High-quality CTE: Standards-aligned and Integrated Curriculum
Click the + sign next to each category below to explore resources that align with the Standards-aligned and Integrated Curriculum element of the ACTE Quality CTE Program of Study FrameworkTM.
Research and Reports
- Identifying Technical Competencies for Architecture and Construction Education using the Delphi Method ($) – Jones, Belcher & Elliott, Career and Technical Education Research, May 2021
The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify the primary technical competencies needed to effectively teach architecture and construction at the secondary and postsecondary level.
- Workplace Basics: The Competencies Employers Want – Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2020
This report examines the competencies workers need in their occupations, including which competencies have the biggest payoff, which are most needed in general, and which have the most value in specific occupational groups.
- Adopting a Modified Delphi Technique for Revisiting the Curriculum: A Useful Approach During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Rajhans, Rege, Memon & Shinde, Qualitative Research Journal, October 2020
This paper describes a participatory qualitative research project using the Delphi consensus technique for transitioning an optometry program to be competency based.
- Preparing Tomorrow’s Workforce: The Global Learning Imperative for Career and Technical Education Programs at Community and Technical Colleges – Asia Society, AACC, ACTE, Advance CTE & Longview Foundation, December 2019
This paper seeks to demonstrate the need for community and technical college administrators and faculty to offer a curriculum with an intentional global education component, particularly within its CTE programs.
- The Impact of Mathematically Enhanced Curriculum on Career and Technical Education Student Math Scores ($) – Parr, Parr & Mohon, Career and Technical Education Research, October 2019
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that students who participated in a mathematically enhanced high school CTE curriculum would reflect a better understanding of basic math concepts. The pre- and post-test score analysis suggested that the curriculum had a positive influence on math comprehension.
- Recommended Technical and Essential Employability Competencies: For College and Career Pathway Endorsements – Jobs for the Future, April 2019
This report describes how industry leaders and state agencies identified six core competencies for measuring an individual’s readiness to enter the workforce or continue their education. These skill competencies were evaluated for six industries, including industry-specific core technical competencies.
- Washington State’s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) Program in Three Colleges: Implementation and Early Impact Report – Glosser, Martinson, Cho & Gardiner, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, October 2018
This report describes the implementation and early impacts of the Washington State Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program. The study found that I-BEST programs have increased participation in college level courses, number of credits earned and credential attainment.
- Integrating Disciplinary Core Ideas, the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Career Pathways and Next Generation Science Standards ($) – Barrick, Heinert, Myers, Thoron & Stofer, Career and Technical Education Research, May 2018
This study identified disciplinary core ideas for secondary school agriscience programs using a panel of experts in agricultural education, including a matrix of disciplinary core ideas; Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources career pathways performance indicators; and Next Generation Science Standards performance expectations.
- State-level Policies Supporting Equitable K-12 Computer Science Education – Code.org, Education Commission of the States, Education Development Center, Massachusetts Computer Attainment Network, Expanding Computing Education Pathways & SageFox Consulting Group, April 2017
This report describes state adoption of K–12 computer science standards.
- Engineering an Associate Degree-Level STEM Workforce Education Curriculum ($) – Selwitz et. al, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, June 2017
This research describes a curriculum development and assessment model to help community and technical college faculty and administrators develop, evaluate and revise associate degree-level STEM workforce education programs.
- Key “Soft Skills” that Foster Youth Workforce Success: Toward a Consensus Across Fields – Child Trends, June 2015
The authors of this report reviewed more than 380 resources from around the world, including rigorous empirical studies, employer studies and findings of international consensus projects, to identify five key soft skills that most enable youth worldwide to be successful in the workplace.
- Integration of the Common Core State Standards into CTE: Challenges and Strategies of Career and Technical Teachers ($) – Asunda, Finnell & Berry, Career and Technical Education Research, April 2015
This study investigated common barriers, challenges, practical strategies and supporting examples of how teachers are integrating the Common Core State Standards into CTE curricula.
- Do Mathematics and Reading Competencies Integrated into Career and Technical Education Courses Improve High School Student State Assessment Scores? ($) – Pierce & Hernandez, Career and Technical Education Research, December 2014
Quantitative analysis revealed that the integrated CTE courses were statistically significant in improving reading treatment group scores, but not statistically significant in improving mathematics treatment group scores.
- Community Colleges and Public Health Project – Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health & League for Innovation in the Community College, November 2014
The report describes a working group’s development of prototype curricular models for public health associate degrees and certificate programs in community colleges.
- The Creation of a Biofuels and Sustainable Agriculture Post-Secondary Curriculum: A True-Delphi Study ($) – Rubenstein & Thoron, Career and Technical Education Research, August 2014
The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge, skills and competencies that postsecondary graduates need to be successful in the sustainable and biofuels industries.
- The Common Career Technical Core, Programs of Study and Industry-based Standards – Advance CTE, July 2014
This report crosswalks the Common Career Technical Core standards developed by Advance CTE against 18 sets of industry-based standards to chart similarities and differences.
