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Important Dates
Upcoming Deadlines
Jan 26 (Today!): Deadline for seniors to file the FAFSA for TN Promise
Jan. 31: Deadline to apply for TNECD work-based learning grant
Feb. 2: Deadline to submit a proposal for the 2018 Institute for CTE Educators
Feb. 15: Deadline to submit AP Summer Institute scholarship application
Feb. 22 (midnight): Open enrollment ends
March 2: ACT Appeals due for 2018 accountability data
May 4: Deadline to submit special course application
May 4: Deadline to submit special program of study application
Upcoming Events
Jan. 29-Feb. 2: TCAT Week
Feb. 1-2: WBL Training (East)
Feb. 5-9: National School Counseling Week
Feb. 6-8: PIE Conference
Feb. 8-9: WBL Training (West)
Feb. 12: Winter CTE Director Meeting
April 26-27: Spring CTE Director Meeting
July 9-13: 2018 Institute for CTE Educators
July 9: Summer CTE Director Meeting
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FAFSA for TN Promise Due Today
Due to weather and illness related school closings that have affected schools across Tennessee, the deadline to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and remain eligible for the Tennessee Promise scholarship has been extended. Students must submit the FAFSA today, Friday, Jan. 26,
To submit the FAFSA, please click here. FAFSA submission resources, including FAQs and links to recorded webinars, can be found here.
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TCAT Week begins Jan. 29
The department, in partnership with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), and the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, will be hosting TCAT Week, Jan. 29- Feb. 2. The Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) invite high school counselors to visit local campuses to learn about the programs offered and the benefits for students who attend. Local industry partners will also be on hand to discuss the specific skills and knowledge future employees need in order to be successful. TCATs have some of the highest placement rates for their graduates, and the tuition is eligible for Tennessee Promise. These postsecondary institutions may be a great fit for some of your students. Click here for more information.
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National School Counseling Week begins Feb. 5
The division of college, career and technical education is excited to celebrate National School Counseling Week, beginning Feb. 5. This week is designed to celebrate the vital role school counselors play in all schools. This year’s theme, “School Counselors: Helping Students Reach for the Stars,” provides us with an opportunity to highlight the work of our state’s school counselors, and each day throughout the week has a unique topic on which we will focus. Click here for information to help you celebrate this week on social media.
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New Ready Graduate Criteria
For 2018 accountability (2017 graduates), the Ready Graduate indicator only counts students who earn a 21 or higher on the ACT. Ready Graduate calculations for 2019 accountability (2018 graduates) will represent the first time that graduates can be considered ready by means other than their ACT scores (i.e., EPSOs, industry certifications).
As the department recognizes that there may be records that are not matched for certain students and postsecondary opportunities, beginning this fall, districts will be able to verify and appeal Ready Graduate information in certain cases for the class of 2018. Districts that do not participate in the data review will still receive credit for Ready Graduates based on ACT, industry certification, and EPSO data available to the department. This data review period intends to provide districts additional opportunities to validate and improve data quality.
For additional information, please email TNED.Accountability@tn.gov.
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This Week's Commissioner's Update for Directors
This week's Commissioner's Update for Directors contains the following headlines:
- Preview of New Reading Report Executive Summary
- January McQueen's Minute
- Confirm Visibility Tool Numbers
- Online and Paper Practice Tests Available
- Updates to the TVAAS Site
- New Ready Graduate Criteria
- TNReady Grades 5-8 Online Opt-In
- Registration Open: Integrated Leadership Course 2017-18: Vision, Expectations, and Ownership
- 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant Technical Assistance Workshops
- Social and Personal Competencies Resource Guide
- Virtual School Survey Due Jan. 31
- Coordinated School Health Survey
A complete copy of the Jan. 24 Commissioner's Update for Directors can be found here, and previous weeks' editions can be found below:
In addition to these archives, the department publishes nearly forty newsletters geared toward the interests and work responsibilities of various district and school stakeholder groups. All department newsletters are opt-in, so any interested individual can sign up to receive any of our newsletters. Please click here for a comprehensive list of newsletter sign-up links, and feel free to share these links with your district and school teams.
