You are hereOCCRL's Role in Implementation and Evaluation of Perkins IV Programs of Study
OCCRL's Role in Implementation and Evaluation of Perkins IV Programs of Study
by Debra D. Bragg and Kathleen Marie Oertle
The Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) was created at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1989. Its vision and mission is dedicated to research, evaluation and leadership development to improve the quality of community college education in the state of Illinois. Over the years, OCCRL has enlarged its outreach to a national audience. Partnerships with colleges, universities, state agencies, the federal government, and other organizations provide the impetus to study and disseminate knowledge on various educational policies and practices. Research on the transition of youth and adults to college and careers is an especially important dimension of OCCRL’s work (see: http://occrl.illinois.edu/frontpage)
Currently, OCCRL is partnering with the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and the Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support (ICSPS) to guide the development and implementation of the Programs of Study called for in the new Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education legislation. The emphasis of Perkins IV and Programs of Study is academic and CTE courses that allow students to pursue career pathways, beginning in the K-12 and extending to the community college and university levels. In the state of Illinois, Programs of Study are sequences of courses that incorporate a non-duplicative progression of secondary and postsecondary (community college and university) education.
Getting Started
To facilitate implementation of the new federal legislation, OCCRL was commissioned to support planning for the Perkins IV legislation through the facilitation of regional meetings that were tasked with two primary goals: a) to envision and formulate plans for systemic change, restructuring and improving practice, and b) to identify policy changes that will enhance CTE programs statewide. Between late March and mid May 2007, five regional meetings were held in the following locations: Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield; Parkland College, Champaign; Chicago Public Schools, Chicago; Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove; and Rend Lake College, Ina. Over 150 participants representing secondary and postsecondary education were involved. Following the meetings, OCCRL director, Debra Bragg, reported results to the state, including posing questions regarding Programs of Study that addressed implementation practices, standards, and evaluation. Supporting this effort, Collin Ruud, OCCRL research assistant, investigated implementation of Programs of Study in several states, identifying policies, procedures, and notable strategies. OCCRL staff, Natasha Jankowski, Jason Taylor and Catherine Kirby, contacted 18 states (California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin), conducting in-depth interviews with state leaders in nine states. The findings revealed important lessons for Programs of Study in Illinois. An important product of this work is “An Introduction to Illinois CTE Programs of Study”, which appears on the OCCRL website at: http://occrl.illinois.edu/sites/occrl.illinois.edu/files/Projects/perkins/Report/POSmailer.pdf. Companion PowerPoint slides appear at: http://occrl.ed.uiuc.edu/Projects/perkins/files/POSpowerpoint.pps.
Numerous meetings have occurred since Spring 2007 involving practitioners and the Programs of Study State Planning Team to further develop Illinois’ plan to roll out Programs of Study. The State Planning Team, which consists of approximately 30 members from four organizations (ISBE, ICCB, OCCRL, and ICSPS), continues to convene and collaborate. In addition, a leadership group meets quarterly for progress updates and to make key decisions. Supporting documents can be found at http://occrl.illinois.edu/projects/perkins/documents.
Guiding Principles and Design Elements for Programs of Study
OCCRL is leading the state’s efforts to create guiding principles and associated design elements to aid local implementation and evaluation of Programs of Study. Six workgroups of practitioners and state education leaders are working collaboratively to create a conceptual framework for implementation and evaluation. The framework is designed to foster systematic thinking and change at all levels. The guiding principles and design elements are based on prior research, knowledge of best practice, and other literature. In particular, OCCRL staff drew upon resources about Perkins IV requirements, accreditation models, High Schools That Work (HSTW) of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Adult Education, the Critical Skills Shortage Initiative (CSSI), the Community College Transition Institute (CCTI) and other initiatives. The guiding principles and design elements were cross-walked with the Perkins IV Indicators and state requirements from the 5-year plan, the Pathway Development Team (PDT) application, the Partnership for College and Career Success (PCCS) requirements, and ISBE’s CTE Improvement and Perkins IV Grants supporting guidelines. They were also cross-walked with the National High School Center topic areas for school improvement, the Spellings Commission report on higher education, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and other relevant resources and documents.
Since summer 2008, the OCCRL has worked closely with the ICCB, ISBE, and ICSPS to create a set of guiding principles and design elements for Programs of Study. Throughout the fall, six workgroups have been facilitated by OCCRL staff, with personnel employed by the ICSPS leading the professional development workgroup. Each workgroup was given the task to review and comment on the guiding principle and design elements. In addition, ideas about evidence of impact will be gathered to help in the design of evaluation system to assess whether Programs of Study are being implemented successfully. The six principles and principles statements appear below.
|
Principle |
Principle Statement |
| Leadership, organization and support | Programs of Study are developed, supported and led with guidance from collaborative Partners. |
| Access, equity, and opportunity | Each and every student has access to educational opportunities and services that enable their success. |
| Alignment and transition | Education and training providers, with input from business and industry, enhance alignment that facilitates student transition through the educational pipeline. |
| Enhanced curriculum and instruction; | Curriculum and pedagogy involve rigorous and relevant instruction that enhance learning and enable students to attain academic and technical standards and credentials. |
| Professional preparation and development | Comprehensive and continuous professional development that impacts teaching and learning is delivered to enhance the recruitment, preparation, and retention of qualified instructional and administrative staff. |
| Program improvement and accountability | Data are collected, shared, and utilized to improve outcomes and demonstrate accountability. |
More about the guiding principles and design elements as well as others resources on Programs of Study see: http://occrl.illinois.edu/projects/perkins/principles
Self-Assessment of Programs of Study
During summer/fall 2008, a Self-Assessment Tool was created by OCCRL to assist local practitioners affiliated with the Partnerships for College and Career Success (PCCS) to conduct a systematic review of current CTE programs. Information gathered through the Self-Assessment is important to planning and implementation of Programs of Study. The process facilitates reflective dialogue among partners. The Self-Assessment tool is divided into six sections: Section I: The Partners, Section II: Employers and Other Partners, Section III: Curriculum Inventory, Section IV: Programs of Study Readiness, Section V: Programs of Study Design Elements, and Section VI: Programs of Study Implementation Review. The Self-Assessment tool can be found at http://occrl.illinois.edu/sites/occrl.illinois.edu/files/Projects/perkins/Report/PoSSelf-Assessment.pdf
Professional development opportunities focused on Programs of Study are being made available throughout the state, beginning with the first offering on December 10, 2008. The Programs of Study Self-Assessment Workshop is designed to give stakeholders (state decision makers, secondary and postsecondary administrators, faculty, staff, and business professionals) a better understanding of Perkins IV Programs of Study implementation and evaluation.
Future Activities
OCCRL will continue to play a critical role in the planning and implementation of Programs of Study in Illinois. Plans for state and local implementation are well underway, with attention increasingly focused on evaluation, including linking student outcomes to accountability and program improvement. By gathering and using data, local partnerships will be positioned to make needed changes in student academic performance. As data systems become more user-friendly, OCCRL intends to work with the state and local partnerships to support date-driven approaches to decision making, program implementation, and student outcomes evaluation. Better prepared students are more likely to transition to college ready to learn and meet the demands of a fast-paced and increasingly globalized workplace. 
Debra D. Bragg is Director of OCCRL and Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Organization and Leadership at the University of Illinois. She can be reached at . dbragg@illinois.edu.
Kathleen Marie Oertle is a Ph.D. student in Special Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She currently works as a Graduate Research Assistant for the Office of Community College Research and Leadership and can be reached at oertle@illinois.edu.
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