| Announcements: December 2, 2009 - February 2, 2010 | |||||
Tech Prep Tuesday Newsletter February 2, 2010 New TEKS Implementation Q&A Session at EOS Conference A new TEKS Implementation Question and Answer session has been added to the agenda of the Education Open Source Conference next week. The session will feature a panel of CTE directors from four ISDs across the state and will be held February 9, from 4:15 – 5:15 PM in Ballroom A at the conference hotel. TEKS Course Descriptions Available on TEA Website For the text of the Adopted New19 TAC Chapter 130, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career and Technical Education, please see the following link: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=2206 . The effective date is August 23, 2010. NCPN Annual Conference Announced The National Career Pathways Network has announced that the NCPN annual conference will be October 20-23, 2010, in Dallas, Texas. All sessions will be held at the downtown Sheraton. The purpose of the conference is to provide professional development for career pathways and Tech Prep practitioners. Program strands include Curriculum Design and Integration, Instructional Innovations, Adult Career Pathways, Focusing Students, Administrative Strategies, Accountability, College and Career Readiness, and Engaging Business. Attendees will include educators (secondary and postsecondary), employers who depend on a skilled workforce, policymakers, and workforce and economic development professionals whose work impacts Career Pathways, Tech Prep, CTE, Programs of Study, and Career Clusters. Deadline for presentation proposals is March 31. The presenter proposal form is online at www.ncpn.info. Registration information will be online by the end of February. Update- ATC Training to be Available at Summer Conference In light of the many teachers who will require ATC (Advanced Technical Credit) training (due to curriculum updates), the decision has been made that ATC training will be offered at summer conferences after all. It is anticipated that about 8,000 teachers will need the training by September 17, 2010, so that it will count for the 2010/2011 school year. Smaller regional trainings will also be offered around the state. Watch this newsletter and the ATC website (www.atctexas.org) for information on training dates and sites. Also, the ATC website is currently under revision and should be ready to use in early spring. ============
Tech Prep Tuesday Newsletter January 26, 2010 Graduation Requirement Amendments Adopted On January 15, 2010, the State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted amendments to the Texas Administrative Code regarding graduation requirements to be implemented beginning in the 2010-11 school year. Correspondence explaining the changes to the graduation requirements can be accessed at: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/taa/stanprog012510.html Additional detailed information, including frequently asked questions, will be posted on the following website in the near future: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/graduation.aspx TACTE Spring Conference Announced The Texas Association of College Technical Educators (TACTE) will hold a Spring Conference March 30 – April 1 at the Campbell Center Doubletree in Dallas. For hotel and registration information and a look at the conference agenda, go to the organization’s website at www.tacte.org. ============
Tech Prep Tuesday Newsletter January 12, 2010 College Readiness Workshop – This workshop includes a comprehensive overview of college readiness standards, activities to assist counselors and teachers with college readiness planning on their campuses, the college admissions process, college entrance exams, and financial aid opportunities. The goal of the program is to increase college awareness, encourage vertical alignment, and improve college-going rates. Benefits include equipping counselors and teachers with pertinent information regarding increasing high school completion and graduation rates, fostering student achievement and encouraging teachers and counselors to build a college-going culture. Dates: January 20, 2010 (Waco); Session #33128 February 24, 2010 (Nolanville); Session #33129 March 24, 2010 (Hamilton); Session #33130 April 22, 2010 (Corsicana); Session #33131 Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Locations: ESC Region 12, Waco, Nolanville, Hamilton, or Corsicana Cost: FREE (Grant funded by THECB) Contact: Christine Holecek, cholecek@esc12.net, or Mary Ann Marak mamarak@esc12.net AchieveTexas College and Career Initiative –The Texas Education Agency will present this TETN Program on the AchieveTexas College and Career Initiative. Dates: January 21, 2010; (Session 1 of 4) Session #33482 February 25, 2010 (Session 2 of 4); Session #33483 March 24, 2010 (Session 3 of 4); Session #33496 April 28, 2010 (Session 4 of 4); Session #33497 Time: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm Location: ESC Region 12 Contact: Christine Holecek, cholecek@esc12.net, or Mary Ann Marak mamarak@esc12.net Visits - Consortium staff members are beginning spring semester visits to partner school districts and will be calling to set appointments in the near future. The visits are good opportunities to discuss articulation possibilities, PEIMS coding for CTE students, career exploration activities and Tech Prep issues. CATEMA Reminder - Spring CATEMA training should be requested no later than March 12th for the 2009 – 2010 school year. To schedule training, please contact Misty Harrell at mharrell@templejc.edu or (254) 298-8483. ============
Tech Prep Tuesday Newsletter January 5, 2010 Happy New Year! ATC (Advanced Technical Credit) Program Update The crosswalk for the upcoming school year (2010-2011) is now available on the ATC website at www.atctexas.org. Thirteen of the 16 career clusters have course alignments listed on the crosswalk. STEM course alignments should be added soon. The Education and Training and Government and Public Administration clusters do not have ATC courses on the crosswalk. Due to the new courses and alignments to be implemented in Fall 2010, all teachers desiring to teach ATC courses for the next school year must complete ATC training by mid-September. Part I of the ATC training will be available online once updates for the changes for next year are made. Part II training opportunities will be announced through this newsletter and will be posted on the ATC website. Consortium staff will attend ATC facilitator training in February. Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, the ATC program will be requesting an official transcript from every teacher seeking ATC approval. An official transcript is one that has been received directly from the issuing institution and bears the institution’s seal, an appropriate signature and a date. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind about the transcript request. Additional information is available on the ATC website: • Training locations will not accept transcripts on behalf of the approval office. • The transcript must be official. If the transcript is mailed to the teacher, the transcript should not be opened when it arrives in the mail. Place the sealed transcript envelope into another envelope and mail it to the office AFTER completing the Part II training. • If the teacher chooses to have the university send the transcript directly to the approval office, the teacher must notify the ATC office by email that the transcript has been requested. This email should include the teacher’s current name, the name listed on the transcript, date of birth, school district, and campus name. • See guidelines on the ATC website for districts desiring to send transcripts in bulk. • Official transcripts cannot be faxed or emailed. • A number of teachers previously approved for ATC courses already have an official transcript on file with the approval office. They will not need to resend one. If you have already sent a transcript previously and would like to verify this, contact the office at guerrerokk@sfasu.edu. • Remember, do not send the transcript until Part II of the training is completed. • Transcripts should be mailed to: ATC Approval Office P.O. Box 13071, SFA Station Nacogdoches, TX 75962 ============
Tech Prep Tuesday Newsletter December 1, 2009 CATEMA Reminder!! Districts should have begun entering first semester classes into CATEMA for the 2009 – 2010 school year. As a reminder, students MUST enter their own information and register for classes in order for the school district and consortium to be in compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); therefore, it is recommended that students taking one semester articulated classes register for them prior to being released for Christmas Break. CATEMA (Career and Technology Education Management Application) is a web-based tool designed to identify Career & Technology students who may have Tech Prep articulated credit in escrow. CATEMA helps to identify these students to college Advisors who will make sure they are advised appropriately. School districts can also use the reports generated by CATEMA to help them with PEIMS coding. School districts that have not participated in CATEMA in the past but have a local articulation agreement with Central Texas College or Temple College, or have a teacher that is eligible to teach Advanced Technical Credit (ATC) courses, may participate in CATEMA. Teacher training on CATEMA is available for member school districts. For more information please contact Misty Harrell at 254.298.8483 or mharrell@templejc.edu. ============ |
