Career & Technical Education

What is CTE?
Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways are a sequence of two or more years of coursework preparing students to be college and career ready in a particular industry. BPS offers Career and Technical Education pathways in 27 unique industry areas and in 11 secondary schools across the district. Check out our website for a list of programs.

https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/CTE Reach out if you have any questions.

Dr. Michelle Sylvaria, Executive Director, Career and Technical Education msylvaria@bostonpublicschools.org

Dr. Jennifer Smith, Assistant Director, Career and Technical Education jsmith21@bostonpublicschools.org

Why is CTE important for College, Career, and Life Readiness?

The City of Boston has adopted a definition of what it means for graduates to be college, career, and life ready. You can find it here.

https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/CCLR

Career and Technical Education offers students many opportunities to become ready for college, career, and life. Check out this CTE 101 video to learn more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmmYOAUeoUM

What do students learn in CTE?

Each pathway has its own set of learning standards and objectives. As part of the Massachusetts Vocational Curriculum Frameworks, students build competency in the following 6 strands:

  • Safety and Health**

  • Technical Knowledge and Skills

  • Embedded Academics

  • Employability and Career Readiness Skills**

  • Management and Entrepreneurship**

  • Technology Literacy**

You can review each pathway's standards here. http://www.doe.mass.edu/ccte/cvte/frameworks/

**These standards are common to all CTE programs.

What can CTE students and families do remotely to build Safety and Health Skills?

  • Complete OSHA-10 certification. Teachers have distributed online vouchers to certain grade levels of CTE students. (1.A.01.01)

  • Locate and inform the family about emergency equipment and processes in your home including a first aid kit, emergency phone numbers, fire drill/escape routes, fire extinguishers, fire/smoke alarms, etc (1.A.02.06)

  • Take responsibilities for tasks that contribute to a safe and healthy environment in the home. (1.A.03.08)

  • Demonstrate to the family and practice safe body mechanics or ergonomics while working from home (1.A.02.05)

What can CTE students and families do remotely to build Employability and Career Readiness Skills?

  • Develop a career plan based on the current CTE pathway of study, skills, and interests (4.A.01.01)

  • Assess personal strengths and interest areas to determine potential careers by using career and personal learning inventories in Naviance. Younger students or those with developing levels of literacy may use MassCIS Junior High version for Massachusetts residents (4.A.01.02)

  • Explore postsecondary educational opportunities including degrees, certifications, and apprenticeships available (4.A.01.06)

  • Create a portfolio showcasing evidence of growth in knowledge and skills associated with the CTE pathway (4.A.01.07)

  • Conduct a job search using sites such as Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, Indeed.com, Simplyhired.com (4.A.02.01)

  • Prepare a resume and cover letter for a chosen career path (4.A.02.01)

  • Complete job applications for City of Boston Summer Jobs or PIC Summer Internship programs (4.A.02.01)

  • Practice and videotape interview questions with a family member and critique. (4.A.03.03)

  • Grade 10-12 CTE students may complete a CareerSafe 5 hour certificate in Interviewing Skills. Contact your teacher. (4.A.03.03)

  • Read and analyze technical instructions or manuals for household appliances and teach a family member how to use them (4.B.01.02)

What can CTE students and families do remotely to build Management and Entrepreneurship Skills?

  • Research an entrepreneur in the community and describe their personal characteristics (5.A.01.01)

  • Communicate with a small business owner and discuss the pros and cons of starting and owning a business. (5.A.01.01)

  • Identify companies that are providing good customer service to your family and list the practices that make them effective (5.B.01.05)

  • Track inventory and costs of household food and supplies (5.B.01.07)

  • Plan a family "business" meeting, set an agenda, and facilitate the meeting to achieve the needed outcomes (5.B.01.08)

  • Conduct market research by creating a survey for family members on products or services they buy and present the results (5.C.01.03)

  • Make a budget for yourself or a family member (5.D.01.01)

  • Learn about paycheck deductions (federal, FICA and state taxes and insurance) from a family member (5.D.01.02)

  • Learn how to maintain and balance a checkbook (5.D.01.05)

  • Explain the role of labor organizations in a field you are interested in (5.E.01.05)

What can CTE students and families do remotely to build Technology Literacy?

  • Use online help and other forms of technical support to assess and solve problems with products or services in the home (6.A.01.01)

  • Use effective search strategies for locating and retrieving accurate information related to current events (6.A.01.13)

  • Evaluate and discuss the accuracy and bias of news sources related to current events with family members (6.A.03.01)

  • Review an internet safety tutorial and teach a family member how to be safe with email, discussion groups, and social media (6.A.03.05)

  • Use online tools such as Google Classroom and video conferencing to collaborate with peers, teachers, and family (6.A.04.06)

  • Plan and complete a collaborative project with peers using tools such as e-mail, Google Hangouts, interactive Web sites, video conferencing. (6.A.04.07)