Department of Education
Kevin Huffman, Commissioner

Course Sequence

Can the courses in a Program of Study (POS) be taken out of sequence?
Due to the format of each program of study, the courses are shown in a sequence; however, the local system may choose to offer a course at a different grade level. In doing so it is recommended that the scope and sequence still be adhered to as much as possible to assure the student’s success when technical skill assessment phase is implemented.

If there is a sequence of four classes, and a student only takes three of them....have they met the requirement? In other words, is it three or four credits they "MUST" have?

Yes, the student will meet the definition of a concentrator by taking three earned credits.  We do however recommend the students complete all of the courses in a POS in order to transition into post-secondary education, industry certification or into the work force.

Will course sequencing affect skill attainment on thereport card?

Yes, it may as it relates to baseline data and local CTE performance. 

Course Substitution

Can a course be substituted for one of the courses listed in the cluster?

In order for you to substitute a course in a program of study, three areas must be met:  1) The competencies are at least 80% of the class it is replacing, 2) the CTE Director must submit the application for special program of study by March 1, 2008, and 3) this program of study must be approved by the program consultant for that program area.

 Guidance and Graduation Requirements

Can you explain the concepts of Dual Credit-Articulation-Dual Enrollment?

See web site /education/cte/ad/dual/cludulcrd.shtml

Should Work Based Learning be an option for completing a POS?

This is a methodology that can earn a student additional CTE credits.

Will all students have Programs of Study within the clusters or just CTE students?

Any student who completes a Program of Study within the clusters will be a CTE concentrator.   Beginning with this year’s 8th graders all students will be required to have a Program of Study.  This Program of Study may be in the area of Career and Technical Education.

Do students still have to have three courses plus one related course to graduate?

Yes, students, currently enrolled  in grades 9-12 will graduate under the current requirements of three credits plus one related.

Can a student who has a CTE focused elective program of study graduate with a diploma of distinction?

Yes.  Students will be recognized as graduating with “distinction” by attaining at minimum of a 3.0 QPA and a 95% attendance rate plus earn a nationally recognized industry certification.

High School Redesign

Does the program of study start with this year's eight graders?

CTE Programs of Study began in the fall of 2008-2009 with at least one Program of Study in each school system. New graduation requirements will begin with this year’s 8th graders as approved by the State Board of Education on January 25, 2008.

Implementation of Career Clusters

How do Programs of Study impact 9th grade academies or learning communities?

This would be ideal for 9th grade career academies, if students are allowed to take CTE courses.  Small learning communities are focused Programs of Study.  If you have 9th grade academies that do not allow students to take CTE classes, they can begin the sequence in the 10th grade.

What is the incentive for a guidance counselor and/or administrator to promote the career cluster concept?

The incentive for schools to follow the program of study guidelines is their students will perform higher in academics and score higher on the end-of-program technical skills assessment. It gives guidance to school counselors, students and parents by providing a tool to guide students in their future plans.  Research has shown that a student who completes three credits in a focused program of study have graduation rates of 92%, while students who did not complete a focused POS have a graduation rate of 89.2%

What is the consequence for the school if it does not embrace the career cluster concept and continues doing things the way they always have?   

At this time there are no consequences for schools that do not comply. However, to receive Perkins funding, LEAs must have at least one program of study that links to a post-secondary institution.

Other Questions

How does Tennessee define a Perkins IV concentrator?

Any student who has completed at least three credits in a focused program of study in Career and Technical Education courses.

How will this impact my teachers’ endorsements and what they can teach?

This should have no effect on teacher endorsements as long as the teacher(s) on staff have the credentials to teach the courses in the selected program of study.

Is industry certification required or recommended?

Industry certification is required for T & I and Health Science instructors and highly recommended for all other program areas, where available.  In addition, any teacher teaching cross over courses using the T & I curriculum must be industry certified in those areas.  Industry certification is recommended strongly for students, where available.