Career and Technical Education (CTE) Advisory Committee

CTE Highlights

Minutes

The regular meeting of Fairfax County School Board’s Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee (CTEAC) was called to order on September 12, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. by Irvin Varkonyi, Chair. The meeting was held in room 1001 of 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031. The option to attend virtually was made available via Zoom.

Call to Order and Opening Remarks

Meeting Plan – Most meetings will be held in a hybrid model, in-person and virtually. School visits will only be held in person and are scheduled to take place during November and March meeting dates. November’s meeting will be in-person only and will be held at Marshall Academy.

All School Board appointed members are present. We still do not have appointees for the Franconia district & PTA representative.

Committee Member Introductions

All members shared a little about themselves and “What’s Your Why in 5 Words or Less.”

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Overview and Updates

PowerPoint presentation covering CTE office staff updates and changes, general overview of CTE and the programs that are offered.

We have a team for CTE to provide support to the teachers and what they are doing for the students.

CTE Program Areas

• Business and Information Technology
• Family and Consumer Sciences
• Health and Medical Sciences
• Marketing
• Technology Engineering Education
• Trade and Industrial Education & JROTC
• STEAM and Computer Science

Elements of CTE Programs

• Industry Credentials
• Dual Enrollment Opportunities
• Work Based Learning
• Portrait of a Graduate and Workplace Readiness Skills

CTE Highlights

• We have several courses through online campus such as Language in medicine.
• We offer Summer Camps & Enrichment programs.
• We have a Firefighting program which is in connection with Fairfax County fire department.
• Teachers for Tomorrow program is helping us prepare our own future workforce.
• We have trade programs through a foundation called “Foundation for Applied Technical Education” that helps students in programs such as residential construction, student auto sales, and entrepreneurship.

Course Offerings

• Over 160 courses offered.
• Over 68,000 students enrolled in SY 23-24.
• Over 6,000 students in summer EPF classes.

Course Locations

• Classroom-on-the-Mall—Fair Oaks
• Fire Training Academy
• Plum Adult Learning Center
• Residential Construction Site—Spring Village
• Non-Traditional Career Readiness Academies
• High School Academies
• 2 Alternative High Schools
• All Middle Schools
• All High Schools

Industry Credentials

Sampling of Credentials: W!SE Financial Literacy, CompTIA, CISCO, Microsoft Office Specialist, ProStart, SERVSafe, NRF Customer Service & Sales, NCLEX-PN, Cosmetology Licensure, ASE & Autodesk.

Promotional Methods

Videos, Social Media, Newsletter, and School Based Efforts.

Communication office has been working closely to promote our programs. We get a lot of promotions out of things like firefighting and residential constructions. A monthly newsletter goes out to promote what students are doing at the schools. There are School Board presentations, social media, & course catalog to promote our programs.

CTE Goals and Objectives

• New Teacher Support & Development
  • Work closely with the FCPS Great Beginnings team to retain our teachers to support their transition from the industry to being a teacher and to support our new teachers.
• Middle School Enrichment and Career and Technical Student Organizations.
  • Federal Legislation and Virginia law require Career and Technical Student Organizations for all CTE program areas represented at school. Recent change in state law allows students who are not in a CTE course to participate.
• Promotion and Countywide Events
• High Quality Work Based Learning and Industry Credentials

Budget Process and Fiscal Needs

• Staffing: WBL Specialists, Pathways Senior Manager & Academy and Specialized program positions.
  • We continue to struggle with both central and school-based staffing.
  • Working on a permanent position through the operating budget and not grand funded.
  • Increase staffing to meet tremendous growth in academy and specialized programs.
• Teacher stipends for CTSOs
• Equipment and Software shortfall
  • We did take a cut on our Perkins funding this year. We have adjusted to make sure everybody has what they need, and we continue with curriculum development and professional development and getting things in classrooms. CTE is funded through Perkins legislation and one of the requirements for the federal funding is that we have an advisory board to help support us in developing our Perkins plan, courses, and pathways. Having those with various industries and post-secondary institutions help to guide us in in what's coming and what we need to do to prepare our students. The priority is getting that feedback and making sure we're staying connected to all the different career clusters and post-secondary options for our students. In Fairfax County we have school board advisory councils to help keep school board members up to date on what's going on in different areas to make recommendations to school board members. A piece of that is keeping the community educated. Our committee is made-up of the members who are appointed by school board members as well as members who we have asked to join from different various industries or post-secondary.
• Renovation needs
  • There are needs for facility renovation projects to expand access to programs, but we do not have a renovation budget.

