The Relationship Between the Virginia Deca State Leadership Conference and the Learning Goals Established by the Virginia Deca Board of Trustees

Upon completion of the research, the following are questions that are to be answered: 1. Did students who prepared to participate in SLC learn more marketing principles than students that did not prepare to participate? 2. Did SLC preparation and participation reinforce and enhance lessons learned in the classroom? 3. Did SLC preparation and participation support, reinforce, or enhance the Marketing Education curriculum

Business and Marketing Education Doctoral Students\u27 Perceptions of Their Profession

The future of the business and/or marketing education profession is dependent upon its future leadership. Many of those leaders are currently engaged in or have recently graduated from related doctoral programs. This study examined 22 doctoral students/recent graduates preparing for a career in business and/or marketing education and solicited their opinions on the future of their profession. Participants were surveyed and asked to identify what they believe to be true about future focus of instructional content, methods of teacher preparation, their commitment to their profession, and their opinions regarding the future of business and marketing education. Participants were in general agreement about future focus of instructional content and teacher preparation methods. While they tend to be committed to the profession, they had varying opinions of what that consists of; some will rely heavily on practitioner memberships, conferences, and publications, while others will focus more on those elements dedicated to scholarly endeavors

Developing the Key Constructs of Career Literacy: A Delphi Study

Career literacy is a concept that is often misunderstood, yet it is something that can be developed to enhance youth’s potential for career readiness and career growth. This study sought to determine the knowledge and skills required for career literacy and to identify the optimal time to acquire these skills. A four-round Delphi study was designed and implemented to determine such skills and the ideal corresponding time of acquisition for each. The research indicated a final list of 50 skills and knowledge, all of which fall under the categories of functional, interactive, and critical skills a student needs to be able to read, understand, and make decisions on career-related information. These skills and knowledge can be used not only to inform stakeholders what to infuse into existing curricula, but also to identify the optimal time of introduction into a student’s educational career

Determining Return on Investment for Professional Development In Public Education: A Model

Return on investment with respect to employee training is a growing phenomenon in business and industry, as understanding the impact of training on an organization is often not enough. Public educational systems also spend a significant amount of resources on professional development. However, because education is a non-revenue generating industry, rarely do we analyze return on investment in the educational sector. This article examines return on investment for public school teacher training and professional development. While this model was developed for a specific school system and software, the model outlined below may be used by administrators in many non-profit or social organizations to determine a professional development return on investment

Research Needs: Career and Technical Education

Research is an important component of each professional field. This study sought to determine topics that needed further research in the school subjects known as career and technical education. It determined topics that needed to be researched related to high school career and technical education (CTE) and the preparation for teaching CTE in secondary schools. A fourround Delphi study methodology was selected to use to determine this set of research needs. Sixteen research needs with descriptions were identified and consensus was achieved on their importance to conducting future research studies. The research needs included 11 items related to high school CTE and 5 items on the preparation for teaching of CTE. These items provide researchers with a list of research opportunities for conducting studies to better understand the needs and potential contributions of CTE

Establishing Program Standards to Meet the Needs of Postsecondary Trade and Industrial Education

The focus of this study was to develop standards that can be used for establishing and assessing high-quality postsecondary trade and industrial programs. A four-round Delphi technique was used to generate consensus regarding program standards. The panel of experts, comprised of postsecondary administrators of trade and industrial programs, was used to determine which program standards should guide the development and assessment of high-quality trade and industrial education programs. The result was a list of 17 standards and descriptions. The standards included Academic Integration, Advisory Committee, Curriculum, Employer Feedback, Faculty Qualifications, Meaningful Employment, Placement Rates, Program Design, Program Review, Safety, Soft Skills, Student Achievement of Industry Credentials, Student Assessment, Student Advancement, Student Remediation, and Tools and Equipment. Postsecondary administrators can use the results to develop and assess existing programs, as well as to guide the design of new programs that meet industry labor needs

Career and Technical Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Profession and Willingness to Encourage Students to Enter a CTE Teaching Career

This study examined the current climate of how Virginia CTE teachers perceive their profession and if they are encouraging their students to enter the teaching profession. A survey developed by the National Center for Education Statistics was submitted to CTE teachers in Virginia (n = 743) to address these questions. Descriptive statistics helped to determine that CTE teachers are generally satisfied with their careers but dissatisfied with factors over which they have no control, and the number of teachers recommending the profession to their students in recent years has decreased considerably. A Pareto analysis was conducted, and the results showed the key reasons why teachers are not recommending the CTE teaching profession to their students are salary/benefits and school variables not in their control

Business and Marketing Education Doctoral Students’ Perceptions of Their Profession

The future of the business and/or marketing education profession is dependent upon its future leadership. Many of those leaders are currently engaged in or have recently graduated from related doctoral programs. This study examined 22 doctoral students/recent graduates preparing for a career in business and/or marketing education and solicited their opinions on the future of their profession. Participants were surveyed and asked to identify what they believe to be true about future focus of instructional content, methods of teacher preparation, their commitment to their profession, and their opinions regarding the future of business and marketing education. Participants were in general agreement about future focus of instructional content and teacher preparation methods. While they tend to be committed to the profession, they had varying opinions of what that consists of; some will rely heavily on practitioner memberships, conferences, and publications, while others will focus more on those elements dedicated to scholarly endeavors

DECA Membership and Its Effect on Grade Point Average as an Indicator of Academic Success

Stakeholders in career and technical education declare the value of applied learning through corresponding co-curricular student organizations. However, there is limited empirical evidence to support the notion that student organizations help participants to achieve academic gains. This study examined the levels of engagement in DECA\u27s co-curricular activities, years of membership in DECA, and the impact of multiple years of membership on members\u27 grade point averages in high school. Two-hundred twelve students across Virginia (n = 212) completed an inventory describing their involvement with DECA and provided entry, midpoint, and exit grade point averages. It was determined that DECA members showed significant increases in overall academic grade point averages during their memberships, and multiple years of membership amplified the increases. It was also determined that students who were more engaged in DECA\u27s annual activities showed greater academic gains than did their more passive member counterparts

Establishing Program Standards to Meet the Needs of Postsecondary Trade and Industrial Education

The focus of this study was to develop standards that can be used for establishing and assessing high-quality postsecondary trade and industrial programs. A four-round Delphi technique was used to generate consensus regarding program standards. The panel of experts, comprised of postsecondary administrators of trade and industrial programs, was used to determine which program standards should guide the development and assessment of high-quality trade and industrial education programs. The result was a list of 17 standards and descriptions. The standards included Academic Integration, Advisory Committee, Curriculum, Employer Feedback, Faculty Qualifications, Meaningful Employment, Placement Rates, Program Design, Program Review, Safety, Soft Skills, Student Achievement of Industry Credentials, Student Assessment, Student Advancement, Student Remediation, and Tools and Equipment. Postsecondary administrators can use the results to develop and assess existing programs, as well as to guide the design of new programs that meet industry labor needs