POTENTIAL NEW DIRECTION 6

Providing Professional Development to
Secondary School Administrators and Counselors

School counselors have a primary responsibility at the secondary level for helping students select a program of study that enables them to meet Regents graduation requirements and that opens up possibilities for further education in areas of career interest. These school counselors very often lack full information about Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities available to secondary students, including the articulation of those programs with related postsecondary CTE programs and the strong linkages between those programs and local employers. A statewide professional development initiative could potentially include: joint presentations by technical and academic teachers involved in developing and offering CTE programs; demonstrations and tours of CTE programs; presentations by CTE program participants and graduates, postsecondary and employer representatives; and print materials and media including CDs and DVDs. The professional development initiative would serve to increase the awareness and interest of school administrators and counselors, and open up CTE opportunities at both the secondary and postsecondary levels to increased numbers of students.

Under Perkins IV, there is a requirement that states provide professional development to administrators, academic guidance counselors and career counselors. This requirement could potentially be met through this activity, which could be supported with state-level Leadership funds available under Perkins IV. It may be possible to link those state-level Leadership funds with related funding under the Workforce Investment Act.

The State Education Department is soliciting advice on including this potential direction in the Perkins IV Five Year State Plan.