Skip to main content

CTE Content Areas

Business and Marketing Learning Standards

This page provides an overview of the state and national standards that are used when developing business education content. These standards should be reviewed when developing local curriculum, when preparing programs for NYSED approval or re-approval, or when establishing procedures for standards-based grading in business coursework.

New York State Standards 

The New York State Learning Standards for Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) were developed by a curriculum and assessment committee comprised of K-postsecondary educators, school administrators, community and business representatives, and parents. The CDOS standards lay out the foundation for a system designed to deliver career planning, integrated/applied learning, and basic life and work skills to all students. They also provide standards/performance indicators for programs of study in six different career cluster areas. Students who elect to study a specific career cluster acquire the career knowledge and skills necessary for immediate employment and/or continuing study in a postsecondary program.

The specific standards/performance indicators for business/marketing careers are contained in CDOS Standard 3b: Career Majors: Business/Information Systems. New York State standards support the national standards for business education and marketing education developed by other organizations, and which can be found on the web sites listed below.

The New York State Education Department, with the assistance of many educators from across the State, also developed a Career Development and Occupational Studies Resource Guide to serve as a companion document to the learning standards.

Both the CDOS learning standards and resource guide are available on the CDOS web site.

National Standards

Note: accessing the following websites will take you out of the New York State Education Department business and marketing education website. Use your browser's back button to return to our site.

The following are a list of national standards that can be used for business courses. They may also be used when implementing standards-based grading practices.

Career Cluster Framework

Common Career Technical Core

MBA Research Standards for Business Education

National Business Education Association Standards (NBEA membership required for access)