CTE Pathway Development
ORGANIZATION
This website aligns the 12 Elements (K12) and Guided Pathways (CC) frameworks to allow for stronger, more equity focused Career and Technical Education pathways that seamlessly guide students from K-12 education to Post Secondary education and beyond. To develop strong partnerships, recognizing the alignment between them will support the development of programs that meets the needs of students and the requirements of both systems. Learn more about the Guided Pathways (CC) and 12 Elements (K12) frameworks.
The layout of this site is based on a continuous cycle of improvement to allow users to access information most relevant to them in their current stage of development. You will find the 12 Essential Elements woven throughout the phases of development since they can and should be taken into account regardless of where you are in pathway development.
Resources have been curated collaboratively through interviews with high school CTE professionals and state organizations to provide a starting point for this work. Please share essential resources from which others would benefit.
For a quick view of where particular topics are housed, please scroll to the flowchart at the bottom of this page.
Career and Technical Education Overview
To effectively support the development of strong Career Technical Education Pathways that will benefit students, it is essential to understand the frameworks that guide the creation and evaluation of these programs. The development of these pathways should reflect a continuous improvement process focused on the 12 Essential Elements of High Quality CTE based on reflection and in response to the reporting requirements of funding sources.
What is a High-Quality Pathway?
A series of courses that begins as early as possible that leads to entry level employment which provides access to family sustaining, high wage, high demand careers.
What is CTE?
Career Technical Education (CTE) is a program of study that involves a multiyear sequence of courses that integrates core academic knowledge with technical and occupational knowledge to provide students with a pathway to postsecondary education and careers.
CTE provides students with real world 21st Century Skills that make them career and college ready.
CTE provides students with not only career and academic skills, but soft skills that are needed for the modern workplace, such as: critical thinking; communication; team work; citizenship, integrity, and ethical leadership; research tools; creativity; and innovation.
Participation in CTE programs provides an opportunity for students to start considering their career options, which will lead to better educational choices! Watch "Flipping the College Decision Making Paradigm" video to learn more.
CTE Pathway completion is a College/Career Readiness Calculation Indicator on the California School Dashboard . It has been identified as a priority for schools because it benefits students!
Additional Benefits of CTE can be found here.
What is High Quality CTE
California Workforce Pathways Joint Advisory Committee (CWPJAC) has approved a set of guiding principles and the 12 Essential Elements of a High-Quality College and Career Pathways with the goal of creating more equitable opportunities for all students.
The main principles in CTE are:
Student-Centered Delivery of Services
Equity and Access
System Alignment
Continuous Improvement and Capacity Building
State Priorities and Direction
To support schools in aligning these principles to their programs, the 12 Essential Elements of a High-Quality College and Career Pathway were developed as a guide. These elements also provide the backbone for the reporting rubrics used in CTEIG and other funding sources.
CWPJAC has also created a CTE State Plan to support the implementation of the above principles.
High quality pathways promote Equity and Access by eliminating institutional barriers and achievement gaps for all students to realize their educational and career aspirations. Well developed pathways will provide students with work-based learning opportunities and support them in identifying their interests and being able to articulate the skills they have developed. Learn more about how to build a pathway that supports equity and access here.
How to Develop a High-Quality CTE Pathway
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