HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 42

(By Delegates Robinson, Ambler, Anderson, Atkinson, Barrett, Bates, Boggs, Brewer, Byrd, Campbell, Canestraro, Capito, Caputo, Cooper, Cowles, Dean, Deem, Diserio, Eldridge, Ellington, A. Evans, E. Evans, Fast, Ferro, Fleischauer, Fluharty, Folk, Frich, Graves, Hamilton, Hamrick, Hanshaw, Harshbarger, Hartman, Hicks, Higginbotham, Hill, Hollen, Hornbuckle, Howell, Iaquinta, Isner, Jennings, Kelly, Kessinger, Lane, Longstreth, Love, Lovejoy, Lynch, Marcum, McGeehan, Miley, R. Miller, Moore, Moye, Nelson, Oerington, Pack, Paynter, Pethtel, Phillips, Pushkin, Pyles, Queen, Rodighiero, Rohrbach, R. Romine, Rowan, Rowe, Shott, Sobonya, Sponaugle, Statler, Storch, Sypolt, Thompson, Wagner, Walters, Ward, Westfall, Williams, Wilson and Zatezalo)

[Introduced February 5, 2018; Referred to the Committee on Education]

 

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study methods to incentivize and advise middle and high school students to participate in career and technical education programs.

Whereas, Eighty-one percent of high school dropouts report that real-world learning opportunities would have kept them in high school; and

Whereas, Career and technical education programs prepare students to be college and career ready by providing core academic, technical, and employability skills; and

Whereas, High-quality career and technical education programs ensure that coursework is aligned with rigorous academic standards and specific skills needed in specialized career pathways are addressed; and

Whereas, Eighty-one percent of students taking a college preparatory academic curriculum with rigorous career and technical education courses met college and career readiness goals; and

Whereas, The level of academic achievement students attain by eighth grade has a more significant impact on their college and career readiness than any other academic factor; and

Whereas, Neighboring states Ohio and Virginia have middle school level career and technical training programs and Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Kentucky have high school level career and technical training programs; and

Whereas, According to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, in 2012, only 56.4 percent of high school students pursued higher education pathways; and

Whereas, According to the Association for Career and Technical Education, the graduation rate for CTE students is a staggering ninety-three percent; and

Whereas, Eighty percent of secondary CTE graduates who pursued post-secondary education had earned a credential or were still enrolled after two years; and

Whereas, According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2009, CTE post-secondary graduates had an employment rate in their field of study of 79.7 percent; and

Whereas, Given the importance of career and technical education programs in fostering college and career readiness, it is essential that middle and high school students are informed and prepared to take advantage of career and technical education programs in their schools and communities; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to study methods to incentivize and advise middle and high school students to participate in career and technical education programs; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2019, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct a study, prepare reports and draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.