New Statewide Resource Center Opens at Questar III
Focused on Raising Student Achievement in Low Performing Schools

(July 2005)—Questar III opened the New York State Career and Technical Education Resource Center (CTE Resource Center) office on June 27. As the state's only CTE Resource Center, the organization will work with the New York State Education Department to coordinate a number of initiatives to bolster student achievement statewide, said Katherine Schadewald, executive director of the CTE Resource Center.

The CTE Resource Center-part of state's technical and support system aimed at closing the achievement gap in low performing school districts-will collaborate with educators and partner organizations to raise student achievement in school districts and BOCES identified as needing improvement, including those failing to meet the Perkins Act or No Child Left Behind (NCLB) performance standards. Support for these target areas include:

• professional development;

• technical assistance and a framework of proven strategies and recommended curriculum to increase student achievement on state assessments;

• the latest research and school efforts demonstrating successful practices; and,

• meetings, workshops and conferences as well as materials, specifically designed to increase student achievement.

Schadewald said that the organization is in the process of hiring a team of content specialists who will implement career and technical education (CTE) strategies to primarily focus on career development, technical standards, English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics at middle and secondary school levels. The CTE Resource Center team will work with educators throughout the state to develop program improvement plans and to address root causes of low performance.

Starting in August, the team will begin site visits to examine schools for key indicators, including: level of expectation for student achievement; learner engagement; CTE program rigor; integration of academics; comprehensive educational programs; work-based learning; teacher teams; academic intervention services; guidance; assessment; and, administrative support. The CTE Resource Center will initially target those schools identified by the state as most in need of improvement.

In the coming months, the CTE Resource Center will partner with a variety of service providers to coordinate needed services and develop a Web site portal to serve as an easy to access resource for participating schools, according to Schadewald. Additionally, the organization will plan seven regional conferences to be held at locations across the state starting in spring 2006.

In addition to raising student achievement, Schadewald said the CTE Resource Center hopes to increase the number of state education department-approved CTE programs across the state. "The state's approval process ensures that local programs serve student needs and meet the policy requirements approved by the state Board of Regents," said Schadewald.

In April 2005, the state education department awarded Questar III a contract totaling approximately $3 million to establish the New York State CTE Resource Center. Questar III's contract will continue through December 31, 2009. In total, the CTE Resource Center covers 174 schools located in the "Big Five" (Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers) and all 38 New York State BOCES-accounting for about 2,000 teachers, 240 school counselors and 100 administrators.