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Save the Date: Regional EPSO Strategic Planning Sessions
The department will host upcoming regional strategic planning sessions focused on early postsecondary opportunity (EPSO) selection and growth for schools and districts. The 2018-19 school year is the first year of implementation of Public Chapter 450, requiring all districts to offer at least four early postsecondary opportunities. Students participating in four EPSOs (or two EPSOs and earning an industry certification or qualifying score on the ASVAB) will meet the definition of a “Ready Graduate” in the state’s revised accountability model. The EPSO regional strategic planning sessions are aimed at supporting a district team—including a director, instructional supervisors, principal(s), and school counselor(s)—in selecting, implementing, and growing enrollment in the appropriate EPSOs for their specific student body. Session dates are available here. For more information about EPSOs, click here. Contact Casey.Haugner@tn.gov for additional information.
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GEAR UP TN Grant Opportunity
This fall, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) was awarded a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Tennessee’s GEAR UP grant, operating under the name GEAR UP TN, aims to dramatically increase the number of Tennesseans accessing and succeeding in higher education. To accomplish this, THEC will award more than $9 million in GEAR UP TN grants to eligible high schools and their partners in the coming months. Details regarding the grant and eligibility requirements can be found here. The request for proposals is now available on THEC’s website.
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WBL Certification Update: Fall 2017 Certificates Posted
Fall 2017 work-based learning certificates have been posted on the WBL Certification web page.
The best way to keep a WBL certificate active is to participate in our one-day recertification workshops, which will be held during the spring semester in all CORE regions. Every year in which WBL coordinators are active participants in their regional PLCs, they will receive an updated WBL Certificate at the end of the school year. Active participation during the 2017-18 school year will require members to (1) register to become a member of their regional PLC, (2) bring sample documentation to the workshops as requested, (3) contribute to meaningful conversations to share and learn best practices, and (4) complete the PLC survey after the workshop. Continuous improvement is a state board requirement for all WBL programs, and active participation in PLCs is a great way for WBL coordinators to meet this requirement while sharing and learning valuable information.
Visit us online to become a member of a regional PLC and to see a 2017-18 calendar of PLC dates. To register for an upcoming training, please visit our website.
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Career & Technical Education
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Deadline Approaching: Call for Proposals for 2018 Institute for CTE Educators
The theme for this year's Institute for CTE Educators is The Vision of Excellent CTE Instruction: Rigorous, Relevant, and Focused. Educators will experience a week full of instructional resources, networking opportunities, and professional growth. The Institute will be held July 9–13, 2018, at the Music City Center in Nashville. Educators, administrators, postsecondary partners, and industry leaders are encouraged to submit a proposal to present by Feb. 2.
Similar to last year, presenters can submit proposals for 75-minute sessions, 25-minute Promising Practices Roundtable sessions, and workshops. A description of each option and specific proposal questions are available on the proposal website.
Focus Areas:
- Sharing best practices within programs of study
- Using technology to enhance student learning
- Developing a strong CTE culture by marketing your programs with students, school staff, parents, and the community
- Creating instructional activities/lessons aligned to course standards
- Providing career exploration (job shadowing, guest speakers, tours, etc.) activities for students.
Have another engaging session idea? We want to hear about it! Select "other" as your focus area on the application.
For more information, visit our website. If you have questions regarding the 2018 Institute for CTE Educators, please email cteinstitute@utk.edu.
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Winter CTE Director Meeting Registration
Registration is now open for the 2018 Winter CTE Director Meeting. The meeting will be held on Monday, Feb. 12, at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville. College, career and technical education staff will join you for coffee and will host informational booths from 9–10 a.m. CST, followed by the director meeting from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. CST. CTE directors can now register for the meeting, view the agenda, and book lodging through the “Hotel Information” tab on the registration site using the group code TN02112018. CTE directors will receive TASL credit for their attendance.
