Expanding the NIU Illinois CTE Project Team

The NIU Illinois CTE Project, one key component of the larger Illinois P-20 Network Team, is contracted by the Illinois State Board of Education’s CTE & Innovation Team to collaborate with ISBE and educators across Illinois in leading CTE-related professional learning; evaluating, identifying, creating, and sharing instructional resources; supporting the goal of having high-quality and diverse CTE educators in classrooms across Illinois; and implementing ISBE’s annual Career Connections Conference.

As schools across Illinois begin the 2023-2024 school year, we are excited to announce two new members of our NIU Illinois CTE Project Team: 

Brian Rick – Brian joins the team with a background having served as a high school CTE teacher as well as having worked in CTE at the community college-level and in the Regional Office of Education setting. Brian has extensive experience in construction and engineering classrooms, with Perkins V and its related processes, in implementing and leading Skills USA within a school district, and with leading efforts to close opportunity gaps for all students. Most recently, Brian has served as the CTE Navigator at Southeastern Illinois Community College having also previously worked at Vienna High School, ROE 20, Shawnee Community College, and at Carbondale High School. Brian has been involved in IACTE, and this past year, Brian was also part of ACTE’s IAED Diversity Cohort. 

Betsy Westergreen – Elizabeth (Betsy) Westergreen joins the team having most recently served as the Career and Community Services Coordinator at Pontiac Township High School. In addition to teaching in this role, she was actively involved in leading schoolwide efforts to implement the PaCE Framework and the Work-Based Learning Continuum as well as serving as a liaison with community and business partners and the community college. Prior to her most recent role, Betsy also worked on the Innovative Curriculum Resource Project at Illinois State University under contract with ISBE, and Betsy served for many years as a CTE teacher in Flanagan-Cornell Unit School District 74 in which she taught classes across the Arts and Communications, Finance and Business Services, and Information Technology Career Pathways as well as leading a range of student activities. 

Over the coming weeks and months, we look forward to the opportunities that teachers, counselors, and administrators across Illinois will have to collaborate with Brian and Betsy alongside current NIU Illinois CTE Project Team members Shavina Baker and Bill Rose. 

2023-2024 Professional Learning Calendars

ISBE and the NIU Illinois CTE Project Team, part of the Illinois P-20 Network, invite you to participate in a variety of professional development opportunities this school year, including: 

• Online Professional Learning Courses 
  • Work-Based Learning 
  • High-Quality CTE for All Students 
• CTE & Equity Promising Practices 
• Administrator Academies – Open to All 
  • Illinois Career Pathways Overview 
  • Social & Emotional Learning Leads to College & Career Readiness 
  • PaCE Framework Overview 
  • Forming Relationships with Community and Business Partners 
• Teaching & Assessing the Essential Skills in CTE 
• Writing Team-Based Challenges
• Career Pathway User Group
• ISBE Career Connections Conference – June 18, 2024 – Tinley Park Convention Center

For more information and to register, please visit the ISBE CTE Professional Learning Calendar – 2023-2024. Additional workshops will be added to the calendar moving forward!

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.

Summer Speaker Series Videos Online

Today, the final educator panel in this year’s Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) CTE Summer Speaker Series was held, and now, we are pleased to share all three keynotes and all three educator panels online as resources for professional learning moving forward for educators across Illinois in Career and Technical Education (CTE) and beyond. The theme for the ISBE CTE Summer Speaker Series was CTE for ALL students and for EACH student, with a clear focus on equity and inclusion and providing support to schools to overcome barriers in order to give all students access to high quality CTE and Career and College Readiness instruction.

Each of the events listed below is linked to the corresponding YouTube video for that event. All of the YouTube videos are also organized into a single ISBE CTE Summer Speaker Series 2022 YouTube Playlist.

Family & Community Engagement and Postsecondary Placement

• Keynote – Dr. Ayanna Brown, Elmhurst University & Thought Spectrum, LLC
• Educator Panel

Active Recruitment of Special Populations into CTE Programs and Nontraditional Careers

• Keynote – Dr. Amanda Bastoni, CAST
• Educator Panel

Elimination of Barriers for Individual CTE Students

• Keynote – Dr. Valerie Milton, Michigan Department of Education
• Educator Panel

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. 

