News

Report on the State Board of Education Meeting - May 2009

The State Board of Education met May 20 and 21 in Harrisburg. They were two items of particular interest to members of PACTA. The first was testimony delivered on behalf of the Coalition for Effective and Responsible Testing (of which PACTA is a member) by Caroline Allen, Past President of the Pennsylvania PTA. That testimony is below. The second item was the report of the Dr. Lee Burket, State Director of Career and Technical Education. That report is also below. If you have any questions regarding anything in this report please contact Jackie Cullen by telephone at: 717-761-3381 or by e-mail at: jackie@pacareertech.org

Coalition for Effective and Responsible Testing Public Comment

Good morning! My name is Caroline Allen and I am the Past President of the Pennsylvania PTA. I would like to go back to two items from yesterday's meeting, high school reform and college readiness. I speak here today on behalf of the Coalition for Effective and Responsible Testing or “CERT”, a group of 18 organizations and associations from throughout the state. At this point in time, I would like for representatives of those organizations to stand behind me. We are a diverse coalition representing parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, administrators, gifted students, students with special needs, the NAACP, rural schools and career, technical and agricultural professionals.

We believe in supporting students so that they can be productive, well-educated citizens of the future. CERT recommends that state policymakers consider our Keystone Exams 2.0 proposal.

Here are some of the highlights of this proposal:

  • School districts could voluntarily use Keystone Exams as the final exams in courses.
  • A limit would be placed on how much the state can require the final exam to be worth and CERT agrees that should be set at no more than 20%.
  • This proposal provides for high-quality, end-of-course exams that would be used to diagnose and improve student performance.
  • It provides an opportunity for school districts to improve their assessment systems.
  • It will measure whether the tests help students after graduation with college or the work force by tracking their progress after graduation.
  • It provides for a viable local assessment alternative at no additional cost to taxpayers.

And let's have an honest conversation here as to the unintended consequences of the GCA/Keystone Exam proposal as it stands today with the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

We have concerns about:

  • High-stakes tests increasing the dropout rate of students, therefore lowering the graduation rate and, as research shows, affecting the life-long earning rates and perhaps increasing the poverty rate of our state population.
  • Negative academic outcomes particularly for low-income and minority communities where the need for safe, up-to-date facilities, high-quality certified teachers, is still a problem and does not afford those students the same educational opportunities that students from across the state have.
  • A decrease in teaching higher-level thinking skills.
  • Less flexibility in core curriculum
  • Dramatically increased frustration among parents and students with special needs.
  • Decreased attention paid to gifted students leading to boredom and disinterest in school.
  • Career and technical school students who can pass a National certification process in his/her chosen profession, but can not reach proficiency on a statewide exam and therefore perhaps not receive a high school diploma.
  • Testing, testing, testing!

In closing, the CERT Coalition represents hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians. Our ask is to consider our Keystone 2.0 proposal. We must stop being so punitive with our students. This proposal will allow for positive progress in educational excellence for our students and communities.

Thank you.

Report of the State Director of Career and Technical Education

Pennsylvania Department of Education
Bureau of Career and Technical Education
Strategic Plan

Four Goals

Goal 1: Align CTE Program Offerings with Industry Standards

By 2010, 100% of the programs will be aligned to industry standards. By 2010, there will be a 30% increase in the number of students earning industry certifications/credentials. By 2010, 100% of all approved programs will be aligned to labor market needs—state, regional and local.

US Department of Education Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) Data

2008 CAR data indicates at the state level Pennsylvania met the Perkins technical skill attainment indicator. The negotiated state level is 54% of concentrators are advanced. Through the Pennsylvania Information Management System (PIMS) data queries we can now isolate at the secondary level by school and by program. This additional analysis will enable administrators and instructors to identify strengths and areas of concern. PDE can then develop appropriate tools. All Perkins IV Five Year Local Plans (secondary and postsecondary) address and are monitored for each of the performance improvement measures associated with Perkins IV. The expectation to align all programs to High Priority occupations aligned to industry standards has been and will continue to be communicated to all funded Perkins programs.

Pennsylvania Career and Technical Education Conference (PACTEC)

The PACTEC Conference will be held at the Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion from June 24-26, 2009. This year’s Conference will offer opportunities for teachers to update their technical skills and industry certifications. The conference planners have expanded their workshops to focus on the latest technologies for secondary and postsecondary teachers.

