Career and Technical Education in Houston Independent School District (HISD)

The Career and Technical Education Pathway National State Texas Local Houston Independent School District (HISD)

Career and Technical Education in HISD HISD defines Career and Technical Education (CTE) as a framework and curriculum that “provides students with the academic and technical skills they need to compete in the global workforce and/or to continue their education at the post-secondary level after graduation” ( By enrolling in CTE courses and participating in CTE program components, students are empowered to strengthen the economic and social foundation of the local community and beyond. – According to Ferguson, Schwartz & Symonds (2011), “There are already pockets of excellence in career and technical education in many American states and communities. Cutting-edge career and technical education (CTE) bears little relationship to the old vocational education programs that were often little more than dumping grounds for students who couldn’t cut it in college-prep. Today’s best CTE programs do a better job of preparing many students for college and career than traditional academics- only programs.” (pg. 25)

Career and Technical Education(CTE) in HISD What CTE looks like in HISD – The Career and Technical Education program (CTE) in the Houston Independent School District(HISD) has a mission to equip students with the marketable academic and technical skills needed to compete in the global workforce and/or to continue their education at the post-secondary level after graduation. Consequently, the goals of the CTE program are: to provide students with relevant and up-to-date instruction within their career pathway (s) of interest, to offer an advanced curriculum that can lead to industry certifications, to expose students to out-of-classroom and real-world work experiences, and to implement professional development that focuses on best practices in career and technical education.

Career and Technical Education(CTE) in HISD What CTE looks like in HISD – Sixth-grade through twelfth-grade students can enroll in elective courses that match their career interests. High school students can develop a career concentration and take multiple CTE courses that correspond with their interests. The development of a career pathway concentration that is planned from a strong coherent sequence of courses allows students the opportunity to identify career options that lead to transferable skills and knowledge. – One hundred and sixty-five different CTE courses were offered at 67 schools in 29 high schools and 38 middle schools throughout the district. These courses cover the career concentrations identified by the TEA. The CTE program provides students opportunities to learn about their career pathways within the classroom setting and through internships in work-based learning environments. – According to HISD’s Research Educational Program Report (2010), the most popular career concentrations in the district for 2008−2009 were (1) Information Technology, (2) Health Science, (3) Human Services, (4) Marketing, Sales, and Services, and (5) Manufacturing. – In a departmental memo, HISD Superintendant Terry Grier notes, “When analyzing the longitudinal graduation rates, the percentages of CTE students graduating from high school in a four-year period were higher than those of the district in the class of 2006(79.9 percent versus 67.1 percent), in the class of 2007 (79.4 percent versus 64.3 percent), and in the class of 2008 (84.7 percent versus 68.2 percent).”

References Houston Independent School District.(2010). Career and Technical Education Evaluation Report Houston, TX: Department Research and Accountability. Ferguson, R. B., Schwartz, R. B. & Symonds, W. C. (2011). Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century. Report issued by the Pathways to Prosperity Project, Harvard Graduate School of Education.