Proposed New Courses and Course Changes for 25-26

• This year we are not proposing any new courses due to our maximum capacity to develop and implement a new course and financially support the new course.
• Continue implementing course pathways for Welding and Aircraft Pilot Training
• Implement new Drones course.
• Request to add honors weight to: Teachers for Tomorrow I and II, Pharmacy Technician II and Cyber Cloud Computing & Network Admin
• Request to add Dual Enrollment option for Fashion Careers

Develop CTEAC Work Plan

Prior Committee Recommendations and Updates

• Increase capacity through increased industry partnerships and utilization of space at NVCC sites.
  • Currently in the stage of conducting initial research on possible options.
  • Need assistance setting meetings with appropriate contacts.
  • Requested additional staffing through fiscal forecast process.
• Increase staffing and transportation for CTE academy programs to create specialized centers in base schools with existing specialized programs:
  • Requested additional staffing through fiscal forecast process.
• Conduct a cost benefit analysis to guide resource allocation within CTE, aligning course costs with student and workforce demands.
  • Review of course costs and workforce demands is scheduled to be conducted through this school year.
• Provide permanent funding for two work-based learning specialists and consider adding regional work-based learning specialists to increase opportunities for students to participate in high quality work-based learning experiences.
  • Requested through fiscal forecast process.
• Create and/or add a tool for academic and career planning along with a survey instrument to capture stakeholder perception of preparedness of students to industry needs.
  • Currently in the process of conducting RFI for academic and career planning tools in collaboration with the academic and career planning team.
• Provide communication and education to middle and high school counselors that directs them to broaden the academic advising messaging focus on a pathways-based approach grounded in asking what the student is interested in pursuing after high school.
  • Course selection materials are currently being updated.
  • Presentation will be shared with DSS in October/November with counselor meetings to follow.

Ongoing Recommendations

• School Visits: On-site visit with Virginia state legislators and local leaders completed in November of 2023 with plans to continue this as an annual event.
• Career Bus: A school bus has been procured. We are now investigating how to have it painted and outfitted. Assistance needed in finding sponsorships

Develop Subcommittee Structure

Committee members were asked to review last year’s workstreams of:

• Increasing Capacity and/or Learning Opportunities for Students
• Measuring for Success
• Course Planning and Advising

Members will decide if they should continue the same workstreams this school year.

Closing Remarks

Meeting adjourned at 10:30 am following a motion of unanimous consent

CTE Highlights

Minutes

The regular meeting of the Fairfax County School Board’s Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee (CTEAC) was called to order on October 10, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. by Irvin Varkonyi, Chair. The meeting was held in room 1001 at 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031. The option to attend virtually was made available via Zoom.

Call to Order and Opening Remarks

Irvin Varkonyi welcomed committee members. Reminded committee members this meeting is intended to work on developing CTEAC Workstreams and build out a work plan. School visits will only be held in person and are scheduled to take place during November and March. November’s meeting will be in-person only and will be held at Marshall Academy. 

The committee will not meet in December but will resume in January. We still do not have appointees for the Franconia district & PTA representative. One of our CTEAC staff members Jay Garant, Administrator, Business & Community Partnerships will be retiring this year.

Career and Technical Education Update

• On Monday, Oct.14 there will be a regional district competition for DECA.
  • Our senior manager for marketing education, Amy Granahan, is organizing the event. This is the first level of competition for our marketing students and the winners will advance to the state leadership competition in Virginia Beach.
• HOSA District Leadership Conference will take place on November 4th at West Potomac 
  Academy. This is the first level competition for our health and medical sciences students. The event provides opportunities for students to develop their leadership skills in our healthcare system.

School Board Update

• We received the CTSO stipend and CTE budget information from Whitney and have sent it to the SB budget chair and will be socializing it with other SBM’s as well during budget discussions.
• Seema also was able to add a couple of legislative amendments to the Career and Workforce Readiness section to a) increase the access and participation of under-represented students in fields such as STEAM and trades requiring specialized skills and training and b) to provide students with access to explore emerging technology fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum Information Science (QIS) to build the skills needed for careers of the future. Both of these are in line with CTEAC’s mission of providing equitable access and preparing our students for the workforce in a competitive global economy.

Brief on CTEAC Annual Report

Our recommendation for strategic planning is part of Goal 4, Access and Equity.

1. Ensure standardization of CTE communication across all schools through allocation of resources to review and approve school-level CTE content.
2. Continue to address gaps in CTE offerings that require student transportation and/or provide sufficient funding to support alternatives to enable students to partake in offerings.

In 2023-24, the committee focused on the following workstreams.

Subcommittee #1: Increasing Capacity and/or Learning Opportunities for students.

This subcommittee focused on recommendations around increasing capacity and access to current CTE programs. While expanding current FCPS facilities through renovations, additions, or new buildings would be ideal, the committee discussed ways to form partnerships with NOVA and other community organizations to create additional spaces. This would require collaboration between additional FCPS departments such as facilities and transportation, along with dedication and commitment from community partners.

