Genesee/Shiawassee Education Advisory Group Meeting 05 05 2008

Vice Chair Frederic C. Stanley called the meeting to order at 8:05 a.m.

1. Introductions/Welcome

Welcome and introductions were made.

2. CTE Student Awards Programs

Fred Stanley announced that the third annual 2008 CTE Best-of-the-Best Student Awards Program was held on April 24, 2008, at the Holiday Inn Gateway, Flint. This event honors one student from each of the 21 school districts in Genesee County that have been selected by staff from their district for their outstanding CTE involvement. ABC-12 news anchor Joel Feick presented awards to the students, along with CTE Director Fred Stanley and Mott Community College President, Dr. Dick Shaink. There were 150 attendees, including a great support of 100% from local district superintendents, along with students, parents, district CTE staff, and partners from our postsecondary institutions and community leaders.

Shiawassee County’s 25^th Annual CTE Banquet was held on May 1 at Gi Gi’s in Owosso. Students were recognized for outstanding CTE achievement from all eight school districts in Shiawassee County.

3. Academic Integration (Handout)

Liz Blomquist, GASC Technology Center, distributed three handouts to the group. The first handout addressed the math requirement in the Michigan Merit Curriculum. Liz noted that the first half of the handout defined the requirements for the math-related credit. The second half of the handout defined how the local schools could grant the credit.

Liz indicated that the GASC Technology Center and Genesee Intermediate School District have been focusing on the fourth year of math-related credit. She noted that the committee believes that CTE fits within the law for the fourth year math-related credit. The programs at GASC bring math skills into real-life settings. Two additional handouts represented crosswalks for the construction trades program and the entrepreneurship/advertising program.

Fred Stanley indicated that the application of math skills on the job on a daily basis qualifies a fourth year math-related credit for students. Liz mentioned that it is not necessary to have a highly-qualified math teacher in order to award the fourth year math-related credit.

Brian Pyles mentioned that Shiawassee has completed its accounting alignment and will be beginning its biology alignment with agriscience. They also have plans to align machine trades. Brian also reported that Tech Prep has made good strides in the past five years. Tech Prep and Perkins work closely together in delivering services to the local districts through an allocation and reimbursement process.

Discussion followed about the process and timetable for taking the recommendations to the superintendents and local boards of education.

A handout of all planned activities for Tech Prep professional development for Genesee and Shiawassee counties was distributed. Tech Prep funds are used for professional development of instructors and articulation between secondary and postsecondary programs.

4. CA/EDP End-of-Year Review

Donna Burmeister indicated that the career planning initiative includes a review of the program at the end of first semester and again at the end of the year. The end-of-year reviews will begin next week. During this review, the EDP consultants will review the districts/buildings career planning process to ensure that all of the grade level standards are being met. The consultants will also pull a sample of EDPs and score them using the rubric that was previously approved by the superintendents. At the mid-year reviews conducted in January, only one building was out of compliance. It is anticipated that the building will be back into compliance at the end of the year. Once the end-of-year reviews have been completed, the consultants will meet with each superintendent to go over the results of the review.

5. Perkins/Tech Prep (Handout)

Fred Stanley announced that Perkins’ new authorization is Perkins IV. This authorization was approved in July 2006. Brian Pyles, Sherry Bradish and Fred completed the Perkins and Tech Prep Long-Range Plans for 2008-2013. The plan was submitted to the state and requested revisions were addressed and resubmitted. The Tech Prep plan has been given final authorization.

Fred presented the 2008-09 Career Initiative Executive Summary for Perkins IV and Tech Prep for review by the Education Advisory Group. The report details the allocations and recommendations for Perkins and Tech Prep funding. The funding levels for both programs are similar to last year.

Fred indicated that the emphasis for Perkins funding has changed. The focus now is on core performance indicators in the following areas:

Academic achievement in ELA and math

Graduation rates

Completion rates

Nontraditional enrollment/retention

Nontraditional graduation

Fred noted that one difference in the legislation is that the program is becoming more performance driven. Districts are being asked to complete a GAP analysis for each program. Fred is now requiring that the GAP analysis be completed before professional development is made available to teachers.

