ACTE Postsecondary CTE Summit 2026

Session Format
 Hands-on workshop / interactive breakout
 
Target Audience
 CTE Directors, Assistant Directors, Deans, and Instructional Leaders
 
Session Description
Strong school culture is built through consistent leadership routines and clear systems.
In this interactive session, two technical college leaders will share practical leadership systems used on their campus to strengthen communication, increase instructional quality, and support program improvement.
Participants will learn how daily leadership rounds, structured walkthrough feedback, coaching conversations, and instructor-led strategic planning work together to build a supportive and accountable culture. These systems have reduced email volume, improved communication, and created clearer pathways for instructional growth and program planning.
Attendees will leave with templates and tools they can use immediately on their own campuses.

How do we successfully engage business beyond that annual Advisory Board meeting? As we grow apprenticeship and work based learning opportunities, we cannot do it without industry partners that are truly committed. This breakout session is intended to create a venue for everyone in attendance to share best practices, failures, and lessons learned.

This session examines trauma-responsive classroom and laboratory management within technical and vocational education through findings drawn from a collective multiple-case study conducted across diverse career pathways. Grounded in the realities of hands-on instructional environments, including laboratories, shops, and other skills-based settings, the session explores how trauma-responsive principles can be translated into practical, pathway-sensitive management strategies. Emphasis is placed on the intersection of student behavior, safety, engagement, and instructional effectiveness, recognizing that technical learning spaces present distinct challenges not typically addressed in general education models.
The session is designed to benefit career and technical education instructors, teacher educators, instructional leaders, administrators, and professional development providers. It is particularly relevant for educators working in high-skill, equipment-intensive contexts where behavioral regulation, emotional safety, and physical safety must be simultaneously maintained. Individuals responsible for mentoring novice teachers, designing CTE programs, or supporting special populations will also find the content directly applicable.
Attendees will gain actionable insights into how trauma-responsive approaches can improve both instructional climate and operational safety in technical settings. The session will illustrate how trauma-responsive management is not a therapeutic framework but a pedagogical and organizational strategy that supports student persistence, reduces disruptions, and enhances learning readiness. Participants will leave with concrete methods for structuring routines, designing environmental supports, responding to dysregulation, and building relational trust without compromising rigor or industry-aligned expectations. Attention will be given to how these strategies vary across technical pathways, acknowledging differences in culture, workflow, and risk profiles.
Audience engagement will be central to the session’s design. Participants will be actively involved through scenario-based discussions derived from authentic technical classroom and laboratory situations. Interactive components will include guided reflection exercises, collaborative problem-solving tasks, and brief applied activities that allow attendees to analyze case excerpts and propose management responses. Practical tools will be introduced to stimulate dialogue, encourage peer exchange, and support immediate translation into professional practice. The presentation will emphasize creativity and interaction rather than passive lecture, fostering an environment where participants can compare experiences and develop context-specific adaptations.
Attendees will receive a curated set of resources to support implementation beyond the session. Deliverables will include a structured slide deck, applied management frameworks, pathway-sensitive strategy guides, and adaptable planning tools suitable for both secondary and postsecondary technical environments. Supplemental materials will provide practical reference points that educators can integrate into their own classrooms, laboratories, teacher preparation courses, or professional development initiatives. These resources are designed to extend the session’s impact, enabling participants to apply trauma-responsive management principles within their own institutional contexts.

Learn how Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories worked with LC State College in Lewiston, Idaho to build a robust electronics technology program to meet their growing need for technicians.

Postsecondary CTE institutions are increasingly challenged to deliver high-quality technical instruction while building staff capacity to support student success in rapidly evolving fields. This session introduces an applied, workforce-integrated model—Cyber Conversations, an initiative of RW2 Career and Technical Education—that strengthens staff roles in student support and embeds work-based learning (WBL) within a cybersecurity program.
Attendees will explore how RW2 implements a structured WBL system with clearly defined roles, processes, and project-based learning experiences in which adult learners work alongside cybersecurity instructors and professionals to complete real-world, supervised projects. As Cyber Liaisons, adult learners gain practical experience within a guided, team-based environment, supported by defined staff roles, operational workflows, and professional oversight. The session will highlight desired outcomes, including increased WBL participation, sustained completion rates, documented skill attainment, and improved job readiness aimed at faster hiring and stronger placement.
Designed for postsecondary CTE administrators, program leaders, and staff responsible for student support and WBL implementation, this session provides insight into strategies and operational processes currently in place and actively evolving to embed WBL into technical programs and strengthen institutional capacity.
Participants will engage through a guided case study discussion, a brief live polling activity to capture institutional context, and a reflection-based action planning prompt to support immediate application.
Attendees will leave with a practical implementation roadmap, including a replicable project-based WBL model, defined staff roles and workflows, a liaison-style role outline, sample project intake and coordination templates, and key metrics to track participation, skill attainment, and job readiness outcomes.
Postsecondary CTE institutions are increasingly challenged to deliver high-quality technical instruction while building staff capacity to support student success in rapidly evolving fields. This session introduces an applied, workforce-integrated model—Cyber Conversations, an initiative of RW2 Career and Technical Education—that strengthens staff roles in student support and embeds work-based learning (WBL) within a cybersecurity program.
Attendees will explore how RW2 implements a structured WBL system with clearly defined roles, processes, and project-based learning experiences in which adult learners work alongside cybersecurity instructors and professionals to complete real-world, supervised projects. As Cyber Liaisons, adult learners gain practical experience within a guided, team-based environment, supported by defined staff roles, operational workflows, and professional oversight. The session will highlight desired outcomes, including increased WBL participation, sustained completion rates, documented skill attainment, and improved job readiness aimed at faster hiring and stronger placement.
Designed for postsecondary CTE administrators, program leaders, and staff responsible for student support and WBL implementation, this session provides insight into strategies and operational processes currently in place and actively evolving to embed WBL into technical programs and strengthen institutional capacity.
Participants will engage through a guided case study discussion, a brief live polling activity to capture institutional context, and a reflection-based action planning prompt to support immediate application.
Attendees will leave with a practical implementation roadmap, including a replicable project-based WBL model, defined staff roles and workflows, a liaison-style role outline, sample project intake and coordination templates, and key metrics to track participation, skill attainment, and job readiness outcomes.