2008 annual report to members changes: president's message.

It never ceases to amaze me what can transpire in a year; and 2008 was no exception. What did get my attention in 2008, however, was the monumental change that occurred during the year and the impact it has had on how we view the world, how we perceive situations, and how we address our needs.

For example, what changes have you made as a result of the financial crisis that saw some of the biggest stock market swings in history? What effect has the election of the first African-American president had on how you view the United States? What did you think about during the first-ever Olympics in China?

Each of these events illustrates the pervasiveness of change. From finance to politics to sport, every aspect of our lives is affected by change. While that change may be unsettling, it gives us an opportunity to analyze what we are doing, ask probing and necessary questions, and get creative and innovative.

Change is nothing new for education and certainly not for the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). As this year's Annual Report will bear out, your professional association went through a variety of changes last year in its continued effort to ensure that you get the news and information you need, that the public learns about, understands and values career and technical education, and that our programs receive the funding and support they need to educate and prepare tomorrow's workforce.

Those changes included a revamped Web site, the genesis of a national image awareness campaign, and a number of editorial board meetings throughout the country. One of the starkest examples of ACTE's activities in this change environment was in relation to the recent national election. With a new administration, a new Congress and plenty of new politicians, ACTE spent countless hours informing the candidates and assisting educators at the state level.

Each of these is an example of how your professional association addresses change and looks for opportunities to positively affect career and technical education.

There is no doubt that 2008 was full of change; and I am willing to wager that 2009 will see more of the same. Regardless of what changes or how the change transpires, successful educators, businesses and organizations will be the ones that meet the change head on and position themselves to seek and take advantage of the opportunities that will present themselves.

   In the words of David Bowie

   Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
   Turn and face the strange

Working together, we as career and technical educators and members of ACTE, will address the strangeness of change with the same energy and enthusiasm we bring to our classes every day.

Bryan Albrecht
ACTE President
2008-2009

Changing Legislative Environment

In 2008, Americans headed to the polls to cast their votes in a number of elections, most notably for President. As with every election, there have been and will continue to be changes. As the primary advocacy organization for career and technical education, ACTE has been addressing these changes and communicating the impact of these changes with the career and technical education community.

* To improve members' understanding of the full range of ACTE's advocacy activities, the Association launched a blog titled "CTE Policy Watch."

* Federal budget woes continued in 2008 and ACTE spent a great deal of time preparing for and responding to the President's budget request which eliminated funding for Perkins, and then working with Members of Congress to increase funding for CTE. Activities included serving on the executive committee of the Committee for Education Funding, a joint funding request to increase Perkins funding to $1.7 billion, numerous visits to Congressional offices, legislative alerts, successful House and Senate "Dear Colleague" letters, and close communication with congressional staff in preparation for hearings and mark-ups.

* ACTE closely followed the congressional and presidential elections for their implications on CTE, and provided information to members on candidate's positions through the Web site, Techniques, blog and Legislative Updates. ACTE also made contact with the presidential campaigns and with congressional candidates in close races to provide information on CTE, and reached out to the Obama transition learn and new Members of Congress after the election.

* In partnership with the Congressional CTE Caucus, ACTE hosted a "CTE Goes Green" reception on Capital Hill to showcase students from numerous CTSOs and the work they are doing related to environmental and energy sustainability. The event was well attended by approximately 70 Congressional staff and additional members of the education community.

* ACTE continued to work on Perkins implementation issues. The Association submitted comments in reaction to the proposed guidelines issued from the U.S. Department of Education, participated in technical assistance conference calls, was involved in the Department of Education's efforts to assess the feasibility of developing a national item bank to be used for technical skill assessments required under Perkins, launched a series of Techniques articles on implementation best practices, and contributed to the new CTSO guide for using Perkins funds.

Changing Information

News and information happen continually, and people want to know what is happening when it is happening. ACTE has been addressing the changing news and information environment by updating its Web site, creating new material, and partnering with organizations to ensure members receive information when they need it, and in ways in which they can effectively use it.

* ACTC launched its new Web site that includes an enhanced search function, a forum area for educators to interact and discuss issues, fewer clicks to important information, and a way for members to customize their content.

