Collaborative Industry/Community College System ATE Professional Development Project

Cbia Education Foundation, Hartford CT

Investigators

Abstract

The Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) Education Foundation, the Connecticut Community College System, Central Connecticut State University, the State Departments of Education and Higher Education, more than 15 technology companies, and other partners are collaborating in a statewide NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) project. This project supports comprehensive professional development for community college faculty, high school mathematics, science and technology teachers and limited numbers of pre-service teachers. This project complements two existing NSF grants to the Connecticut Community College System (CCCS), including a new NSF grant for ATE curriculum development and a new CSEMS award for students entering state, two-year postsecondary ATE programs. Project goals are to: (1) strengthen relationships among business and industry, the CCCS, state comprehensive and vocational high schools, and other ATE institutions; (2) build a stronger feeder system for the state's two-year ATE programs in three areas: manufacturing, engineering technologies and computer science/information technology; and (3) increase the supply of technically trained AS graduates. As the state's largest business association, with over 10,000 companies, CBIA is extremely well positioned to work with the state's secondary and post-secondary institutions to develop a more effective feeder system and expand the supply of technically trained workers. The members of this ATE collaborative are co-developing and co-sponsoring an array of professional development technology activities. Two cohorts of 12 ATE faculty and 10 high school "ATE Leaders" are participating in intensive professional development, including instructional leadership, industry-based hands-on applications of technology, collaborative research, and ongoing technical experiences. An additional 256 community college faculty and secondary teachers are involved in larger group professional development activities. This ATE project builds on CBIA and CCCS industry collaborative education and training initiatives and involves at least three other national ATE Centers (NWCET, NCTT and the South Carolina Center of Excellence) for ongoing technical assistance and guidance.