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Career and Technical Education

CTE Content Areas

Oversight and Guidance

Use of Business and Marketing Education Coursework to Meet Economics and Participation in Government Requirements

NOTE:  This page has been updated to reflect the 2016 regulatory updates to the social studies requirements for graduation. 

Commissioner’s Regulations for Social Studies Instruction at the High School Level (Part 100.5(a)(6)(ii) of Commissioner’s Regulations) 

All students first entering grade nine in September 2016 and thereafter shall earn four units of credit in social studies. Such requirement shall include: 

  1. one unit of credit in American history; 

  1. one half unit of credit in participation in government and one half unit of credit in economics; and 

  1. two units of credit in global history and geography; or 

  1. the equivalent of clauses (a), (b) and/or (c) of this subparagraph, as approved by the local public school superintendent or his or her designee or by the chief administrative officer of a registered nonpublic high school. 

Clause d of the regulations allows for school districts and BOCES, with local approval, to utilize business coursework to meet the half unit of credit requirements for participation in government and economics.  Examples of business courses that could be considered, at the local level, to meet these requirements include, but are not limited to: 

  • Business Economics (SCED Code 12105) to meet the economics requirement (Note:  Other Economics SCED codes are not mapped to business education certifications)  

  • Business Law (SCED Code 12054) to meet the participation in government requirement 

Planning for Use of Business Courses to Meet the Economics and/or Participation in Government Requirements 

Curricular decisions regarding business courses are left to local control.  To ensure that students using business courses have an equivalent experience to students in a traditional economics or participation in government course, the following resources should be used in development of equivalent coursework: 

Seal of Civic Readiness Requirements 

In developing coursework to meet the economics or participation in government requirements, schools are strongly encouraged to consider if requirements for the Seal of Civic Readiness can be embedded in the course. 

Questions 

If schools or BOCES have any questions about this flexibility, please contact the Office of Career and Technical Education.  If there are questions regarding the social studies standards, framework, or Seal of Civic Readiness, please contact the Office of Standards and Instruction.