Subcommittee #2: Measuring for Success

This subcommittee focused on recommendations for developing targets and descriptions against the identified measures in the 2023-30 Strategic Plan and took a reflective look at prior recommendations to ensure alignment with direction. This subcommittee took a close look at opportunities for students to participate in high quality work-based learning experiences (HQWBL), and the coordination required to match students and business/industry partners with opportunities.

Subcommittee #3: Course Planning and Advising

This subcommittee focused on recommendations to the school board to support a more nuanced approach to academic advising and to work with the legislature to examine curriculum standards to provide greater access to opportunities for our specialized populations by acknowledging math and science content within the CTE curriculum.

Recommendations to School Board

• Recommendations requiring partnership with the Virginia government:
  • Conduct an annual half-day academy visit with members of the Virginia State legislature and business and industry leaders.
  • Work with state legislators and VDOE to enable acquisition of core credits through CTE courses.
  • Work with the state to create a second type of Advanced Diploma that allows for two years of world language and provides recognition for achieving CTE completer or certification to obtain advanced status.
• Business and Industry Partnerships
  • Provide consistent and equitable access to information across FCPS about work-based learning opportunities.
• Early Engagement in CTE
  • Fully design and implement rich interactive activities for use on the new Career Bus. Ensure utilization of Career Bus in areas with a large percentage of students who may be at risk for future dropout.
  • Research and recommend a “CareerBook” type software for students.

2024-25 CTEAC Potential Workstreams

Course selection considerations for students

This includes course weighting and incentives to take only weighted courses.

• Who is the audience that CTE and AP classes is supposed to be serving?
• Some CTE courses get course weighting through Dual Enrollment.
• What can be done like weighting more classes and how do we communicate?
• A combination of last year’s work and this year’s work to bring the capacity and opportunities for students and measuring for success along with increasing visibility.
• Raising the reputation of CTE would be a wonderful thing to do for our students.
• Broadening our community reach and marketing techniques in our local community for more careers and cluster pathways and not be limited to what the community has.
• Fairfax County Public Schools have an online interactive platform called Tiggbee that allows students to look at careers connected to their courses or that they are interested in pursuing.

CTE courses in Middle School

Students in our Career Investigations course participate in field trips to the closest academies to learn about offerings for high school.

Stipends for CTE teachers

The issue of stipends for CTE teachers serving as CTSO advisors is being shared with SB members.

Career Bus development

Do we need school board support to make it happen or we just need to make it happen? Are we asking for budget money or asking for policies to be changed?

Suggestions

• One of the workstream priorities is staffing, recruiting professionals who are in lucrative career to come and instruct our students for less money.
• Could have the three workstreams and dedicate one meeting to each work stream.
• We benefit from a group discussion instead of individual committees.
• Final research and documentation could be refined by two to three people from the group.
• In December, each committee could potentially have a premeeting that is open to the public to be more prepared for CTEAC meeting in January.
• A general discussion was made that fall under two umbrella terms which are staffing and marketing.
• To make CTE better is through staffing and marketing efforts.
• Agreed on two workstreams: staffing will be discussed in person in January and CTE reputation and outreach will be discussed in February.

Closing Remarks

Meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.

CTE Highlights

Location

Marshall Academy (7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043)

Park in bus lanes near door 1 beginning at 8:15 a.m.

Minutes

The regular meeting of the Fairfax County School Board’s Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee (CTEAC) was called to order on November 14, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. by Irvin Varkonyi, Chair. 

Tour of Programs

The committee members and guests were separated into four groups led by staff members. Committee members and guests toured various CTE classrooms, including:

• Auto Tech
• Engineering Systems
• Cosmetology
• Criminal Justice
• Cyber Systems Tech

Call to Order and Opening Remarks

• Irvin Varkonyi welcomed the committee and school board members.
• We will have an optional virtual CTEAC meeting on December 12, 2024, to prepare and work as a group on two work streams.
  • Workstream #1 - Staffing and Resources
    • Addressing the impact of Jay's departure on industry partnerships.
    • Addressing school counselors capabilities and resources for guiding students.
    • Stipends to support CTE instructors and staff enabling more contact hours with students.
  • Workstream #2
    • Marketing, outreach, reputation of CTE, expanding to a wider audience, and matching supply of resources with expanding demand.
    • Data on expanding career opportunities in trades and technical areas with rising wages and benefits.
    • Overcoming misimpressions for families and students at college or post-HS career path.
    • Weighted grade strategy at FCPS reflecting cultural bias toward college.
  • These are the work streams that will develop recommendations that will be put forward to the School Board.
• Irvin attended Dr. Reid state of school’s breakfast. There was a discussion involving the challenges of programs and how well can we enhance CTE and solve limitations of resources. As a committee, recommendations were made to the school board to be able to overcome these challenges. 