Introducing the NIU Illinois CTE Project Team

Earlier this school year, the Illinois State Board of Education and Northern Illinois University’s Illinois P-20 Network and NIU STEAM entered into a multi-year partnership to further develop and implement Career & Technical Education (CTE) solutions and strategies with regards to:

• Professional Learning
• Teacher Recruitment and Retention
• Instructional Materials and Strategies

Given the nature of the 2021-2022 school year, additional new staff members for the NIU Illinois CTE Project Team were hired during the spring for Summer 2022 start dates so as not to pull educators from schools and districts during a complex and challenging school year. The NIU Illinois CTE Project is excited to add the following team members beginning July 1, 2022:

CTE Educator – Ben Owen, who has served as a business and technology teacher as well as a Multi-Tier Systems of Support (MTSS) Coordinator, Dean of Students and Athletic Director at Genoa-Kingston and Hiawatha High School. During his tenure as a teacher, among the courses he taught, Ben implemented INCubator successfully and saw enrollment in the course increase year-over-year, and this work is just one example of Ben’s focus of providing project-based and authentic learning experiences for all students. Prior to becoming an educator, Ben used his original Bachelor’s Degree in Business and his MBA as he worked in the private sector in human resources and operations management roles.

CTE Educator – Bill Rose, who has served in various teaching and leadership roles in the Rockford area. Bill has taught both Business and Social Science courses. Bill also holds a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and a Master’s Certificate in Reading. In addition to his  strong CTE background, which has included serving in a CTE leadership role at Rockford East High School, Bill has also been deeply involved curriculum and professional development work related to Project-Based and Problem-Based Learning, career-ready certifications and credentials for students, and Competency-Based Instruction.

DEI Educator – Shavina Baker (Pierre), who has served as a teacher, RTI specialist, athletic director, after-school program director, as a director of operations, and most recently as a principal in Rockford. Prior to becoming an educator, Shavina worked in the insurance industry, bringing additional workplace experience to her work on this state-wide CTE initiative. Shavina has extensive experience in her school leadership roles in implementing strategies that promote and developing a culture that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion. Additionally, in those same school leadership roles, she has developed and led professional learning as well as having worked extensively with curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

In addition to these team members, the NIU Illinois CTE Project team is being led by Jason Klein and Rodrigo López, who facilitate the Illinois P-20 Network, and the team includes key members of the NIU STEAM team, including Dr. Kristin Brynteson, the Director of NIU STEAM, Debbie Kerman, the Assistant Director of NIU STEAM, NIU STEAM Program Coordinator Lise Schlosser, and NIU STEAM Instructor Kerri Sosnowski.

Over the coming weeks and months, each of these new team members will be out and about and look forward to meeting and working with educators from across Illinois as well as learning in and with schools and districts across the state.

High-Quality CTE – White Paper & Webinar

ISBE’s Career ConneCTEd Illinois and the NIU Illinois CTE Project, under the leadership of NIU STEAM and Illinois P-20 Network, have released High-Quality CTE: What the Literature Says About Standards, Curriculum, Instruction, and Partnerships. The white paper provides an overview of the most effective and inclusive practices related to curriculum, instructional resources, instructional strategies, and business and community partnerships specifically in the context of secondary school CTE. 

In addition to the full written report, an overview of the white paper was provided via a webinar on June 15, 2022. Watch the recording of the webinar presentation, and learn more about the key takeaways from the analysis! 

ISBE CTE Summer Speaker Series 2022

CTE for ALL students & for EACH student

As part of the Career ConneCTEd Illinois efforts to support high-level Career and Technical Education (CTE) for all students throughout the state, this year, we are launching a Summer Speaker Series that will focus on ensuring access to and success in CTE classrooms. With a focus on the “special populations” and “nontraditional careers” of the Perkins V Act, the following three topics were identified by analyzing statewide CTE student data as well as through engaging CTE leaders from across Illinois.

