CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT

Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses provide students with pathway-specific technical and academic skills, as well as employability skills for success in any workplace, in further education, and in career awareness and planning. Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO's) allowing students opportunities for leadership in a student-led organization related to their CTE course of interest. CTE students have opportunities to earn industry certifications and licenses, postsecondary certificates, workplace experience, and an associates degree. Career and Technical Education instructional programs correlate with Virginia’s Standards of Learning (SOL) and provide opportunities to reinforce SOL instruction and Workplace Readiness Skills.  

CTE offers a competency-based curriculum at both the middle and high school levels. All middle school programs include keyboarding/computers, family and consumer science (FACS), and technology education. These experiences provide opportunities for students to explore careers, interests, abilities, and life skills, and prepare them for a more rigorous high school CTE curriculum. High school programs include agriculture, business/information technology, FACS, health and medical sciences, marketing, technology education, and trade and industrial education. Most high school courses offer the opportunity to earn industry-based certifications through national/industry assessments and/or licensure exams. Two sequential concentration CTE courses fulfill the elective requirements for graduation. Each CTE program offers co-curricular student organizations to enhance the CTE learning experience.

The postsecondary education and employment data by the State Council of Higher Education is available on the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia webpage.

Stafford Schools Success Stars

Watch: Amy Wood - Career Success Star - Architectural Designer  

Watch: Jacob Nicholson - Career Success Star - Project Manager