OSSE offers the following forms and resources for schools, LEAs, and IHEs providing Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in DC.
- Non-traditional Careers and Special Populations
- Local Education Agency Technical Guidance on CTE Course Equivalency
Programs of Study (POS)
OSSE supports CTE Programs of Study (POS) for successful student transitions between secondary and postsecondary education. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV) calls upon states to create sequences of academic and career and technical education (CTE) coursework to help students attain a postsecondary degree or industry-recognized certificate or credential. At minimum, a POS must:
- Incorporate and align secondary and postsecondary education elements
- Include academic and CTE content in a coordinated, non-duplicative progression of courses
- Offer the opportunity, where appropriate, for secondary students to acquire postsecondary credits
- Lead to an industry-recognized credential or certificate at the postsecondary level, and/or an associate or baccalaureate degree
Definitions: CTE Programs verses CTE Programs of Study (POS)
CTE programs are coherent, non-duplicative sequences of courses that reside within high schools or colleges without articulation or direct alignment of course sequences that formally link the secondary and postsecondary levels of study.
CTE Programs of Study (POS) are coherent, non-duplicative sequences of courses that include official articulation or direct alignment of course sequences that formally link the secondary and postsecondary levels of study. These sequences of courses begin at the high school level and continue through postsecondary education to culminate in a certificate, degree, or other credential.
State Adopted Programs of Study
OSSE’s CTE programs of study are closely aligned with regional economic and workforce development priorities and aim to help meet high demand jobs in the District of Columbia. DC’s current state adopted Programs of Study have been adopted from our partnership with our largest local education agency, the District of Columbia Public Schools and the District’s public institution of higher education, the University of the District of Columbia Community College.
These POS include:
- Early Childhood, with certification leading to a child development associate certification and an associate’s degree in early childhood education and
- Public Safety, which may lead to the Metropolitan Police Cadet certification, and to an associate degree in law enforcement, corrections administration, or as a legal assistant.
OSSE encourages local education agencies to adopt the OSSE CTE programs of study and to partner with the University of the District of Columbia Community College or another institute of higher education to support student transitions and progression along their chosen career pathway.
CTE Policies and Procedures for Approval and to Guide Programs
The District of Columbia State Office of Career and Technical Education (SOCTE) has established policy guidelines that local education agencies (LEAs) and postsecondary institutions must follow to apply for State approval of Career and Technical (CTE) programs and programs of study (POS).
In the District of Columbia, CTE program or POS approval will be the eligibility threshold for LEA’s and postsecondary institutions to access The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) federal funds.
The program/POS approval process provides an external measurement of a CTE program’s readiness, sustainability, quality, and continuous improvement processes needed to prepare students to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to meet the demands of high skill, high wage, or high demand careers.
For more information about the CTE programs of study in the District, please contact the State CTE Director, Clifton Martin at [email protected] or (202) 794-3594.
