How Can CTE Benefit Disabled Students and What Best That Role? The university-statehouse-industrial complex has grown such that the traditional models of primary and secondary education have survived two or three decades beyond their practical use. With a public school system that segregates and discriminates based on, “college material or not?” (Brolin & Loyd, 1989) and a university system that places only one in five graduates in work in their field of major (cite), our educational system has passed its prime and is still training and educating for 20th century job markets that no longer exist. The way that we educate and what we educate for and why needs rethinking from the top down and needs to be more practical and pragmatic. Career and technical education (CTE) consisting of specialized, targeted, and focused vocational programs at all levels do more than just prepare a student for a real job – these programs have practical education and socialization value that conventional classrooms centered around a teacher’s monologue for many do not. Nowhere is the added value of such targeted programs more useful and valuable than in special classes, courses, and CTE training aimed at students with disabilities. With a wealth of literature touting the benefits of CTE and some progressive schools and school districts already with successful programs with proven track records, it is not the knowledge that the rest of us lack but the will and the attitude. This paper seeks to make the case for the rapid expansion and implementation of CTE programs for students with disabilities in schools and school districts across Western Florida. As well, by exploring existing programs and courses of study, this research will outline best practices,... ... middle of paper ... ... Business Media B.V.), 13(4), 63-70. Casale-Giannola, D. (2011). Inclusion in CTE-what works and what needs fixin'. Tech Directions, 70(10), 21-23. Dillon, P., & Grammer, E. (2001). Success stories of students with disabilities noted in new book. Science, 294(5543), 879. Heinle, K. M. (2008). Buffalo's approach to CTE programming for students with disabilities. Techniques, 83(4), 20-23. Keffeler, C. C. (2008). Helping students with special needs succeed. Techniques, 83(2), 6. Monahan, M. P. (2003). Social skills and problem behavior assessment of general and special education career and technical education students. Journal For Vocational Special Needs Education, 25(2-3), 3-10. Ofoegbu, N. E., & Azarmsa, R. (2010). Impact of the special education vocational education program (VEP) on student career success. International Journal Of Special Education, 25(2), 34-46.
School leaders and faculty are responsible to ensure engaging, rigorous, and coherent curricula in all subjects, accessible for a variety of learners and aligned to Common Core Learning Standards and/or content standards. As a special education program for severely disabled students including all these requirements in curriculum that is differentiated for the array of needs in the school isn’t easy. In response to the suggestions made by Ms. Joseph the principal decided that the best way to address it while still attending to the needs of the school would be to created an inquiry team that will research the findings in order to help with the decision making.
High Schools That Work (HSTW), a school improvement initiative of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), has documented achievement gains by career and technical education (CTE) students at participating sites (Bottoms and Presson 2000). At HSTW sites participating in 1996 and 1998 assessments (Frome 2001), CTE students showed math and science achievement equal to the national average of all high school students—and exceeded the national average of CTE students in math, science, and reading.
As societal pressures for higher education increase, more emphasis has been placed on the importance of a minimum of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. This has led to the increased enrollment of students with learning disabilities over the past decade. According to a recent survey from the National Clearinghouse on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Disabilities, one in eleven full-time first-year students entering college in 1998 self-reported a disability. This translates to approximately 154,520 college students, or about 9% of the total number of first-year freshmen, who reported a wide range of disabilities, ranging from attention deficit disorder to writing disabilities (Horn).
Career and technical education courses are intended to prepare high school students to enter the work force in a skilled trade. It equips the students with the experience and education necessary to succeed in an average skill level job while maintaining the student’s interest. In an article that focuses on an aviation CTE program, a “senior policy analyst at the Morrison Institute, said that Career and Technical Education provides another opportunity for students who struggle in high school.” The assumption is that students who struggle in high school presumably do not want another four years of education to attain a bachelor’s degree. Until recently, schools have been excessively geared towards college readiness. The dogma was elementary school, high school, college, without exception. With this “one size fits all” education system in place, a different education course had to evolve. CTE courses offer a break from the tedious grind by introducing career readiness as an alternative. In place of the four years in a college, CTE programs gives student...
