Maryland State Department of Education and National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Collaborate to Reduce Equity Gaps in Career and Technical Education Programs
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CONTACT: lora.rakowski@maryland.gov, 410-767-0486
Maryland State Department of Education and National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Collaborate to Reduce Equity Gaps in Career and Technical Education Programs
Root Cause Analysis to be Used to Identify and Address Equity Gaps in Career and Technical Education Programs
BALTIMORE, MD (July 20, 2021) – The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Division of Career and College Readiness is collaborating with the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) on the launch of a multi-phased equity professional learning series. The program is designed to assist leaders from local school systems and community colleges in using root cause analyses to identify and address equity gaps in career and technical education (CTE). Focus will be on underrepresented and/or underserved student groups identified in the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) and the Office of Civil Rights Methods of Administration (MOA) Program.
NAPE — a consortium of state and local agencies, corporations, and national organizations — strives to create equitable learning environments where students thrive and receive an education that prepares them to earn a living wage. To achieve this, NAPE provides data-driven research, training, and evaluation to transform education and workforce systems at the individual, institutional, and system levels across the United States. The planning and implementation of the upcoming equity and professional learning series is made possible through a grant from the MSDE Division of Career and College Readiness.
“The Maryland State Department of Education is committed to reducing equity gaps in Career and Technical Education Programs,” said Dr. Carol Williamson, Deputy State Superintendent for Teaching and Learning. “Through this partnership with NAPE, we are supporting local school system and community college leaders in learning how to identify and address equity gaps for underrepresented and/or underserved student groups. School leaders will be able to apply what they learn in the professional learning series to the work they do every day to ensure educational equity and excellence for all students in Maryland.”
The professional learning series will begin in September 2021 by recruiting teams of leaders throughout Maryland. Teams will include secondary and postsecondary leaders and community partners. Through this participation, leaders will implement the root cause analysis process to uncover and address underlying causes of inequities for students in CTE programs. Support to remedy inequitable practices will be provided, and leaders will receive resources necessary to help their communities develop a deeper understanding of and capacity to address equity gaps.
“We are excited about working with the Maryland State Department of Education to expand opportunities for every student in career and technical education,” said Mimi Lufkin, Chief Executive Officer for NAPE. “The programs that we have implemented across the country have proven to increase the capacity of educators to implement effective solutions that have closed opportunity gaps for every student. We applaud MSDE’s leadership in this effort!”
NAPE’s work of broadening opportunity and success where equity and identity intersect examines gender, race, culture, disability, and socioeconomics. NAPE provides equity-focused resources, tools, and technical assistance, and advocates for public policy that supports educational equity and workforce diversity.
The Maryland State Department of Education is excited about this partnership and the professional learning series that will result.
For more information about NAPE, visit www.napequity.org.
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