Overview of Marshall Academy

• Greg Luongo, Marshall Academy Administrator, highlighted their academy programs.
• Students at Marshall Academy follow their passion, and how much they enjoy being there while participating in their chosen programs. it is more than just traditional education. We had hundreds of students get industry certifications through their classes.
• Students come in and they pursue their passion. They know what they want to do in the future and get the work done. We prepare them for whatever the future might be.
• We have 1,100 students coming here to Marshall Academy every day for what they love.
• Trying to grow CTE programs and making sure that students have access to the programs they want to learn more about.
• Transportation issues continue to be a challenge for our students, we will continue to look and work through balancing their time spent at the academy and the time it takes getting to and from regular school hours. 

Panel Questions

The panel was made up of academy counselor, Nicole Haubner, and nine academy students. The panel members introduced themselves, gave background and perspectives, and shared their experiences.

Closing Remarks

Meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.

Attendees

Committee Members in Attendance

Gillian Backus
Kristy Balbuena
Matt Bechtel
Kara Danner
Elizabeth Ende
Todd Franklin
Niki Haubner
Michelle Ludeman
Rayyan Rehman
David Silversmith
Paul Thieberger
Shivani Trivedi
Irvin Varkonyi

Committee Members Absent

Marissa Appelbaum
Sarah Blake
Jay Garant
Virginia Judd
Claire Kim
Mary Lewis
Joseph Parker
Anitha Raj
Shonna Smith
Kimara Talarico
Mike Webb
Wendy Williams

Staff and Guests in Attendance

Sandra Anderson
Lauren Crispino
Asma Hindi
Jennifer Glaser
Whitney Ketchledge
Shaheen Khurana 
Marshall Academy Staff and Students
Natalie Nguyen-Woodruff
Jeff McKay

CTE Highlights

Agenda

CTE Highlights

Agenda

Time

8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Agenda

Agenda

Agenda

Minutes

Call to Order and Opening Remarks

Alexa Krezel welcomed committee members and guest.

Instructional Services Assistant Superintendent

• Budget
  • The budget will be presented to the school board in two weeks.
  • We need to be able to attract the best and the brightest for all our courses, and certainly CTE professionals.
  • CTE professionals are among the hardest to attract, because we don't compete well with industry. Raising teacher salaries and raising those kinds of salaries benefits the program.
• The Washington Area Boards of Education (WABE) Guide
  • Each year, the WABE group surveys its members to publish the annual WABE Guide. This guide enables local school systems to learn about each other by reporting comparable information in a standardized format. In addition, the WABE Guide is meant to be used by citizens as a source for consistent, reliable educational data.
  • Report included cost per pupil for surrounding counties.
• Strategic Plan
  • Our new plan has 5 goals that really are about what the students experience and focus on those outcomes.
  • Goal 4 surrounds equity is the is the most challenging. We have not defined how we are going to measure yet or set a target.

Selection Committee Nomination and Vote

Alexa recommended Shivani Reivedi to join CTEAC for the remaining of the 2023-24SY as a selection committee member. Committee moved forward with endorsing Shivani’s name being submitting to the School Board for final approval.

CTEAC Workstreams

This year all subcommittees’ recommendations should include language that

1. address access and equity of student populations, and/or
2. build awareness through communications; and/or
3. incorporates the role of business and industry partners in achieving success.

Subcommittee #1: Increasing Capacity and/or Learning Opportunities for Students

Subcommittee Chair: Irvin Varkonyi

Coming from our tour of Chantilly Academy, we learned that some course offerings do not have the capacity for students to participate (e.g. Automotive Programs). Some of these programs are offered in nearby non-academy-based schools. This subcommittee should focus on recommendations to the school board focused on increasing capacity and access to CTE programs outside of changes to existing Academy options.

• Data Requests
  • List of current Academy classes – Classes offered, how many classes per day, enrollment numbers, location, and how many periods of the day it is offered.
  • Capacity, weight listed, student interest.
  • What schools have the “same” Academy class just not labelled that.
  • Defining the current state – what is the capacity, how many wait listed.
  • NOVA workforce employment data – determine the types and availability of jobs coming out of the Academies.
• Rationale for Data Requests
  • Understand what schools the programs have but not labelled as an Academy. And only available to those within the school?
  • What qualifies as an Academy? This goes towards image and perception in the mind of those enrolling.
  • Academy deadline is Mid-March to determine how many enrolled and how many wait listed. Non-academy courses no system that looks at what those requests were.
  • When get data to look at it on map – need to understand the geographic overlap.
  • Define current state, identify the priorities, and then plan.
  • Supplemental is where are the job gaps – industry and trades – shortages in employment – Unions who have data – NOVA Workforce employment data.
• Limiting Factors
  • Student interest
  • Facilities
  • Instructors
  • Time of day
• Discussion Questions
  • Any differences in academy vs non academy… can we add to the standard course offerings? Or mix kids among the schools?
  • Can collab with industry and unions result in contracting out courses, space, or instruction?
  • Any community misconceptions? Does local industry know what we have and are they using the programs/students in the way intended?

