CTE FAQs

Career and Technical Education, also referred to as CTE, is a multi-year sequence of courses that integrates
core academic knowledge with technical and occupational knowledge to provide students with a pathway to
post-secondary education and careers.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) prepares all students for high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand careers.
The experience begins with career inspiration in Pre-K, awareness in elementary school, exploration in middle
school, and preparation in high school. CTE equips students for post-secondary education and immediate
employment opportunities to compete worldwide successfully.

CTE courses are available at the middle and high school level. Students may register for CTE classes
during the annual registration period in the Spring semester. For more information regarding course
registration, speak with a school counselor.

SCAs are more in-depth specialized career pathways. Currently, Guilford County Schools (GCS) offers five
SCAs: The Academy at Smith (Biomedical and Specialized Health Sciences), Ben L. Smith High School
(Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering), Kearns Academy (Computer and Information Sciences), Northeast
High School (Computer and Information Sciences), and Western Guilford High School (Transportation,
Distribution, and Logistics). Ninth graders would apply through SchoolMint during the Choice Schools and
Programs application window. Information for all Choice Schools and Programs, inclusive of SCAs, can be
found here. Transportation is provided.
*Weaver Academy offers some high school CTE courses that are only available at its campus, transportation is
provided: Metals Manufacturing, Diesel Technology, Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning/Refrigeration
(HVAC/R), Masonry, Culinary-Commercial; there are other CTE offerings at Weaver as well.

Each career pathway offers a variety of courses that align with a specific career/industry goal that leads
to content area specialization.
Middle School Pathways
High School Pathways

A group of related career specialties/pathways.
Ex. The Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Cluster includes the following pathways:
• Animal Science Pathway
• Food Products & Processing Systems Pathway
• Plant Systems Pathway

A concentrator is a student who elects to focus in a CTE pathway will take a required sequence of
courses and must earn two or three credits within a Career Cluster that is aligned with a student’s
potential career or post-secondary plan.

A CTE Concentrator signifies proficiency of industry knowledge by pathway completion and
opportunities to obtain a FREE industry-recognized credential(s), which is the ability to perform
specific tasks that provides evidence of authority, status, rights, and entitlement to privileges.

A credential allows students to earn a FREE industry-recognized certification which signals an industry-standard level of knowledge and skill. It is evidence that students have acquired a career-ready transferable skill set and are trainable/coachable for the world of work. This credential attainment is a resume artifact.

CCP offers NC high school students the chance to earn college credits at a community college campus. The program is tuition-free for high school juniors and seniors. You must have a cumulative unweighted GPA of 2.8 or higher or passing test scores. The CCP CTE pathway leads to a certificate or diploma aligned with a high school career cluster. Transportation may be provided.

A Career and College Manager is a career facilitating agent, who works to ensure students are guided into a talent pipeline for in-demand, high- skilled and/or high-wage occupations that align with the student’s passions, knowledge, skills and interests. Career and College Managers are intentional and vital in student preparation and experiences! From enrollment verification, student credential potential and attainment, industry-recognized credentials, concentrators, college credits, employability skills, WBL (Work-Based Learning), and mentorships to evidence of mastery of a skill or trade before students graduate high school.

A CTE Lead Teacher is a liaison between the CTE District office and school-level CTE Teachers. The role of a CTE Lead Teacher exists at every middle and high school that offers CTE courses. Their primary role is to assist in compiling consumable supply and classroom equipment orders for all CTE teachers at their school. CTE Lead Teachers also compile and submit annual CTE equipment and computer inventory.

CTE Pathway Innovators provide direct curriculum support for new and existing CTE teachers within the same content area clusters/pathway. This support includes classroom/lab innovation, partnerships, simulations, visioning experiences, along with rigorous/relevant and consistent curriculum documents for teaching and learning environments that are full-time face-to-face, virtual, or blended. Any CTE teacher can apply to be a CTE Pathway Innovator for a one-year term during the annual application
period.

Work-Based Learning is an educational strategy that allows students to engage in real-world experiences with community businesses and industry professionals. WBL prepares students for the workplace with employability, academic, and technical skills learned in the classroom. WBL has been a practice for many centuries and is an integral part of Career and Technical Education.

Guilford Apprenticeship Partners (GAP) is a Public-Private partnership offering an alternative path to attaining a college education for free while also obtaining paid on the job training.

Federal for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) partners students with industry while they take classes at select community colleges while gaining valuable employment experiences in manufacturing.

Student Opportunities for Apprenticeship Readiness (SOAR) is a state-registered pre-apprenticeship program designed to prepare individuals to enter and succeed in a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP).

GCS CTE is appreciative of all our courageous partnerships (postsecondary, community/civic, employer, district staff, students and families, and more).
 

A Career and Technical Education (CTE) Proof of Learning (POL) is a defined measure of students’ mastery of standards and objectives learned in a CTE course.
CTE Proof of Learning Administration, Credential, and Reporting Guide

CTE courses for which the POL is identified as a Performance Based Measurement (PBM) provide students multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery of course standards and objectives. The PBM may consist of a defined project, portfolio, or other performance-based tasks.

North Carolina’s statewide testing policy requires all students with disabilities to participate in the CTE State Assessment Policy by taking the general state mandated tests, with or without accommodations. Students following the Occupational Course of Study and Extended Content Standards will complete an Individualized Proof of Learning based off of the course modified blueprint. Students on this pathway are eligible to earn credentials or complete a Performance Based Measurement, depending on the POL type required for the CTE Course.

The reason why we have Course 1, Course 2, and Course 3 in the Cluster and Pathway reference document to clearly define the course sequence for students, parents, and counselors. For the signature career academies, the headings are defined by grade level to provide explicit guidance for the course sequences specific to those individual sites.