KDE Transition Readiness Standards
The Postsecondary Readiness Indicator is one of six state indicators included in Kentucky's Accountability System. This link contains information on Academic and Career Readiness Indicators.
Perkins
In order to receive Perkins funding, all eligible pathways must meet the Size, Scope and Quality requirements outlined in the Perkins V Size, Scope and Quality Q & A (ky.gov). Programs not meeting these requirements are not permitted to use Perkins funds. More information about eligible expenses can be found at Perkins Approvable and Non-approvable Use of Funds.
Supplemental CTE Funds (Formerly LAVEC)
2024 House Bill 499 made changes to the funding allocation process for state supplemental career and technical education (CTE) grant funds (formerly LAVEC funding). Sixty percent (60%) of a district's allocation will be based upon student enrollment and forty percent (40%) will be based on performance incentives. CTE programs must maintain eligibility for federal Perkins funding in order to receive state supplemental CTE funds. Additional information can be found on the documents below.
Program of Studies
The 2024-2025 CTE Program of Studies contains a complete list of all approved CTE pathways and all valid CTE courses. This document should be used when evaluating pathways and ensuring proper state course codes are used.
Advisory Committees
All CTE program areas receiving Perkins funding must have an Advisory Committee. An Advisory Committee is a group of persons made up of employers, parents, students, teachers, and school administrators. These groups should advise schools on items such as curriculum, equipment, and student work-based learning.Advisory Committees must meet twice a year. Additional information can be found at KDE Advisory Committee Guidelines 2020.
Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSO)
All CTE program areas receiving Perkins funding must have a co-curricular career and technical student organization (CTSO) that provides students the opportunity to engage in leadership development activities. KDE recognizes the eight CTSOs that support career and technical education programs in Kentucky. A list of approved CTSO’s can be found at KDE Career and Technical Student Organizations. Additional information can be found at KDE CTSO Guidance Document.
Industry Certifications
KRS 158.6455 establishes the process used to determine which industry certifications are recommended for the list and the level of demand for certifications on the list. In order to be considered “industry-recognized,” certifications must go through a verification process. The attached list is based on information provided by local workforce investment boards (WIBs), reviewed by multiple business and industry groups, presented to the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board (KWIB) Business and Education Alignment Committee and approved by the KWIB. Industry certifications identified as HIGH DEMAND by KWIB will receive 1.25 in the state accountability model under Postsecondary Readiness versus 1.00 for all other certifications. Certifications determined to be HIGH DEMAND by KWIB are highlighted and noted in the spreadsheet below.
The most up to date list of KDE approved certifications can be found at
2023-2024 Valid Industry Certifications (version 1.2)
CTE End-of-Program (CTE EOP) Assessment
EOP’s are one measure of career readiness as a postsecondary readiness indicator for Kentucky’s accountability system. CTE EOP Assessments are state developed assessments based upon clear and concise standards identified by Kentucky employers, aligned with CTE career pathways and associated with statewide articulation agreements with postsecondary partners.
EOP List- Up to date list of KDE approved CTE pathways with EOP exams.
EOP Standards List- The Pathway Standards Documents provide a comprehensive overview of content to be covered in the related pathway. To ensure successful implementation of the pathway, teachers should ensure alignment of curriculum to the pathway standards.
Statewide Articulation Agreements
Senate Bill 101 (2020) required the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) to facilitate the implementation of a standardized articulation agreement for each approved high school career pathway to be honored at public colleges or universities. The Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE), CPE, and post-secondary institutions developed Articulated Credit Agreements to benefit Kentucky pathway students, allowing students to earn college coursework for successful completion of EOP’s and Industry Certifications.
Articulated Credit Report Form- the secondary school must complete this document to request articulated credit at institutions with agreements in place that are outside of KCTCS. For the KCTCS articulated credit request, complete the credit for prior learning request located on each agreements page where you need to attach the completed “CTE2KCTCS" form provided by your KCTCS locations registrar. Both versions of the form should be completed digitally.
TEDS Resources
Please see the links below for information related to the Technical Education Database System (TEDS)
2023-2024 TEDS Secondary Schools Timeline KDE- Complete list of TEDS tasks and deadlines.
TEDS Step-by-Step Directions- KDE- Coordinators can find helpful step-by-step directions for completing many required tasks in TEDS. These easy to follow directions, listed below by topic, include screenshots.
TEDS Audit Report FAQ- The TEDS Audit report will compare a student’s scheduled hours of qualifying Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses in their reported active pathway to the reported TEDS Attend Hours for the first semester (or trimester).
Elementary School Career Resources- Elementary career studies require a cross-curricular, interdisciplinary approach to help students to cultivate a sense of self, identify areas of interest, gain a sense of career awareness and understand the relationship between academics and future careers. The focus in the early grades is on career awareness and exploration – not career choice.
Middle School CTE Resources- Middle school career studies should provide opportunities for career exploration, build self-awareness, learn about potential careers and develop a plan to reach future goals. It capitalizes on their developing abilities to think abstractly, and their preferences for teamwork and active learning through relevant real-life scenarios. These preferences make middle school a natural time for students to learn about careers and develop skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork through career exploration activities.