DECA’s Competitive Events Program Framework for 2012-2016

Created on January 25, 2012

Revised on March 21, 2015

Between 2012 and 2016 DECA will comprehensively review its Competitive Events Program to ensure its long term success and viability. The review process will help to solidify DECA’s position as leaders in assessment among Career and Technical Student Organizations. This document serves as a framework to guide the review and decision making process. This is a fluid document and is subject to change.

GUIDANCE

The review process will be guided by four fundamental purposes.

  1. Ensure that DECA’s Competitive Event Program is firmly aligned with career clusters and pathways
  1. Ensure that DECA’s competitive events are structured in the best possible ways to assess students’ knowledge and skills
  1. Ensure that DECA’s Competitive Events Program supports 21st Century Skills
  1. Demonstrate the connections between DECA’s Competitive Events Program and the Common Core State Standards Initiative

Ensure that DECA’s Competitive Events Program is Firmly Aligned with Career Clusters and Pathways

During the previous review period, DECA made tremendous strides to align competitive events with career clusters and career pathways. This alignment resulted in DECA developing, modifying and implementing competitive events to serve students taking courses related to the following career clusters and pathways:

  • Marketing Cluster
  • Marketing Communications Pathway
  • Marketing Management Pathway
  • Marketing Research Pathway
  • Merchandising Pathway
  • Professional Selling Pathway
  • Business Management and Administration Cluster
  • Corporate/General Management Pathway
  • Human Resources Management Pathway
  • Operations Management Pathway
  • Finance Cluster
  • Accounting Pathway
  • Corporate Finance Pathway
  • Securities and Investments Pathway
  • Hospitality and Tourism Cluster
  • Lodging Pathway
  • Recreation, Amusements, and Attractions Pathway
  • Restaurants and Food and Beverage Services Pathway
  • Travel and Tourism Pathway

It is important to maintain and enhance this alignment throughout the entire review process.

Ensure that DECA’s Competitive Events Are Structured in the Best Possible Ways to Assess Students’ Knowledge and Skills

Throughout the review process, it is important to ensure that the current competitive event structures are developed and formatted in ways that most accurately assess student knowledge and skill sets. During the review cycle the taskforce may suggest:

  • modifying evaluation forms to better capture information.
  • modifying competitive event guidelines and instructions for clarity.
  • moving a competitive event into a new category (i.e., Marketing Communications becoming a Series Event because a marketing communications pathway exists.)
  • identifying new competitive event models/formats

Ensure that DECA’s Competitive Events Program Supports

21st Century Skills

Source:

21st century skills are essential skills that students need to succeed as citizens and workers in the 21st century. There are six key elements of a 21st century education, which are described below.

  1. Core Subjects.The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, identifies the core subjects as English, reading or language arts; mathematics; science; foreign languages; civics; government; economics; arts; history; and geography.
  1. 21st Century Content.Several significant, emerging content areas are critical to success in communities and workplaces. These content areas typically are not emphasized in schools today:
  • Global awareness
  • Financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy
  • Civic literacy
  • Health and wellness awareness
  • Environmental literacy
  1. Learning and Thinking Skills.As much as students need to learn academic content, they also need to know how to keep learning — and make effective and innovative use of what they know — throughout their lives. Learning and Thinking Skills are comprised of:
  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills
  • Communication Skills
  • Creativity and Innovation Skills
  • Collaboration Skills
  • Information and Media Literacy Skills
  • Contextual Learning Skills
  1. ICT Literacy.Information and communications technology (ICT) literacy is the ability to use technology to develop 21st century content knowledge and skills in support of 21st century teaching and learning.
  1. Life Skills.Good teachers have always incorporated life skills into their pedagogy. The challenge today is to incorporate these essential skills into schools deliberately, strategically and broadly. Life skills include:
  • Leadership
  • Ethics
  • Accountability
  • Adaptability
  • Personal Productivity
  • Personal Responsibility
  • People Skills
  • Self Direction
  • Social Responsibility
  1. 21st Century Assessments.Authentic 21st century assessments are the essential foundation of a 21st century education. Assessments must measure all five results that matter: core subjects; 21st century content; learning skills; ICT literacy; and life skills. To be effective, sustainable and affordable, assessments must use modern technologies to increase efficiency and timeliness. Standardized tests alone can measure only a few of the important skills and knowledge students should learn. A balance of assessments, including high-quality standardized testing, along with effective classroom assessments, offer students a powerful way to master the content and skills central to success.

DECA’s Competitive Events Program currently supports many 21st century skills. Throughout the review process, specific connections between DECA’s Competitive Events Program and 21st century skills should be highlighted and strengthened.

