| Releases
& Statements
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 9, 2007
Contact: Sarah Krauss
(212) 669-4193; (917) 541-0936
Statement
by Public Advocate Gotbaum on IBO's New CTE Report
-Study finds that only 12 percent of city's career programs are state-certified-
Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum released the following statement regarding a new report released by the Independent Budget Office (IB0) on the city's career and technical education programs. According to the IBO's report, only 12 percent of the more than 480 CTE programs in the city have actually been approved by the State Department of Education.
Public Advocate Gotbaum said, “State-approved CTE programs provide students with an education that blends standard academic work and career and technical training, as well as teaching essential job-readiness skills. And yet, as this report shows, the DOE is unable or unwilling to help more programs reach the highest standard: state-certification. Moreover, the DOE has failed to clearly indicate to parents which programs are and are not state-certified. High educational standards help kids succeed. It's time for the DOE to invest in these programs, so we can give students the skills they can use in the classroom and in life.
"I commend the IBO and all of its employees for their hard work and research in putting this new report together," Gotbaum added.
The Office of the Public Advocate requested the recent IBO report following two of its own reports on New York City CTE programs: 21st Century Learning: Career and Technical Education Prepares New York City Students for Future Success and Help Wanted: Department of Education Misses Opportunities to Connect Students with Health Care Careers.
The state approval process helps to ensure that programs bearing the CTE label meet federal standards for best practices in career education. The Office of the New York City Public Advocate has recommended that the DOE develop existing CTE programs in high-demand career areas and submit those programs for review and approval by the New York State Education Department.
###
|
