In the Workplace Aurora

Improving economic development is vital to all communities and central to long-term success with Aurora’s efforts to ensure economic prosperity across such a large, diverse community. To further such efforts, Illinois has enacted policies requiring school districts to implement work-based learning. Work-Based Learning requires committed, long-term partnerships with employers across all Career Pathways, and building these relationships and engaging employers in the possibilities and benefits of work-based learning takes significant time. 

In the Workplace Aurora will jump start these efforts by leveraging existing community-based, business-focused organizations to bring employers and school districts together for training led by NIU’s Illinois P-20 Network, a statewide leader in work-based learning and career readiness. The In the Workplace Auora effort is supported by the generosity of the Dunham Foundation.

East Aurora School District 131, West Aurora School District 129, and the VALEES EFE leadership have been in close collaboration with the Illinois P-20 Network to implement this exciting project, which seeks to engage employers in the benefits and mechanics of the work-based learning continuum. Employer engagement events are now scheduled, and employers from throughout the Aurora region are encouraged to attend one of the three sessions (with a meal included) to learn more about both why they would want to collaborate with the school districts and how to collaborate on bringing students in to the workplace to apply the skills that they are learning at school and to learn about careers.

Join us at any of the following free sessions:

April 16 – 11.30 AM – Aurora Economic Alliance Office (map) Lunch included at no cost to attendees

April 27 – 11.30 AM – East Aurora School District 131 District Office (map) Lunch included at no cost to attendees

June 11 – 8.00 AM – West Aurora Weisner Center (map) Breakfast included at no cost to attendees

ISBE Career Connections Conference

The Illinois State Board of Education Career Connections Conference is a premier event that offers collaboration, innovation, and inspiration to educators throughout Illinois.At Career Connections, educators come together to exchange ideas, share best practices, and foster meaningful connections with their peers. It is a space where the CTE community can engage in discussions and networking that enhance the quality of education and help to best prepare our students for successful futures Conference Website.

Lots of Free CTE Learning Opportunities for Educators

In February, the Summer 2024 ISBE CTE Professional Learning Calendar was released. The Summer 2024 Calendar includes 24 workshops, including in-person workshops across Illinois. 

Today, the 2024-2025 ISBE CTE Professional Learning Calendar is released. In addition to the three online asynchronous professional learning courses that are running multiple times each year, this 2024-2025 Calendar features 65 workshops, including workshops focused on equity and closing opportunity and achievement gaps, workshops focused on new teachers, workshops focused on the integration of literacy and math instruction, workshops focused on CTE coursework in specific Career Pathways, and workshops to support administrators and counselors. 

Please share with educators in your school districts and regions and register today!

NIU Illinois CTE Project is Hiring

UPDATE – Apply now for our CTE Educator position. Applications are now open with a priority review date of June 23, 2023.

The NIU Illinois CTE Project Team is excited to announce that we will be hiring a CTE Educator. While the position’s official job vacancy posting is not yet out, as the school year is wrapping up across Illinois, we wanted to share this opportunity as widely as possible, and we want to stress that candidates for this position will be considered from across Illinois.  

This position presents an incredible opportunity to work with educators and school districts across Illinois and to partner closely with the Illinois State Board of Education’s Career and Technical Education team. 

Highlights of the Job Description

The CTE Educator is an instructor in the Northern Illinois University Division of Outreach, Engagement, and Regional Development (OERD). Outreach and Engagement Instructors are professionals who conduct the division’s multitude of outreach and engagement activities with customers and partners across the region. This position will be primarily focused on instructional tasks – curriculum development, delivery of instruction, assessment and evaluation. Outreach and Engagement Instructors operate independently with minimal supervision and collaborate intentionally with colleagues across the division and across the university.

Duties and Responsibilities

Curriculum Development

1. Lead development of instructional programs for students and teachers of all ages including, but not limited to new units of activities for students and teachers in both domestic and international settings.
2. Research and develop curriculum and instructional activities, select books and other instructional materials, create videos of experts and authors as needed for the units.
3. Investigate, develop, and promote new and innovative programming opportunities, especially those tailored to the needs of students with disabilities.
4. Recruit and collaborate with NIU faculty, staff, and students to participate in NIU CTE and NIU CTE instructional programs.
5. Write lessons, podcasts and other curricular materials that are aligned to standards and focus on building CTE and CTE skills.

Instructional Delivery – 30%

1. Create proposals to deliver instruction in school classrooms, field, clinics, camps, across campus and online or other learning environments.
2. Deliver high-quality instruction as an individual or part of a team that performs within timelines and within budgets and meets evaluation expectations.
3. Deliver CTE instruction to families and community members in schools and communities on campus and off campus during school days, evenings, weekends, and summers.
4. Monitor regional and national literacy news, research and publications a to identify opportunities for new programs and partners.

