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CTE Content Areas

New York State Middle Level CTE Requirement

In September 2017, the Board of Regents revised the CTE portion of Commissioner's Regulations 100.4(c). The main provisions are that:

  • all middle-level students are entitled to 1 ¾ unit career and technical education,
  • instruction can begin as early as grade 5, and
  • instruction can be delivered by teachers certified in any title in any CTE content area, so long as it is through the lens of their content area. 

A curricular guidance framework has been developed in collaboration with CTE teachers statewide to assist schools in the implementation of the changed middle-level CTE regulation. The curricular guidance is comprised of theme modules and content modules. Please see below for additional information regarding how the modules are designed to work together, the theme and content modules (in PDF format), and sample project-based learning exemplars.

Middle Level CTE Resources

 


About the Middle-Level CTE Instructional Modules

The curricular guidance framework for New York State middle-level CTE consists of two types of modules, theme modules and content modules. Theme and content modules are designed to work together. The goals of middle level CTE, built on this framework are to:

  • connect middle level experiences to high school opportunities,
  • expose students to all CTE content areas,
  • allow for flexibility in delivery by using a module format, and
  • foster acceleration into graduation pathways that capitalize on students’ interests in CTE content.

Schools will use this framework as they make decisions on how to personalize middle-level CTE instruction in their settings. The framework will assist schools in answering the question:

How can we design project-based learning experiences that will help our middle-school students gain foundational CTE knowledge and skills through the lens of the CTE content area(s) we have represented in our school?

 

CTE Theme Modules

CTE theme modules provide the basis for middle-level CTE. They are foundational, cross-content, and standards-based. They represent knowledge and skills that will benefit all students as they move to high school, regardless of the pathway they choose. The theme modules are designed for instruction by teachers certified in any title in any of the six CTE content areas (i.e., agriculture, business and marketing, family and consumer sciences, health science, technology, and trade and technical).

Career and Community Opportunities

Communication and Interpersonal Relationships

Financial and Consumer Literacy

Health, Safety, and Wellness

Problem-Solving, and Innovation

Sustainability

 

CTE Content Modules

CTE content modules provide the context to engage students in the themes. The content modules are specific to each CTE content area, standards-based, and connect middle-level to high school. CTE teachers will use the content modules aligned with their certification areas to develop meaningful learning experiences that help their students attain the theme module standards.

Agriculture

Introduction to Agriculture and Leadership

Animals in the Agriculture Industry

Plants in the Agriculture Industry

Stewardship of the Land

Agriculture Mechanics

Business and Marketing

Business Communication

Business Career Portfolio

Computer Literacy for the Workplace

Entrepreneurship

Computer Science

Computational Thinking

Data Collection and Management

Digital Literacy and Citizenship

The Computational World

Family and Consumer Sciences

Individual Growth and Life Readiness

Human Development and Relationships

Apparel and Textile Production and Design

Environmental Design and Management

Nutrition and Wellness

Food Systems and Production

Health Science

Health Science Career Pathways

Communication and Client Interaction

Safety in Health Science Careers

Client Care

Technology Education

The Nature of Technology

Technology and Society

Design

Abilities for a Technological World

The Designed World

Trade and Technical Education

Exploring Trade and Technical Careers

Measurement in Trade and Technical Fields

Safety in Trade and Technical Fields

 

NEW! Sample project-based learning exemplars have been posted in the chart below to show examples of how each CTE content area can address each of the six middle level themes. Schools may use these in whole or in part to help various content areas deliver the middle level CTE content.

CTE Project-Based Learning Exemplars

 

Career and Community Opportunities

Communication and Interpersonal Relationships

Financial and Consumer Literacy

Health, Safety, and Wellness

Problem-Solving, and Innovation

Sustainability

Agriculture

Agriculture
Career and Community

Agriculture
Communication

Agriculture
Financial Literacy

Agriculture
Health Safety

Agriculture
Problem Solving

Agriculture
Sustainability

Business and Marketing

 

Business
Communication

 

Example 2

 

Business
Health Safety

Business
Problem Solving

 

Family and Consumer Sciences

 

 

FACS
Financial Literacy

FACS
Health Safety

 

Example 2

FACS
Problem Solving

 

Example 2

FACS
Sustainability

Health Science

Health Science
Career and Community

Health Science
Communication

 

Health Science
Health Safety

 

Example 2

Health Science
Problem Solving

 

Technology Education

Tech Ed
Career and Community

 

Example 2

Tech Ed
Communication

Tech Ed
Financial Literacy

 

Tech Ed
Problem Solving

Tech Ed
Sustainability

Trade and Technical Education

Trade/Tech
Career and Community

 

Trade/Tech
Financial Literacy

 

Trade/Tech
Problem Solving

Trade/Tech
Sustainability