THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, SECONDARY AND CONTINUING EDUCATION
ALBANY, NY 12234

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

1.  How is occupational education defined in the revisions to Part 100 of the Commissioner’s Regulations?

Occupational education is now identified as career and technical education (CTE) and means "a kindergarten through adult program area of study that includes rigorous academic content closely aligned with career and technical subject matter, using the State learning standards of career development and occupational studies as a framework. Career and technical education in grades nine through twelve includes the specific disciplines of agriculture education, business and marketing education, family and consumer sciences education, health occupations education, technical education, technology education and trade/industrial education." The learning standards related to these disciplines are included in Standard 3b of the Career Development and Occupational Studies learning standards document under the headings "Natural and Agricultural Sciences," "Business/Information Systems," "Human and Public Services," "Health Services," and "Engineering/Technologies, and "Arts/Humanities." When can school districts redesign existing programs or implement new programs to meet the revised graduation requirements and provide students with opportunities to achieve State learning standards?

2.  When can school districts redesign existing programs or implement new programs to meet the revised graduation requirements and provide students with opportunities to achieve State learning standards?

School districts may phase in any changes that are necessary to meet the new requirements related to units of study/credit and supporting initiatives. However, they must ensure that varying program elements necessary for the graduation of students in the years 2000 through 2004 remain in effect. The introduction of changes prior to school year 2001-02 within a specific school district may also be completed in stages, as determined by the district. In providing students with opportunities to achieve the State learning standards, districts and schools are encouraged to be both flexible and innovative.

3.  Are there any new requirements in effect for students pursuing study in career and technical education who entered grade 9 before September 2001?

No. The units of study and graduation requirements for all students entering grade 9 after 1996 and prior to the 2001-2002 school year are essentially unchanged. However, during these transition years, schools will be aligning their curriculum to the State’s learning standards.

4.  Under the revised graduation requirements, will high school students continue to be required to complete three-unit and/or five-unit sequences?

No. However, CRR Section 100.2 (h) requires public school districts to offer all students the opportunity to complete an approved three- and/or five-unit sequence in career and technical education and the arts. An approved career and technical education sequence may begin in grade 9. School districts must assure that students with disabilities are given the opportunity to participate in career and technical education to the same extent of their nondisabled peers. Accommodations, such as alternative testing, modified tools or workspace modifications, as specified in a student’s 504 Plan or Individualized Education Program, must be provided.

5.  Can career and technical education courses be included in a district's program of grade 8 acceleration for graduation credit?

Yes. Providing opportunities for student acceleration in subject area studies is one example of school district flexibility in program design. Eighth grade students can earn high school credit toward graduation requirements through successful completion of State-approved career and technical education courses. Such courses must meet the commencement level of the appropriate State learning standard(s) and must be taught by a certified teacher. The conditions for awarding credit for an accelerated course can be found in NYCRR 100.4(c).

6.  Will State-approved courses continue to be included as part of career and technical education?

Yes, at least during the phase-in period of the revised graduation requirements. However, an external Advisory Group has been formed to identify strategies for integrating academic and career and technical education. The revisions to Part 100 of the Commissioner’s Regulations specify criteria for developing specialized courses.

7.  Can specialized high school career and technical education courses be used to meet credit requirements in the standards areas of English language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science?

Yes. Specialized courses develop a subject in greater depth and provide local school districts with flexibility to provide multiple pathways to achieving the learning standards. Students may begin career and technical education studies at any point in their high school career. However, a specialized career and technical education course can be used to fulfill unit of credit requirements in core learning standards areas after a student passes the required State assessments in the core subjects as outlined in CRR 100.5(b) (7) (iv). The following criteria must be met:

a)   the career and technical education course must meet commencement level learning standards of the core area;

b)   the course must be taught by a teacher certified in at least one of the subject areas involved (career and technical education or the core subject); and

c)   the superintendent or his/her designee must approve the use of the specialized course.

Courses meeting these criteria should be approved by the local board of education and do not require a variance or approval by the Department.

Some examples of using specialized courses to fulfill unit of credit requirements are:

(1)     After passing the Regents examination in science, a student could earn one unit of credit toward graduation by successfully completing a specialized course, such as Anatomy/Physiology offered within a health occupations program or a Tech-Prep program, the content of which meets or exceeds the commencement level science learning standards. Instruction for the Anatomy/Physiology course must be delivered by a teacher certified in either health occupations or science.

(2)     A student could take a specialized Business Economics course, taught by a certified business education teacher, to meet the requirement for one-half unit of social studies credit in Economics when approved by the local school superintendent or designee.

Other examples of ways in which specialized career and technical education courses can be used to earn unit of credits in core areas include: Applied Food Science for science credit, Business Law for social studies credit, Business Communications for English language arts credit, or Electronics/Electricity Mathematics for mathematics credit

8.  Will existing occupational education proficiency examinations continue in effect?

The future of these examinations is uncertain because an external Advisory Panel on Career and Technical Education composed of national and State experts will make recommendations on the best strategies and methods for assessing students who have received integrated academic and career and technical education instruction. The Department has also conducted five focus forums across the State to solicit comment to help the Panel in its deliberations. We expect the recommendations of the Advisory Panel to be submitted to the Department and Board of Regents in June 2000. The Advisory Panel received material on State and national licensing examination programs, National Occupational Testing Institute samples, and other national skill examinations which incorporate/integrate academic achievement indicators. Alternative tests to the Regents examinations that assess both academic and career and technical education would be submitted to the State Assessment Panel for consideration.

