PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS: A PROPOSED CTE-STEM INVESTMENT STRATEGY

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1 PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS: A PROPOSED CTE-STEM INVESTMENT STRATEGY AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE BETTER EDUCATION OUTCOMES As it prepares for the 2019 legislative session and the state budget, Oregon has an opportunity to make additional investments in CTE and STEM education 1 that will dramatically improve our education outcomes, as well as the life prospects of students and the vitality of businesses and the Oregon economy. Although this document has a twoyear budget focus, it is imperative that Oregon adopt a long-term investment strategy for CTE and STEM education over coming biennia. The investments recommended here also fully support the goals and recommendations of Oregon s STEM Education Plan. Essential Studies. CTE and STEM education are essential for all students, regardless of their aspirations. These studies not only impart important technical skills and knowledge, they also enhance student agency, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, adaptability, and habits of mind and dispositions that make for future success. Most importantly, CTE and STEM education greatly effect learners engagement, achievement, and persistence in school. This is illustrated by results for CTE concentrators, students who complete a CTE program of study along with their other graduation requirements. Recent data show that 87.5 percent of Oregon CTE concentrators graduate from high school in four years compared to 72 percent of Oregon students generally a 15.5-point differential. For historically underserved CTE concentrators, the graduation rate compared to their peers is 18 to 24 percent higher. The Talent Gap. CTE and STEM education are also vitally important because the knowledge and skills they nurture are essential to innovation, productivity, and competitive advantage in a modern, technology-based economy. By 2020 Oregon s economy is expected to have almost 40,000 new job openings per year in CTE- and STEM-related fields, with 94 percent of those requiring a postsecondary credential. However, there is a growing disconnect between the skills needed in our economy and the skills of students emerging from our education system. Many of our high school graduates lack foundational skills in math, science, and communication; fewer than 14 percent of our top math and science students are earning STEM degrees; and fewer than 7 percent of all Oregon graduates earn a STEM degree. OREGON S GOALS IN CTE AND STEM: 1) Double the number of 4th and 8th grade students proficient in math and science by ) Double the number of CTE-STEM degrees and certificates by Oregon STEM Education Plan The Vision. Our vision for the investment strategy proposed here is that students from all backgrounds will be afforded the opportunity and support to realize their full potential and be prepared for a rapidly evolving future in which technology and automation will pose both opportunity and challenge. This investment will create a path to highly-skilled jobs that pay better, reduce poverty, and provide increased revenue for essential public services. Moreover, it will sustain and build on the progress that Oregon has made since 2011 in policies, investments, and governance to energize and scale CTE and STEM education. 1 CTE, Career Technical Education, and STEM, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education. We use the Brookings Institution definition of STEM from The Hidden STEM Economy (2013). The Brookings definition classifies occupations according to the level of knowledge in STEM fields that workers need to perform their jobs, rather than what they do in those jobs. Under this definition, CTE and STEM are integrated and aligned because so many CTE occupations require STEM skills. 1

2 The Stakes. This is a call to action for stakeholders from all sectors community, education, business, labor, foundations, and others. We have an opportunity to take CTE and STEM education to a new level in Oregon, one that will elevate our education outcomes, change lives, and benefit our economy for years to come. OUR PROGRESS TO DATE In recent years, Oregon policy makers have directed increasing attention and resources to CTE and STEM education. Strong Beginnings. In 2011, the Legislature established the CTE Revitalization Grant program. In 2013, the Legislature adopted the goal to 1) double the number of 4th and 8th grade students proficient in math and science by 2025 and 2) double the number of CTE-STEM degrees and certificates by At the same time, it established the STEM Investment Council to guide Oregon to that outcome. In addition, the Legislature established the regional STEM Hub Network, and authorized grants to revitalize CTE programs and encourage innovation in STEM programs and practices. The 2015 Legislature