ACTE Releases Updated Quality CTE Framework and Program Self-evaluation

As part of its ongoing work to help CTE educators and administrators develop and improve the quality of their CTE programs, ACTE recently released the 2018 version of its Quality CTE Program of Study Framework.

High-quality CTE has become a national catchphrase in use by policymakers, practitioners, and education and workforce development stakeholders. But what is high-quality CTE? To bring clarity to this conversation, ACTE has created an evidence-based framework defining high-quality CTE across 12 elements:

Standards-aligned and Integrated Curriculum Sequencing and Articulation Student Assessment Prepared and Effective Program Staff Engaging Instruction Access and Equity

Facilities, Equipment, Technology and Materials Business and Community Partnerships Student Career Development Career and Technical Student Organizations Work-based Learning Data and Program Improvement

The 2018 version of the framework is the culmination of research, several rounds of feedback and pilot testing. It is accompanied by a program self-evaluation instrument, which can be completed in print or using our new online evaluation form. If filled out online, users can receive automatically calculated scores, save and print their results, and be connected to the High-quality CTE Tools online library for areas identified as needing improvement.

In addition to being a voluntary tool for self-assessment and program improvement, the Quality CTE Program of Study Framework also serves as a guide for ACTE’s work in disseminating best practices and providing professional development. ACTE will be releasing additional quality resources in 2019 and 2020, including a new Techniques column, a new paper series and an expanded rubric that will more specifically describe what progress and success looks like for each of the criteria. ACTE will also institute a revision process for the framework, so that we can keep it up-to-date as the CTE field evolves and changes.