Welcome to the Education Commission of the States' High School Database

---

Career and Technical Education

Why this issue matters

• Quality of program matters. Career and technical education programs often bridge systems, so they need to be aligned across systems.
• Using the career clusters indicates a state focus on strengthening career and technical education.
• Broadening alternative pathways from limited choices such as auto mechanics and cosmetology to law, health sciences and areas such as STEM creates greater opportunities and increased rigor.
• For career and technical programs to serve as a viable high school reform strategy, the state should establish a means of weeding out weaker programs and promoting rigorous programs.
• Career and technical education teachers with industry-based credentials have demonstrated that they have the academic knowledge of the subject.

Why our methodology matters

• Primary resources: ECS draws its information primarily from state statute, rules and regulations, recently enacted legislation, executive orders and other primary source documents.
• As needed, policies (and their interpretation) are confirmed with state-level staff.
• We believe that policy helps institutionalize practice.
• Our goal is to document where the underlying authority lies, and where consensus has been strong enough to adopt a common approach.

Related ECS products

• High School Graduation Requirements database
• Briefing Memo: Career and Technical Education
• Recent state policies/activities database and issue site

Staff contact:
Jennifer Dounay Zinth, senior policy analyst
303.299.3689
jdounay@ecs.org

A report containing all information available in the Career/Technical Education database for a single state.

Career/Technical Education (all data points for all states) Title of program (i.e., Career and Technical Education) Governing body Agency or agencies providing program oversight Districts/high schools required to provide CTE program Career clusters the state has identified Statewide emphasis/focus on specific area(s) such as high tech Employability skill assessment tools are used to ensure program quality Quality control mechanism(s) (program approval/review process, certificate of mastery, system emphasis on rigor, funding for districts to purchase/adopt rigorous programs of study, etc.) Teaching quality components Graduation requirements (i.e., career/vocational courses are a required option for all students, all students must complete a career concentration/major/sequence, a student may substitute an approved CTE course for a standard core course to meet high school graduation requirements, state-level career/technical diploma or endorsement is available) Tech Prep or similar focus (2+2) Funding mechanisms (i.e., enhanced FTE for CTE students, a line item, special grants, etc.) Unique features of note

__________________________________________________________

Use the diagram below to view the components of state-level high school reform, and their relationship to one another.

Please contact Jennifer Dounay Zinth (jdounay@ecs.org or 303.299.3689) with any questions on the High School Policy Center, or on high school policy and research.