California Special Populations Program Summary

“Purpose

To assure accountability for services to special populations, including students pursuing nontraditional occupations, in programs funded under the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V).

Program/Services

• Provide statewide professional development and resources to support nontraditional training programs and services to students in special populations.
• Allocate funding for training-of-trainers in nontraditional occupations in local school districts and online.

Outcomes

• Expanded career possibilities for students through support of programs that help recruit and retain students in training program for occupations that are nontraditional for their gender.
• Helped students to be successful in nontraditional programs through the creation of positive classroom environments, encouragement of parent, peer and employer support, and efforts to support continuous program improvement.
• Assisted local educational agencies (LEAs) to work with business and industry to help students acquire current industry skills sets.
• Increased focus on all aspects of special populations needs in career technical education (CTE) through statewide leadership, professional development, and technical assistance to LEAs.”