more than doubled funding for CTE and STEM education (from $17 million to $35 million). Included in the package was a new funding model called the Secondary Career Pathway Program to award additional dollars to high schools for turning out more CTE concentrators, with special emphasis on under-represented students. Recent Momentum. In just the last couple of years the six initial STEM Hubs have blossomed into a 13- hub statewide learning ecosystem. The STEM Investment Council developed a state STEM Education Plan. Voters approved Measure 98 which, in part, allocates funds specifically for CTE. Private Sector and Philanthropy Engagement. Meanwhile, since 2012, both employers and philanthropic organizations have become increasingly involved in supporting CTE and STEM education. The Oregon Business Council, for example, organized the formation of the Oregon CTE-STEM Employer Coalition, which has had a key role in advocating for many of the CTE and STEM legislative measures cited above. The Oregon Community Foundation, through funds from the Oracle settlement with the state, will invest $10 million in CTE-STEM, and other foundations and individual businesses have also stepped up with financial and organizational support and advocacy. In addition, many businesses in communities across Oregon have partnered with schools and nonprofits to support CTE-STEM education. WHERE WE STAND Mixed Results. Due to the policies and investments noted above, Oregon has made some significant gains, but it is muddling along in some areas and deficient in others. The data dashboards below illustrate this mix. Compared to the performance of other states on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), math and science proficiency in Oregon is generally middling (eighth grade math, fourth and eighth grade science) and at times even lagging (fourth grade math). The share of high schoolers concentrating in CTE has generally held constant, although the figures reported aren t current enough to capture the impact of Measure 98 and other recent programming that encourages more focus on CTE in high school. Why the Urgency Has Been So Clear Oregon high school sophomores in with a STEM degree or credential by 2013 Postsecondary outcomes are a better story. The production of STEM degrees has nearly doubled since 2003, with STEM certificates more than tripling and STEM BA s nearly doubling in the same period. Despite this, there is room for improvement especially in the production of STEM associate degrees. From , the number of associates produced declined by 7 percent. 2

3 CTE-STEM Oregon Performance National Performance Rank Trend Trend Notes Source Proficiency 4th Grade Math 34% proficient 40% proficient NAEP, th Grade Math 33% proficient 34% proficient NAEP, th Grade Science 37% proficient 37% proficient , 2015 NAEP, th Grade Science 36% proficient 33% proficient , 2015 NAEP, 2015 Degree Attainment Perkins Data High School CTE Concentrators 11.2% of High School Students Explorer STEM Certificates, , ECONW, IPEDS STEM AA's, , ECONW, IPEDS STEM BA's, , ECONW, IPEDS -Engineering BA's, , ECONW, IPEDS STEM Post-Bacs, , ECONW, IPEDS -Engineering Post-Bacs, ECONW, IPEDS Remedial math in community college enrollment, % of CC enrollment A Large Equity Gap. The equity dashboard below suggests that Oregon has a huge opportunity to close achievement gaps across race/ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status. Black and Hispanic students trail their white peers in math and science proficiency across grades. Some of the largest gaps appear between economically vulnerable students (those receiving free/reduced price lunch) and their higher income peers. In addition, an insufficient share of girls participate in programs connected to high-wage, high-demand occupations. Oregon s Secondary Career Pathway program for high school CTE concentrators contains incentives for participation of low-income students and students of color. Likewise, the public university Student Success and Completion Funding Model contains incentives to increase the number of underrepresented students completing degrees overall and STEM degrees linked to high-wage, high-demand careers. STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS HECC, CC Data Mart Equity Dashboard White Black Hispanic Male Female School Lunch Eligible Ineligible Proficiency 4th Grade Math (% at/above proficient, 2017) 39% 17% (2015) 20% 36% 30% 22% 53% 8th Grade Math (% at/above proficient, 2017) 39% - 16% 35% 32% 23% 51% 4th Grade Science (% at/above proficient, 2017) 15% - 14% 37% 37% 23% 61% 8th Grade Science (% at/above proficient, 2017) 43% - 16% 40% 32% 25% 50% Degree Attainment White Black Hispanic Male Female High School CTE Concentrator Rate (2016) % 10% - - Certificates (% of total degrees % of total STEM degrees) (2016) 69% 72% 3% 3% 12% 8% 35% 57% 65% 43% - - AA's, 2016 (% of total degrees % of total STEM degrees) (2016) 69% 76% 2% 1% 11% 7% 42% 58% 58% 42% - - BA's (% of total degrees % of total STEM degrees) (2016) 67% 67% 2% 1% 9% 7% 44% 54% 56% 46% - - Post-Bacs (% of total degrees % of total STEM degrees) (2016) 59% 47% 4% 5% 6% 5% 35% 36% 65% 64% - - Oregon s STEM Education Plan provides an excellent framework on what it will take to achieve these ambitious goals. Here is a summary. The Need for Better Learning Models. To inspire and empower students at all grade levels, Oregon will need to broadly embrace integrated, hands-on learning across the K20 education continuum. We must provide more science and math learning at earlier grades to Oregon will need to broadly embrace integrated, hands-on learning across the education continuum. 3