* ACTE published four Issue Briefs that address CTE's role in major national issues. In 2008, Issue Briefs were published on workforce readiness credentials, energy and environmental sustainability, career guidance, and business-education engagement. These Issue Briefs are an important part of ACTE's advocacy efforts.

* ACTE completed initial work on all 50 state CTE profiles. These profiles are posted on the ACTE Web site for use by educators, policymakers, researchers and the media and provide detailed information about CTE programs across the country.

* The ACTE Research Committee completed its process of developing a National CTE Research Agenda and this agenda was endorsed by the ACTE Board.

* ACTE continued to add additional resources to its Research Clearinghouse and Promising Practices and Programs (PPP) Web page, and collected additional student success stories.

* ACTE addressed Perkins implementation issues through a series of Techniques articles on implementation best practices, and by contributing to the new CTSO guide for using Perkins funds.

* Members who log into the new ACTE Web site can now save their favorite pages to their myACTE page. They can also e-mail a page on the ACTE Web site to their colleagues.

* ACTE continued its activities with the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, serving as the dissemination arm. Through this partnership, ACTE is sharing the research findings coming out of the Center with career and technical educators, broadening its impact.

Changing Professional Development

It used to be that once a year, members of an organization or association would gather for an annual meeting. While annual meetings still occur, the delivery of professional development has changed considerably. Today, ACTE offers its members professional development opportunities in a variety of ways-in person or online; audio or video; solo or in partnership.

* ACTE completely revamped the National Policy Seminar to provide more time for attendees to spend on Capital Hill and interact with policymakers.

* ACTE partnered with Siemens Building Technologies and Gateway Technical College to host a Sustainability Conference that addressed curriculum and facilities issues.

* ACTE partnered with the National Council of Local Administrators to host the Best Practices Conference in Tucson, Arizona. Approximately 150 educators attended and participated in this event.

* ACTE co-hosted two Webinar series, one with CIW on integrating IT certifications into secondary and postsecondary courses, and one with DeHavilland Associates on building business/education partnerships. Nearly 100 people participated in these Webinars.

* ACTE received approximately 130 concurrent session submissions for the Annual Convention.

* ACTE offered three pre-Convention Workshops for the 2008 Annual Convention that focused on marketing, technology centers, and embedding literacy.

* ACTE partnered with the International Center on Leadership in Education to develop a strand of CTE-related sessions at the Model Schools Conference.

Changing Electronic Media

No area has changed as much over the past few years than electronic media. From news delivery to networking to photo sharing, the Internet continues to morph and change as the needs of users does the same. ACTE has embraced electronic media and is using it to enhance the information it provides and increase the ways in which it interacts with members.

* ACTE ended the "TechNotes" news podcasts due to a duplication of material in Career Tech Update and focused on the "Career Tech Talk" podcast. "Career Tech Talk" features interviews with policymakers, education professionals, authors, industry representatives and other CTE innovators. This year, ACTE recorded podcasts with each Convention General Session speaker as well as major names related to CTE and workforce development. Celebrity interview subjects included Mike Rowe, host of "Dirty Jobs", Newt Gingrich, and educator astronaut Barbara Morgan.

* ACTE launched its second Convention blog, this year with multiple attendee bloggers. ACTE closed its Division blogs and refocused on staff-driven blogs, creating a blog for more in-depth coverage of our advocacy efforts and of CTE policy issues, written by the Public Policy Department. In addition, ACTE created several short-term blogs in which ACTE staff wrote about their experiences at CTE-related conferences such as the National FFA Convention.

* Once again, ACTE created a widget countdown tool to help promote the Annual Convention as well asa Convention promotional video.

* ACTE created a Twitter account and launched its Twitter-stream in time for the 2008 Convention, providing updates to members through this quick microblogging tool that can reach users at their computers and mobile phones.

* ACTE formed a partnership with SchoolTube, a moderated, safe online video sharing site for students and teachers. SchoolTube hosted the online video component of ACTE's second annual CTE Month Public Service Announcement Contest and is also bringing a studio to the Annual Convention to capture video footage.

* ACTE continues to share event photos on the online Flickr photo gallery.

* To promote the National Policy Seminar and educate members on how to visit Capitol Hill, ACTE recorded a how-to video about meeting face-to-face with your representatives about CTE. This video is available on the ACTE Web site.

