February is CTE Month

Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Iowa includes educational programs offering a sequence of courses that prepare individuals for employment in current or emerging occupations. Programs include competency-based applied learning, which contributes to an individual’s academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, and occupational-specific skills.

CTE students earn industry certifications and licenses, postsecondary certificates, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees and higher.

Clear Creek Amana introduces CTE in middle school with technology and STEM classes, and in high school, students can explore more options offered in 5 different programs. CTE high school students are college and career ready. The following are programs and classes offered to CCA students either at CCA or at Kirkwood Community College. 

Middle School Programs:

• 6th grade- Technology and STEM
• 7th grade- Industrial Technology and STEM
• 8th grade- Industrial Technology and STEM

High School Programs: Over 500 CCA students participate in these programs every semester.

• Agricultural Education
• Family & Consumer Science
• Business Education
• Applied Sciences (industrial tech)
• Health Science through Kirkwood offerings

Career and technical student organizations (CSTO) are offered or will soon be offered for high school CTE programs. CTSO’s will be required for all programs starting in 2022. 

• FCCLA:  Family, Career and Community Leaders of America
• FBLA:  Future Business Leaders of American
• FFA:  Future Farmers of America
• SKILLSUSA: SkillsUSA

92% of high school students and 69% of college and adult students are engaged in CTE learning skills in the classroom and on the job.

Sources:
Department of Education:  https://educateiowa.gov/adult-career-comm-college/career-and-technical-education
Association for Career and Technical Education: https://www.acteonline.org/why-cte/what-is-cte/