4 foster interest in STEM and introduce engineering and digital literacy at all grade levels. Schools alone will not be able to provide the kinds of learning we imagine. Increasingly, we will need to reach out to nonprofits, culturally specific organizations, employers, trade unions, and civic organizations to help students apply learning in context and to see its relevance to their own aspirations. The Need to Showcase Best Practices and Elevate Equity. For the state to embrace this vision, we will need to communicate it widely and customize it to meet the diverse needs of our communities and our students. We must elevate and highlight the growing number of examples of great practice and identify where we need to invest in curriculum and programs, professional development, and partnerships with the larger community. A key part of our vision is to ensure young women, people of color, and low-income learners are inspired to pursue STEM opportunities. We must pursue a targeted set of initiatives such as mentorships, culturally specific programming and supports, and financial aid to ensure equitable access and opportunities. The Need for Pathways. To guide learners to promising careers, we need to develop clear pathways and appropriate funding tools to connect students to degrees and certificates that lead to fulfilling, high-wage employment and support the growth of Oregon s economy. This will involve creating policies that encourage alignment of curriculum and education standards across all levels of education and ensuring that requirements for degrees and certificates match the needs of employment requirements for highwage, high-demand opportunities. Achieving our CTE-STEM goals and preparing all learners for the future will require long-term vision and multi-biennium, sustained investment. Drawing on the above framework, we make the following suggestions for specific organizational, budget, and policy initiatives for the next two years to advance these strategies and the measurable outcomes presented above. PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS Priority 1: Strengthen the system infrastructure through the leadership role of the STEM Investment Council and STEM Hub Network and provide them the resources required to deliver on this strategy. The Vision. Our vision for CTE-STEM education is bold to reimagine and equip students with the skills and mindsets to become creative, life-long learners who thrive in 21 st Century work and life. To achieve it we will need buy-in from many constituencies and broad support for curriculum, policy, and budgetary change for at least a decade. Over the past several years, the state has made significant progress through the investments recommended by the STEM Investment Council, but the work remains in its infancy. The Imperative. It is time to step it up. For this effort to succeed, the STEM Investment Council needs to regularly assess progress and update our strategy, to communicate this vision broadly, and to enlist support and commitment by educators, students, parents, non-profits, business and community leaders across the state. The Council will need strong, local support through the STEM Hub Network to bring communities together and implement their education agenda around local needs. Drawing on feedback from the STEM Hubs, the STEM Investment Council will need to continuously develop and refine a state budget and policy agenda that supports implementation at the local level and identifies and helps remove barriers that are getting in the way. The STEM Investment Council will need to enlist support from business and philanthropy to accomplish this work. Infrastructure Support Needed. To serve this function well, infrastructure support and additional budget will be required for the STEM Investment Council and the STEM Hub Network. The STEM Investment Council needs to advise and guide the investments that will support the strategy. It will also need to call out critical barriers that impede the work and opportunities that will advance the strategy. It must be accorded the 4 CTE-STEM INVESTMENT PRIORITIES Strengthen the STEM Investment Council and Hubs. Increase CTE-STEM degrees and credentials. Redesign CTE-STEM learning. Ensure equitable CTE- STEM access and opportunity.

