Step 1: Make friends with your school’s/district’s CTE department chair
Building a positive relationship with the CTE department chair can go a long way to an adviser’s future success in building a strong program of study.
Here’s how to get involved with your state organizations.
Step 2: Assess your program
It is important to understand the language and expectations that is required under a CTE program. When going through this evaluation tool, often times advisers realize that they are already doing much of what is expected of CTE programs.
Here is an example of the evaluation tool filled out from a rural school in New Mexico.
Step 3: Build an advisory board
An advisory committee represents stakeholders in the CTE program and provides input for the program’s continuous improvement. Advisory committees meet at least twice a year and minutes are available for review. Advisory committees should be gender balanced.
Developing a Local Advisory Committee
Step 4: Build a Pathway of Study
Consider two or more courses in sequence that lead to either a career pathway through certification or post-secondary pathway in a related program. The course names and sequences will vary from state to state; check your state’s course descriptions and essential skills.
Example course crossover:
Publications Course | CTE Course |
---|---|
Photojournalism | Commercial Photography |
Yearbook/Newspaper | Graphic Design/Graphic Arts |
Broadcast | Audio Video Production |
Step 5: Investigate your state’s licensing or certification requirements.
CTE certification varies widely from state to state. Some require professional experience in the field for licensing; others have multiple paths. Your state’s board of teacher certification is the best place to start.