Conference participants will have an opportunity to network with other educators and industry professionals and participate in a concurrent sessions covering a variety of topics from curriculum, to special needs, to special state initiatives. Annually over 200 career and technical educators participate in this conference. The past two years the planning committee has revised the format and content of the conference to better meet the needs of career and technical educators from school districts, career and technical centers and postsecondary faculty. There is increased emphasis and opportunity for educators to gain updated technical skills and renew industry certifications.

Associated Pennsylvania Constructors

The Pennsylvania Construction Career Days York Expo Event was held on April 13-14, 2009. Attending this event were 645 high school students, teachers, and career counselors and BCTE staff member. Students had the opportunity to learn of the diverse career opportunities associated with construction. The event, promoted by APC, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, and South Central Workforce Investment Board (WIB) offered numerous hands-on activities for the students to learn about job opportunities in the transportation design, construction and maintenance industry. The half-day program of both indoor and outdoor activities included: demonstrations of heavy equipment operations, testing materials, surveying, welding, designing a bridge, use of safety equipment, concrete finishing, guide rail installation, rebar tying, and use of GPS/GIS information technology. Technical institutes and college representatives were also present to talk to students about surveying, civil engineering, geo-technical, construction management, environmental management, and information technology degrees.

Some of the activities students could participate in include: (1) nail driving contest, (2) operating a mini-excavator, (3) riding in a US Army 10-wheel drive truck, (4) operating the crane (simulator), (5) learning about welding, (6) the bulldozer with GPS, (7) finding places for training, and (8) running the backhoe. The next APC PA Construction Career Day event is scheduled to be held at the Allentown Agriculture Center on November 10, 2009.

PA Automotive Association/AYES

Students at Jersey Shore Area High School in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, were the winners of the PAA Foundation sponsored Automotive Technology Competition held on March 4, 2009, at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel and Convention Center. As the first place team, the students also each received a $2,000 scholarship from the PAA Foundation and a tool chest from one of the industry sponsors. The Jersey Shore students and their automotive instructor advanced to the 2009 National Automotive Technology Competition held April 10-19, 2009, at the New York International Auto Show in Manhattan. The National Automotive Technology Competition is the auto industry’s largest school-to-work initiative, which has the nation’s best high school automotive students competing for the title of “America’s Top Technician.” The Jersey Shore team placed seventh at National Competition. Over the past 17 years, the National Automotive Technology Competition has established itself as a leader in automotive education, piquing the interest of thousands of students each year. It gives students the opportunity to develop their skills in a fun, competitive, and rewarding environment. The 2010 PAA Foundation Automotive Technology Competition Event is scheduled for March 13, 2010 at the Camp Hill Radisson Conference Center.

Industry Certifications Resource Guide

The Adult and Postsecondary Career and Technical Education Division dealt with suggestions and concerns, both internal and external, about the list of certifications to be earned by secondary students. Questions have been raised about some of the certifications listed and the ability of high school students to earn the certifications. The Adult and Postsecondary Career and Technical Education Division is considering dropping from the list of possible student certifications those certifications that cannot be earned until after students receive a high school diploma. These industry-recognized certifications would remain in the Career and Technical Education Approval System (CATS) for reporting purposes as teacher certifications. Research on this change in procedure and the applicable decisions will be made this summer and if approved, the changes to the certifications lists will appear in the October revision of the Industry-Recognized Certifications for Career and Technical Education Programs: A Resource Guide for Pennsylvania’s Career and Technology Centers. The Adult and Postsecondary CTE Division has determined that updating the on-line version of the Resource Guide once per year after the Career and Technical Education Approval System (CATS) closes would be the best use of available resources. The on-line version of the Resource Guide will be current for the school year when reporting of data occurs. Changes are made to the CATS system’s list of industry-recognized certifications throughout the summer and are available for review on-line as soon as they are made.

Goal 2: Increase Academic Achievement for all CTE Students

Goal 3: Improve Special Education Students' CTE Academic Achievement and Success

By 2010, 100% of CTE students will have accurately reported PSSA scores. By 2010 stakeholders will be better equipped to use PSSA scores to make instructional decisions. To meet 100% student proficiency by 2014, the percentage of CTE students scoring proficient or advanced in PSSA math and reading will annually increase 11% in reading and 13% in math.

Perkins IV Grant Processing

Perkins funds are to be used for student academic achievement, technology innovation, curriculum development, including newly developed Programs of Study that will provide secondary students the ability to articulate seamlessly from high school to postsecondary programs to meet the High Priority Occupations and emerging occupations. The Bureau of Career and Technical Education works closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry on the High Priority Occupations alignment to Classification of Instructional Programs in both regional and state labor markets.