* In addition to its MySpace account, ACTE added Linkedln and Facebook to its external social network presence. The Linkedln community has been highly popular with nearly 200 members.

* ACTE launched member-driven discussion-based electronic forums.

* This fall, ACTE began publishing the e-Connect column in every issue of Techniques. This column recommends Web 2.0 resources such as blogs, online communities and wikis. The recommendations encompass CTE, general education and lifestyle topics.

* ACTE is writing a series of in-depth articles on Web 2.0 in the classroom and for professional development for the January-May 2009 issues of Techniques. ACTE continued integrating its print and online offerings with the Q&A column.

* ACTE started an online library of Web 2.0 and e-media video tutorials to help members better use these tools. This library will be expanded throughout 2009.

Changing Image and Promotion

To help policymakers and the public understand the value of CTE, ACTE promotes CTE, contacts and works with local media, and utilizes its members in an ongoing effort to stress the value of CTE.

* ACTE worked with the CTE Congressional Caucus to get a resolution approved by the House of Representatives endorsing "CTE Month" and applauding ACTE for recognizing the importance of CTE. The Resolution was approved by the House on February 25 by a vote of 380-0.

* ACTE held its second annual CTE Month Public Service Announcement Contest. The goal was to promote CTE Month in February 2009 (and its theme, "CTE: Building Blocks for a Successful Career') through a video public service announcement (PSA) that will be distributed on the Web and to TV stations in February. The contest was open to secondary and postsecondary students in CTE-related film, video and production classes. Approximately 150 entries were received, a 50 percent increase over the number of entries last year.

* ACTE continued work on the Teacher Quality Taskforce, which developed a definition of a "high quality CTE teacher," solicited feedback, and presented the definition as a Resolution at the 2008 Convention.

* Through the beginning of November, ACTE has received 63 media inquiries from newspapers, magazines and research groups requesting information on career and technology education, policy issues, and member programs. That is a 10 percent increase over last year.

ACTE has more than 335 media placements in education and national publications including, Remodeling Magazine, Education Daily, Education Week, Employment and Training Reporter, ABC News, Associated Press, The Construction Informer, Kansas City Star, Community College Week, St. Pete Times, LA Business Journal, Houston Chronicle, CNBC, Washington Post, The News and Observer, Dayton Business Journal, Columbus Business First, and Voice of America.

* ACTE is partnered with Kuder, National Career Development Association, National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium, and the Society of Vocational Psychology to celebrate the 100 years of career guidance. In April, ACTE participated in a press conference to launch the celebration, and it received more than 70 media placements. In July, Kuder held a teleconference on the Statement of Beliefs, which generated national coverage.

* ACTE conducted editorial board meetings with the Kansas City Star, Columbia Tribune, Charlotte Observer, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch, Dayton Business Journal, Columbus Business First, and Middletown Journal.

* ACTE hosted the annual CTE Month Logo Design Contest, which generated more than 600 entries.

* In recognition of CTE Month, ACTE staff visited McKinley Technical High School in Washington, D.C.

* ACTE initiated a public awareness campaign aimed at educating the public about the importance of CTE.

* ACTE won an APEX Award of Excellence for the ACTE Issue Brief Career and Technical Education's Role in Dropout Prevention and Recovery, and a Hermes Creative Awards' Gold Award for the design of the January 2007 Techniques cover.

Changing Partnerships and Collaborations

This is one area that needs to continue to change and evolve. ACTE is always looking for new partnerships that will enhance the value of membership and improve the value and respectability of career and technical education.

* ACTE increased its support from business and industry with both a larger exhibit hall and an increase in sponsorships.

* As of November, ACTE has 28 Educational Institution Members, 25 Affiliate Members, and 17 Associate Members.

* Collaboration with the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) was strengthened through work on the budget and appropriations process, possible stimulus package, and the election. ACTE also worked with NASDCTEc and other organizations to explore the possibility of establishing a national technical assessments clearinghouse and item bank.

* ACTE consistently worked with Congressional staff and the Administration to represent CTE interests in the discussions surrounding the reauthorizations of the Higher Education Act and No Child Left Behind, and other legislation on topics such as high school reform, energy sustainability and job training.

* ACTE partnered with the National Research Center for College and University Admissions on student and teacher surveys that will collect new data on CTE.