Subcommittee #2: Measuring for Success

Subcommittee Chair: Leah Ross

This subcommittee will focus on recommendations to the school board for developing targets and descriptions against the identified measures in 2023-30 Strategic Plan and take a reflective look at 2021-22 recommendations to ensure alignment with direction.

• Discussion around 2 main questions for current students:
  • If you plan to take, have taken, or are currently taking a CTE course?
    • Why?
    • Did you or do you plan to receive your certification?
    • Was the course(s) of value to your desired future goals?
    • Why or why not?
    • Teacher aside, did the course meet or exceed your expectations of rigor, relevance, and course aims?
  • If you did not take a CTE course, do not plan to, or did not get into your preferred CTE course?
    • Why?
    • What barriers did you have to enrollment?
    • Transportation
    • Class did not fit into schedule
    • Advanced Diploma vs. Standard Diploma Stigma
    • Selection process (i.e.. Not space available or did not meet qualifications)
    • Other - explain
    • Discussion around surveying graduating seniors at completion of year or after graduation:
      • Did you, or do you have plans to, enter college, military, or workforce upon graduation?
      • Did your CTE course(s) relate to your desired career pathways?
      • Did the CTE course affect your next steps? How and why?

Subcommittee #3: Curriculum

Subcommittee Chair: Alexa Krezel

This subcommittee will conduct a review of current curriculum offerings to determine if the offerings are the most relevant for today’s workforce and identify opportunities for courses to be put forward as examples of courses that can meet high school graduation requirements to provide greater opportunities for ESOL and Special Education students to participate in CTE.

Resources requested included a digital version of the full catalog of CTE offerings as well as an update to the distribution of offerings across the county. Group also discussed if there were opportunities to think about the messaging around the standard diploma. Possible future scope can also include the utilization of the academic and career plan.

Closing Remarks

Meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.

CTE Highlights

Minutes

The regular meeting of the Fairfax County School Board’s Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee (CTEAC) was called to order on February 8, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. by Alexa Krezel, Chair. The meeting was held in room 1002A/B of 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031. The option to attend virtually was made available via Zoom.

Call to Order and Opening Remarks

Alexa Krezel welcomed committee members and guest.

Career and Technical Education Updates

• Two new CTE members
  • Asma Hindi- Business Operations Technical Specialist
  • Craig Lewis- Program Manager for trade and Industrial Education and JROTC
• CTE Month School Board Recognition on February 22, 2024
• INSTRUCTION 2 INDUSTRY 2024
  • Hybrid career expo event for high school students to connect virtual and in person.
• Annual Performance Measures for 2022-2023
• Upcoming Student Events in March, April, and May 2024: DECA, Educators Rising State Conference, Real Food for Kids Culinary Challenge, TSA Regional Conference, HOSA State Conference, FBLA State Conference, FCCLA State Conference, Skills USA State Conference and TSA State Conference.

Review endorsement of CTEMS Application

Whitney Ketchledge gave a presentation overview of CTEMS application broken out by program area.

Financial Overview:

• Perkins Budget Categories: Curriculum Development and Materials, Personnel, Equipment, Industry Credentials.
• Perkins Plan for 2024-25
• Budget Priorities: Teacher Recruitment and Retention, Academy/Specialized Program Staffing and Central Support Positions.

CTEAC Workstreams

This year all subcommittees’ recommendations should include language that

1. address access and equity of student populations, and/or
2. build awareness through communications; and/or
3. incorporates the role of business and industry partners in achieving success.

Subcommittee #1: Increasing Capacity and/or Learning Opportunities for Students

Subcommittee Chair: Irvin Varkonyi

Potential recommendations and justifications to include in report:

• Develop a cost-benefit analysis of resources needed by CTE program by their outcome (selecting the top 5 growth areas, based on Matt Bechtel’s data); look not only at Fairfax/NOVA but also nationwide.
• High level summary of workforce demand based on NOVA data.
• Start at a micro-level investigating one or a small number of programs.
• Create a partnership between NOVA and FCPS in workforce development (Vet Tech, Automotive, Cybersecurity, Culinary, Health Care).
• How to investigate and establish an easier process for gaining easier, obtainable space?
• Investigate FCPS DE opportunities offsite at the college campus (or virtually).
• A recommendation to collect the data.