5 clout and respect to influence such change. And it will need to have access to resources to support the STEM Policy Director, as well as data analytics, communication, and administrative support. The STEM Hubs are critical in implementation of this work at the local level. The Hubs have a valuable role as the go-to place for bringing together P20 educators, employers, elected officials, non-profits, and foundations to implement CTE and STEM efforts. They support and scale programming in their region (e.g., summer middle school STEM for migrant students), develop and manage collaborative projects, and provide professional development for educators. Because they are essential, the STEM Hubs need sustained funding for backbone functions to ensure continuity in leadership and programming. The STEM Hub Network has now been expanded statewide. We must increase the resources for the Hub Network to meet that growth. Priority 2: Increase attainment of degrees and other credentials in CTE- and STEM-related fields that are in high demand and that have high value to the economy. Over the past 15 years Oregon has made substantial progress in increasing the number of STEM-related degrees. However, even with those increases, there remain shortages in high-wage fields such as construction, technology, advanced manufacturing, and health sciences. Many of these programs of study are more expensive to provide than other degrees, and in many cases those additional costs are not recognized in funding formulas, most notably for K-12 schools and community colleges. To systematically address this challenge, we need to incorporate new funding models into the existing formulas the state employs to support student access to education. Several new funding streams have emerged in recent years. We now have the opportunity to pull them together and add additional streams to create a coherent, powerful framework aimed at key certificate and degree outcomes. Revitalization Grants. The first funding stream is one time grants to spark program innovation and startup. The purpose of these grants is to fund capital, curriculum and professional development costs of new programs or to provide support for scaling up existing programs. These funds are not intended to permanently support a particular school or organization. Rather, they are intended to launch them. Two good examples are the CTE Revitalization Grants for middle and high schools, and Engineering Technology and Industry Council (ETIC) grants made available to universities to bolster engineering. A key goal for the next several years is to increase the number of Oregonians who hold certificates, credentials and technical associate degrees that lead to well-paying employment. With this goal in mind we propose an expanded revitalization grant pool, which could be used for new programs in K-12, community college and apprenticeship programs, including projects that involve collaboration among these partners. This will provide resources to ramp up new programs that meet critical needs. Pathway funding described below will provide additional funding to sustain these programs after start-up. Career Pathway Funding. The second form of funding is designed to provide ongoing support for critical programs through payments to schools when a student has completed a program leading to a degree or credential in a high-wage, high-demand occupation. The Secondary Career Pathway Fund grants payment to high schools when a student who is a CTE concentrator completes a three-credit program of study. Additional payments are included for low-income students, for students of color, and for students who earn an industry credential. This program has been very successful and has generated improved outcomes in each of these areas. We propose to extend this funding model to the community college system. A new pathway fund for community college certificates and Associate of Applied Science degrees (AAS) as well as for certificates that are recognized by employers as valuable. Running CTE and STEM programs is typically more expensive than traditional community college courses and pathway payments would help defray these costs and encourage program expansion into critical fields. This pathway payment, accompanied by revitalization grants could quickly lead Oregon to much higher levels of certificate and degree completion in areas of critical need. 5

6 In addition, Oregon should explore making registered apprenticeship programs eligible for pathway funding. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission recently transformed the Engineering Technology Industry Council (ETIC) funding into a new form of pathway funding, as recommended by the Council in ETIC has been a great success, with more than $200 million invested over 20 years to ramp up engineering education largely through one-time grants. The ETIC sustaining pathway fund will provide payments for completion of degrees, with bonuses for students employed in their field in Oregon. This will not only encourage continued support by universities for completion of critically important degrees, but also the placement of talented students in Oregon. In future biennia, we may want to extend pathway funding for additional degrees, based on recommendations from industry and looking at labor demand data. Ballot Measure 98. Approved by the voters in 2016, Ballot Measure 98 provides additional dollars on a non-competitive, formula basis to support high school programs in three areas: dropout prevention, career-technical education, and college-level opportunities, all aimed at improving the high school graduation rate. The 2017 Legislature allocated $170 million of the anticipated $300 