Career & Technical Education

Explainer

High school seniors Alex Yates, left, and David Romero work on an assembly line machine in a mechatronics class in the career and technical education program at Warren County High School in McMinnville, Tenn., in 2017. The technology skills they learn in the class help prepare them for jobs in the area’s booming automotive industry.
What Is Career and Technical Education, Anyway?
Find answers to eight commonly asked questions about career and technical education here.
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Cardboard egg cartons sit stacked on the shelf of a grocery store cooler case.
Eggs are displayed on store shelves at a grocery store. Egg prices surged in late 2022, giving agriculture students hands-on lessons in supply chain issues.
Ross D. Franklin/AP
College & Workforce Readiness A Lesson in Eggonomics: The Story of Soaring Prices and Industrious High Schoolers
California agriculture students are undercutting grocery store egg prices—and learning big lessons in the process.
Evie Blad, February 9, 2023
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4 min read
Students Fernando Castro and Eric Geye’s, part of the Auto Technology class, show Dean McGee the vehicle they are working on at the Regional Occupational Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in Bakersfield, Calif.
Dean McGee takes a look under a vehicle alongside students from the auto technology class at the Regional Occupational Center, in Bakersfield, Calif.
Morgan Lieberman for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Photo Essay PHOTOS: Cars, Canines, and Cosmetology—All in a Day's Work
EdWeek photographer Morgan Lieberman reflects on her day with Dean McGee, a 2023 Leaders To Learn From honoree.
February 6, 2023
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2 min read
Dean McGee pets Sydney while visiting the Veterinary Technology program at the Regional Occupation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in Bakersfield, Calif.
Dean McGee, deputy superintendent of educational services and innovative programs in the Kern High School District, pets Sydney while visiting the veterinary technology program at the Regional Occupation Center in Bakersfield, Calif.
Morgan Lieberman for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Leader To Learn From Building Skills for Independent Lives: A Leader's Vision for Students With Disabilities
Dean McGee of Kern High School District in California draws on his personal experience to improve and expand career-technical education.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 6, 2023
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7 min read
Dean McGee visits the grooming sector while visiting the Veterinary Technology program at the Regional Occupation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in Bakersfield, Calif.
Dean McGee, the deputy superintendent of educational services and innovative programs in the Kern High School District in Bakersfield, Calif., visits the grooming center, part of the district's veterinary technology program.
Morgan Lieberman for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A How a California Leader Expanded Career and Technical Ed.
Dean McGee pushes career readiness in Bakersfield, Calif., where more than half of adults have a high school education or less.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 6, 2023
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3 min read
Vehicles move down Altamont Pass Road with wind turbines in the background in Livermore, Calif., Aug. 10, 2022.
Vehicles move down Altamont Pass Road with wind turbines in the background in Livermore, Calif., Aug. 10, 2022.
Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo
Future of Work The Climate Is Changing. Career Education Is Not. That's a Problem
Teens are increasingly interested in learning about how climate change will impact the future of work.
Alyson Klein, December 29, 2022
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6 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Career & Technical Education?
Answer 7 questions about Career & Technical Education.
August 22, 2022
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Education Funding Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About ESSER funding for Career and Technical Education Programs?
Answer 7 questions to assess your knowledge on ESSER funding for CTE programs.
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Students in the aviation program at Magruder High School in Rockville, Md., practice flying on flight simulators.
Students in the aviation program at Magruder High School in Rockville, Md., practice flying on flight simulators located in the school.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Curriculum Photos PHOTOS: Connecting the Classroom to the Real World of Aviation
A curriculum designed to teach students the skills necessary for careers in the aviation industry connects the classroom to the real world.
Jaclyn Borowski , May 17, 2022
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1 min read
Sophomore Byron Barksdale, left, and classmates from Magruder High School’s aviation program examine the inside of a charter plane at the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Sophomore Byron Barksdale, left, and classmates from Magruder High School’s aviation program examine the inside of a charter plane at the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Curriculum Want Students to Become Better Problem Solvers? Then Teach Them to Fly Planes and Drones
A free, relatively new curriculum that teaches students about the concepts of flying planes and drones is growing quickly nationwide.
Kevin Bushweller, May 3, 2022
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10 min read
Sophomore Byron Barksdale, left, and classmates from Magruder High School’s aviation program examine the inside of a charter plane at the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Sophomore Byron Barksdale, left, and classmates from Magruder High School’s aviation program examine the inside of a charter plane at the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., on April 6, 2022.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Curriculum Video Planes, Drones, and Mathematics: How One Aviation Curriculum Is Opening Doors for Students
Students across the country are learning problem-solving skills in a curriculum that prepares them for careers in the aviation industry.
Jaclyn Borowski , May 3, 2022
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6:05
Nurse giving man injection
Getty
College & Workforce Readiness Student Interest in Health-Care Careers Takes Off During Pandemic
The coronavirus crisis is boosting a trend toward health-care and medical pathways. The challenge is getting students hands-on training.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 2, 2021
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7 min read
Susana Cordova, deputy superintendent of leading and learning at the Dallas Independent School District
Susana Cordova, deputy superintendent of leading and learning at the Dallas Independent School District.
Allison V. Smith for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Leader Reflection An Untapped Path to Equity Runs Through Career-Technical Education
Former EdWeek Leader to Learn From Susana Cordova, now with the Dallas district, highlights how CTE could be harnessed to create equity.
Susana Cordova, February 17, 2021
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6 min read
Andrew Stanley, 16, embeds a tissue sample in paraffin wax in preparation to create a microscope slide, a task that does not require a mask or gloves. Stanley, a biotech freshman at Minuteman High School in Lexington, Mass., was allowed to work three days a week at his father's histopathology lab when the school campus closed; he takes online classes the other two days a week.
Andrew Stanley, 16, embeds a tissue sample in paraffin wax in preparation to create a microscope slide, a task that does not require a mask or gloves. Stanley, a biotech freshman at Minuteman High School in Lexington, Mass., was allowed to work three days a week at his father's histopathology lab when the school campus closed; he takes online classes the other two days a week.
Courtesy of James Stanley
College & Workforce Readiness Coronavirus, Economic Crisis Cloud Resurgence of Career Tech Ed.
Career technical education has been on a roll lately, but educators fear that will change, as unemployment soars and some students are cut off from hands-on learning opportunities.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 12, 2020
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9 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Leader To Learn From A Superintendent’s Commitment to Getting Students ‘Future Ready’
Bryan Johnson, the superintendent of Hamilton County Schools in Chattanooga, Tenn., has created an array of “future-ready” institutes, where students gain real-world exposure– through mentorship, job-shadow opportunities, and rigorous coursework—to in-demand jobs while they are still in high school. He is recognized as a 2020 Leader To Learn From.
Catherine Gewertz, February 19, 2020
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9 min read
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