal

contact information, career infor-mation, current program enroll-

ment, certificate/degree goals, potential interest in transfer, and

any additional data that you feel is important to your program’s vi-

sion.

(See “Attachment C”)

CTE Database

Information from student interest

cards can be easily stored in your very own CTE Database. This

compendium of student informa-tion provides a constant connec-

tion between students, counselors and staff. The database will be a

primary means for sending out informational emails, newsletters,

job postings, etc. It is a great

way to track student progress throughout the school year. The

database will also be valuable

when assessing the outcomes and

effectiveness of your program at year’s end.

Outreach and Recruitment

The first step in the outreach component is getting to know

your project. Once you are famil-iar with the project you can now

target your partners and bring them on board.

High School Outreach - During

the grant development process, four local feeder high schools

were asked to serve as grant

partners. To coordinate support at the administrative level, the

Director of Secondary Education, which oversees all four high

schools, was also asked to sign on as a grant partner. This en-

sured that the efforts of CTE Teach were in line with the phi-

losophy of the local unified school district. Since the grant was fo-

cused on the career technical education field, it was imperative

to contact and establish meetings with the career education coordi-

nators at each school site.

The foundation of the outreach

component was formulated during

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these meetings through extensive

dialogue as to how SCC could es-tablish a career technical educa-

tion teacher preparation pipeline at each respective school. Based

on valuable feedback from each partnering school, the following

list highlights a few outreach tools that SCC utilized in order to pro-

mote its program:

• Generate an introductory letter

(see “Attachment D”) that

could be sent to teachers pro-moting the program and offer-

ing classroom presentations.

Disciplines that responded in-cluded: English, Mathematics,

Computer Science, Regional Occupational Program (ROP)

classes such as Career Focus, Careers in Teaching, Business,

Internet Technology, and Com-puter Aided Drafting classes).

• Obtain an email list of all

teachers, following up on the

initial introductory letter in or-der to promote the program.

• Be a visible presence on each

high school campus, offering

morning and lunch table infor-mational sessions with pro-

gram materials.

• Inform assistant principals,

counselors, and key staff at

each respective school that presentations are being of-

fered. • Supply career centers at each

respective school with all nec-essary marketing and outreach

materials. • Utilize staff meetings as an-

other way to promote the pro-gram.

• Participate in special events

that lend themselves to your

CTE program, including career days, college fairs, and coun-

selor conferences. • Offer college campus tours

and include a workshop on

your CTE program.

On-campus Outreach - Outreach efforts should also focus on your

college campus. Numerous dia-logues occurred between the SCC

Dean of Career Education, CTE faculty, and CTE Teach staff. This

collaborative partnership was cru-cial to SCC’s CTE Teacher Prepa-

ration Pipeline Program success. Faculty understood the relevance

of CTE Teach, and welcomed presentations in all career educa-

tion classes. Being that most fac-

ulty members held professional

positions in addition to teaching,

students were presented with the invitation to visit different job

sites and participate in job shad-owing and internship opportuni-

ties.

Your college’s Public Information Officer will also serve as a valu-

able resource. A career focus publication was specially designed

to feature and highlight career technical education and the CTE

Teacher Preparation Pipeline Pro-gram.

Email communication will also

serve as an integral part of your college campus outreach efforts.

Mass emails introducing and pro-moting the program allow for

greater visibility. This form of

communication provided greater versatility for scheduling presen-

tations with all instructional fac-

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ulty.

On-campus activities can serve as another effective platform for

connecting with students, faculty and staff. The CTE Teach Pro-

gram participated in several dif-ferent events, such as New Stu-

dent Orientations, Transfer Fairs, Career Fairs, Senior Day, Trig

STAR (a Survey/Mapping math competition), the SCC Water Edu-

cation Extravaganza, Parent Night, Future Teacher’s Confer-

ence, and mentor mixer events.

Business and Industry Outreach - A significant focus of the CTE

Teacher Preparation Pipeline Grant was informing professionals

in the field that they may be eligi-ble to teach at the community

college level with an associate de-gree along with the required

number years of experience. CTE

Teach was able to target these individuals through a variety of

organizations and events, such as:

• The California Land Surveying

Association (CLSA)

• The League of California Sur-

veying Organizations (LCSO)

• ROP Job Development Network

• Fieldtrips for students to

business/industry grant part-

ners • Technical Advisory Committees

• Presentations for Professional

Networking Organizations

For the 2008-2009 grant year, CTE Teach offered a series of suc-

cessful “Reach Out and Teach” presentations. This allowed CTE

Teach to focus it’s outreach ef-forts on professionals in business/

industry through site visits, brown bag lunch series, and

after-hours presentations tailored to the unique needs of employers

in different Industry Sectors.