* ACTE formed a student performance task force to help identify ways to use data to drive CTE program improvement. Task force proposals will begin to be implemented in 2009.

* ACTE partnered with more than a dozen companies and organizations to make the 2008 ACTE Annual Convention and Career Tech Expo one of the most comprehensive and diverse ever. The partner groups included the Association for Career and Technical Education Research, High Schools That Work, the International Vocational Education and Training Association, Johnson & Wales University, MarkED, the National Association of Agricultural Educators, the National Automative Technicians Education Foundation, the National Career Academy Coalition, the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, NOCTI, Participant Media, Project Lead the Way, and Tools for Schools.

* ACTE partnered with Siemens Building Technologies and Gateway Technical College to host a Sustainability Conference that addressed curriculum and facilities issues.

* ACTE continued to serve on the Board of Trustees for America's Promise Alliance and on the Board for the National Career Academy Coalition. ACTE was also represented on the Friends Advisory Group for the National High School Center.

* ACTE partnered with the National Council of Local Administrators to host the Best Practices Conference in Tucson, Arizona. Approximately 150 educators attended and participated in this event.

* ACTE continued to be a trustee of the Trust for Insuring Educators and had a presence at its Annual Meeting.

Changing Outreach

Every year, new organizations, associations and businesses begin to understand the value of career and technical education.

ACTE is leading the effort to engage and inform these groups, and to keep the conversation about career and technical education at the forefront of all education and workforce discussions, whether they occur at the national, state or local level.

* Staff presented or had a presence at the following meetings: National Energy Workforce Summit, Ohio Legislative Seminar, Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Education and Workforce Summit, AACC Workforce Development Institute, Center for Energy Workforce Education Summit, All Ohio Career and Technical Education Conference, NCACTE's Legislative Conference, Model Schools Conference, Skills USA, National Career Pathways Network Conference, Maine CTE Directors' Conference, Wisconsin ACTE Legislative Seminar, New Mexico ACTE Summer conference, Florida ACTE Summer Conference, FCCLA National Conference, TSA National Conference, Model Schools conference, the Florida "Career Academies on the Hill" conference, National Association for Career and Technical Education Information conference, NASDCTEc spring and fall conferences, STEM Equity Pipeline Advisory Committee meeting, Education Commission of the States conference, Store Scholars conference, Digital Now conference, University Council for Work force and Human Resources Education summer meeting, Penn State Directors Academy, Georgia ACTE conference, OVAE Data Quality Institute, and the AYES Training Conference, National FFA conference, Best Practices Conference, ACTE Regional Conferences, National Career Academy Coalition.

* ACTE worked with representatives from the National Association of State Boards of Education, SchoolTube, Schoolnet.com, the Council for Adult Experiential Learning, the Campaign for Youth, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Entrepreneurship Foundation, National Youth Employment Coalition, National High School Alliance, Air-Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration Institute, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, America's Promise, Association for Staff Training and Development, Alliance for Excellent Education, American Youth Policy Forum, National Governors Association, Software Information Industries Association, Council of Chief State School Officers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Future Changes

French classical author Francois de la Rochefoucauld once said, "The only thing constant in life is change." As this annual report shows, 2008 was certainly a year of constant change for ACTE. But more importantly it was also a year full of opportunities--many of which ACTE was able to explore. While we don't exactly know what results will come from these opportunities, we do know that this Association would not move forward if it didn't open doors, take phone calls and reach out to see what opportunities might be available.

Last year is now in the past, but we know that 2009 will have more changes and present more opportunities. It's how we address these changes and how we look at these opportunities that will determine the success of this Association.

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT

Board of Directors

Association for Career and Technical Education

Alexandria, Virginia

We have audited the accompanying statements of financial position of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) as of June 30, 2008 and 2007, and the related statements of activities, functional expenses, and cash flows for the years then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of ACTE's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Association for Career and Technical Education on June 30, 2008 and 2007 and the changes in net assets and cash flows for the years then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

DeLeon & Stang

DeLeon & Stang, CPAs

Gaithersburg, Maryland

September 10, 2008

This published version of the auditor 's report constitutes only a summary of the complete report. Full reports are available upon request.