Demonstrate the Connections Between DECA’s Competitive Events Program and the Common Core State Standards Initiative

Source:

The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.

These standards define the knowledge and skills students should have within their K-12 education careers so that they will graduate high school able to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and in workforce training programs. The standards:

  • Are aligned with college and work expectations;
  • Are clear, understandable and consistent;
  • Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills;
  • Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;
  • Are informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society; and
  • Are evidence-based.

The standards are broken down into two lists – language arts and mathematics. Included in the lists are “College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards” which may be of interest to DECA since we strive to make sure students are college and career ready.

Forty-four (44) states have adopted the common core standards. With such a majority of state departments of education utilizing and supporting the standards, it is important that DECA demonstrate connections between the Competitive Events Program and common core standards.

TASKFORCE COMPOSITION

The Competitive Events Taskforce shall be comprised of three (3) permanent members:

  • Taskforce Chairperson who is also a state level curriculum specialist or CTE administrator

Betty Sias, West Virginia Department of Education Curriculum Consultant for Business and Marketing, State DECA Advisor, 20 years experience.

  • Representative from MBAResearch and Curriculum Center

Jim Gleason, President MBAResearch, Curriculum and Instruction expert, 30 years experience. Carryover from previous competitive events committee.

  • Local level curriculum specialist or CTE administrator

Wayne Dittmore, CTE Coordinator, Canyons School District (Utah)

The Competitive Events Taskforce shall be comprised of five (5) members serving one year terms:

  • Four (4) classroom advisors with experience in the career cluster being reviewed and experience utilizing the competitive event models be reviewed. Ideally, each DECA region should be represented.
  • One (1) college/university dean or department chair with knowledge and experience in the career cluster being reviewed
  • One (1) ICDC conference coordinator

The Competitive Events Taskforce shall be comprised of five (5) DECA staff and board members:

  • Executive Director
  • Director of Competitive Events
  • High School Division Director
  • Board of Directors Liaison (President Elect)
  • Board of Directors President

COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY

Throughout the entire review process it is important to seek input from stakeholders and to inform stakeholders of changes. Below is a suggested communications strategy to accomplish these goals.

Seeking Input from Stakeholders

  • Create and distribute surveys to state and chapter advisors. Surveys will be focused on the career cluster and event types being reviewed during that year of the review cycle.
  • Create a “suggestions box” connected to DECA’s membership system which will allow state advisors and chapter advisors to submit suggestions for the taskforce to discuss.
  • When possible, taskforce members should solicit input from their colleagues at local and regional conferences through focus groups and open forum discussions.

Informing Stakeholders

  • Utilize DECA Direct on a regular basis to inform stakeholders of items that will be discussed and reviewed each year and provide notice of recommendations that will be forwarded to the board of directors.

TIMELINE

Below is a suggested schedule to review categories of competitive events. Each year the Competitive Events Taskforce will research and analyze the current competitive event offerings in specific career clusters and pathways while reviewing guidelines and event structures for specific event types. Findings will lead to suggestions to modify existing events, add additional events to support a career cluster or career pathway, or create new competitive event models not currently utilized. Additionally, the taskforce will recommend ways to support this framework’s guiding principles and notions.

2011-2012

  • Analyze DECA’s Performance Indicator Lists and modify to be more in line with courses and course sequences.
  • Crosswalk DECA’s Performance Indicator Lists with 21st Century Skill Standards and Common Core Standards
  • Outcome: one color-coded list that references performance indicators, 21st Century Skills, and Common Core Standards

2012-2013

  • Review and analyze competitive event offerings in the Finance Career Cluster
  • Review and make recommendations to improve guidelines and/or event structure for
  • Chapter Team Events
  • Professional Selling Events
  • DECA Quiz Bowl

2013-2014

  • Review and analyze competitive event offerings in the Hospitality and Tourism Career Cluster
  • Review and make recommendations to improve guidelines and/or event structure for
  • Online Events
  • Marketing Representative Events
  • Principles of Business Administration Events

2014-2015

  • Review and analyze competitive event offerings in the Business Management and Administration Career Cluster
  • Review and make recommendations to improve guidelines and/or event structure for
  • Business Management and Entrepreneurship Events
  • Business Operations Research Events

2015-2016

  • Review and analyze competitive event offerings in the Marketing Career Cluster
  • Review and make recommendations to improve guidelines and/or event structure for
  • Team Decision Making Events
  • Individual Series Events
  • Principles of Business Administration Events

2016-2017

  • Broadly review the changes and progress made since 2012
  • Develop a competitive events review plan for the future

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