million to this initiative and also made provisions for some middle school funding. Clearly, this funding stream needs to be integrated into the overall funding plan to achieve the degree completion outcomes specified in this plan. Assuming full funding of this initiative in 2019, we will advocate that a significant portion be used to expand career technical education programs in high school and middle school as well as advance science and math course work, both of which are critical for meeting our degree and certificate goals. Priority 3: Improve math, science, and computer science education across the P20 continuum, with a focus on K-12, through redesign of math and science curriculum, standards, assessment, and professional development. STEM literacy is critical for all learners, regardless of the path they choose to pursue. Therefore, Oregon needs to redesign and restructure math, science, and computer science learning to help all learners succeed. Curriculum and pedagogy must change to make such learning deeper, more hands on, more integrated with practical application, and more intellectually interesting and engaging. In particular, it should be aligned across the P20 continuum with defined pathways that suit student needs and career aspirations. STEM Innovation Grants have played an important role in supporting innovative approaches and new models of STEM education and STEM professional development. STEM Beyond School, Math in Real Life, and Computer Science and Digital Literacy grants are examples of those investments. These and other successful models should be taken to scale to benefit all students across Oregon. In addition, we must reimagine and align curriculum, standards, assessment, and professional development across the P20 continuum. In particular, professional development should involve not only teachers, but also building and district-level administrators whose involvement and policies have so much impact on student learning. This restructuring will have to be a concerted, multi-year effort, planned in stages and involving educators across our institutions at all levels of the P20 continuum. In the first two years of this effort, Oregon should focus on improving mathematics learning. Math has inherent value as a language of reasoning, but it is equally important as an integral capability in science, technology, engineering, and other technical fields. Oregon must improve in math education as a key element of improving in CTE and STEM. As noted earlier, Oregon fourth and eighth grade students lag the national average in NAEP math capability. The United States, in turn, lags other advanced economies in student math performance. Priority 4: Ensure equitable CTE-STEM opportunities and outcomes for women, students of color, and students living in poverty. Gaps in CTE-STEM participation and outcomes remain too wide for women, students of color, and lowincome Oregonians. Oregon s rapidly changing demographics mean that more than ever, our state s 6

7 greatest opportunity lies in closing these gaps. Oregon must make investments in policy and resources to ensure equitable access and opportunity in CTE and STEM for students from these traditionally underrepresented groups. We ve made progress in creating funding models that support underrepresented students in CTE and STEM. The Secondary Career Pathways Fund and the university funding model, the Student Success and Completion Model, both provide weighted funding for students of color and those living in poverty. In addition, Oregon s STEM Education Plan has a number of excellent recommendations to support equity and inclusion. For example, its recommendations include increasing student and family access to culturally relevant, community-based STEM and CTE programs that build upon local assets; increasing the number of female role models and role models of color for students who are underrepresented in STEM, including more STEM and CTE teachers of color; and increasing postsecondary access, affordability, and support for first-generation and historically underrepresented students pursuing high-wage, high-demand credentials EXPECTED OUTCOMES As noted at the onset, this paper supports the goals and outcomes identified in Oregon s STEM Education Plan. Achieving these ambitious outcomes will take long-term investment and systemic change over a decade or more. This will require monitoring both leading and lagging metrics to ensure that we are changing the trajectory of outcomes over time. Here are some of the key outcomes we expect Oregon to achieve from the investments and changes we recommend: Major gains in math and science skills. By 2025, double the number of NAEP-measured fourth and eighth grade students proficient in math and science. Major gains in CTE-STEM credential attainment. By 2015, double the number of STEM and CTE degrees and certificates awarded. Gains in equity and inclusion. By 2025, double the number of historically underserved and underrepresented students attaining a STEM-related degree or credential. We would also expect to see other learning gains from the investments recommended here. These would include better preparation and motivation of elementary and middle school students for participation in high school and postsecondary math and science studies, significant gains in high school graduation rates, better definition and alignment of CTE and STEM pathways for learners, fewer students needing remedial math courses in postsecondary studies, and expanded employment for Oregon CTE-STEM degree and certificate holders in CTE and STEM occupations. Specific metrics for such gains should be set and monitored by the STEM Investment Council and stakeholders. 7