Teachers and administrators should reference the Valid Industry Certification List each year to ensure they are following the most current approved certifications for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.

This list is updated annually and identifies which certifications are valid for program accountability, articulation agreements, and pathway completion requirements.

It is important to review the list each school year, as certifications may be added, removed, or updated. The screenshots below reflect the current certification requirements for each LPS pathway and outline the industry certifications students must earn to achieve postsecondary readiness via the industry certification route.

KY LPS Industry Certifications Guide
This document provides detailed information on approved industry certifications for Kentucky Law and Public Safety (LPS) pathways. These certifications validate student skills and knowledge, aligning with industry standards and ensuring career readiness.

Key Highlights:

• Approved Certifications List: A comprehensive list of industry-recognized certifications applicable to LPS pathways, including Law Enforcement, Fire Science, and Pre-Law Studies.

• Important Links: for exam preparation and facilitation.

• Certification Details: Information on testing requirements, certification providers, and eligibility criteria for each listed credential.

• Student and Program Benefits: Insights into how certifications enhance student employability and contribute to program accountability under state and federal CTE measures.

• Annual Updates: Educators are encouraged to review the document each year to stay current with any additions or changes to the certification list.

This resource is essential for educators implementing valid industry certifications within their programs, ensuring students are prepared for success in both postsecondary education and careers.

Accurate and organized documentation is essential for managing certification assessments and dual credit programs in Career and Technical Education (CTE). These best practices ensure compliance, streamline reporting, and support student success.

Purpose

These sample tracking documents, the Multi-Cert Tracking Spreadsheet Template, the CTE Certification Assessment and/or Dual Credit Results Summary ,and the Yearly Checklist provide a structured process to:

• Track student progress toward industry certifications and post-secondary readiness.

• Maintain compliance with state and federal requirements for assessment and TEDS reporting.

• Facilitate communication between educators, administrators, and assessment coordinators.

Value

• Consistency: These tools standardize documentation across pathways, ensuring all data is complete and accessible.

• Accountability: Clear records support timely input into TEDS, minimizing errors and ensuring students receive credit for their achievements.

• Preparation: Streamlined processes enable educators to focus on instruction while ensuring readiness for assessments.

Directions

1. Use the Yearly Checklist to guide the preparation, communication, and execution of certification assessments throughout the school year.

   • Complete each step as outlined in the timeline.

   • Collaborate with relevant coordinators and administrators to ensure accuracy.

2. Complete the Results Summary for each assessment or dual credit course.

   • Enter student results, attach required documentation, and submit to the appropriate parties.

   • Ensure all fields are filled, and documentation (e.g., certificates, grade reports) is provided.

3. Submit Documentation Timely: Adhere to deadlines for data entry and end-of-year closeout procedures to maintain compliance and accurate reporting.

   • Ensure that YOU retain a copy of all student certificates, the STUDENT receives a copy of the certificates, and YOU provide a copy of the certificates to the guidance office to file into the student's cumulative folder. This ensures that no matter their status or yours, there is a record of what was earned, and they can return for additional copies if needed.

   • I highly suggest sitting down at the end of each testing cycle with your TEDS coordinator to enter all data together. Students must have ALL data entered into TEDS Pass OR FAIL and the certification and date they PASSED OR FAILED.

These practices are designed to maximize efficiency and ensure all stakeholders have the information needed to support student achievement and program success. This also ensures prompt data and accurate data entry and updates that impact your State School Report Card issued by KDE that indicates post-secondary readiness rates that are influenced by this data.

What Does It Mean to Earn Career Readiness or Completer Status?

Career Readiness (Post-Secondary Readiness):
Students who achieve Career Readiness have successfully earned all of the required industry certifications associated with their CTE pathway, as outlined in the current Valid Industry Certification List. These certifications demonstrate that students are prepared to enter the workforce or pursue advanced training in their field of study.

Completer Status:
A student achieves Completer Status by successfully completing and passing four (4) required courses within a single CTE pathway. This accomplishment reflects their commitment to and mastery of foundational and advanced knowledge in their chosen program of study.

Recognition Ideas to Celebrate Students

Recognizing student achievements can help build pride, boost morale, and promote your program. Here are some creative and meaningful ways to celebrate students who reach either milestone:

• 🪙 Challenge Coins – Present students with custom coins symbolizing leadership, integrity, or pathway-specific themes.

• 📸 Recognition Wall or "Wall of Fame" – Display photos of students who meet career readiness or completer status in a high-traffic area.

• 🧵 Graduation Cords – Offer pathway-specific cords to be worn at graduation.

• 🎓 Certificates of Achievement – Formal certificates to commemorate either milestone. Consider using either of these LPS certificate templates and modify them for your students for this purpose! You can also modify in Microsoft PowerPoint by accessing this version of the templates.

• 💻 Spotlight Features – Highlight students in newsletters, on your school website, or social media.

• 🧱 Brick/Tile Recognition – Add personalized bricks or tiles to a permanent display recognizing each year’s achievers.

• 📋 Pathway Honor Roll – Create a poster or digital board showing names of students who’ve earned certification or completed a pathway.

• 🏆 End-of-Year Awards Ceremony – Host a small event to publicly recognize and celebrate student achievements.

• 📘 Program Completer Portfolio – Provide students with a physical or digital portfolio including certificates, photos, and pathway-specific accomplishments.

• 🎤 Senior Signing Day or Commitment Ceremony – Celebrate students entering careers, apprenticeships, postsecondary programs, or service academies.

• 🔖 Lapel Pins or Patches – Offer items that can be worn on uniforms or lanyards.

