State Profile For Washington

Data sources used in this profile (MSWord,54Kb)

State Director

Ms. Eleni Papadakis, Executive Director
Workforce Training & Education Coord Board
P.O. Box 43105
Olympia, WA 98504

Web Site

http://www.wtb.wa.gov/

Mission

Our Vision: Washington’s Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board is an active and effective partnership of labor, business, and government leaders guiding the best workforce development system in the world. Our Mission: We shape strategies to create and sustain a high-skill, high-wage economy. To fulfill this mission, the Board will:

• Advise the Governor, Legislature, and other policymakers on workforce development policy and innovative practice.


• Promote a seamless workforce development system that anticipates and meets the lifelong learning and employment needs of our current and future workforce.


• Advocate for the training and education needed for success in the 75-80 percent of jobs that do not require a baccalaureate degree.


• Ensure quality and accountability by evaluating results, and supporting high standards and continuous improvement.

CTE Statistics

Number of Public High Schools:	317
Number of Public High Schools Offering Solely (or primarily) CTE courses:	10
Number of Students in Public High Schools:	272,493
Number of Secondary Students Enrolled in CTE:	200,773
Number of Public Community Colleges:	34
Number of Students at Public Community Colleges:	193,516
Number of Postsecondary Students Enrolled in CTE:	203,902
Perkins Funds Received:	$24,681,839

CTE Governance Structure

Perkins Eligible Agency:	Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
Agency Administering Secondary CTE:	Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Agency Administering Postsecondary CTE:	State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
Programmatic Control For Secondary CTE:	Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Programmatic Control For Postsecondary CTE:	State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

CTE Funding

State Secondary Funding:
State Postsecondary Funding:
Local Secondary Funding:
Local Postsecondary Funding:	N/A

State Director Roles and Responsibilities

The State Director has the title of Executive Director of the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board. Washington’s State Director is an appointed position. The director is the head of an independent state agency, the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board. This agency’s purpose is to provide planning, coordination, evaluation, monitoring, and policy analysis for the state training system as a whole. Other specific program responsibilities include:

• Perkins Sole State Agency responsibility


• Workforce Development System Planning and Performance Accountability


• WIA Implementation for: strategic planning and performance accountability


• Regulation of the State’s private proprietary career schools


• Policy advice to the Governor and Legislature.

CTE Connections to Secondary Education and High School Reform

Career and technical education plays a significant role in high school reform efforts. Washington has recently developed program approval standards for CTE programs pursuant to legislative direction. The new standards align CTE with academic standards and emphasize the CTE role in aiding improvements in student achievement. Legislation passed in 2005 will require accountability measures for CTE programs.

Implementation of Career Clusters

Washington believes that Career Clusters offer an infrastructure for a seamless educational transition between all learner levels. Washington sees Career Clusters as a tool for career guidance and a means to organize instruction and sequences of courses.
In order to effectively implement Career Clusters, Washington has integrated Career Clusters into the state plan and the 2005 edition of the “Where are You Going” career planning guide. The state has adopted strategies to help with the implementation of Career Clusters. For example, Career Clusters are used to support effective transitions between secondary and postsecondary education. Washington has benchmarked existing program standards against Career Cluster knowledge and skill statements, and has incorporated the Career Clusters into statewide career planning presentations.
Several delivery methods are being used locally to implement and deliver Career Clusters, including career academies and Tech Prep.

Indicators

The data for 2003-2004 in the above chart was taken directly from the Consolidated Annual Reports (CAR Report 2003-04). The CAR is a mandatory fiscal and accountability report submitted by each state to the U.S. Department of Education. It provides performance information on 14 Perkins indicators. A red X means a state did not meet its adjusted level of performance and a green checkmark means that the state did meet its goal.A blue bar in the Secondary Indicators table means that the state does not offer students the opportunity to earn both a high school diploma and other credential (e.g., a skill certificate) or that the data was not otherwise provided by the state. A blue bar in the Postsecondary Indicators table indicates that the state did not provide data.

The data for 2004-2005 was taken from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998, Report to Congress on State Performance, Program Year 2004-05, Washington, D.C., 2007.

Last updated on 02/25/2008