Whether outreaching with high schools, your college, or business

and industry, it is important that

you establish rapport with all key

players involved. Get to know

your partners and meet with them as soon as possible. Set

clear goals and deadlines. And finally, remind partners that your

program is here to provide quality services for students and develop

skilled CTE teachers for the next generation.

Articulation

When creating and expanding a successful CTE Teacher Prepara-

tion Pipeline Program, it is impor-tant to have a thorough under-

standing of how the coursework

in your CTE program will translate to a 4-year university. In con-

junction with the CTE Teach Pro-gram, the SCC articulation officer

conducted an analysis of articu-lated coursework needed for uni-

versity transfer. To better meet the needs of CTE students, trans-

fer guide sheets were developed and updated regularly, clearly de-

lineating required courses that will lead to a seamless transfer

experience.

Curriculum Development

In our first year of funding, two new courses were created as part

of SCC’s CTE teacher preparation

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pathway. The first course fo-

cused on self-exploration and the teaching profession. The second

focused on careers in the survey/mapping profession.

With the expansion of SCC’s CTE

Teacher Preparation Pipeline Pro-gram during the 2008-2009 grant

year, CTE Teach worked closely with faculty from all three disci-

plines on curriculum development efforts. An emphasis was placed

on assessing student performance in mathematics, and led to infus-

ing curriculum into current CTE

courses focused on building math and computer skills. These skills

were deemed vital to occupational success and future teaching op-

portunities.

Infusing the Pipeline

In This Section:

• 4-year University

Partnerships

• Faculty Relationships

• Advisory Groups

4-year University Partnerships

University transfer plans vary, de-

pending upon the school and ma-

jor desired. The CTE Teach Pro-

gram established specialized part-nerships with universities that of-

fer undergraduate degree pro-grams in related fields, allowing

Survey/Mapping, Water Utility Science and Public Works stu-

dents at SCC to advance and pur-sue a bachelor’s degree. Partner-

ships included degree options in Civil Engineering, Public Admini-

stration, and Career & Technical Studies.

Establishing similar partnerships

with universities in your area will

enhance your CTE Teacher Prepa-ration Pipeline Program. In keep-

ing with the goal of the teacher preparation pipeline grant, stu-

dents are encouraged to further their academic and professional

preparation with the completion of an undergraduate degree. In

some school districts, a bachelor’s degree may be required in order

to become a career technical edu-cation instructor at the secondary

level. Your program will have much more depth and reach if it

can provide a wide variety of

seamless transfer options for students.

Faculty Relationships

A successful teacher preparation pipeline will require a collabora-

tive effort involving many differ-ent individuals on campus. First

and foremost, this will require collaboration with the faculty of

the specific discipline. To effec-tively connect with CTE faculty at

SCC, CTE Teach actively partici-pated in all instructional meetings

and met regularly with the Dean of Career Education. This en-

abled faculty to contribute to the overall efficiency of CTE Teach by

offering valuable professional in-

sight. Faculty members were also encouraged to attend CTE Teach

program activities in order to con-nect with students and further in-

crease student interest. This also provided a strong framework for

further curriculum development.

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Advisory Groups

Establishing positive faculty rela-tionships lends itself to active

participation in all advisory groups relevant to your CTE pro-

gram. Advisory groups serve an important role in teacher prepara-

tion pipeline development, as they are based upon the voices of

professionals in the field. This al-lows students, faculty, and coun-

selors to connect with real-world applications that will guide the fo-

cus of your CTE Teacher Prepara-tion Pipeline Program.

Implementing the

Pipeline

In This Section: • Case Management

Counseling - Presentations

- CTE Interview Forms - CTE Database

- Follow-up Services

• CTE Summer Institute and

CTE Career EXPO

- Contextual Learning Exercises

- Introduction to Student Support Services

- Tutoring and Classroom Experience

- Guest Presentations - Fieldtrips

- Personalized Educa-tional Plans

Case Management Counseling

Case management counseling is a

core foundation of CTE Teacher Preparation Pipeline Program suc-

cess. You may have noticed that a large majority of students in-

volved in CTE programs are also professionals already working in

their respective fields. Whether returning for additional formalized

training, working toward a pro-motion, or for personal fulfill-

ment, these individuals demon-strate the need for continuing

education in career technical

fields. While they may enter higher education with a plethora

of skills acquired in business and industry, many are in need of

educational counseling services and basic information about the

academic environment. This in-cludes student services available

on campus as well as academic planning and options for the fu-

ture.