• 🎁 Personalized Tokens – Items like engraved keychains, ID holders, or stickers with program branding.

When planning pathways for students to earn college credit during high school, it is important to understand the distinction between dual credit and articulated credit.
Both options help students transition to postsecondary education, but they differ in timing, process, and transcript practices.

Dual Credit

• Students are enrolled in a college course while still in high school.

• Upon successful completion, students earn both high school and college credit at the same time.

• College credit is immediately transcripted by the postsecondary institution.

• Courses must meet the quality standards outlined in the KDE Approved CTE Dual Credit Guidance, including alignment to approved CTE pathways, qualified instructors, and equivalent rigor to on-campus offerings.
  
  

Articulated Credit

• Students complete aligned high school coursework but do not earn immediate college credit.

• After high school graduation, students must enroll in the participating college and submit documentation (such as transcripts, certifications, or portfolios) to have credit applied.

• Credit is awarded after enrollment and may require meeting specific conditions set by the articulation agreement.
  
  

In summary, dual credit results in an immediate college transcript while still in high school, whereas articulated credit delays official awarding of college credit until after enrollment at the college.

The exams developed by LAPSEN that are eligible for the final exam in the LE Services pathway industry certification stack include:

• The National Law Enforcement Certification (NLEC)

• Basic 9-1-1 Communications w/ N.E.C.I 9-1-1

• The Certified Protection Officer (CPO)

Review the LAPSEN student credentials, exam preparation materials, lesson plans, instructor certification requirements (when applicable), etc. You have FREE access to these materials as the Office of Career & Technical Education (OCTE) pays annually for your LAPSEN membership. If you haven't created your account please do so today! Using code 'ky2023' for the payment.

Questions pertaining to exam validity, exam development process, etc should be directed to Holly Scroggs @ Holly@lapsen.org 

Questions pertaining to exam ordering, administration, data, certification copies, etc. should be directed to STACC, info@staccexams.com for the 3 exams above. 

Please find below links to Blooket review materials for the NLEC exam, created by our very own, Scott Carnes!

• https://play.blooket.com/play?hwId=6895492d7e02629fb7a83a07

• https://play.blooket.com/play?hwId=68954998eec6953da9bbddca

• https://play.blooket.com/play?hwId=689549c67e02629fb7a83a20

• https://play.blooket.com/play?hwId=689549f539aa3b111ea48a5b

• https://play.blooket.com/play?hwId=68954a2ebe70257bfc396fd8

Questions about the NLEC Review Blookets? Email Scott Carnes, FCPS LE Instructor @ Scott.Carnes@fayette.kyschools.us 

Please find below links to the AHA BLS Instructor Resource folder and instructional resource 1-pager.

• Resource Folder

• Instructor 1-pager

Set up your school as a “Fire Dept” for hours logging. Mary Adams (Mary.Adams@kctcs.edu ) can assist you in creating this and issuing student firefighter numbers. 

KY Fires Training Manual 

Questions about the KYFires System Issues, Password Issues, Account Access Issues, Data Entry? Contact the fire commission @ kyfires@kctcs.edu 

KY Fire Commission Apprentice I & II Certifications

The KY F​ire Commission Apprenticeship I  and KY Fire Commission Apprenticeship II​​ were developed exclusively for high school CTE Fire Science program students. These certifications provide a pathway to post-secondary readiness in Fire Science without the restrictions imposed by age requirements.

Key Points:

• Age-Restriction Flexibility: Unlike the KY Fire Commission's Basic 1 and 2 Certifications, which require students to be 18 years old for certain training hour topics and to receive certification, the Apprentice I & II Certifications remove these age restrictions.

• Early Certification Eligibility: High school students can earn and be issued Apprentice I and/or II Certification upon completing and validating all required hours (all hours MUST be logged in KY Fires and certification must be requested in KY Fires by the instructor once all hours on the skill sheet have been completed and submitted), regardless of age.

• Post-Secondary Readiness: These certifications were designed to ensure that students in high school CTE Fire Science pathways can meet post-secondary readiness status and industry expectations.

These certifications provide a critical stepping stone for students, enabling them to advance in the Fire Science pathway while meeting educational and workforce goals.

Fire Science Certification Crosswalk Resource 

This resource clearly details the additional training hours required for transitioning from:

• KY Fire Commission Apprentice I → Basic Firefighter I

• KY Fire Commission Apprentice II → Basic Firefighter II

The resource includes two helpful options:

• Instructor Version: Track multiple students' progress using duplicated tabs.

• Student Version: Allows students to independently track and articulate their hours privately. Students can create their own editable copy and share it directly with instructors via Google Drive.

• You can also utilize the Multi-Cert Tracking Spreadsheet Template to track the additional certifications provided to your students.
  
  

You can also find the crosswalk linked within the Industry Certification Help Document linked at the top of this page and in Google Classroom under the industry certification section.

View and download the Fire Science Certification Crosswalk 

Please contact Erica Settelen, Erica.Settelen@education.ky.gov if you have any questions about the application process

1. Visit the KCTCS High School Articulation Webpage

2. Click the Fire Science Tile

3. Review requirements for articulated credit eligibility and discuss with eligible students

4. For students interested in pursuing credit: Complete the CTE2KCTCS Form digitally and not by hand, linked in the dropdown above this section, and get a digital copy of the student transcript to confirm all eligible courses are transcripted with the required grades.

5. Return the the main articulation agreement KCTCS webpage

6.  Click the blue "Credit for Prior Learning Request" Button. Complete the boxes and attach the digitally completed "CTE2KCTCS" form and digital transcript and submit.

7. Wait for confirmation of approval from the KCTCS location in which it was submitted.