For each topic, we will host a keynote presentation in June, and then, there will also be a corresponding educator panel for each topic that will be held in late July and early August prior to the start of the 2022-2023 school year. All of these events will be held online, and links will be sent to those who have registered the day before each event.

Family & Community Engagement and Postsecondary Placement

• Keynote – June 28, 10:30 AM – Dr. Ayanna Brown, Elmhurst University & Thought Spectrum, LLC
• Educator Panel – July 27, 9 AM

Active Recruitment of Special Populations into CTE Programs and Nontraditional Careers

• Keynote – June 21, 9 AM – Dr. Amanda Bastoni, CAST
• Educator Panel – July 28, 9 AM

Elimination of Barriers for Individual CTE Students

• Keynote – June 23, 9 AM – Dr. Valerie Milton, Michigan Department of Education
• Educator Panel – August 2, 9 AM

High Quality CTE Practices Webinar

Over the course of the spring, a national landscape analysis of best practices in Career and Technical Education (CTE) has been conducted in order to inform curriculum, instructional, and policy decisions related to CTE. As part of the ISBE CTE Project that is being facilitated by NIU STEAM and the Illinois P-20 Network, we are excited to launch a whitepaper with this analysis, and we will be hosting a free summary webinar at 1 PM on June 15, 2022.

ISBE CTE Educator Plan Time

Join us this summer to reflect on thoughts for schools from industry and to help provide direction regarding CTE Standards!

This summer, through the CTE Educator Plan Time series of events, educators from across Illinois will help plan next steps for state CTE standards. CTE educators will explore the data from the CTE Industry Feedback Tour and consider 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. The outcome of this work will be to provide 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.

Participation is open to all educators, teachers and administrators, who teach or support Career & Technical Education programs in Illinois. Educators may chose from the following sessions:

• Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources – June 14 – 9 AM
• Arts & Communications – June 14 – 1 PM
• Finance & Business Services – June 22 – 9 AM
• Health Sciences & Technology – June 22 – 1 PM
• Human & Public Services – July 19 – 9 AM
• Information Technology – July 19 – 1 PM
• Manufacturing, Engineering, Technology & Trades – July 26 – 9 AM
• General/All Career Pathways – July 26 – 1 PM

Sessions will take place via Zoom and are expected to last two hours. Zoom links will be sent to those registered the day before each session.

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/

ISBE Partners with the Illinois P-20 Network & NIU STEAM to Support CTE

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has recently signed a multi-year contract with Northern Illinois University that sees the Illinois P-20 Network and NIU STEAM partner withISBE’s Career & Technical Education (CTE) team to support efforts around:

• The implementation of CTE standards.
• Instructional resources aligned with the CTE standards.
• Professional learning opportunities aligned with the CTE standards and to make use of the instructional resources, including a statewide annual conference.
• Recruitment and retention of diverse, high-quality CTE teachers across Illinois.

Career & Technical Education has been closely aligned with the work of both the Illinois P-20 Network and NIU STEAM for many years. Instructionally, a critical core of this work is ensuring that all students benefit from authentic learning environments. Likewise, equity and inclusion for both working with students and in identifying and hiring CTE teachers will be embedded in all aspects of this collaborative effort.

Join our team! 2 new positions!

In partnership with NIU STEAM, we are excited to announce two new positions:

• Career and Technical Education (CTE) Educator
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Educator

Both of these positions will provide leadership in work with teachers and administrators in school districts across Illinois on a range of topics focused on improving Career and Technical Education (CTE) across Illinois. Details regarding each of the above positions can be found by clicking on the links, which will redirect you to the official Northern Illinois University job posting.

In both cases, NIU STEAM and the Illinois P-20 Network are seeking dynamic, enthusiastic, and highly knowledgeable educators who are committed to collaboration and problem solving alongside educators ranging from local school districts to regional organizations such as Regional Offices of Education, Education for Employment system offices, and Area Career Centers to leaders at the Illinois State Board of Education.

For questions or more information about either position, please reach out to either Kristin Brynteson, Director of NIU STEAM, or Jason Klein, Director of P-20 Initiatives.