Career and Technical Education
Region 17 ESC
Heather Blount
Email: hblount@esc17.net
Website: www.esc17.net
Location: 1111 West Loop 289, Lubbock, TX, USA
Phone: 806-281-5817
FAQs Specific to Career and Technical Education
A: Career Prep can be paid or unpaid. Students in this situation could be put in an Unpaid Career Preparation arrangement. In lieu of work hours, the teacher could assign a project, other alternative assignments, or even volunteer work for students to still be able to receive the credit/hours.
Q: Will students be able to take industry certification exams?
A: Some industry organizations are allowing for different testing scenarios during this time. Please contact the organization responsible for the certification exam directly for details.
Q: My nurse aide students can't come to class and they
cannot complete their externships with restrictions in place at nursing
homes. What do we do?
A: (Per Workforce Commissions and THHSC) As indicated in the Long-Term Care Regulatory Provider Letter fromthe Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC),apps.hhs.texas.gov/providers/communications/2020/letters/...
[2], the Office of the Governor suspend certain regulatory requirements
in response to the state of disaster declared in Texas and America
relating to COVID-19. Specifically, Item 2.11, Suspension of the
Certain NATCEP and Medication Aide Training Program Requirements,
suspends requirements related to clinical and skills training in a
nursing facility and the requirement of classroom training to be in
person. This will allow NATCEPs and Medication Aide training programs to
complete classroom training online and clinical/skills training in a
laboratory setting. If you have questions regarding this suspension,
please contact HHSC.
The Texas Education Agency has created a web page to provide school districts and staff with information to provide support and guidance during this time of uncertainty and transition. This page is updated on a regular basis. Please check it periodically for new
Stay tuned for more FAQs!
TEA has created a Coronavirus Support & Guidance webpage. This will be your best resource for the most up-to-date, accurate information. I recommend visiting this webpage every day for the latest updates and resources. Additionally, TEA will be hosting a daily conference call with school superintendents in order to communicate the most up-to-date information.
The following TEA FAQ found on the COVID -19 Support and Guidance page may provide answers to questions relevant to Career and Technical Education instruction.
- Guidance on Grading and Graduation (PDF) March 30 2020
- CTE Courses Remote Learning (Excel) March 31 2020
- General State Funding FAQs (PDF) April 14 2020
The agency has developed an Instructional Continuity Framework that consists of phases, each of which has a series of supporting planning categories. Resources will be continuously posted over the coming weeks in alignment with this framework to support districts. Learn more here: Instructional Continuity Planning FrameworkBelow are specific links to CTE related information:
Phase 1: Instructional Materials and Curricular Supports for CTE
Phase 2: CTE Courses Remote Learning List
Tools for Student Instruction Specific to CTE
Region 17 ESC COVID-19 Resource Site
NEW! Family and Consumer Sciences Content-Specific E-Learning Resources
Texas CTE Resource Center
The Texas CTE Resource Center web page is provided by TEA. The site was recently down but is now back up and running.
Online CTE Course Response Data Warehouse 3.2020
This link provides a list of online resources for CTE content areas that may be of help to you in the coming weeks as you plan for and provide online instruction. This is an evolving list and is being added to regularly!
ACTE Distance Learning Resources
A list of resources put together by the Association for Career and Technical Education specifically in response to the COVID-19 situation.
Nepris (free until April 30)
Live industry chats and videos are great to use with CTE students during this time. These will be available for free the entire month of April.
Career Solutions Publishing is offering free materials for you to use virtually with your students. The site will be updated often, so check back regularly to see what's been added. Offering virtual lessons for some CTE courses can be difficult as they tend to be more hands on. As you try to decide how to offer lessons virtually, you may want to focus on career exploration activities during this time. Career Solutions would be an excellent source to assist with this.
By providing a catalog of digital learning resources focused on the skills needed for life — skills in social-emotional learning, health and wellness, financial capability, and career readiness — you have the tools to bring meaningful remote learning to students. All EVERFI resources are completely free (always).
