Adapting and Implementing SCANS Materials in Kentucky

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) is adapting and implementing the Career Transcript System (CTS) in 16 high school, college, and industry sites across the state. The primary goal is to create a state-wide system and national model focused on improving the technical education provided for Kentucky's current and future workforce in the Information Technology (IT), Engineering Technology (ET) and Manufacturing Technology (MT) sectors. Adaptation of this material will strengthen science, mathematics, engineering, and technical learning as well as improve the career skills of students and workers participating in the program. The CTS was created by the SCANS 2000 Center at Johns Hopkins University with funding from NSF/ATE over the past eight years. It combines professional development, teaching tools, assessments, and verified documentation in the form of a Career Transcript (CT). Two campuses of KCTCS, Central Kentucky Technical College and Bowling Green Technical College, had previously pilot tested the CTS in IT and MT classrooms. This project is implementing the CTS at additional college sites, high schools, and industries across the state. By fostering partnerships with high schools and industry, KCTCS is creating a pipeline for future employees and enhancing skills development for current employees in the Kentucky IT, ET and MT sectors. Over the course of two years, 835 students and workers are receiving Career Transcripts, 32 KCTCS faculty and staff are being trained to use the CTS, 12 faculty are being certified to train other faculty, KCTCS is hosting a two-day state wide conference to disseminate results, and a CTS committee is working to institutionalize the system across the state.