Glossary of Terms

College credit earned by students while in high school.  Some examples of ways to earn accelerated credit are: Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge Advanced International Certificate Education (AICE), Career Pathways Credit by Exam or by Industry Certification, International Baccalaureate (IB), High School Dual Enrollment.

Links a secondary CTE program to a corresponding CTE program at the college level. A local agreement between a state college and a school district determines how secondary students can earn college credit in a postsecondary CTE program.

Secondary to postsecondary statewide articulation agreements are based on industry certifications.  Any Florida student or community member with an industry certification on the “Gold Standard Career Pathways Articulation Agreements of Industry Certifications”  list is guaranteed college credit at Florida state colleges offering the specified articulated programs.

A high school career academy is a school-within-a-school that offers academic programs organized around broad career themes. A career academy includes at least one and possibly more CTE programs.  Academies integrate classroom instruction with work-based learning to equip students with skills for both workforce entry and postsecondary education.  Students in career academies are prepared for industry certification tests and may also earn accelerated credit.

Career and Technical Education fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-tech-edu/ is the 21^st century name for vocational education. Since skills and industries are constantly evolving due to new technology and the demands of the economy, in the last fifty years vocational education/CTE has also evolved and broadened its scope.  CTE provides educational programs that prepare individuals for occupations important to Florida’s economic development.  These programs are organized into 17 different career clusters and are geared toward middle school, high school, district technical school, and Florida College System students throughout the state.  With the help of partners in education, business and industry, and trade associations, who review the curriculum on a three-year cycle, each program includes the academic and technical skills required to be successful in today’s economy.  

A sequence of CTE courses either at the secondary or post-secondary level and described in the Florida Department of Education Curriculum Frameworks. fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-tech-edu/curriculum-frameworks/2018-19-frameworks CTE programs are organized into Career Clusters. The same secondary CTE program can exist at several high schools in one school district and can operate separately from a Career Academy. Post-secondary CTE programs lead to Certificates, A.A.S. and A.S. degrees.

A way of organizing groups of closely related careers as identified by industry and education leaders and other stakeholders. Career Clusters identify a common core of knowledge and skills, both academic and technical, for a broad set of careers allowing all learners to pursue a wide range of career opportunities from entry level through management and professional levels. Florida lists careers under 17 Career Clusters.

fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-tech-edu/curriculum-frameworks/2018-19-frameworks geared toward middle school, high school, district technical school, and Florida College System students throughout the state.

Career Pathways programs of study provide education and training organized as a series of manageable and linked steps, from the secondary level onwards, leading to successively higher credentials and employment opportunities in growing occupations. Each step is designed to prepare individuals for the next level of employment or education and provide a credential with labor market value. Career Pathways programs of study are documented on a Program of Study template.

A college-level assessment whereby students in secondary CTE programs may qualify for college credit in an articulated post-secondary program.  Depending on the CTE program, the assessment may be a written exam, multiple choice exam, portfolio, 5-day summer course or assessment of the complete high school program.  Some assessments may also require the student to pass an industry certification. Career Pathways Assessments are administered by Career Pathways and Santa Fe College CTE programs and proctored by SF faculty.

A Florida student who has earned at least three credits in a single career and technical education program.

A Florida student who has earned one or more credits in any CTE program.

A document that includes the state-approved elements - course title, course description, specifications, and standards that define the content - that make up a specific course within a CTE program. These may be found in the CTE Curriculum Frameworks. fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-tech-edu/curriculum-frameworks/2018-19-frameworks

The Florida CTE Curriculum Frameworks fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-tech-edu/curriculum-frameworks/2018-19-frameworks outline educational programs that prepare individuals for occupations important to Florida’s economic development. Each program is aligned to a career cluster and is detailed in the curriculum frameworks. With partners from education, business and industry, and trade associations, the curriculum frameworks include program standards that are both academically integrated and responsive to business and industry.

Standards-based assessment of students’ achievement of knowledge and skills at the end of a high school course. EOC’s are administered by the school district. 

A voluntary process through which students are assessed by an independent, third-party certifying entity using predetermined standards for knowledge, skills, and competencies, resulting in the award of a credential that is nationally recognized and must be at least one of the following:

1. Within an industry that addresses a critical local or statewide economic need;
2. Linked to an occupation that is included in the workforce system’s targeted occupation list; or
3. Linked to an occupation that is identified as emerging.

Students in high school CTE programs articulated with SF CTE programs may qualify for college credit by earning specific industry certifications. fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-technical-edu-agreements/industry-certification.stml

A course that is part of an A.S. or A.A.S. degree that does not transfer to a state 4-year college. An occupational course can be part of a Bachelor’s degree at SF.

A course that is part of an A.A. or A.S. degree and can transfer to a 4-year college or university.

An articulated sequence of rigorous, secondary and postsecondary CTE and academic courses which addresses an area of local economic need. The sequence must lead to an industry-recognized credential or technical certification, or an associates or baccalaureate degree at an accredited postsecondary institution.  

A Program of Study template is the document used to describe the specific high school and postsecondary courses that lead to a college degree program, certification/credential and correlating careers in a career pathway.