Subcommittee #2: Measuring for Success

Subcommittee Chair: Leah Ross

Create a google form exit ticket for culinary students, 1-2 questions per class period over no more than 5 class periods:

• Did you enroll in this course because of desire to explore or gain knowledge and skills in culinary arts or did you take this course for another reason? Checklist of options
• Are you planning to, or are you currently, working within the hospitality and/or culinary industry? Why or why not? Yes/no with skip logic to possible reasons.
• Do you feel this course, regardless of instructor, considering only the curriculum, valuable to your desired career pathway? Why or why not? Yes/no with skip logic to possible reasons.
• Considering only the curriculum, did this course either meet or exceed your expectations for content, relevance, and course aims, even if you are not planning on pursuing a career in hospitality? Why or why not? Yes/no with skip logic to possible reasons.
• A gathering of data only for course planning and to set up measures for success related to STRATEGIC Plan #5, measures A, C, G, and H.
• Search out data on how many course requests are made for Culinary Arts 1 vs current enrollment opportunities.

Subcommittee #3: Curriculum

Subcommittee Chair: Alexa Krezel

Our workstream reviewed the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Standard Diploma requirements where language calls out that “The board shall approve courses to satisfy this requirement. An approved computer science course credit earned by students may be considered a science or math course credit.”

• A laboratory science verified credit may be awarded to students who complete a career and technical education (CTE) program sequence and (i) pass two examinations or occupational competency assessments in a CTE field that confers certification or an occupational competency credential from a recognized industry, trade, or professional association; (ii) acquire two professional licenses in a CTE field from the Commonwealth of Virginia; or (iii) pass one examination or competency assessment from clause (i) and acquire one license from clause (ii). The examination or occupational competency assessment must be approved by the board as an additional test to verify student achievement.”
  • What CTE courses currently meet this requirement?
  • Legislatively would want to recommend to the board to expand this standard to other disciplines besides computer science.
• Working towards a set of recommendations that would address gaining more visibility and awareness into this standard for students and parents, especially given that many colleges universities are not aware of advanced diploma but more interested in rigor of curriculum.
• Workstream delved into state of curriculum’s ability to address emerging or hot topics and whether our certifications reflect the most in-demand skillsets for today and whether there are opportunities to review and update those.
  • High Demand Industries:
    • Which programs should we retire? Where are there gaps in course offerings and job openings? Are the courses aligned with industry needs?
    • Need:
      • Current certifications FCPS offers.
      • Current job certifications desired
      • IT field changes rapidly. Is it A+ or python? CAD Etc.
      • How is AI being incorporated into the CTE courses? How are employers using AI (more than just ChatGPT) in field?
  • General Conversation:
    • How do we share the transferable skills earned from CTE coursework?
      • Skills: teamwork, creativity, communication, job readiness, workplace readiness
      • Connect to POG
    • Course descriptions: Do they capture everything? Does it list specific credential that can be earned?

Closing Remarks

Meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.

CTE Highlights

Minutes

The regular meeting of the Fairfax County School Board’s Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee (CTEAC) was called to order on March 14, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. by Alexa Krezel, Chair. The meeting was held in room 1002A/B of 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031. The option to attend virtually was made available via Zoom.

Call to Order and Opening Remarks

Alexa Krezel welcomed committee members and guest.

School Board Updates

Budget Season

• Board of Supervisors is working on closing the funding gap to make our teachers get a pay raise with teacher pay and compensation. Requested funding is going towards teacher pay increase in costs on contracts, increasing costs in living, benefits, healthcare in particular, various contractual obligations and enrollment composition type such as rapid student increase, higher meeting drive that require budget number.
• In reference to CTE we are working to stipend a quarter of a million dollars for teachers and staff members that support current tech required organizations and clubs.
• Another exciting program is aviation pilot frame program that has been developed and funded, the new appointee to this program is Mike Webb, who is a pilot flight instructor with all the work done and support, we are going o make sure that we stay on the front for this program into the coming years of aviation training.

CTEAC Workstreams

This year all subcommittees’ recommendations should include language that

1. address access and equity of student populations, and/or
2. build awareness through communications; and/or
3. incorporates the role of business and industry partners in achieving success.

Subcommittee #1: Increasing Capacity and/or Learning Opportunities for Students

Subcommittee Chair: Irvin Varkonyi

This subcommittee should focus on recommendations to the school board focused on increasing capacity and access to CTE programs outside of changes to existing Academy options.

