This equity story describes the ways that Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District has increased equity in dual enrollment.

Student Voice in Policy Creation and Implementation

Our County Vocational and Technical School District is committed to providing equitable access to Career and Technical Education programs for all students in our County. 3 years ago, the Career and Technical Education Department began the process of completing a Comprehensive Local Needs assessment. During the same period of data collection, the district was in the process of submitting a proposal for the Bond Act. In order to provide an opportunity for students to exercise their agency, a survey was conducted which included all currently enrolled students as well as Middle School Students from sending districts. This survey provided evidence that students are interested in innovative programs including Cybersecurity, Green Energy, Global Logistics, Health Care and Computer Programming.

Student input was collected by each Career Major Teacher for inclusion in the bi-annual advisory meeting which resulted in curricular and equipment adjustments. An example of a specific outcome is the addition of tire lifters in the auto shop to ensure that all students have the accessibility to change tires when cars are on a lift. Additionally, a Global Logistics program was added at one of our campuses and current students had the opportunity to provide input on the training equipment that was purchased and computer programming was added into the Network technician program which allows students to earn a Comp TIA A+ certification in addition to the Network+ certification. The planning has begun to provide students in our county access to a Cybersecurity Program at another campus. Starting in the 2022-2023 school year, Our County Vocational and Technical School District updated the required members for each Program of Study Advisory Committee to include at least 1 student. This structure complements the structure of the Title I Advisory Councils which include High School students in the review of data and planning to improve teaching and learning in Non-CTE disciplines including science, mathematics, and language arts. Also, the 2023 Advisory Dinner included student practical skills demonstrations as well as student attendees in order to capture student interest and suggestions for program updates. As an example, a student committee has been formed to upgrade the Maker Space to include 3-D, laser, and circuit board printing.

Advertising our County Magnet programs to Underrepresented, non-traditional, and marginalized populations has been the focus of the 2022-2023 school year. Student suggestions such as advertising on social media, creating videos for each Program of Study, presenting at countywide events, and running a free Summer Program for all rising grade 8 students in the county have been incorporated into our marketing strategy. Lastly, the Director of Career and Technical Education has been meeting with community partners, attending community events, and specifically recruiting Industry partners that represent the diversity found in our county.

Inclusive Faculty/Staff Leadership

Similar to the student surveys that were distributed, staff was solicited for feedback as well. Both through surveys and face-to-face interviews. Staff shared the need to modernize curriculum and incorporate more interactive hand-on technical trainers for students. Prior to the pandemic, with the input of staff the focus of funding allocations shifted to include the annual update of curricula, the construction of a state-of-the-art recording studio, a full auditorium renovation for the School of the Arts, and increased technical PD for instructors.

Additionally, the 2022-2023 Professional Development focus for Career and Technical Education has been on Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. The staff has been digging deep to create a common understanding of equity and how to explore the 3 layers of culture to ensure that we are truly creating a learning partnership that benefits each student. The Department of Career and Technical Education has partnered with an equity consultant and is currently in the process of developing a 3-5 year equity plan. To complete this process we are establishing an Equity Alliance which will include students, parents, and staff to address identified gaps and inequities.

Collaboration with Families

Creating a learning partnership with families is at the core of the work we do in our County Vocational and Technical School District. While 2 of our schools are required to conduct Family and Community Engagement activities, all of our schools are replicating the process. Throughout the year, there are multiple Parent's Night events and each building has an active PTO.

We have leveraged this involvement in the construction of the 2022-2023 Program Advisory Committees for each Program of Study. Each Advisory includes a parent, or multiple parents if there is more than one location. Additionally, parents will be included as members of the Equity Alliance with direct input into the action items which will be established for the Equity Plan.