Assessment and Evaluation – 20%

1. Study and use best practices for CTE instruction.
2. Conduct a continuous improvement process, identifying metrics that establish accountability for CTE projects.
3. Collect metrics and complete analyses as needed to determine effectiveness.
4. Complete reports on outcomes and others needed or required.
5. Work with faculty and SPA staff to identify opportunities, assist in development of proposals, and provide support as needed to research teams.

Other tasks that impact instructional improvement or innovation – 20%

1. Coordinate with the P-20 Center’s personnel to ensure effective and efficient administration and operations.
2. Work with P-20 Center students in instructional development, delivery and evaluation.
3. Nurture established CTE delivery networks and develop new ones.
4. Identify and cultivate internal and external sponsors of particular instructional programs.
5. Serve as a liaison between NIU CTE and NIU’s many CTE academic departments, cultivating positive relationships with internal individuals and organizations.
6. Work with messaging and media staff to promote CTE programs to targeted audiences.
7. Represent the university, the division and the program to internal and external clients in a multitude of venues.
8. Cultivate positive relationships with external individuals and organizations, including developing and sustaining both new and existing CTE and CTE partnerships.
9. Collaborate across OERD’s networks, integrating NIU CTE activities into other networks, maximizing involvement of faculty, and increasing involvement of external partners.

Requirements of the Position

Minimum Educational Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a CTE field required.
• Master’s degree preferred.

Minimum Experience Requirements

• Two years’ experience as a secondary CTE instructor.
• Professional presentations in a CTE/CTE or educational field.
• Two years’ demonstration of leading a team to produce high quality CTE/CTE programming, curriculum, instruction and/or assessment including creating accommodations for disabilities.

Licensing or Certification Required

• Illinois Professional Educator License – Teacher licensure required in CTE field.
• Administrative licensure preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Critical to Performance of this Position

• Experience with new Perkins V Needs Assessment and Program of Study Process.
• Involved in Illinois Perkins V planning.
• Familiar with EFE/ACC requirements and improvement planning processes and documents.
• Experience with local WIOA connections.
• Experience with successful local business and industry councils.
• In-depth knowledge of at least one CTE discipline.

Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Create and deliver professional development according to state and national standards.
• Ability to work successfully as a team leader and as a team member.
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently with minimal supervision, initiate new projects, and network across CTE networks, NIU, and the region.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Commitment to accountability for the university’s outreach and engagement mission, presidential goals such as increasing partnerships, and division goals for mutually beneficial engagement with communities across the region.

Registration Open – ISBE Career Connections Conference

ISBE Career Connections: Building Community before the IACTE Annual Conference – February 15, 2023

Join the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) on February 15, 2023, for a day of networking and collaboration with and among Illinois CTE educators and state administrators before attending the annual IACTE conference.

Morning sessions at the ISBE Career Connections Conference will provide timely information and support for specific groups including:

• Agriculture Grant Recipients
• Career Exploration/Career Development Experience Grant Recipients
• College and Career Pathway Coordinators
• District/School CTE Administrators
• Ed Pathway Grant Recipients
• EFE Directors
• Innovation Grant Recipients
• New or Nearly New CTE Teachers
• Regional Work Experience Career Exploration Programs
• School Counselors

Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend a specialized networking lunch and afternoon breakout sessions providing opportunities for individuals to broaden their knowledge and skillsets related to various CTE topics.

In addition, the ISBE Career Connections Conference is hosting an evening keynote event to help kick-off the IACTE Conference (February 16-17). Dr. Amanda Bastoni, Educational Research Scientist at CAST, as well as former CTE teacher and administrator, will bring her energetic and highly-informative presentation style that will provide significant insights into what schools of all sizes and in all settings across Illinois can do with and through CTE to improve learning and increase student success.

Participants have the opportunity to register for the Day Conference Event, the Keynote Dinner Event, or both events. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow your knowledge and skills while interacting with CTE colleagues from across the state. Register now for the ISBE Career Connections Conference!

And register for the 2023 IACTE Conference on February 16 and 17, 2023. 

Provide Feedback on CTE Standards to ISBE

ISBE wants your feedback on potential Illinois Career and Technical Education (CTE) Standards. All Illinois educators are encouraged to watch this recorded 15-minute webinar then complete this feedback survey. Links to all of the relevant elements of the webinar are below:

• Slides
• ISBE CTE Industry Feedback Tour Themes

Draft Career Pathway Standards Documents

• Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
• Arts and Communications
• Finance and Business Services
• Health Sciences and Technology
• Human and Public Services
• Information Technology
• Manufacturing, Engineering, Technology, and Trades

The individual feedback survey is available to all educators in Illinois through November 6, 2022.