• FRAMING this is important. Background: Four Point Study to School Board (1/13/2022).
• In introduction, be specific that increasing physical capacity can be done by forming partnerships with NOVA, but in order to create a more effective partnership, we need to reduce barriers by increasing access via unused space between FCPS and NOVA such as
  • We understand constraints on public funding. Could look at private funding or grant funding. Could Marriott sponsor culinary, for example could Tesla sponsor electric vehicles?
  • requires staff support across departments: need school board to help us get procurement, HR, and transportation to get a partnership with NOVA.
  • Change 1-yr contracts to multi-year contracts so coordinating staff can have job security to work on long term goals.
  • requires transportation of students.
• Recommend that the school board do a cost-benefit procedure to better direct funding re-allocation of funding?
  • How much does it cost to run program “X” for “Y” students? Can the money be shifted to run a program that has Y+ students?
  • High level summary of workforce demand based on NOVA data because it provides context for what the students study (Matt Bechtel) there are TWO equal branches?
    • Pablo has data based on job demand from Matt Bechtel
    • What about high growth student areas? Where are the overenrolled classes?
• Can-do outreach of this via Family Engagement
• Increase partnerships with FCPS-NOVA Examples of ways that capacity can be increased.
  • Win-win: NOVA enrollments are projected to decline, we have classrooms. FCPS does not have classrooms or physical space. NOVA needs to reach out to more students (ESP from DE) and FCPS needs to get all students familiar with college environments.
    • example: Automotive at Manassas
    • example: FAB LAB at Manassas
    • example: better classroom usage
    • example: expand technical education Dual Enrollment to improve enrollment at NOVA and give students opportunities on a college campus.

Subcommittee #2: Measuring for Success

Subcommittee Chair: Leah Ross

This subcommittee will focus on recommendations to the school board for developing targets and descriptions against the identified measures in 2023-30 Strategic Plan and take a reflective look at 2021-22 recommendations to ensure alignment with direction.

• Funding for dedicated Workforce Development Coordinators for each region, connecting schools to Partnership Office, WBL specialists, and FCEDA; position would coordinate, oversee, facilitate, and TRACK all student opportunities for work-based learning, post-secondary pathway plans, an industry engagement. At present we have 2 WBL specialists at the county level, no division centralized/standardized tracking platform, and/or consistent/equitable implementation methodology. Current staffing of Collage and Career specialists at the high school levels, lack bandwidth to support post-secondary, non-college, options sufficiently. Unfunded, “work-based learning leads,” at schools are an “extra duty as assigned” and lack consistency and engagement. **** funding costs?
• Approval for funding for development, implementation of surveying stakeholders on perception of preparedness for students’ future goals and industry needs. Possibly could be added to already existing engagement surveys. Would measure baseline and trends in preparedness resulting in better directing future plans including curriculum, funding, access to opportunities.
• Permanent funding for current Work-based learning specialist positions which are currently grant-funded and line-item positions. Budgeted dedicated funding for the initiatives supported by these specialists.
• Non-specific asks for School Board:
  • School Board members commit to attending at least one CTEAC meeting next year. Engagement, rapport, and meaningful face-to-face discussions result in better understanding.
• Ask for CTEAC:
  • Students in CTE programs, differing pathways, and differing areas of the divisions,
    varied socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, attend a CTEA meeting monthly to present on their experiences, their perceptions, and their challenges/areas of opportunities.

Subcommittee #3: Course Planning and Advising

Subcommittee Chair: Alexa Krezel

This subcommittee focused on recommendations to the school board to make recommendations supporting a more nuanced approach to academic advising and to work with the legislature to examine curriculum standards to provide greater access to opportunities for our specialized populations by acknowledging math and science content within the CTE curriculum.

• The committee is working on three recommendations and the inclusion of an update on AI in FCPS curriculum. The recommendations will focus on the following:
  • Academic Advising Window messaging
  • Academic Advising Window messaging for families around pathways to start in middle school advising.
  • Exploring the legislative standards in areas such as expanding dual enrollment

Closing Remarks

Meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.

CTE Highlights

Minutes

The regular meeting of the Fairfax County School Board’s Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee (CTEAC) was called to order on April 11, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. by Alexa Krezel, Chair. The meeting was held in room G 106 of 3501 Lion Run, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Call to Order and Opening Remarks

Alexa Krezel welcomed committee members and guest.

School Board Updates

2024 Annual Report

• We are in the middle of wrapping up our Annual Report which will be presented to the School Board on May 21.
• The subcommittees will have the opportunity to review, polish, edit & update the Annual Report prior to submission.
• The subcommittees views and recommendations will be submitted to the School Board by Whitney for approval.

Elections and Appointments for next year

• CTEAC selection list of who is returning next year is updated.
• Two potential candidates for CTEAC chair/vice chair.
• For a committee succession planning it is important to have a pool of candidates so please submit your name if interested.
• The chair/vice bios will be available by next week.

Overview of Fairfax High School CTE and Fairfax Academy

• Amazing CTE classes in our base schools, whether they have an academy or not.
• There is a CTE World Language and Fine and Performing Arts in Fairfax Academy.
• Additional elective options at Fairfax High school for their students such as Auto Tech being a Fairfax High School class, not Fairfax Academy means it is only open at Fairfax High School students.
• We are looking to take advantage of local resources that are closer to schools to make all programs available to students across the board in Fairfax County Schools.
• How to distribute resources such as Auto Tech seats by providing staff, facility, and transportation to make access more equitable to students.

