State Profile For Virginia

Data sources used in this profile (PDF,177Kb)

State Director

Ms. Elizabeth Russell, Director,
Career Technical Education, Virginia Department of Education
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218-2120

CTE Web Site(s) as Applicable

Secondary: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Instruction/CTE/

Postsecondary: http://www.vccs.edu/WorkforceServices/tabid/76/Default.aspx

Career Readiness Certification Program: http://www.crc.virginia.gov/

Mission

The purpose of Career and Technical Education (CTE) is to meet the needs of Virginia’s existing and future workforce for marketable skills and to improve productivity and promote economic growth. Virginia’s present and future model for CTE continues to evolve from employment trends; sound academic practices; adjustments to changes at work and school; ties that bind to the total community; and to the ever-present need for accountability and improvement.

CTE Statistics

Number of Public High Schools: 348
Number of Public High Schools Offering Solely (or primarily) CTE courses: 49
Number of Students in Public High Schools: 380,140
Number of Secondary Students Enrolled in CTE: 593,429
Number of Public Community Colleges: 23
Number of Students at Public Community Colleges: 175,487
Number of Postsecondary Students Enrolled in CTE: 83,440
Perkins Funds Received: $27,639,654

CTE Governance Structure

Perkins Eligible Agency: Virginia Department of Education
Agency Administering Secondary CTE: Virginia Department of Education
Agency Administering Postsecondary CTE: Virginia Community College System
Programmatic Control For Secondary CTE: State Board of Education
Programmatic Control For Postsecondary CTE: State Board of Education

CTE Funding: Non-Perkins

Key: Increased Funding  Small_green_arrow_up    Decreased Funding   Small_red_arrow_down    Funding Maintained   Small_blue_arrow_both
State Secondary Funding: Small_blue_arrow_both
State Postsecondary Funding: Small_blue_arrow_both
Local Secondary Funding: Small_blue_arrow_both
Local Postsecondary Funding: Small_blue_arrow_both

State Director Roles and Responsibilities

The State Director has the title of State Director for the Office of Career and Technical Education Services. The Director’s position is a career position that reports to the Assistant Superintendent for Technology and Career Education. The Director’s primary areas of responsibility are Agricultural Education, Business & Information Technology, Marketing Education, Technology Education, Trade & Industrial Education, Family & Consumer Sciences, Health & Medical Sciences, and Career Connections at the state level and works with all of Career and Technical Education at the secondary level and State Director for Perkins Funds. The community college is a sub-recipient of the Perkins funds.

CTE Connections to Secondary Education and High School Reform

Career technical education plays a significant role in high school reform efforts. Virginia has been an active member of the High Schools That Work reform for almost seventeen years. Local school divisions have utilized the concepts for reform, not only within their CTE programs, but also across the board at the high school level. The State Board of Education has allowed students who have an industry certification/state licensure and who are CTE program completers to count this for up to two verified credits for graduation. CTE is also included within the National Governors’ Association grant for high school reform that Virginia was just awarded. The State Director is providing support and taking part in conversations related to the state’s high school reforms efforts. The Office of Career and Technical Education is working collaboratively with the School Improvement Office to provide professional

Implementation of Career Clusters

Virginia is currently implementing the 16 nationally-recognized career cluster model. Each school division is required to develop sample plans of study, based on the courses offered within their schools, the employment needs of the area, and the post-high school educational opportunities needed for these careers. Once these sample plans are developed, they can be customized to the needs of individual students so that all students have the opportunity to have an individualized plan of study. In an effort to assist the local school divisions in developing career pathways, the state will provide model templates in each of the 16 clusters.
Beginning with the seventh grade class of 2010–2011, career pathway information and sample plans of study will be utilized as information for the required Academic and Career Plan. The Perkins required components of Programs of Study (known as Plans of Study in Virginia) have been incorporated within the Academic and Career Plan.


Implementation levels of programs of study