Skip to main content
Career and Technical Education

CTE Content Areas

Oversight and Guidance

Program Content

CR 100.5(6)(iv)(a)(2)(i) a technical and academic curriculum that achieves the commencement level of the appropriate New York State learning standards for all courses in the career and technical education program, including integrated and/or specialized English, mathematics, science, economics and government, and faculty with State certification in appropriate academic and/or technical subjects; 

Definitions:

  1. Technical curriculum—CTE coursework which prepares students for employment opportunities and further study in the specific career area 
  2. Academic curriculum—Academic coursework in the area of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies  
  3. Commencement level standards—State learning standards and state assessments that reflect the knowledge, skills, and understandings all students are expected to know and be able to demonstrate upon receiving a high school diploma
  4. Integrated and/or specialized coursework—see section on integrated and specialized academics
  5. Faculty with appropriate state certification—see section on program faculty

 

Federal Definition of a Program of Study

Unlike prior iterations of the Perkins legislation, Perkins V sets forth a definition of the necessary elements of programs of study. This definition, combined with New York State’s regulations, inform the policies and procedures guiding program approval. While not all schools may directly receive Perkins funds, the federal definition is applied to all NYSED-approved CTE programs. This definition requires that all programs:

  • Incorporate challenging state academic standards 
  • Address both academic and technical knowledge and skills, including employability skills which are delivered through New York’s Career and Financial Management (CFM) framework
  • Align with needs of industries in the economy of the state, region, tribal community, or local area 
  • Progress in specificity (beginning with all aspects of an industry or career cluster and leading to more occupation-specific instruction) 
  • Culminate in the opportunity for students to attain a recognized postsecondary credential including opportunities for college credit, advanced standing, industry certifications, licensure, and collegiate degrees in the career area) 
  • Provide multiple entry and exit points along the career and technical education continuum

 

Standards for Curriculum Alignment 

New York State Standards

New York State Standards—These are the New York State standards that are appropriate and applicable to the technical content of a CTE program. Content must align with the CDOS standards and New York State standards for specific content areas:

Academic Standards

Even if not seeking integrated/specialized credit, other academic standards should be included as part of program review. Only crosswalk the standards that are program related. Academic standards that can be incorporated are:

Industry Standards

Below is a list of industry standards that may be used when developing program content for NYSED-approved CTE programs. These standards should be crosswalked during, not after, the development of program content. These standards will be identified in part 2, section D of the approval or re-approval application. This is a non-exhaustive list; there may be other appropriate standards that are not mentioned. Please note that technical assessment blueprints are not considered industry standards. 

All Career Cluster Areas 

Arts, AV Technology & Communications 

Education and Training 

Finance 

Submission of standard crosswalks is not a routine requirement for program approval; however, applicants should be prepared to submit crosswalks if requested as part of the program review. 

 

Models of Program Delivery

There are two main models of program delivery for NYSED approved CTE content:

Sequential Model—A sequence of related courses that are put together to build a program of study

Example: A sequential model could be an entrepreneurship program in which students start with an Introduction to Business Class and then progress into coursework in introductory management, marketing, and finance before culminating in an entrepreneurship class which applies all of the previously learned components.

Blocked Model— A multi-period format typically delivered by a single teacher that scaffolds curriculum instead of delivering curriculum as separate but related coursework.

Example: A blocked model could be an animal science program in which students receive all CTE instruction with one teacher in a multi-period format.  This model gives the teacher the ability to scaffold curriculum within their instructional time rather than scaffolding across multiple courses as is the case in the sequential model.

Regardless of the instructional model chosen:

  • All programs must provide scaffolded instruction.  This means that the content will start with more general topics and will increase in specificity and complexity as students near the completion of the program content.
  • Program content is required to be delivered in a one- to four-year time frame. 
  • Program content must include no less than three units of CTE instruction in the program of study as well as at least one-half unit of career and financial management instruction for a cumulative total of no less than 3.5 units of CTE credit. Health sciences programs of study must provide a minimum of 4 units of credit; 2 units of health sciences core, 1 unit of content-specific theory, and 1 unit of supervised clinical in the work-related healthcare setting.

 

Career and Financial Management 

Career and Financial Management (CFM) is a requirement of all NYSED-approved CTE programs.  CFM provides students with the necessary career and life skills for success beyond high school. 

Career and Financial Management content:

  • Must be included in all NYSED-approved CTE programs.
  • Must provide a minimum of one half-unit of credit, which is equivalent to one New York City credit.
  • Can be delivered as either a stand-alone course or the content can be embedded throughout the content of a CTE program. The method in which CFM curriculum is delivered is at the discretion of the LEA or BOCES.  
  • Must include the sixteen themes identified in the Career and Financial Management framework.  If an LEA or BOCES decides that CFM is best delivered as embedded content (instead of as a stand-alone course), then a crosswalk demonstrating where the sixteen themes are being addressed in the program of study must be completed and made available to NYSED upon request.

If CFM is delivered as a stand-alone course reported under SCED code 22152 and is operated under a different name locally, please clearly identify this in section 2 of the application. 

 

Integrated and Specialized Academics

Please see integrated and specialized academics webpage. 

 

Other Characteristics of Content 

Additional considerations for program content are:

  • Programs must be accessible to all students, including students with disabilities, English language learners, and any other special populations as defined in Perkins legislation. Supports must be provided to assist students where necessary.
  • Curriculum maps and crosswalks for NYSED-approved CTE programs must be created, maintained, and submitted in a digital format for review if requested by the associate reviewing the program application.
  • Some program areas may have additional content-specific considerations that have not been addressed in this resource. For further information about content-specific requirements, please visit the appropriate CTE content area page or contact the appropriate content area associate. 

 

Sample Questions to Guide Program Content Discussion

  • Have industry standards changed or been updated? If so, what changes/updates occurred?
  • What changes have taken place in the curriculum in the last five years?
  • What new industry-related equipment has been purchased and/or added to the program in the last five years?
  • Have crosswalks or documentation for integrated or specialized academics been updated to reflect new learning standards?
  • Does the program have 108 hours of commencement level academics for the academic area in which credit is being sought?
  • What changes, if any, were made through the submission of an amendment form during the last five years?
  • Are updates to curriculum needed to match advances in industry? If so, when/how/where will these changes be reflected in the program?

 

 

Templates  

These templates are intended to serve as a guide/example and may be used at the district’s discretion. Districts are not required to use these templates and are welcome to develop their own instruments that align with the components and practices outlined above.