To meet the dual goals of improving graduation rates and graduating more college- and career-ready students, states are considering blending intellectually demanding Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway courses with Common Core State Standards (CCSS) or other college- and career-ready standards. Research provides strong evidence that rigorous CTE courses embedded with rigorous academic standards add value to academic achievement and improve students’ readiness for college and careers. As states implement the college- and career-ready standards, it is fundamentally important that they establish a process for redesigning CTE courses around authentic projects with a solid foundation in literacy and mathematics.
This report from the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) explores various approaches taken by states to award credit for academic content taught and mastered through CTE courses. Further, the report provides policy recommendations for states working to develop, validate and assess such CTE courses.