New! Texas OnCourse COVID-19 Video for Seniors
Seniors always have a lot to stay on top of. This year we know they’re even more stressed out than usual. So Texas OnCourse created this short video to help students navigate deadlines and feel less anxious on the path to college. In it, we walk them through five actionable steps they can use right now to stay on top of college deadlines.
Share the video directly with your students using this link: https://youtu.be/mY6OTAzskVA
Transitioning to college is never easy. Transitioning to college during COVID-19 can be downright nerve-wracking. Share this video with your students to guide them on the top actions to take right now as they prepare for college next year.
NEW! TEA and Texas PBS Announce Educational Programming Collaboration
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) and Texas PBS stations are proud to promote a joint initiative to air TEKS-aligned educational programming each week in 10 different PBS viewing areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officially known as the At-Home Learning Initiative, the collaboration strengthens TEA’s efforts in assisting school districts and public charter schools with establishing instructional continuity and at-home learning during this unprecedented public health crisis.
The partnership calls for all 10 of Texas’s PBS affiliates to preempt regularly scheduled weekday programming with grade-level-appropriate programming featuring shows such as Peg+Cat, NOVA, and American Experience. Affiliates will air educational programming each weekday, with the slate of programming divided into three distinct age groups: Pre-K through 3rd grade, 5th through 8th grade, and high school. This free programming will reach 96 percent of Texas’s student-age population and each age group will receive targeted programming at specific times throughout the school day.
In addition to the broadcast options, TEKS-aligned supplemental materials—including interactive lessons and media galleries—are available at PBSLearningMedia.org. TEA has provided instructional resources for school districts at COVID-19 Support: Instructional Continuity.
NEW! CTE Coaltion
Resources from participating industry leaders to help any school in the country with remote learning opportunities for their CTE programs.
NEW! CTE Resources from NOCTI and Partners
Please see the link below for a complete list of resources.
Reality Works Resources
In response to the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), they are providing digital access to ALL their curriculum resources (lesson plans, PowerPoints, student worksheets, assessments) to help you prepare online lessons this semester.
Below are links to several resources, including product cleaning recommendations, online curriculum links and online professional development opportunities.
- Product guides and curriculum (including cleaning recommendations): https://www.realityworks.com/access-your-guides-and-curriculum/
- On-demand professional development opportunities: https://www.realityworks.com/product/on-demand-professional-development-opportunities/
B. E. Publishing FREE Resources
To respond to the sudden demand for online instruction and learning, B.E. Publishing will be providing FREE access to all of our digital textbooks and resources, for both teachers and students at no charge through June 30, 2020. . These resources provide teachers with a host of CTE content including eTexts, instructor resources, student worksheets, and a lot more. Please click the button below and complete a short form that will link to a document with instructions to access the free materials. https://mailchi.mp/bepublishing.com/get-cte-resources
KP Education Resources
eDynamic Learning Free Resources
eDynamic Learning has made the following decisions to help TX schools for both the short-term and long-term as you deal with the progression of COVID-19:
1) eDynamic Learning can provide Region 17 schools with access to our online, student content for any eDL course at no cost until June 30th. This includes courses from our CTE & Career Library, Middle School Library, and our Electives Library (150+ courses). We hope to alleviate the stress put on teachers right now of creating content for students during closures.
Please send specific course requests directly to:
rob.mcneely@edynamiclearning.com
2) Schools interested in full access to eDL courses, can receive immediate access to their 2020-21 course licenses and Career Ready Programs. This means licenses for eDL implementations budgeted for 2020-21 can begin now at no additional cost during closures.
3) Billing for all 2020-21 licenses and services purchased now will occur when schools are able to pay. Payment options may extend into 2020-21 if needed and will be based on what you tell us about your needs. No questions asked.
A few things to remember about eDL and our commitment to CTE, Electives, and online learning:
· This ain't our first rodeo. As North America's largest publisher of online digital curriculum for CTE and Electives, we've been doing online curriculum for a long time (over a decade). And our head office is in Texas, by the way.