9.  Will a student’s diploma recognize his/her completion of career and technical education studies?

The Advisory Panel on Career and Technical Education will make recommendations on the nature, value and need for diploma designations/credentialing to recognize student achievement in career and technical education programs.

10.  How can parenting education, as required under the revised graduation requirements, be delivered to students first entering grade 9 in the school year 2001-2002 and beyond?

Instruction must be delivered through health education programs, family and consumer sciences programs, or through a separate course. The teachers must be certified in health education or family and consumer sciences education. The Department is developing guidelines that will include a scope and sequence for parenting education to help schools design programs. The guidelines will also include a content matrix aligning the State and national standards for health education and consumer sciences education, model learning experiences, and sample assessments.

11.  In what ways can school districts provide instruction to meet the commencement level learning standards in technology for high school students?

The revised regulations require all public school districts to offer students the opportunity to meet the learning standards in technology included under Career Development and Occupational Studies and Mathematics/Science/Technology. These learning standards may be met through either a high school course in technology education or through an integrated course combining technology with mathematics and/or science. A commencement level course in technology may be used as a third unit of credit in science or mathematics, but not both.

12.  Can work-based learning programs continue to be used toward diploma credit?

State-approved work-based programs that help students to achieve the State learning standards continue to be an option for earning credit toward graduation, either as electives or as a part of career and technical education sequences.

13.  Will the course of study in Introduction to Occupations, and the corresponding State proficiency examination, continue to be required of students pursuing career and technical education sequences?

Yes. Both the successful completion of one unit of credit in Introduction to Occupations and attainment of a passing score on the Introduction to Occupations proficiency examination continue in effect in order for a student to earn a sequence in career and technical education. However, the Department is reviewing the possibility of transitioning the Introduction of Occupations proficiency examination to an assessment of Career Development and Occupational Studies learning standard 3a. The current options for delivery of Introduction to Occupations instruction continue to be available to school districts.

14.  Are there model programs available that integrate academic and career and technical education study that might assist school districts in expanding or modifying their current career and technical education programs?

Yes. Several model programs are currently in operation, or planned, throughout New York State which incorporate career and technical education programs into the school curriculum and which lead to achievement of the learning standards. The Department is reviewing the need to establish criteria to assist schools in developing new and emerging integrated model programs that ensure students achieve the State’s learning standards. Examples of such integrated programs include Career Exploration Internship Programs, New Vision Programs, Tech Prep Programs, and High Schools That Work. Model programs designed for specific technical studies include the Automotive Youth Education System and the National Institute of Metalworking System program. Expanded descriptions of these programs are provided in the "Additional Information" section of this document.

15.  Will the revisions to Part 100 of the Commissioner’s Regulations affect certification requirements for career and technical education teachers?

Yes. To ensure that all new teachers have the background and skills to teach the State learning standards, the Board of Regents is reviewing proposed changes to Part 80 of Commissioner’s Regulations. Detailed information on new certification proposals and approval process timelines may be accessed on the Department’s web site at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert

Career Exploration Internship Program assists students in understanding the linkages between school and work. Through this program, students explore and learn about a variety of career options through a non-paid work site experience in a career cluster of interest. The partnership between education and business provides a student, as early as age 14, with the opportunity to learn about the skill and educational requirements necessary for career areas in which they may be interested. This, in turn, allows students to play an integral part in designing their own high school program and in choosing courses they should take to reach their career objective. Through this partnership, educators and employers alike realize the importance of providing relevant learning experiences and share the critical task of helping students develop self-direction and decision-making skills.

High Schools That Work (HSTW) is a model, whole-school approach to raising standards and school achievement in educational settings that require the integration of career and technical studies with academic studies. This national project is directed by the Southern Regional Education Board's Consortium of the States. On February 2000, New York became the 23^rd state of the High Schools That Work Consortium of states. A Request for Proposals to identify sites to pilot HSTW in the State has been disseminated, and they are expected to be identified in June 2000. This pilot project is being developed for implementation during the 2000-2001 school year.

New Vision Programs are offered in both BOCES and local school district settings. The foundation for these programs is the integration of academic subjects with career and technical subjects. New Vision programs offer students the opportunity to learn in actual work and intern settings under the direction of practitioners in a specific field, such as health occupations, criminal justice, business/information systems, or engineering/technologies.

Automotive Youth Education System (AYES) is a national partnership of automobile manufacturers (General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota), automobile dealerships and educators that has developed and monitors a rigorous process that leads to the certification of school programs and teachers achieving specific high industry standards. Certification process indices cover curriculum, teacher preparation, safety, equipment and assessment.

Manufacturers Skill Standards Certification Project resulted from a collaborative effort of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, the National Institute for Metalworking Skills, and the New York State Departments of Labor and Education. This initiative shares some similarity with the AYES program as it includes a requirement for local program certification relating to national standards for program content, instructor qualification and participation by industry advisory groups.

Tech Prep Programs involve partnerships of secondary schools, two-year colleges, BOCES, business/industry, and government agencies. Beginning in the eleventh grade, Tech Prep is a four-year sequence of study that continues into at least two years of postsecondary career and technical education. Tech Prep integrates college preparatory coursework with a focus on technical education.