Career and technical education in the United States

Career and technical education (CTE) in the United States is defined as courses at the high school level and programs at the postsecondary level that focus on the skills and knowledge required for specific jobs or fields of work. This paper defines ten major sections. Section 27.1 defines CTE in the United States, its legislated regulations, and the delivery methods for both secondary and postsecondary. Section 27.2 describes how CTE programs are funded in the United States and the general methods states distribute funds to local school districts. Section 27.3 describes the federal and state oversight of CTE as well as identifying the CTE Core Performance Indicators at the secondary and postsecondary levels and the consequence to districts who don't meet the performance indicators. Section 27.4 summarizes four states' statutes and regulations related to credential attainment by students through CTE programs.

Section 27.5 describes the five types of certification and licensure requirements for secondary CTE teachers and the requirements for CTE professors and instructors at the postsecondary level. Section 27.6 differentiates between industry certifications that are usually issued by a nongovernmental body and often affiliated with a specific industry or association and government-required licenses that are awarded by a government agency and convey a legal authority to work in an occupation or complete a specific task. Section 27.7 provides a list of validated CTE teacher competencies that document the standards required of CTE teachers developed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (National Board) in Career and Technical Education and an updated set of Performance-Based Teacher Education (PBTE) standards originally published by the National Center for Research in Vocational Education at the Ohio State University. Section 27.8 describes seven different processes teachers and professors use to continue to improve their teaching skills. Section 27.9 describes how CTE programs in the United States partner with business and industry including the various methods industry and school partners work in the career pathway system. Finally, Section 27.10 provides the authors' description of the new image of CTE in the United States.

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