The Palmetto Education Summit 2026

From Insight to Impact: Transforming CTE with Career-Connected Learning What happens when student aptitude data meets authentic career-connected learning? This session offers both big-picture strategy and practical implementation steps for districts seeking to strengthen and grow any program or pathway. Learn how the Biomedical Science Program at Aiken County Career & Technology Center transformed recruitment, instruction, and student outcomes through a strategic career-connected learning approach. Faced with enrollment challenges, the program implemented a data-driven recruitment strategy using YouScience to identify students with demonstrated aptitudes and interests in health science. The result: a 73.3% increase in applications following a targeted Health Science recruitment night. Beyond recruitment, the program integrated the BIOCAP model, empowering students to manage a student-based service enterprise, earn advanced life science certifications, and complete meaningful work-based learning experiences. Presenters will share how aptitude data informed instructional adjustments—such as differentiating approaches to solution calculations based on numerical strengths—leading to improved technical skill development and certification readiness. Attendees will leave with a replicable framework that combines: Strategic, data-informed recruitment School-based enterprise implementation (BIOCAP model)Instruction aligned to student aptitudes Career-connected learning experiences that build real workforce readiness