Secondary allocations are expected to be stable and will only be impacted by census changes of students in poverty from ages 5 through 17 and per capita income by district. There has been an increase in the number of PELLs reported by the postsecondary recipients. Due to the increase in the number of PELLs, the allocation to each postsecondary recipient will evidence a decrease.

Tech Prep Regional Consortiums

Tech Prep is Title II of the Perkins IV grant. The purpose of Tech Prep is to develop Programs of Study which include ensuring secondary career and technical education students (a) receive rigorous academic preparation prior to enrolling in postsecondary programs, (b) provided sequenced academic and technical courses as evidenced in the scope and sequence, (c) provided guidance services to ensure successful career planning and accessing of postsecondary programs and (d) advantages of an articulation agreement between the secondary and postsecondary educational agencies.

There are 12 Tech Prep regions. One entity represents all secondary and postsecondary entities within the geographical boundary of the region. Grants are awarded for multiple years, which is contingent on funding. Tech Prep In-service for the project coordinators was held April 3rd. The in-service program covered data collection and reporting, curriculum development, and Program of Study development and support.

In the past six months 3 of the 12 Tech Prep consortiums received monitoring visits. The three consortiums were: Philadelphia, Southeast Region, and Southwest Tech Prep Consortia. The reviews examine effectiveness and meeting contractual requirements.

Professional Personnel Development Centers

In addition to providing the vocational instructional teacher preparation and career and technical administrative certification programs, the Professional Personnel Development Centers provide one and two days academies for career and technical education directors. The main focus of the academies is to develop leadership capacity building for career and technical education leaders.

The Centers also provide workshops for more than 150 educators that focus strategies on improving students’ academic performance at the secondary level. The workshops included such topics as;

  • Literacy Training
  • Numeracy Training
  • Data Analysis
  • Integrated Learning
  • How to Analyze NOCTI Data
  • Engaging Students in the Teaching and Learning Process

Goal 4: Establish Performance Benchmarks and Recognize Career and Technical Centers that Meet the Benchmarks

Related to both goals (industry standards and academic achievement) is assurance that 100% of the career and technical centers are high performing.

Bureau of Special Education and PaTTAN Collaboration

BCTE has formed a committee to address the needs of special education students enrolled in career and technical education. This collaborative work is with the Bureau of Special Education and PaTTAN. The collaboration is leading to the development of ongoing professional development, technical assistance and the dissemination of strategies to improve career and technical education students’ academic achievement.

Perkins IV School Improvement Plans

The data submitted for 2008 evidences that of 190 schools with approved career and technical education, 43 schools met performance levels on PSSA reading and math and 131 schools did not meet 90% of the PSSA Mathematics performance level and 121 schools did not meet 90% of the PSSA Reading performance targets. Of the 190 schools, 113 did not meet 90% of the performance levels for both academic indicators. According to Perkins IV regulation the schools that have not met 90% of a performance level on an indicator must submit a school improvement plan. This means that of the 190 schools, 131 will submit a local improvement plan. To facilitate this submission, those schools receiving Perkins IV funding, they will use the Local Plan submission to describe their improvement activities. The improvement plan requires schools to identify the root cause for not being able to meet at least 90% of the academic indicators and develop strategies that address the root causes.

Technical Assistance Program Planned for 2009 – 2010

BCTE provides assistance for schools that have failed to meet Perkins and State Accountability Measure targets in a given year. Schools that fail to meet Perkins and State Accountability Measure targets are put into a school improvement cycle. After three consecutive years of not meeting targets, schools are given notice and an opportunity for a hearing and PDE approved program status is withheld and if applicable the Perkins total allocation is withheld or a portion of the allocation is withheld.

Reading Muhlenberg Career and Technical Center has been involved in the Technical Assistance Program this past two years and has realized gains in student technical attainment. They have reported the following gains in technical skills:

  • 51% of seniors will be receiving the Pennsylvania Skills Certificate (PSC). This is a 10% increase over last year and 20% in the last two years.
  • 68% of seniors tested at the competent or advanced level. This is an 18% increase over last year and 24% in the past two years.

The assistance provided by BCTE includes school improvement planning and sustained technical assistance. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has implemented initiatives to provide support to underperforming schools. The Technical Assistance Program (TAP) was designed to address the educational system and identify gaps between the educational system and student success. The TAP includes the following activities.

