What is CTE?

A CTSO is a co-curricular organization that provides experiential learning for CTE students through competitions, leadership opportunities and business partnerships. 

Credentials serve as a signal for what individuals know and can do, making finding the right candidates for the job easier for employers. Credentials come in all shapes and sizes, each differing by field of study, the amount of training and education required and value to employers. To help sort through the vast universe of credentials, the following classification is often used:

• Badge- Offered virtually, badges are used to certify more granular skill development such as the completion of a course, workshop, or other short-term training. 

• Certificate- Certificates are used to designate skills gained through education and training after the completion of an assessment or performance-based exercise. They are offered as an interim designation on the way to a two-year or four-year degree. 

• Certification- Certifications are non-credit bearing awards used by employers and industry associations to validate the skills workers need to enter a specific occupation or industry. Recipients must pass a test, and certifications are often preferred, though not required, for entry into the field. Certifications may be articulated into credit by postsecondary institutions. 

• Degree- Academic degrees are awarded by accredited postsecondary institutions to recognize the completion of a pre-determined amount of coursework. They are often completed in two or four years, through the rigor, length and field of study vary. 

• Industry- Recognized Credential- Industry-recognized credentials of value are recognized in the labor market and by employers, are portable across state borders and are valid assessments of student skills. They can take many different forms, including educational degrees, certificates, certifications and licenses. The precise definition and use of industry-recognized credentials vary from state to state, but most include a few common elements, in that they are exam based, administered by third parties, and supplemental to a traditional postsecondary award. 

• License- Licenses protect entry into certain industries, ensuring that only those who are qualified are permitted to practice. They are often administered by a government agency or a trade association. 

A CTE Advisory committee is a group of individuals whose experience and abilities represent a cross-section of a particular occupational area. The primary purpose of an advisory committee is to assist educators in establishing, operating, and validating the quality and relevance of the CTE programs/programs of study and to provide expertise and insight about current/future industry and technological changes. 

 Early postsecondary opportunities are courses and/or exams that give students the chance to obtain postsecondary credit while still in high school. Terms related to early postsecondary learning opportunities include:

• Articulation Agreement- Articulation Agreements are formal agreements created between public school districts and postsecondary institutions to align high school and postsecondary curricula to create sequences of courses offering skill attainment without unnecessary duplication to support earning of articulated credit by learners. 

• Dual Enrollment- Is the term given to courses in which high school students have the opportunity to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously. 

An integrated course is a single course that uses learning standards from different subject areas organized around a common theme. Integrating coursework intentionally highlights connections across multiple subject areas. Connecting learning expectations in one subject area to authentic, real-world applications in a different subject area may result in relevant, meaningful activities that support student learning and mastery. Schools can integrate an academic course with other academic courses or with technical courses.

These are occupations or fields of work for which individuals from one gender comprise less than 25 percent of the individuals employed in each such occupation or field of work.

Offers learners opportunities to reinforce and deepen classroom learning, explore future career fields, and demonstrate their skills in an authentic setting. It can take on many forms, depending on the design of the experience and the population being served. Types of work-based learning include: 

• Apprenticeship: Combines paid on-the-job training under the supervision of experienced journey workers with related classroom instruction. 

• Cooperative Work Experience Program (Co-Op): A partnership that links school, community and business/industry to provide a real-world environment in which students are given the opportunity to apply, and thereby enhance, the knowledge and skills obtained in the classroom. 

• Job Shadowing: A form of career exploration through which a student learns about a particular job by following a worker throughout the day.