Tours in small groups

• Visit four classes in four groups
  • Auto Tech
  • Fashion Careers
  • Nutrition and Wellness
  • Game Design
• At Fairfax high school there are five different CTE pathways Marketing Business, STEM Engineering and Robotics, Family Consumer Science and Auto Program.
• An entrepreneurship program continuous to grow which is enrolled through NOVA, in addition to a school-based enterprise program we started last year.
• Main Market is the school-based enterprise. Last year our students branded, labeled, work to find space, kiosk in the hallways and partnering with organizations to sell their products.
• We have an amazing pathway for STEM design focusing on STEM Engineering and Robotics.
• Our community is engaged with our Auto program through our advisory council hiring our students.
• We have students designing engines for NASCAR and students working on tractor engine design and presenting their work to the panel.
• We are regrowing our child development pathway program by having two new teachers engaging in lessons building.
• Our biggest CTE Marketing programs are fashion marketing, sport marketing and social media marketing.
• Fairfax Academy is divided into fashion, career game design, television and media and we also have social media marketing for one more year.
• Arts and Languages there are three art programs music, theaters, studio, and the use of computer technology to compose through software.
• For Language pathways, students are engaged by making language come alive.
• ASL program got a grant to partner with imagination stage, so providing a theatrical component by using fun, cultural experiences where they are doing different content.
• Our dance performing concert will be held at Wolf Trap on May 11, 2024.
• Our Fashion show will be held on May 11 invites will go out soon.

Closing Remarks

Meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.

CTE Highlights

Minutes

The regular meeting of the Fairfax County School Board’s Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee (CTEAC) was called to order on May 9, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. by Alexa Krezel, Chair. The meeting was held in room 1002A/B of 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031. The option to attend virtually was made available via Zoom.

Call to Order and Opening Remarks

Alexa Krezel welcomed committee members and guests.

CTEAC Updates

• An inter committee conversation with all of Braddock representative committee, and it was a great opportunity for school members to hear about what we are doing in CTEAC and coming annual report.
• A delightful story about an Amazon employee leader straight out of high school which shows what CTE has to offer in today’s pathways to employment.
• Alexa stated that May CTEAC meeting was her last and moving on to support her son’s passion for music.
• School Board member reviewed developments about what it means to sit on the advisory board and put documentations and standards for the team. A decision will be made on July first for next year’s appointees.
• An orientation guide defining a framework about the future advisory committee will be sent out.

School Board and CTE Updates

• Dr. Reid will be presenting the amended budget.
• A tour to region three schools to look at academy programs such as Edison, West Potomac, Bryant, and Mount Vernon, we noted even within the same region a disparity. For example, the Cosmetology program at Mount Vernon High School is hugely different than that at Edison which is right down the road.
• Annual Report will be presented by Alexa and Whitney on May 21.
• The Annual report process moves up a bunch of reviews starting within ISD then it is presented to the senior leadership committee to be posted for the school board.
• The school board will direct us as to what programs to prioritize.
• We must increase central staffing for academics if you want to increase access to the courses. We need help working with business and industry partnerships. We could try to get business to share space and sponsor spaces.

Nomination for Chair and Vice Chair

Elected and approved Irvin Varkonyi as Chair and Kristy Balbuena as Vice Chair for 2024-25 school year.

Selection Committee Presentation and Vote

A list of selection members who wish to return for next year 2024-25, members online and in person voted for approval.

Review and Approval of Annual Report

A motion was made to approve the annual report.

• DocuSign of report approval will be sent electronically to committee members to collect signatures in addition to votes collected in the meeting.
• In the report we talked about the needs such as work based learning positions and staffing for teachers at academies and specialized programs.
• An example was presented about how to start and develop a partnership agreement process.
• An MOU form with an early childhood learning center preschool so that our early childhood career students can do their internship hours in the preschool by getting hours of experience, to be certified to work in a preschool or early childhood center after graduating.
• Strategic planning needs to continue with community conversation with board members and leadership about what does the community want to prioritize.

Review and Discussion of CTEAC Committee Charge

• It has been three years since the committee charge was updated.
• Elaborate collaboration with key stakeholders such as partnership which could be a great part of the charge.
• An advisory council meeting with 20+ people from different organization and groups was conducted for the new Aerospace program. An Airbus collaboration got us some curriculum and a Flight Simulator.

Review of CTEAC Meeting Calendar

Working on to update CTEAC 2024-25 calendar.

Closing Remarks

Meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.

Issues related to Career and Technical Education should be submitted in writing to the executive council for consideration as future agenda items.

CTE Highlights

Agenda