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)

Implementation of the Technical Centers That Work (TCTW) model to include:

  • Technical Assistance Visits lead by national leaders serving as consultants to SREB.
  • Site development workshops require each school to form a leadership team who attends the SREB training and develops a school improvement plan.
  • Use of the TCTW assessment data that is derived from a NAEP aligned assessment, teacher and student surveys. This involves the teams participating in a two-day workshop.
  • Literacy training for school leaders. This workshop requires teachers to integrate reading and writing for learning into their curriculum and instructional processes. This involves a two-day workshop for leaders from each of the schools.
  • Numeracy training for instructors. This involves six days of training over three separate workshops. Onsite visits by SREB staff will occur at the schools. The visits are then followed by additional training.
  • Guidance services planning for guidance counselors.
EdTrust

The Education Trust will provide an embedded professional development package for the schools. The teams will consist of a minimum of four members: the CTC principal/director, CTC school counselor, CTC teacher, and a school counselor from a sending school. The professional development will teach the teams a data-driven decision-making model that will facilitate a thoughtful review of the policies, practices, attitudes, and structure that will lead to an effective action plan designed to raise student achievement. The training will teach participants how to analyze the existing multitude of data that exists. In addition, teams will learn how to analyze student transcripts and the master schedule to uncover choke points and environmental barriers to high academic achievement for all students.

Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership (PIL) through Pennsylvania Association for Career and Technical Administrators (PACTA)

The Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership (PIL) Program is a statewide, standards-based continuing professional education program for school and system leaders. The comprehensive, cohort-based program is focused on developing the capacity of leaders to improve student achievement.

The program is based on: 1) a comprehensive curriculum developed by the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL); and 2) a PA-adapted version of the Total Leaders curriculum developed by the Pennsylvania School Leadership Council (PLDC).

Research demonstrates that effective school leaders have an impact on student achievement. A focused program of continuing professional education can help leaders develop the knowledge and skills they need to become more effective in improving the learning environment for teachers and students. These professional education activities that are focused on practices that have the greatest impact on improving student achievement.

Core Standards:

  • The leader has the knowledge and skills to think and plan strategically, creating an organizational vision around personalized student success.
  • The leader has an understanding of standards-based systems theory and design and the ability to transfer that knowledge to the leader's job as the architect of standards-based reform in the school.
  • The leader has the ability to access and use appropriate data to inform decision-making at all levels of the system.

Corollary Standards:

  • The leader knows how to create a culture of teaching and learning with an emphasis on learning.
  • The leader knows how to manage resources for effective results.
  • The leader knows how to collaborate, communicate, engage and empower others inside and outside of the organization to pursue excellence in learning.
  • The leader knows how to operate in a fair and equitable manner with personal and professional integrity.
  • The leader knows how to advocate for children and public education in the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context.
  • The leader knows how to support professional growth of self and others through practice and inquiry.

PACTA has developed three PIL programs. The approval is for the use of data driven decision-making to increase the (a) occupational competency, (b) technical competency achievement of career and technical students and (c) strategies to use for special needs students to increase academic achievement.

Career and Technical Distinguished School Leader Program

A Career and Technical Distinguished School Leader (CTDSL) program has been developed. Each CTDSL will be assigned to work with career and technical centers and the sending districts.

The role of the Career and Technical Distinguished School Leaders (CTDSL) is to provide targeted assistance to the CTCs to improve student achievement on the 11th grade PSSA math/ reading assessment and to improve student achievement on end of course occupational assessments. Generally, the end of course occupational assessments are developed by the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute and are known as NOCTI tests.

CTDSLs will work directly with CTC administrators and staff to craft a multi-year strategy that incorporates systemic change with the sole focus on improving achievement. CTDSLs will offer assistance and guidance to the CTC administrative team on all aspects of the CTCs operation and redirect all efforts and priorities on improving student performance on PSSA and NOCTI assessments.

Literacy Training

The MAX Teaching training experience, “Using Literacy Skills to Help Students Learn Subject Matter”, is a component of this comprehensive technical assistance project. The major focus for all participating school entities is enhancing student achievement, evidenced by students meeting proficiency in PSSA testing and technical end-of-program assessments.

Curriculum Assistance

This activity reviews a comprehensive model that includes numerous planning and decision making steps, curriculum products, instructional strategies and instructor observation forms and strategies. The model does not replace reform initiatives such as SREB or Learning Focused Schools, but clarifies how the reforms can fit into the school’s overall plan for improvement. The review provides the school's administrative team with an opportunity to make comparisons and formulate appropriate decisions.