One strategy to increase equity in course enrollment has been to ensure that all populations in our county are aware of the programs offered in the Magnet Schools as well as the application process. Information dissemination regarding parent training events has occurred in partnership with our county, our county’s Arts Institute, community non-profits and organizations, local school districts, Student Services Directors Mailing list, and county Churches, synagogues, and mosques. The Child Study Team members and School Counselors have co-facilitated multiple presentations for parents and prospective students. These have been in-person, virtual, and held in the sending districts. These delivery methods, as well as the information presented, was developed in consultation with feedback from our existing families through a “what I wish I knew” campaign. Through the inclusion of parents on the District Equity Alliance, there will direct family input into the actions steps created for the CTE Equity Plan.

Structural Changes for Equity

A number of structural changes have taken place in our County Vocational and Technical School District over the past 5 years. Advanced placement and dual enrollment classes have been added and expanded across the district. Modifications have been made to building schedules to accommodate student enrollment in AP classes without interruption to their Career and Technical Education courses, and a designated school for Students with Disabilities has been abolished. Every student has open access to every Career and Technical Education program across the district as well as the choice of school they attend.

A significant shift was made to the enrollment process regarding the application. Years ago, there were separate applications for Students with disabilities, however that no longer exists. All students participate in the same application process which is on-line and our County Vocational and Technical School District’s Child Study Team members and School Counselors support counselors in sending districts with student applications.

Child Study Team members and School Counselors work in tandem with scheduling and AP testing. This has ensured that every student receives the same message regarding program availability and there is not gatekeeping for AP or dual enrollment courses.

Our County Vocational and Technical School District has implemented a structured, tiered, Response to Intervention Program which includes all students with unfinished learning. This additional level of support has enabled students to build capacity, acquire grade-level specific skills, and participate in rigorous, demanding curriculum in all courses. Currently, our County Vocational and Technical School District runs a shared-time 8th grade program for students who are neuro and/or ability diverse. This program guarantees any student who attends automatic placement in a High School Magnet School program the following year. Lastly, during the Summer of 2023, our County Vocational and Technical School District will be running a free Early Career Exploration Institute for all rising 8th graders to provide them with the opportunity to learn more about Career and Technical Education and determine if a hands-on, fast-paced, career-focused learning environment is the right fit for them.

Utilization of Quantitative Data

The creation of the Road Forward plans associated with the pandemic, provided our County Vocational and Technical School District the opportunity to review data and target identified subpopulations. During this work, it was discovered that data collection and processing was inefficient and changes were made to the collection as well as entering process. The pandemic also provided an opportunity to educate parents on how Vocational and Technical Education was changing and provided an open dialogue to discuss non-traditional pathways to careers.

In comparing the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 data it is noted that there was a significant increase in Hispanic as well as Black/African American in addition to students with disabilities. Some of this data includes the result of intersectionality as many marginalized students represented multiple reporting indicators.

Most notably, the increase in enrollment for the identified populations was the result of parent education programs throughout the district which was aided by a required switch to virtual meetings and platforms. The district saw an increase in prospective student parent attendance at virtual events. Additionally, because many activities and some places of employment were not open, parents had more availability to join information and question sessions.

Our most successful form of advertising continues to be word of mouth. Many students are expressing that the success that they have found in our County Vocational and Technical School District gives them a sense of belonging. With a renewed community focus on Health and Wellness, this has been a very important attractor to our schools.

We have compared the data in the Performance Reports to the Data in the NJ SMART CTE report and have noted that there are still clusters of neurodiverse and ability-diverse students, as well as racial and ethnic clusters. As we continue on our Equity Journey, we acknowledge that we are more inclusive and representative of the community that we serve as a district, however, we need to focus on diversifying our individual Programs of Study.

The above comparison was the driver for updating the Professional Development Plan for Career and Technical Education to include Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and to lay the groundwork to dig deeper into the layers of culture to move instructional practices beyond Multicultural inclusion. During the summer of 2023 the Career and Technical Education Equity Alliance will be focusing on Curriculum Maps to include activities that will assist students in deepening their background knowledge and cultivating cognitive routines. Through an in-depth analysis of test scores including Start Strong Data, we have instituted small tests of change to determine that the aforementioned strategies will assist students in building word wealth and empower them to move from dependent to independent learners.