Four years ago, Harvard released its groundbreaking report titled, “Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenges of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century.” In it, the authors observe the growing, urgent need to “broaden the range of high quality pathways that we offer to our young people, beginning in high school … Today’s best [Career & Technical Education] programs do a better job of preparing many students for college and career [and] there is a growing movement to create high-quality ‘21st century’ CTE programs.”
In recent years, many Central New York school districts and BOCES have answered the call and created CTE opportunities for their students. However, all are not created equal. Parents and students interested in pursuing a CTE pathway must perform their due diligence to ensure that the CTE program in which they’re interested is state-approved and endorsed.
State-approved CTE programs meet the strict standards of New York state approval, a process that now serves as a model and is credited with raising the quality and rigor of CTE programs across the nation.
Students of these programs must pass four required Regents exams, meet graduation requirements and take one of the 13 approved technical assessments.
They can earn an industry-recognized credential (CTE Endorsement) or certificate at the postsecondary level, or an associate or baccalaureate degree.
“State-approved programs signify high standards of both academic and industry rigor and are the gold standard in CTE,” says Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES District Superintendent J. Francis Manning. “The process of having a program approved is complex and involves continual assessment and evaluation to ensure that curriculum is aligned to standards and expectations.”
In New York state, approved CTE programs require quality technical and academic curriculums along with direct business involvement, certified faculty, technical assessments, articulation agreements, work-based learning experiences and submission of data on student progress and performance.
Additionally, districts/BOCES seeking approval are required to conduct self-studies based on NYS Education Department criteria and are validated by an external team of field experts.
State-approved CTE programs are provided at six of OCM BOCES’ component district schools and through OCM BOCES itself (a complete list of approved programs is provided below).
Other school districts offer unapproved/unendorsed CTE programs, but only students who complete a state-approved program and pass the core Regents examinations are eligible for a CTE endorsement on their diploma. Having earned the endorsement demonstrates a student’s academic strength and signifies their readiness to enter the workforce or enroll in college. Earning the CTE endorsement is considered a distinction of honor and adds value to a Regents diploma.
With career goals at the forefront of their minds, thousands of CTE students graduate from high school with a state-approved CTE endorsement each year. They leave school equipped with the academic, leadership and job skills to help them down their chosen career path. These students know exactly where they are and where they will go next to further their education and hands-on training.
The following is a list of state-approved Career & Technical Education (CTE) Programs within the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES region (as of September 2015):
Baldwinsville Central School District
- Business Finance
- Business Marketing
East Syracuse Minoa Central School District
- Finance
Homer Central School District
- Business Entrepreneurship and Management
- Technology Education – Architecture
- Technology Education – Pre-Engineering
North Syracuse Central School District
- Family and Consumer Sciences: All Aspects of the Industry
- Family and Consumer Sciences: Fashion/Interior Design
- Family and Consumer Sciences: Food and Nutrition
- Family and Consumer Sciences: Human Development
- Finance
- Information Technology
- Marketing
Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES
- Automotive Collision Technology
- Automotive Technology
- Computer Technology
- Construction Technology
- Cosmetology
- Culinary and Pastry Arts
- Early Childhood Education
- Graphic Communications
- Health Occupations
- Laboratory Technology
- Media Marketing Communications
- Physical Therapy Professions
- Welding Technology
Tully Central School District
- Agriculture Program
West Genesee Central School District
- Business Computer Applications
- Computer Technology
- Finance
- Technology Education – Pre-Engineering
Syracuse City School District
- Automotive Technology
- Cosmetology
- Culinary Arts
- Media Communications
- Pre-Engineering (at Corcoran, Fowler, Henninger, ITC and Nottingham)
- Electrical Trades
- Medical Assisting