As you prepare for the 2017-18 school year, please ensure your local education agency is complying with the state’s statutes regarding access to career and technical education.

As provided in the Pennsylvania Code (22 Pa Code 4.23 (d)(1)), career and technical education (CTE) shall be made available to every student in a public high school program.  If a school district, or the career and technical center in which the district participates, does not offer a specific career and technical education program, the district of residence must work with another school district or career and technical center to make this program available to interested students.  Additionally, the district of residence must pay for this education and must not limit the number of students who receive career and technical education.

If the CTE is offered at a career and technical center (CTC), the member districts of the CTC, through representation on the Joint Operating Committee have determined how CTE courses should be sequenced.  The Pennsylvania Department of Education has approved CTE programs based on a given sequence of courses and by grade levels.  Thus, CTC member districts should offer career and technical education to its students for the grade levels the Department has approved the programs at the CTCs in which they participate.  The member districts must work with the career and technical center to make career and technical education available for each year the Department has approved the programs.

If you have additional questions, please contact Lee Burket, PDE’s Bureau Director for Career and Technical Education, at lburket@pa.gov or 717-787-5530.