- Oregon Applied Academics Project: Final Report – Pearson, Richardson & Sawyer, National Research Center for CTE, December 2013
This report describes the development and implementation of a technical math course with nine units that led to math skill gains and satisfaction from teachers and students.
- The State of Career Technical Education: An Analysis of State CTE Standards – Advance CTE, October 2013
This report provides a national view on how states adopt, organize and implement CTE standards at both the secondary and postsecondary levels, comparing all state standards to a common benchmark, the Common Career Technical Core.
- Embedding the Common Core State Standards or Other Rigorous Standards Into Academic, Career/Technical and Elective Courses – Southern Regional Education Board, January 2013
This resource describes on-the-ground strategies for integrating academic standards into CTE courses.
- Common Core State Standards & CTE: Bridging the Divide between College and Career Readiness – Achieve, May 2012
This report provides guidance to state education leaders about how they can maximize the opportunity to better align academics and CTE through the implementation of the Common Core State Standards.
- Recognizing Academic Achievement in Career/Technical Education: Conditions for Awarding Academic Credit – Southern Regional Education Board, January 2012
This publication describes the conditions that need to be in place — and the obstacles to overcome — before moving forward to award academic credit for CTE course work.
- Competency-Based Degree Programs in the U.S.: Postsecondary Credentials for Measurable Student Learning and Performance – Council on Adult and Experiential Learning, 2012
This paper examines the state of competency-based postsecondary education in the U.S., profiling the various types of competency-based, or competency-focused, models that currently exist; the extent to which these programs assess student competencies or learning outcomes; and the extent to which these programs operate outside of a credit-based system.
- Capitalizing on Context: Curriculum Integration in Career and Technical Education – National Research Center for CTE Curriculum Integration Workgroup, March 2010
This publication describes the process, findings and key principles of curriculum integration of two National Research Center for CTE projects: the Math-in-CTE model, in which CTE and math teachers partnered to develop math-enhanced CTE lessons, and the Authentic Literacy in CTE project. You can also access lesson plans, curriculum maps and other tools for implementing Math-in-CTE.
- Integrating Curriculum: Lessons for Adult Education From Career and Technical Education – Chernus & Fowler, National Institute for Literacy, 2010
This report examines three types of curriculum integration—course integration, cross-curriculum integration and program integration—and lessons from CTE that can be applied to adult education.
- A Taxonomic Description of the Science Integrating Learning Objectives in Career and Technical Education Programs of Study ($) – Spindler, Career and Technical Education Research, 2010
This study employed Bloom’s revised taxonomy to describe the learning objectives of CTE programs that are integrating science concepts into classroom and laboratory instructions.
Toolkits, Guides and Frameworks
- High-quality CTE: Planning for a COVID-19-impacted School Year – ACTE, June 2020
The guide was designed to help CTE leaders make difficult decisions as they offer remote, blended and socially distanced learning during COVID-19. It is organized around the elements of ACTE’s Quality CTE Program of Study Framework, including guidance related to standards and curriculum.
- Integrating Employability Skills: A Framework for All Educators – College & Career Readiness & Success Center, September 2019
This publication describes skills needed for successful labor market pipelines, with a checklist for programs to use to ensure students are college and career ready and tips for integrating these competencies into instruction.
- CTE and Academic Integration Self-assessment Rubric – CTE Technical Assistance Center of New York, 2017
The CTE Technical Assistance Center of New York undertook a study of academic integration practices in 13 school districts and BOCES that sought to identify the level of integration of academics into CTE programming. The work resulted in a rubric for assessing academic integration in curriculum, instruction and other areas and additional related resources.
- Contextualizing Adult Education Instruction to Career Pathways – Jobs for the Future, Literacywork International & Career Ladders Project, September 2013
This toolkit is designed to help adult education programs serving lower-skilled adults integrate career-focused content into their basic skills courses and programs. Each of the toolkit’s seven units contain helpful resources such as action planning templates, sample agendas, checklists and more.
- Common Core-CTE Classroom Tasks – Achieve & Advance CTE, 2011
Approved by Common Core Standards content experts and National Career Clusters Knowledge and Skills Statements content experts, this list provides classroom activities that integrate Common Core State Standards in mathematics and CTE.
- Common Career Technical Core – Advance CTE
The Common Career Technical Core are a set of rigorous, high-quality benchmark standards for CTE, including end-of-program of study standards for each of the 16 Career Clusters® and their 79 Career Pathways, as well as an overarching set of Career Ready Practices, which address the knowledge, skills and dispositions that are important to becoming career ready.
- Math-in-CTE Resources – National Research Center for CTE
The NRCCTE has transitioned its scientifically based research study of Math-in-CTE into classroom practice with the Math-in-CTE curriculum integration professional development model. Resources include curriculum maps and lesson plans.