Additionally, please note that the Tennessee Directors of Career and Technical Education’s Legislative Breakfast will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 13. For information about this event, please contact your regional vice president or CTE director executive committee member.
If you have questions about the Winter CTE Director Meeting, please email Kesha.DeJarnett@tn.gov.
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2018-19 Open Enrollment Has Begun
The CTE open enrollment period, which began Jan. 17, is the time period when districts select their programs of study for the next school year. To be eligible to receive Carl Perkins IV funding for the 2018-19 school year, a district must formally select its programs of study through this process.
Please review the updated Open Enrollment Guide (here) to preview the process for selecting programs of study. This guide highlights important differences between the 2017-18 and 2018-19 programs of study and provides guidance on how to appropriately select and transition to these courses. Please note that the 2018-19 programs of study were recently updated, and older versions are no longer current. Additionally, we have created an FAQ document (here) regarding the definition of a student who concentrates in CTE, which went into effect in 2017-18. Please read and review the guide and the FAQ document in their entirety prior to making district selections.
Instructions to select programs of study on the eTIGER POS application can be found (here). Please note that you will need to login to eTIGER to access the instructions.
The 2018-19 CTE open enrollment period will close at midnight on Feb. 22. If you have questions about selecting programs of study aligned to your regional postsecondary and labor data, please contact the corresponding career cluster consultant. If you have questions about eTIGER instructions, please contact CTE.eTIGER@tn.gov.
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2017 ACT Retake Results Announced
Commissioner McQueen recently announced that 74.7 percent of the state’s high school class of 2018—nearly 52,000 students—participated in the department’s second ACT Senior Retake Day in October 2017. Over 19,000 seniors raised their score, with more than 2,300 additional students now able to access up to $37 million in HOPE Scholarship funds. To read the press release, click here.
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TNECD Announces Recipients of Work-Based Learning Grants
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) recently announced the 29 recipients of the Work-Based Learning (WBL) Grant. The TNECD awarded more than $710,000 to LEAs that have demonstrated excellence in promoting career skills and readiness programs among Tennessee students. These grants will assist the development or expansion of work-based learning programs that promote career awareness and student readiness in grades K-12. Please join the department in congratulating the 29 recipients of this award! A complete list of recipients can be found here.
Additionally, TNECD is now accepting applications for the second round of WBL Grants. To learn more about the program and how you can apply, click here. The application deadline is Jan. 31.
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2018-19 Special Program of Study Application
Special program of study (SPOS) applications are required for districts offering CTE programs of study which are not included in the 2018-19 Programs of Study. Approved special programs of study are entered in eTIGER and are valid for three school years.
The 2018-19 SPOS applications should be submitted electronically through this form. The 2018-19 Special Program of Study Application Package (available here) provides guidance for gathering all required information and supporting documentation. The deadline for 2018-19 SPOS applications is May 4. For additional information, contact Candi.Norwood@tn.gov.
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2018-19 Special Course Application
Applications are now being accepted from districts that wish to offer special courses during the 2018-19 school year. Special course applications are required for all high school elective courses intended to meet the unique needs of a school or district that cannot be met using the courses and standards included in the Approved High School Courses Policy and listed in the 2018-19 correlation of course codes, which will be released in the coming weeks.
As a reminder, the State Board of Education’s Special Courses Policy was revised last January to require regular review of special course standards. All special course codes approved prior to the 2017-18 application cycle will be retired at the end of June 2018. A complete list of retiring special courses by district and school can be found (here) for your reference. For more information about these revisions, please review the 2018-19 Special Course Applications FAQ document.
The 2018-19 special course applications will be submitted electronically through this form. The 2018-19 Special Course Application Package (here) provides guidance for gathering all information and supporting documentation required for a complete application submission. The deadline for all 2018-19 special course applications is May 4. Please email Charlotte.Woehler@tn.gov for additional information.
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