ASSOCIATION FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Statements of Financial Position
June 30, 2008 and 2007
                                                         Restated
                                              2008         2007
                 ASSETS

Current Assets:
  Cash and cash equivalents            $    881,629   $    851,206
  Accounts receivable, net of               175,246        172,634
    allowance for uncollectible
    accounts
  Prepaid expenses and other assets         216,532        138,442
  Due from related party, CTE                98,275         82,091
    Foundation
  Inventory, net of provision                77,156         68,811
    for obsolete inventory

    Total current assets                  1,448,838      1,313,184

Investments, at fair value                1,440,292      1,265,606

Property and equipment, net               2,357,673      2,347,988
  of accumulated depreciation

    TOTAL ASSETS                       $  5,246,803   $  4,926,778

  LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

Current Liabilities:
  Accounts payable and other                401,247        567,468
    liabilities
  Current portion of long-term debt          32,523        608,537
  Deferred revenue                        1,004,756        958,465
  Rental deposits                             8,443          8,443

    Total current liabilities             1,446,969      2,142,913

  Long-term debt, less current            1,275,412        740,628
    portion

    Total liabilities                     2,722,381      2,883,541

Net Assets:
  Unrestricted net assets                 1,295,266      1,092,653
  Unrestricted net assets, Board            228,159        187,031
    Designated--Regions & Divisions
  Unrestricted net assets, Board            770,607        519,403
    Designated--Capital
    improvements/Reserves
  Temporarily restricted net assets         230,390        244,150

    Total net assets                      2,524,422      2,043,237

    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS   $  5,246,803   $  4,926,778

ASSOCIATION FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Statements of Activities
For the Years Ended June 30, 2008 and 2007

                                                    2008

                                                 Temporarily
                                  Unrestricted   Restricted
Revenue and Support:

Membership dues                   $  1,550,400   $       --
Contributions                           78,354          500
Sponsorship                            110,282           --
Program service revenue:
  Convention, conferences            2,335,378           --
    and workshops
  Publications                         259,790           --
  Education services                   238,506           --
Advertising                            232,929           --
Rental income                          166,357           --
Service fees                            41,857           --
Other revenue                          134,691           --
Investment income                      -43,023       -5,760
Net assets released from
  scholarship restrictions               8,500       -8,500

    Total revenue and support     $  5,114,021   $  -13,760

Program Services:

  Convention, conferences and
  Workshops                       $  1,151,655   $       --
  Publications                         981,227           --
  Government relations                 258,115           --
  Regions & divisions                  185,029           --
  Education services                    95,958           --

    Total program service            2,671,984           --

Supporting Services:

  Finance & operations               1,172,501           --
  Membership                           386,013           --
  Governance                           388,578           --
    Total supporting services        1,947,092           --
      Total expenses and losses      4,619,076           --
Change in net assets                   494,945      -13,760
Net assets at beginning              1,799,087      244,150
  of year, restated
Net assets at end of year         $  2,294,032   $  230,390

                                                    Restated
                                     2008             2007

                                       Total          Total
Revenue and Support:

Membership dues                   $  1,550,400   $  1,554,988
Contributions                           78,854         46,609
Sponsorship                            110,282         77,450
Program service revenue:
  Convention, conferences            2,335,378      2,065,031
    and workshops
  Publications                         259,790        347,220
  Education services                   238,506        206,124
Advertising                            232,929        289,483
Rental income                          166,357        158,108
Service fees                            41,857         45,732
Other revenue                          134,691        251,337
Investment income                      -48,783        211,961
Net assets released from
  scholarship restrictions                  --             --

    Total revenue and support     $  5,100,261   $  5,254,043

Program Services:

  Convention, conferences and
  Workshops                       $  1,151,655   $  1,169,442
  Publications                         981,227      1,003,869
  Government relations                 258,115        259,713
  Regions & divisions                  185,029        153,530
  Education services                    95,958        137,106

    Total program service            2,671,984      2,723,660

Supporting Services:

  Finance & operations               1,172,501      1,126,675
  Membership                           386,013        364,729
  Governance                           388,578        425,869
    Total supporting services        1,947,092      1,917,273
      Total expenses and losses      4,619,076      4,640,933
Change in net assets                   481,185        613,110
Net assets at beginning              2,043,237      1,430,127
  of year, restated
Net assets at end of year         $  2,524,422   $  2,043,237