Board of Directors Position Statements


The ACTE Board of Directors began posting its position statements in 2013.

Next Generation Science Standards

Letter to Achieve on March 13, 2015:

On behalf of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), the nation’s largest not-for-profit education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers, I write to communicate our organization’s support for the structure and concepts contained within the Next Generation Science Standards.

We appreciate the evidence-based development and balanced approach provided in the Framework for K-12 Science Education, which is foundational to the standards. The Framework emphasizes a “Practices” dimension which ACTE believes is critically important due to its emphasis on the connection of knowledge, skills and other abilities that students must possess with relation to science.

We see the integration of knowledge and various skills competencies in the standards as similar to our own definition of career readiness which incorporates an emphasis on application in addition to the academic knowledge, technical and employability skills that students and adults must possess in order to be prepared for careers and the work environment. In order to be successful, today’s 21st century students must be able to put into practice what they have learned.

Despite all of the positives regarding the NGSS, ACTE wishes to assert that states have complete control and authority over their education standards. States are free to join together to develop standards if they so choose. Each state must always retain their authority to develop their own standards, adapt existing standards or adopt an existing set of standards.

State Course Requirements and Graduation Policies Position Statement

March 2013:

ACTE believes:

  • All students must have access to high-quality CTE options in secondary schools and postsecondary institutions.
  • CTE options play a vital role in engaging and inspiring students’ application of academics and development of employability and technical skills, which are valued by employers and critical for pursuit of long-term, sustainable, individual career paths.
  • Each student’s chosen career path should be the basis for determining the specific course requirements and other educational options needed for graduation.
  • Strong academic and career advisement is necessary to help students navigate the choices most suitable for their particular career path.
  • States and localities are best suited to determine the appropriate mix of academic, CTE and other courses required for a student’s career path.
  • Any recognition of CTE in diploma options must be presented as an added value.