Your college’s counseling and stu-dent support services depart-

ments will play an important role

in shaping the atmosphere of your CTE Teacher Preparation

Pipeline Program. Again, the suc-

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cess of your new teacher prepara-

tion pipeline will largely depend upon the collaborative effort es-

tablished by all principle parties involved. This cohesive body will

likely include your Career Educa-tion Division, CTE faculty and

staff, outreach personnel and counselors. While each member

serves as a special piece of the puzzle, counselors are in the

unique position to act as the bridge between the student and

support services on campus.

Case management counseling is

an active, hands-on approach to providing counseling services to

students. Counselors are consis-tently involved in outreach and

recruitment efforts, which include classroom presentations, campus

events and mentor mixers. Being a constant presence on campus

and in the office is key for CTE student success. Meeting with

students and discussing academic and personal goals will allow

counselors to develop personal-ized educational plans for each

individual student. Once direct

relationships are cultivated, coun-selors remain in contact with stu-

dents on a regular basis and pro-

vide valuable follow-up services

to maintain student progress. Important components of a case

management counseling approach include:

Presentations - A wonderful way

to establish a collaborative at-mosphere with professionals in

business and industry as well as CTE faculty, while also promoting

the counseling and student sup-port services available to stu-

dents. It is important to let stu-dents know how to access these

services – Where is your counsel-

ing office? When are you avail-able for counseling hours? How

do they make an appointment with you to receive counseling

services?

CTE Interview Forms - Interview forms have long served counsel-

ors as a productive tool during an initial one-on-one meeting with a

student. You can create your own interview form that is tailored to

the specific needs of your CTE program. Student contact info,

educational goals, and placement

test scores are all useful bits of information that will serve as the

springboard for future appoint-

ments and conversations with

each student.

(See “Attachment E”)

CTE Database - For counselors, the CTE Database is a great way

to track student progress throughout the academic year, as

well as the frequency of student appointments. Counselors are

also able to recall the information from the interest cards in order to

assess each student’s educational and occupational goals.

Follow-up Services - A key com-

ponent of case management

counseling, follow-up services in-clude regularly scheduled coun-

seling appointments with CTE stu-

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dents to assess progress in

coursework and address any other concerns. In addition, fol-

low-up services allow the student and counselor to modify an indi-

vidual’s personalized educational plan, solidify educational goals,

and discuss certificate/degree op-tions in greater detail. This be-

comes particularly important when considering transfer to a 4-

year university. Finally, follow-up services remind each student that

you are there for them, acting as an advocate and a source of con-

sistent support.

A case management counseling

approach allows students, coun-selors, instructors and other sup-

port staff to connect with your program, and remain involved in

every facet of your teacher prepa-ration pipeline. Establishing and

maintaining this connection is a team effort – one that requires

consistent, active participation from all members of the collabo-

rative group. Once implemented, the case management counseling

approach will undoubtedly in-

crease the overall cohesiveness of your CTE Teacher Preparation

Pipeline Program, and in turn, en-

courage student success.

CTE Summer Institute As you can see, a successful CTE

Teacher Preparation Pipeline Pro-gram is really the sum of its parts

– a collaborative effort estab-lished by dedicated professionals

in academia, business and indus-try, and the surrounding commu-

nity. Like a good culinary recipe, each member brings to the table

a wide range of personal experi-ences that add to the overall fla-

vor of your program. One of the

most important (and often over-looked) members of this collabo-

rative group will be the students themselves. Even when all the

key players are in place, it will be difficult to accomplish the goals of

your CTE Teacher Preparation Pipeline Program if you fail to ac-

tively engage students. So ask yourself, “How will we put it all

together?”

Santiago Canyon College con-cluded the 2007-2008 CTE

Teacher Preparation Pipeline Pro-

gram Grant with a “CTE Summer Institute,” a summer course de-

signed to help students new to

career technical fields explore a wide range of academic and occu-

pational opportunities emphasiz-

ing a teacher preparation pipe-line. Using SCC’s Survey/

Mapping Sciences Program as a template, students were intro-

duced to the teaching opportuni-ties in career technical fields. In

keeping with the focus of the grant, the CTE Summer Institute

had purposeful curriculum woven into the course that included

hands-on contextual learning ex-ercises, personalized educational

plan design, campus tours, as well as an introduction to the

many student support services at

SCC. In addition, students were taken on fieldtrips to observe

firsthand the transition from SCC

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SCC’s CTE Summer Institute Students

to either a career in business and

industry, or to a 4-year institu-tion.

CTE Career EXPO

For the 2008-2009 grant year, SCC and the CTE Teach team

hosted a CTE Career EXPO, a hands-on contextual learning

event that showcased three excit-ing careers in growing industries:

Survey/Mapping, Water Utility Science, and Public Works. SCC

and CTE Teach welcomed over 700 high school seniors from local

and surrounding school districts.