· Today our online courseware includes 150+ courses, serving 14 of the 16 career clusters with 3-16 courses in each cluster. (Check on our online catalog here)
· eDL's online curriculum integrates directly with a district's LMS system - making it easy to implement immediately. If a school doesn't have an LMS, we can provide one
· Our onboarding process takes 1-3 days so schools can be up and running quite quickly
· eDL courses are comprehensive. They can serve as a textbook replacement or can supplement what you're doing in the classroom.
· Our courses are aligned to the TEKS and our Career Ready Programs are written specifically to Industry Certifications.
· We provide extensive teacher support materials including PBL guide, blended guide, activities, pacing guides, answer keys, grade book, dashboard and more
· eDL courses are designed to be easy-to-use and navigate so teachers and students can be up and running very quickly
Resources for your review:
5 Min Video: eDynamic Learning Course Overview
iCEV Resources for Online Learning
Many schools are in the process of implementing virtual learning environments. In an effort to help face this challenge, we are working to provide solutions to affected schools.
To find out if a complimentary spring semester pilot will fit your needs, please visit our Distance Learning page.
Adobe Education Exchange - Distance Learning Resources
Whether your school routinely supports distance learning or is facing unexpected closures, Adobe Education Exchange has assembled these resources and learning opportunities to help educators engage remote students through online learning.
These resources are always free!
Tools for Learning at Home
I know many of you utilize the programs and/or software below in your courses for instruction or preparation for certifications. The following are offering options for temporary free access that will allow students to continue to have access and work from home. A couple of them are always free!
Certiport
If your school is a Certiport Authorized Testing Center, effective immediately you may request FREE 90-Day Access to their most popular web-based learning resources, including online practice exams and on-demand video-based courses. Some of these exceptional products include resources from GMetrix, LearnKey, Jasperactive, BrainBuffet, Moore Solutions, TeachMe3D, CADLearning, and Unity.
Office 365 for Students and Educators
Students and educators at eligible institutions can sign up for Office 365
Education for free, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and now
Microsoft Teams, plus additional classroom tools. All you need is a valid
school email address. It’s not a trial – so get started today.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/education/products/office
Abode Creative Cloud
Adobe is making temporary at-home access to Creative Cloud
available until May 31, 2020 for schools and colleges who currently
have only lab access for students, at no additional cost. Exclusions
may apply. Only IT Admins can request free temporary access for
their institution.
Autodesk
Autodesk has granted access to our tools to students and educators for the
past five years with no charge. This remains unchanged.
https://www.autodesk.com/education/home
Intuit QuickBooks
Empower your students with free QuickBooks and ProConnect Tax. Intuit
Education is here to help your school develop the next generation of
entrepreneurs and accountants with the skills and knowledge they need
to succeed.
Certiport Exams from Home
In an effort to support schools and students to continue their education online in these extraordinary times, Certiport has developed a home-based solution that allows for administered exams that certification candidates can take from home. This solution, "Certiport Exams from Home", allows individuals to continue to pursue an industry-recognized certification that will distinguish themselves from others in an increasingly difficult hiring environment.
Certiport has been testing this solution over the past two weeks with very good results and school districts across the United States and Canada that have been involved, have indicated very positive experiences. Customers who have participated are encouraged that individuals in their areas will be able to complete testing this school year with this solution.
As Certiport pilots this solution with live, in-market exams, we are looking for additional customers who would like to try this solution and give us feedback. Modifications to a broad solution will be made available as soon as this testing is completed. If you are interested in being a part of this pilot, we have made available a schedule in which you can reserve a spot.
A Certiport employee will administer the exams through a hosted typical exam experience with an internet connection and almost any computer. To participate, follow the steps on this link to schedule exams from home: www.certiport.com/examsfromhome. Technical requirements are also found on the same URL. Participation may be limited based upon response volume.
This solution is currently only available in English with the expectation that it will expand into additional languages as soon as possible. This service will be available until June 30, 2020.
We recognize the difficult nature that COVID-19 has placed on customers during this crisis. It is our hope that this "Certiport Exams from Home" solution will allow individuals to become certified with an industry-recognized certification for their future college and career success.