Open to Opportunities in Career and Technical Education
About the Program
Open to Opportunities in Career and Technical Education (OTOCTE) provides justice-involved students with access to C-Tech, a modularized CTE curriculum. The program is designed to reduce recidivism, provide career pathways, and foster social-emotional intelligence through reentry services and substantive credentialing with CTE-based programs.
About the Evaluation
The Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE) serves as the evaluator for the OTOCTE program by providing formative feedback on program implementation and fidelity throughout the duration of the U.S. Department of Education grant. The evaluation involves attendance at partner and advisory meetings, site visits, observations of C-Tech instructor trainings and student classes, the development of data collection tools (e.g., student intake forms, student exit surveys, professional development feedback surveys), and overall support to program staff.
Key Findings
Juvenile justice teachers at two facilities have been trained to teach four C-Tech courses. During Year 1 (July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017):
- 274 students received at least five days of C-Tech instruction (and 227 of those students received at least 10 days of instruction).
- Across the two OTOCTE program sites, 84 students have received certifications in at least one C-Tech course during Year 1.
Prior to release, students provide feedback on classroom instruction, school quality, and climate through an exit survey. Survey results for Year 1 indicate:
- Favorable ratings for teaching and instruction at both sites;
- Student satisfaction with CTE instruction and programming; and
- Students at both sites strongly rated the CTE program as beneficial to their future schooling and career plans/opportunities.
For More Information
For a glimpse inside the OTOCTE program, watch an interview clip of Principal Wells (Pennypack House School) during an OTOCTE team trip to Northern Youth Development Center in Crittenden, Kentucky.