For far too long, people have regarded vocational schooling as a second class option to a traditional college. Some believe that only under achievers will attend this type of school...
Any number of vocational education programs have been targeted to solve the education and employment problems of the nations high-risk populations--the dropout prone, persons with disabilities, educationally and economically disadvantaged persons, and so forth. Some have realized successful outcomes; others have not. This publication examines vocational educations role in the success of high-risk populations.
“I have been working with disabled students since 1974. Since much of my time is involved in resolving challenges that are difficult and plentiful, I usually don’t have much time to think about the satisfaction and rewards of the job,” said Dean Bork.
In order to help students develop these meaningful relationships there must first be a base of communication and collaboration between teachers, parents and paraeducators who all share a stake in supporting and empowering students with and without disabilities. Downing and Peckham-Hardin found that both teachers and parents cited communication and working as a team were essential for truly inclusive education. Some of the most important components of this communication and team work ...
Summary of ACTE's Recommendations for strengthening career and technical education through reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins vocational and technical education act. (2004). Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers, 79(3), 10-11. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=01e29e4c-3b2a-4906-8d7e-5d13a7a04be1%40sessionmgr198&vid=7&hid=122
Two years ago, I embarked on a journey that would teach me more than I had ever imagined. As a recent college graduate, I was thrilled to finally begin my teaching career in a field I have always held close to my heart. My first two years as a special education teacher presented countless challenges, however, it also brought me great fulfillment and deepened my passion for teaching students with special needs. The experiences I have had both before and after this pivotal point in my life have undoubtedly influenced my desire to further my career in the field of special education.
Unfortunately, in the U.S it is a struggle for all children to receive the same learning experiences. Stewart (2012) and Ripley (2013) advocate for the transformation of the U.S education system. Stewart (2012) discusses in great detail how different countries changed their education system to benefits all children and urges the U.S to do something similar but in the context of the culture of the country. Although, Ripley (2013) does not agree with all the practices of the countries that have high achievement, she does recognize some good strategies the U.S should adopt. Lastly, Schwartz (2014) want all students in the U.S to have the chance to be successful by revamping vocational education. This is important because the option to receive a highly effective vocational education could give all students the chance to learn more about something they are interested in and a possible career. Overall, all of the authors want all students to have access to a high quality education that gives each student the opportunity to be successful (Ripley, 2013; Schwartz (2014); Stewart
Warger, C. (2002). Helping students with disabilities succeed in state and district writing assignments. ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, Council for Exceptional Children. 1-5. Retrieved October 3, 2004, from ERIC Digests full-text database.
Students with learning disabilities can learn; each student has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Educators must continue to focus on the strengths of each student and building on them, creating a stronger student and person. Identifying the weakness is at the core of getting a student help with their learning disability, but after this initial identification and placement, the focus should shift to the strengths and adjusting the student’s schoolwork to reflect these strengths. For instance, if a student is weak in reading but has wonderful group interaction skills and is good with his or her hands, the students' reading tasks should then be shifted to reflect these st...
specific learning disabilities in the United States of America. The Journal of International Association of Special Education, 10(1), 21-26.
In middle school I was diagnosed with a disability with the way I expressed myself through writing. Ever since, I have gained multiple values and learned several lessons about self confidence. I was taught to push past my limits, in order to be successful in reaching my goals along with my dreams. Today I am a senior in high school who was once thought to struggle, but was able to succeed beyond expectations. To some, a disability may seem like a setback from achieving goals, but to me I used it as a challenge for myself. I accepted myself for who I was and looked at my disability as a unique trait of mine. I was able to provide a message to others that anything you set your mind to is possible with dedication and hard work. It might take