Amy Fugate announced that Perkins has also changed at the postsecondary level. It is now required that articulation agreements be updated every year. Sherry Bradish has set up a process to ensure that the articulation agreements are updated each fall. The process involves bringing together high school and postsecondary instructors by CIP code to review program content. Amy noted that the intent seems to be to make the process more seamless for the students and to begin to have students think beyond the two-year programs.

6. Tech Prep

See Item #5 above.

7. WIA Updates

Shiawassee RESD

Sharon Ganssley reported that Lisa Seigel recently held an all-day program for the WIA participants in Shiawassee County. The students rotated through a variety of sessions including sex education, drop-out prevention, Reality Store, and employability skills. There is currently a waiting list of 76 students for the summer program.

Genesee ISD

Donna Burmeister reported that the WIA program currently has 55 students placed into work-experience positions. In spite of the economy, the majority of these students have been placed into private sector placements. These placements offer the students the benefit of an actual working environment where the employability skills that have been taught can be reinforced. Similar to Shiawassee County, Genesee County has a waiting list of students interested in participating in the summer program.

8. ACT Career Readiness Credential

Brian Pyles indicated that ACT Career Readiness testing has been completed in both counties. He is now working with the business community to begin educating them about the use of this credential.

9. Proposed New CTE Program Applications 2008-09

Brian Pyles noted that Shiawassee RESD will be applying for several new programs. The new programs will include a second program in machine tools, a second program in construction trades, and a secondary program in teacher cadet.

10. STEM Project – Kettering University (Handout)

Fred Stanley reported that Genesee ISD currently contracts with Kristen Garceau to develop career integration activities with middle school and high school teachers. On May 6, 2008, math and science teachers from throughout the county will be going to Kettering University. Genesee County teachers will view four of the programs offered. In addition, the teachers will interact with several Kettering professors to discuss the importance of how math and science is taught at the high school level.

11. DDI Test Validation (Handout)

Fred Stanley announced that he recently met with representatives from DDI regarding Test Validation. Reps are currently working on an apprenticeship test and were interested in piloting the test with high school seniors in addition to current workers. Fred coordinated with the GASC Technology Center to set up testing for 35 students. The students received a $20 gift card to complete the five-hour test. DDI will return the students’ test results sorted by program and gender.

12. CDX Purchase

Fred Stanley indicated that CDX is the software currently utilized by the automotive programs. An upgrade to the software has recently become available. Fred has negotiated with CDX for a license to make the upgrade available to Genesee County high schools, as well as Mott Community College.

13. Autodesk Purchase

Fred mentioned that the software currently used by the BMA programs is moving to a new company, Studica. Fred is in the process of negotiating with Studica to review the new product and obtain a quote for pricing.

14. Agriscience Biotechnology Program Visitation

Brian Pyles announced that he had recently visited the biotechnology program in Lenawee County. It is Brian’s intent to add biotechnology to Shiawassee County’s agriscience program. Brian noted that in Lenawee County, the local Workforce Development Board works closely with the school in this program.

Tom Svitkovich observed that, although there are not currently any agriscience programs in Genesee County, interested students in Genesee County could tie into Shiawassee County’s programs through technology such as ITV.

15. Other Business

Amy Fugate mentioned that Mott CC will be hosting the “Write Up – Speak Out” program on May 6, 2008. She also announced that Clark Harris has been hired as Mott’s new dean of technology.

With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:05 a.m.

NOTE: If you are interested in receiving any of the handouts from this meeting, please contact Cindy Thurlow at www.cthurlow@geneseeisd.org or 810-591-4437.

Approval of Minutes:

May 13, 2008

Dr. M. Richard Shaink, Co-Chair, EAG (Date)

Tim Herman

May 13, 2008

Mr. Tim Herman, Co-Chair, EAG (Date)

MRS/TH/FS:db/ct

Meeting Summary

May 5, 2008

Genesee ISD