My legacy project focuses on creating a guide that outlines CTE courses, their pathways, and potential WBL opportunities for students in each pathway. This idea arose while I completed my Comprehensive Needs Assessment. In the CNA process, I discovered that only an estimated 20-49% of students at Waverly High School complete a continuum of workplace learning experiences that build on the knowledge they gain in the classroom. This project seeks to increase that number and represents a structural project.
This project demonstrates how data can be used to guide program improvement through the collection of data, identification of gaps, and creation of a plan to bridge those gaps. That is exactly what I did to create my plan. First, I completed the CNA with my CT and analyzed what gaps exist at Waverly. Then, I created a plan based on a data-driven gap I identified. Now, it is time to implement my plan, collect more data, and evaluate the success of my project.
My project reveals my ability to collect and analyze data and take action based on the data. This is critical to continuous program improvement as a CTE educator because there is so much data available to teachers. If an educator knows how to interpret data effectively, they can identify gaps and make improvements, as emphasized by ACTE High-Quality Standard 12a. I will apply this exact process during student teaching as I complete my legacy project. In my early years of teaching, I will use this process to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of my program, then create plans for addressing the needs I find.