Other Activities

  • Accreditation
  • Career Counseling
  • Career and Technical Student Organizations
Accreditation

A reaccreditation was conducted during May. The visit was made to Lehigh Career and Technical Institute on May 10 & 11, 2009. At the May 25th IAAG meeting, it was voted that Lehigh Career and Technical Institute be granted Accreditation as of April 1, 2009 to end April 1, 2014. The Career Technical Center of Lackawanna County, through voluntary withdraw; will no longer be accredited by PDE as of April 30, 2009. The Career Technical Center of Lackawanna County only utilizes Title IV funds for their nursing program and has decided to use the National League of Nursing as their primary gatekeeper for financial aid. York County School of Technology was granted a six month extension to their accreditation. Their accreditation will end November 30, 2009. A reaccreditation visit will be scheduled with York County School of Technology this fall. Career and Technical Centers interested in seeking accreditation in 2009 include Lancaster Career and Technology Center, Steel Career and Technology Center, and Monroe Career and Technology Center.

Bureau staff continue to work on the petition for submission to the US Department of Education. Four new sections were read and approved by the IAAG committee. The petition is due June 2010 with a hearing date to be set in December 2010.

Career Counseling

Career Education Lesson Plans

The Bureau sought lesson plans associated with the Career Education and Work Standards. The purpose of the lesson plans was to show other educators how the PACareerZone website can be used in the classroom. The lesson plans give schools ideas on how to use the PACareerZone web site, while promoting the Career Education and Work Standards.

The Bureau has reviewed and selected 10 lesson plans. The selected lesson plans will be placed on the Bureau’s website. To recognize the individuals who took time to review the PACareerZone website and develop lesson plans to share with other educators, the Deputy Secretary provided recognition to these individuals. The individuals were recognized for their commitment to education during the Pennsylvania Schools Counselors’ Association Conference on April 17th. Sharing these lesson plans with others educators will increase understanding and engagement in career planning for all students.

PACareerZone Website

The Bureau has updated the PACareerZone website to assist teachers, students, parents and the public. This website is a career exploration resource for use in the classroom by students and students and is also accessible to parents and job seekers interested in finding information on careers in Pennsylvania. PACareerZone is a web-based career exploration and planning system. It is a user-friendly, interactive tool to find information on 900 high priority occupations in Pennsylvania. This site is for anyone who is interested in learning more about Pennsylvania careers, such as students, teachers, guidance counselors, after school and workforce development staff, and career planners.

Students complete a self-assessment to determine their likes and dislikes that relate to job tasks and personality traits. Once the assessment is completed, the software will align those likes to job clusters. The students can further research the cluster to find a job title that they are interested in and continue their research to learn more about the job tasks, job labor market in Pennsylvania, salary, and educational needs.

The updated version consists of a new look on the front page. The revised main page provides 22 career clusters for easier identification of careers and a “Budget Your Living” button. The Budget Your Living button helps form a budget for a lifestyle which is one of the most important parts of financial success. Students how much money they will have available to spend on different aspects of their life. This new feature to the website will help students avoid debt and possibly even save money for a “rainy day.” The system will ask a series of questions about lifestyles and help determine the amount of money that is needed to support that lifestyle. www.PaCareerZone.com

In addition to the PACareerZone, the Bureau also maintains the on-line toolkit, called The Pa Career Toolkit www.pacareerstandards.com. This website has received good reviews throughout the state with an average of about 15,000 hits a month. It is filled with many classroom resources and activities to implement the Career Education and Work Standards.

Governor's Institute on Career Education and Work Standards

The Governor’s Institute on Career Education and Work standards will be held on June 16 – June 20, 2009 at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport. The institute provides knowledge and skills that allows teams of teachers and administrators to make systemic changes into the K-12 system to incorporate the standards.

The Career Education and Work standards are one of the academic standards found in Chapter 4 Assessment and Accountability of Title 22 Education. The four standard areas are: (1) Career Awareness and Preparation, (2) Career Acquisition (Getting a Job), (3) Career Retention and Advancement, and (4) Entrepreneurship. Other academic standards in the area of reading, writing, speaking and listening and mathematics will also be addressed during the Governor’s Institute. Educators will learn how to integrate these standards into their academic or technical lesson plans.

The Institute is specifically designed to assist teams of school personnel to create a vision in implementing the academic standards for Career Education and Work within their K-12 school curriculum. Presentations on best practices and the current curriculum resources for career education and work will be used in assessing and revising classroom instruction and assessment. Educators will also be shown how to use data to assess the effectiveness of their current career counseling program of services. The Institute has a capacity of accepting 100 attendees and there is no charge for the week’s attendance.

