CPE awards MSU $130K for ‘Building Math in CTE: Computational Thinking and Construction’

Kentucky’s Council on Postsecondary awarded $390,000 in federal funds to Morehead State University and two other universities to support professional development for P-12 career and technical education teachers during its meeting in Owensboro.

Morehead State University, Western Kentucky University and Murray State University will receive $130,000 each. Each university will work with its school of arts and sciences, teacher preparation program and at least one high-need local school district.

“Training the teachers who train Kentucky’s workforce is an extremely high state priority,” said Bob King, CPE president. “These three partnerships will help close achievement gaps, improve student performance, and ensure career and technical education curricula and dual credit opportunities are aligned to academic standards.”

The projects include:

• Building Math in CTE: Computational Thinking and Construction, Morehead State University.
• Empowering the Second “C” in College and Career Readiness, Western Kentucky University.
• Mathematics in the Context of Career and Technical Education, Murray State University.

In other business, the Council approved a board member orientation and training policy for all new board members to the Council on Postsecondary Education, Kentucky colleges and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) as required by House Bill 15.

New board members must complete six hours of training that focuses on the state’s higher education goals and institution-specific matters within one year of appointment. Training will be available in person or online.

In other action items, the Council:

• Delegated to the Council’s executive committee consideration of Kentucky State University’s four-year management improvement plan, as required by House Bill 303, the 2016-18 budget bill.
• Approved the University of Louisville’s Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability, aimed at preparing students for careers in environmental and energy sciences, urban and regional planning and public policy.
• Approved the 2017 meeting schedule.

Approved a resolution honoring Advance Kentucky’s Joanne Lang for her service to the Commonwealth.

The Council heard reports on Advance Kentucky, military credit guiding principles, Committee on Equal Opportunities, proposed amendments that would expand the availability of advanced practice doctorates, and an update on the dual credit scholarship.

Chair Glenn Denton made the following appointments to the Council’s Nominating Committee: Pam Miller, chair, Joseph Papalia and Robert Staat.

Denton also made the following public appointments to the Committee on Equal Opportunities (CEO): Shawn Reynolds, Murray; Brian Dunican, Bowling Green; Silas Session, Radcliff; Ann Morgan, Owenton; Corey Bellamy, Frankfort; Keitha Henderson, Fleming County; Miko Pattie, Lexington; David Carpenter, Frankfort; and John Johnson, Louisville.

Council members appointed to the CEO include Sherrill Zimmerman, Vidya Ravichandran, Robert Staat and student member Sebastian Torres.

CPE’s next meeting is set Feb. 2-3 at the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority office in Frankfort.