- Competency Mapping Resources for Retail & Adjacent Industries – Council on Adult and Experiential Learning
This set of resources illustrate the competencies developed within retail jobs and how they may transfer to advancement opportunities.
- NOCTI Blueprints – NOCTI
A valuable preparation tool, NOCTI Blueprints contain competency lists, percentage breakdowns, sample questions and skill-based job examples. Teachers and students use Blueprints to identify the skills and knowledge needed in a particular career path and to focus study on areas needing improvement.
- Employability Skills Framework – U.S. Department of Education
The Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education Employability Skills Framework advances a unifying set of skills that cuts across the workforce development and education sectors based on an inventory of existing employability skills standards and assessments.
- New World of Work Employability Skills Curriculum – New World of Work
These free lessons and videos help instructors teach 21st-century employability skills to high school, postsecondary and adult learners.
- P21’s Frameworks for 21st-century Learning – Battelle for Kids
The Frameworks for 21st-century Learning were developed with input from teachers, education experts and business leaders to define and illustrate the skills and knowledge students need to succeed in work and life, as well as the support systems necessary for 21st-century learning outcomes.
- Blended Learning Toolkit – University of Central Florida, American Association of State Colleges and Universities & Next Generation Learning Challenges
This toolkit is a free, open resource for educational institutions interested in developing or expanding their blended learning initiatives. It includes guidance, examples, professional development and other resources to help you prepare your own blended learning courses and programs.
Books
- Curriculum Design & Development in Career and Technical Education ($), Conrad et al., 2022
This textbook for designing and developing high-quality curriculum for CTE courses can guide pre-service teachers to veteran educators seeking to enhance their curriculum and maximize their learners’ skills acquisition. Users of this book will develop an understanding and appreciation of a systems approach to curriculum development.
On-demand Webinars
- Why is Academic Integration a Necessity in CTE Programs: A Discussion with Educators, A Discussion with Industry and A Discussion with Students – ACTE, January-April 2022
This webinar series provides insight into why academic integration is critical in all CTE Cluster areas and industry sectors. Educators, students and industry leaders discuss how integrating academics can enhance curricular materials and how to apply integration to CTE programs.
- Driving Student Ownership in the Classroom Through Entrepreneurship, Teamwork and Cross-Curricular Collaboration – ACTE, August 2021
In this webinar, CEO Greg Keele and his team at Virtual Startup Academy discuss designing classroom environments to put students in charge and give them ownership of the outcomes of their learning experience.
- Developing Soft Skills in CTE – ACTE, February 2021
In this webinar, Dr. Richard Jones covers the top eight soft skills employers are looking for in today’s workplace, how soft skills and emotional intelligence are linked to professional success, how to improve productivity and decrease turnover, and best practices and suggestions for evidence-based tools to assess and teach critical soft skills.
- High-Quality CTE: Planning for a Covid-19-Impacted School Year: Standards-aligned and Integrated Curriculum – ACTE, June 2020
In this webinar, a panel of experts discusses how to maintain curriculum quality and alignment to standards while adapting to remote, blended and socially-distanced learning.
- High-Quality CTE Programs of Study — Standards-aligned and Integrated Curriculum – ACTE, October 2019
Join Theresa Cortez and Paula Boughton as they discuss this element of the ACTE Quality CTE Program of Study Framework and describe how Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES CTE literacy rubrics and tasks align to New York State standards, employability skills and CTE content.
- Balancing Academic Integration in CTE – ACTE, January 2017
In this webinar, Robert Marraccino draws from his experience building rigorous academic-infused health sciences programs in the state of New York to share tips on deciding the degree of academic content in your CTE curriculum, what criteria to use and where to get started.
Online Courses
This course digs into the seven criteria in the Standards-aligned and Integrated Curriculum element of the ACTE Quality CTE Program of Study FrameworkTM and provides practical strategies, success stories and curated resources to help CTE practitioners develop and implement high-quality curriculum.
- Developing Soft Skills in CTE ($) – CTE Learn
This course defines soft skills and offers strategies that instructors can use to help their students integrate soft skills into their career skill sets. Reflection on current practices assists participants in defining, measuring and nurturing soft skills and work behaviors for their students.
- Enhancing Students’ Professional Skills ($) – CTE Learn
This course describes ways students can enhance their professional skills across the curriculum. Strategies for teaching effective personal interaction and ways to support student professional growth and development are addressed.
These two courses review communication, collaboration and time management soft skills that can be instilled to help a student excel not only in the classroom, but also on the job.
- Literacy is Not an Option ($) – CTE Learn
Throughout this course, participants will have an opportunity to apply various strategies and methods in literacy development and understand how to focus on the aspects of literacy that apply specifically to students in their discipline.
- Writing Performance Objectives ($) – CTE Learn
This course focuses on one of the most important parts of a course: the performance objectives. It discusses the proper procedures for writing performance objectives while exploring the various types of learning objectives that may be appropriate for specific courses.