Technology Education FAQ

The New York State Education Department is responsible for setting the learning standards for secondary school instruction. The standards define the knowledge and abilities expected of students. The NYSED does not determine or endorse the texts used in local districts. School districts have the flexibility and responsibility to identify appropriate content and resources to help students achieve the learning standards. Some educators find it helpful to contact the major educational publishers for catalogs and review copies of their texts. Colleagues at other school districts are good sources for recommendations also.

Another contact is the New York State Technology & Engineering Educators Association (NYSTEEA).  

New York no longer specifies the course sequences that must be used to meet this requirement (100.5(b)(7)(v)(c )). Five units of CTE coursework in any CTE area taught by a certified CTE teacher (agriculture, business, FACS, health science, technology, and trade/technical education) may be used.

Please contact the associate for technology education with any school-specific questions.

Yes. Option 1 requires that 216 hours (equivalent to two high school units) of career and technical education is required taught by a certified CTE teacher. At least 54 of those hours must be work-based learning.

Design and Drawing for Production (DDP) is a NYSED-approved, high school level interdisciplinary course that meets both Technology Education and Visual Arts Learning Standards, and “is intended to be implemented through a two-semester course as an introduction to a universal graphic language through which students can express their ideas with creativity, clarity and exactness.”

Design and Drawing for Production (DDP) is an approved course to meet the one unit of art/music requirement for graduation for all students. The DDP syllabus is aligned with Standard 5 of the Mathematics, Science and Technology Learning Standards and the Visual Arts Learning Standards. Only teachers certified in technology education or art education may provide instruction in DDP used to meet the art/music credit.

No. Regardless of whether the title given to the course includes “DDP” the course content must use the NYS-developed DDP syllabus in its entirety if art credit is being awarded.

• Locally developed versions of a course “something like DDP” may not be used to award art credit. 
• Computer Aided Design (CAD), or similar courses, may not be used to award art credit.
• Introduction to Engineering Design (IED), or similar courses may not be used to award art credit.
• Vendor-provided curriculum – even if “DDP” is part of the title – may not be used to award art credit (except for instances in which the syllabus follows the NYS DDP Syllabus in its entirety, see above). The NYSED does not endorse any vendor-provided curriculum.

A syllabus provides guiding principles and goals, primary objectives for learning, suggested units, etc. aligned to learning standards. It is the framework around which local curriculum is planned.

The NYSED DDP syllabus was designed for longevity by not focusing on particular tools and techniques, but instead on a particular philosophy about how the design process informs the creation of functional objects, spaces, buildings, and systems that serve human needs, and the use of universal graphic language to communicate design ideas. These two core principles continue to be essential in the today’s design world.

Local curriculum can remain pertinent by following the goals, objectives, and driving philosophy of the DDP syllabus, while updating content (what problems will students solve?), methods of graphic delivery (which visual languages will be employed?), and methods of modeling (which “tools” will students use to create prototypes and models?). When well designed, local curriculum based on the DDP syllabus prepares students not only for advanced  coursework but also rapidly expanding technologically-driven fields where design thinking is essential.

Design and Drawing for Production encourages visual problem-solving using a common graphic language to describe forms in the human-made environment. To enable the student to analyze, creatively design and critically evaluate these forms, DDP requires researching historical precedents, cultural references, environmental impact, and future vision. The syllabus emphasizes critical thinking, creative problem-solving and the decision-making processes by requiring the student to examine past solutions, learn technical drawing processes, experience design techniques and become critically active in evaluating both personal work and work by others.

As of 2018, the process for approving CTE programs and assessments have been merged into one process. As such, there is no longer a state-approved list of technical assessments for technology programs. Assessments are reviewed and approved individually with each application or amendment received. A sample of common assessments used in technology education, trade, and technical programs of study is found on our webpage.  

Additional information about technical assessments for NYSED-approved CTE programs including a video tutorial can be found on the technical assessment webpage.

Having a NYSED-approved CTE program allows students to obtain a technical endorsement on their diploma which recognizes achievement beyond attainment of a Regents diploma. A NYSED-approved CTE program also offers students a 4+1 pathway option for graduation. Students who complete a NYSED-approved CTE program help their school earn a higher score in the ESSA college, career, and civic readiness index.

In an integrated course, a student must know the commencement level academic content in order to learn the CTE content. In a specialized course, the academic content is not inherently there but is bolstered so that 108 hours of academics can be provided in the program.

Additional information about integrated and specialized credit for NYSED-approved CTE programs including a video tutorial can be found on the  program content webpage.

Please visit the Office of Teaching Initiatives webpage for the most up to date information regarding certification requirements and pathways. 

Additional information about teacher certification requirements for NYSED-approved CTE programs including a video tutorial can be found on the program faculty webpage.

The "Classroom Teacher" certification area contains the titles valid for classroom teaching positions. Certifications identified as “classroom teacher” enable the certificate holder to teach the broad range of content that is identified within the certification area. For instance, an educator certified in technology education is appropriately certified to teach content in automotive, materials processing, manufacturing, STEM, etc.  

The "Career and Technical" certification area contains the titles valid for teaching vocational or technical education subjects. Certifications identified as, “career and technical”, enable the certificate holder to teach content specific to their certification title. For instance, an educator certified in vehicle mechanical repair is appropriately certified to teach content relating to the repair of vehicles. This educator is not appropriately certified to deliver instruction in courses other than vehicle repair.  

For more information about faculty certification for a NYSED-approved CTE program, please visit the program faculty webpage.

For a list of career and technical teacher certificate titles and their descriptions, please visit the Office of Teaching Initiatives webpage.