Standards Align Systems (SAS) for the Career Ed and Work Standards

The Bureau has started and will continue to develop a standards aligned system for the Career Education and Work Standards. Much research has been conducted as to what makes a great school. There are many intangible components. However, research supports the notion that great schools and school systems tend to have six common elements:

  • Clear Standards
  • Fair Assessments
  • Curriculum Framework
  • Instruction
  • Materials and Resources
  • Interventions

These 6 elements for the basis for a standards aligned system.

The SAS Committee met at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, to update work on the project. The SAS teams have completed writing big ideas, concept, and competencies for all strands of the Career Education and Work Standards. The statewide team is now working on essential questions and essential vocabulary for each strand of standards. The SAS project is now live and can be viewed at www.pde.state.pa.us/sas.

Career and Technical Student Organizations
PA FCCLA State Leadership Conference-Excellence Electrified

The Pennsylvania Association Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (PA FCCLA) 63rd annual State Leadership Conference was a successful culmination of goals, plans and action determined and orchestrated by the nine student state officers. Additionally, local chapter members showcased and received recognition for their chapter programs and activities. The member-developed meeting theme, “Excellence Electrified” was designed to inspire confidence, challenge members, and provide the opportunity to gain life skills. Members were encouraged to develop leadership abilities, connect to careers, strengthen family ties and increase community involvement. The STAR Events National Team who will represent Pennsylvania at the National Leadership Conference was announced.

There was $233,000 awarded in scholarships to Pennsylvania FCCLA members who were winners in selected competitive events. The scholarships support students pursuing their education at Connecticut Culinary Institute, Carlowe College, Culinary Institute of America, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts, Johnson and Wales University, The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, and Sullivan University.

2009 PA DECA State Career Development Conference

The Pennsylvania DECA State Career Development Conference was held on February 18-20 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey. There were 1,179 students that participated, plus 132 advisors/chaperones and 52 chapters represented for a total of 1,328 participants and attendees. Awards were given for the top 6 places in 18 individual and team events, the top 4 places in those events are eligible to participate in the international DECA conference.

Student workshops and seminars were held in the areas of: (a) Careers in Sports and Entertainment Marketing presented by the Philly’s 76'ers Sales and Marketing Team, (b) Coming Out of Your Shell presented by David Montoni, National 2007-2008 DECA North Atlantic Vice President, (c) Retailing at Its Best presented by Finish Line Sporting Goods, and (d) Creative Careers presented by the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

Scholarships were awarded in the following areas:

  • Clemens College and Connecticut Culinary Institute- eighteen scholarships totaling $54,000.
  • Johnson and Wales University - twelve scholarships totaling $5,000.
  • Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College - nine scholarships totaling $18,000.
  • Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association- one $1,000 cash scholarship.
  • Pennsylvania DECA State Business Partner Scholarship - one $500 cash scholarship.
  • Pennsylvania DECA Scholarships - nine cash scholarships totaling $6,250.
PA Technology Student Association (TSA) State Leadership Conference

The Pennsylvania TSA State Conference was held April 15-18, 2009 at the Seven Springs Resort, Seven Springs. Approximately 1,375 middle and high school students participated in skills competitions and workshops. Students came from 57 middle and 71 high schools throughout the state. There were an additional 250 parents, advisors, judges, and exhibitors in attendance. The students competed in approximately 50 events. Harrisburg University presented two full scholarships, among many other awards and scholarships. The Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania gave two awards for TECHQUEST Courses. Pennsylvania TSA gave three $1,500 scholarships to students interested in technology education. The award ceremony was broadcast on the Internet for the first time this year and can still be seen at www.patsa.org. Approximately 300 students and advisors will attend the national TSA conference this June in Denver, CO.

SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference

SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference was held at the Hershey Lodge and Conference Center. Approximately 1,410 students attended the conference. The majority of the skills demonstrations were held at the Lebanon Expo Center and the leadership demonstrations were held at the Hershey Lodge and Conference Center. Each skills demonstration was chaired by advisors selected from each participating school and was run with the help of industry and trade associations. There will be approximately 250 competitors, delegates, advisors and guests participating in the SkillsUSA National Conference held in Kansas MO. on June 22-26, 2009.

A Lowe's grant of $7,500 was used to support the SkillsUSA Pennsylvania Team Works competition. Normally the cost for the materials is approx. $13,000. Lowe's has been a very active partnership with SkillsUSA nationally and on the state level.