With the infusion of $45 billion in federal funds through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Act and Digital Equity Act over the next five years, states are entering a time of opportunity for closing the digital divide for families. However, there is also an urgent need to strengthen their broadband workforce. Without a prepared…

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way that families and policymakers view K-12 education. Learning loss is having an outsized impact on students who were furthest from opportunity before the pandemic. And families are increasingly looking for new educational options for their children. For decades, access to educational options…

Louisiana was one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY). NSFY, launched by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2016, is a $75 million, five-year initiative, aimed at strengthening and expanding high-quality career pathways for youth. As part of this initiative, the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE, and…

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Education announced the "Raise the Bar: Lead the World" initiative to use decades of research and professional experience to transform public education and advance education equity. There are three focus areas: (1) Achieve Academic Excellence; (2) Boldly Improve Learning Conditions; and (3) Create Pathways…

When the nation shut down in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, states had to figure out what education would look like for the remainder of the academic year. These abrupt changes affected not only students' ability to learn but also their access to the support system that would help prepare them for steps beyond high school. This Policy…

From 2016 through 2019, 10 states strengthened their career readiness systems through the New Skills for Youth initiative (NSFY), a $75 million national investment by JPMorgan Chase & Co. to enhance state efforts to increase the number of learners across the country who are prepared for success in both college and career. As part of this…

One unique and critical element of Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways is that they offer learners exposure and access to authentic experiences inside and outside the classroom. For these opportunities to be guaranteed, industry must play a key role in the design, development and delivery of CTE pathways, including in rural communities. This…

This document is a curriculum guide for a 180-hour course in advanced electronics for 11th and 12th grades that has four instructional units. The instructional units are orientation, discrete components, integrated circuits, and electronic systems. The document includes a course flow chart; a two-page section that describes the course, lists…

A study examined the career decision-making patterns of 3,858 high school students in Louisiana. The study also addressed the relationship between participation in vocational education and influence on student career decisions. Parents, particularly mothers, were most influential. Vocational teachers had more influence than counselors. (JOW)

A study was conducted to determine the extent to which English-related instruction occurs as part of instruction in five state-approved business courses at the secondary level in Louisiana. Specifically, the study identified instructional objectives in the business courses that are similar to competencies taught in English courses and determined…

A study was conducted to determine the extent to which science-related instruction occurs as part of instruction in the advanced program of vocational agriculture in Louisiana. Specifically, the study identified instructional objectives in the program that are similar to competencies taught in the state-approved science courses and determined the…

This curriculum outline for secondary automotive mechanics is structured around Louisiana's Vocational-Technical Automotive Mechanics Curriculum. The curriculum is composed of 16 units of instruction, covering the following topics: benchwork, fundamentals of automotive engines, preventive maintenance, automotive brakes, steering and front…

The purposes of this study were: (1) to evaluate current requirements for certification of teachers in business/office and marketing education in Louisiana; (2) to survey teacher educators on their attitudes toward certification requirements in these two areas; (3) to survey teachers in business/office and marketing education to determine their…

A project was conducted: (1) to identify instructional objectives in the Louisiana vocational agriculture curriculum that contain a substantial amount of mathematical concepts; and (2) to determine the amount of time spent in vocational agriculture programs in the state on agricultural instruction involving mathematics. Research methodology…