March/April 2025

Cover Stories

• Invest CTE: Student-Centered Efforts Develop Tomorrow’s Workforce

  Submitted by Kaleb Smith for Invest CTE

  Invest CTE aims to increase resources for high school CTE programs to better equip students with the skills needed for today’s workforce.

• Vision 2030: Promise & Future

  Future-focused learning is about reshaping our schools and classrooms and redefining student success to reflect and prepare students for all the different ways the world and economy continue to change. 

• Call to Action on CTE

  By Kaleb Smith

  Despite the clear benefits to students, communities, and our economy, many CTE programs face challenges due to limited funding, outdated equipment, and constrained capacity, leaving many students turned away.

• Enhancing College and Career Readiness in District 300

  Submitted by Community Unit School District 300

  District 300 has a strong foundation for CTE  efforts since the launch of its Pathways program in 2014.

• Flyover: CTE Across Illinois

  Submitted by Education for Employment CTE Regional Delivery Systems

  Vignettes excerpted from the 2023 and 2024 Career and Technical Education Annual Reports from ISBE.

Regular Features

• Front Page: Career and Technical Education

  By Theresa Kelly Gegen

  Illinois is forwarding career and technical education and is working to keep up with the changing times.

• On Outreach & Training: Three ‘As’ to Delegate Authority

  By Perry Hill, IV, Ph.D.

  Foundational Principle 4 is more complex than it appears.Here it is through the lens of a “Triple-A” rating which highlights three pivotal areas.

Commentary

• Exploring Student Experiences and Improving Outcomes for Black Children with Autism

  By Asha Amore Brown and Diallo Telli Brown

  Without early identification and intervention, Black students with autism often experience academic struggles and miss out on critical services,