Return of the Career Pathways User Group

In collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Innovation team, the Northern Illinois University CTE Project hosts the state-wide Illinois Career Pathways User Group to support the adoption, growth, and ongoing improvement of the Illinois College and Career Pathway Endorsements, with authentic learning, integrated learning, and work-based learning at the heart of these efforts for all students across Illinois.

This video is the September 2022 meeting of the Illinois Career Pathways User Group. During this meeting, updates were provided to all participants about the growth in earned Endorsements across Career Pathways since the start of this policy in 2020, about recently passed HB3296 and its requirements to implement the Endorsements and the PaCE Framework, and with information about the application process for school districts. Watch the video of the meeting below or on the Illinois P-20 Network YouTube Channel.

If you are not already part of the Illinois Career Pathway User Group, register today in order to access the Google Group and meeting invitations.

ISBE CTE Standards – Teacher Feedback Wanted

This summer, CTE educators explored the data from the CTE Industry Feedback Tour and considered it in light of identified best practices nationally in CTE in order to make recommendations regarding our need for CTE standards and supporting professional development in Illinois.

An additional opportunity for educators to provide input will take place in the format of a webinar focused on gathering feedback on options for adopting CTE Standards within the State of Illinois. Sessions will be held from 7.30 until 9 AM and 3.30 until 5 PM on September 29, 2022. Participation is open to all educators, teachers and administrators, who teach or support Career & Technical Education programs in Illinois.

The goal of this work will be to provided teachers, schools, and school districts with the tools necessary to ensure that there are high-quality and equitable CTE opportunities for all students across Illinois and for the ISBE CTE team and its partners to best support educators in meeting those goals.

Sessions will take place via Zoom and are expected to last no more than 60 minutes. Zoom links will be sent to those registered the day before each session.

If you would like to attend both sessions, we do ask that you complete the form separately for each session.

Free Administrator Academy Workshops to Kick-Off 2022-2023

As part of our Career ConneCTEd Illinois professional learning efforts, we are excited to host three online, half-day workshops at the beginning of August. Participants in these workshops can earn Professional Development Hours (PDHs) or Administrator Academy credit. Registration is free, and will close 48 hours prior to each workshop. A Zoom link and other information about each workshop will be sent to participants 48 hours ahead of each workshop. Each workshop will take place from 9 AM until noon. 

• August 3 – Social and Emotional Learning Leads to College and Career Readiness – Register 
• August 4 – PaCE Framework Overview – Register 
• August 5 – Illinois Career Pathways Overview – Register 

CTE Professional Learning Opportunities – 2022-2023

We are pleased to announce the initial ISBE CTE Professional Development calendar for the 2022-2023 school year. This calendar is considered an initial calendar because we are already adding additional events to it. We are also excited to share that there is no cost to participate in any of the events being run solely by ISBE and the NIU Illinois CTE Project. 

All sessions are open free of charge to all Illinois educators, including teachers, clinicians, counselors, and administrators from Early Childhood through twelfth grade settings as well as postsecondary educators. For example, Administrator Academy workshops are not only open to school administrators, but to all educators. Participants who complete workshops will earn Illinois Professional Development Hours or, when applicable based on the workshop and one’s position, Administrator Academy credit. 

Check out the full (and growing!) ISBE CTE Professional Development calendar – Registration links are continually being added over the coming weeks. 

ISBE to host meetings about CTE Standards with professionals from across careers

Among educational leaders at all levels, the advancement of Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a high priority for students in middle school, high school, and in the full range of postsecondary institutions. As part of these efforts, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is developing Illinois’ first set of statewide student learning standards for CTE instruction. The CTE standards will provide broad targets on which school districts can develop their local CTE curriculum and which will provide a focus to teachers in creating student learning opportunities.

ISBE is planning regional meetings (north, central, and south) to gather feedback from professionals across a wide range of industries on the knowledge and skills that students need to be successful as they move into our current and future workplaces.

• April 15 – 9 AM – Mt. Vernon Airport
• April 18 – 1 PM – Heartland Community College
• April 19 – 10.30 AM – Elgin Community College
• April 22 – 9 AM – Online via Zoom
  (Zoom information will be sent to registered participants on April 21.)

Registration is free to these events, which are open to individuals from across all industries and professions. Please click here to register.

The results of these regional meetings will be used by educators from across Illinois in June to engage in similar activities around the CTE Standards. In partnership with ISBE, we hope to have a large turnout to support these efforts and ensure that our educational outcomes are on-target for our students, so please share this information with colleagues.

Illinois Career Connections Conference

Join the Illinois P-20 Network at the 2022 Illinois Career Connections Conference. Learn more at: http://ilcareerconnections.org/