Students had the opportunity to

meet with professionals in Sur-vey/Mapping, Water Utility Sci-

ence, and Public Works to discuss each occupation and gain a better

understanding of what to expect

from these in-demand industries. One of the groups featured at the

CTE Career EXPO was SCC’s Survey/Mapping program, as well

as the California Land Surveyors Assoc. Students were introduced

to land surveying equipment set

up for their use, and gained a wealth of information about the

field. CTE Teach was also fortunate

enough to have the Irvine Ranch Water District present, offering

students an entertaining environ-ment full of games and activities

teaching them about water treat-ment, distribution, and wastewa-

ter management.

Finally, the EXPO showcased

three interesting facets of Public

Works with the help of the Or-

ange County Public Works depart-ment. Students had the opportu-

nity to view some of the creative ways professionals in this industry

utilize technology and innovation in their daily work. Remote con-

trol cameras used for exploring confined spaces and a large en-

gine from a water pump and dam system were both on display.

Contextual Learning Exercises - A

key component of CTE programs, contextual learning exercises al-

low students to actively experi-

ence some of the hands-on as-pects of career technical fields.

In an ambitious and rewarding ef-fort, students were responsible

for working daily in SCC’s Aca-demic Success Center, a learning

center that provides computer-aided individualized instruction in

core academic areas. Specifically, CTE students from all three disci-

plines utilized PLATO, the self-paced tutoring software in mathe-

matics designed to provide a comprehensive assessment and

increase competency in this vital

component of career technical education. Contextual learning

exercises are an effective way to

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actively engage student participa-

tion, and provide instructors with a great opportunity to be creative

in curriculum design.

Introduction to Student Support Services - Your college’s student

support services division will serve as the backdrop within

which academic success is attain-able. Awareness of student sup-

port services is often the first challenge facing new student

populations. Through valuable tours and presentations by de-

partment personnel, students

were introduced to a world of support services available on

campus. Campus tours are a great way to familiarize new stu-

dents with the college environ-ment. Additional student services

presented included transfer, ca-reer, and counseling centers, as

well as library resources.

Tutoring and Classroom Experience - An impor-

tant component of SCC 2008-2009 Teacher Preparation Pipeline

was the hiring and training of tu-

tors. These individuals had ex-pressed a desire to become future

teachers in CTE fields, and gained

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valuable one-to-one experience

working with students in Survey/Mapping, Water Utility Science,

and Public Works classes in mathematics skill development

and additional course content.

CTE Teach also implemented a classroom observation opportu-

nity for students and profession-als who had expressed an interest

in teaching college-level CTE courses. Participants gained

classroom facilitation skills by as-sisting instructors in Survey/

Mapping, Water Utility Science,

and Public Works courses.

Guest Presentations - Putting a face with an occupation or service

is one of the most effective ways to attain student interest. While

reading about technical fields in books has a certain academic

value, speaking directly with someone who works in a technical

field can bridge the gap between the theoretical and tangible op-

portunities available to students. CTE Teach students received

presentations from professionals

in all three disciplines, hearing firsthand what a future career in a

technical field may hold, including

the option to return and teach in

the high school and community college levels.

Fieldtrips - Fieldtrips are a valu-

able way to bring the learning ex-perience outside the classroom,

bridging instruction with real life applications. The CTE Summer

Institute and CTE Career EXPO linked students to the business

and industry sector as well as 4-year institutions.

Personalized Educational Plans -

An important element of the CTE

Teach program focused on teach-ing students how to develop a

personalized educational plan to guide them down the CTE teacher

preparation pathway. This in-cluded investigating degree op-

tions in Survey/Mapping Sciences, Water Utility Science and Public

Works, selecting a related major, and developing a semester-by-

semester plan that meets all nec-essary requirements in the

teacher preparation pipeline while maintaining their academic and

occupational goals. Empowering

students with the knowledge of how to develop their own educa-

tional plans demystifies the col-

www.sccollege.edu/cteteach

Presented By:

Jennifer Coto, Ed.D.…………… Project Director

Phillip Crabill, M.S.……………… CTE Counselor

Eva Juarez……………………………High School and Community Outreach Specialist

Ruth Babeshoff…………………… Dean, Counseling and Student Support Services

This project was funded by a grant from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office - SB70 Funding

lege experience, taking the

daunting task of completing a de-gree program and breaking it

down into small, manageable steps.

Culminating Thoughts

This guide is designed as a road-map to assist you in developing

and/or enhancing your own CTE Teacher Preparation Pipeline Pro-

gram. Every program will be unique – with different needs and

goals based upon the populations

you serve. To continue the mo-mentum of any new program, be

certain to secure support from your college’s administration in

order to effectively sustain the pipeline. One of the most chal-

lenging and rewarding aspects of creating a program from its in-

ception is the ability to modify and tailor services that will ulti-

mately benefit your students.