Career and Technical Education (CTE)

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Universal CTE Resources

Iowa CTE Standards

The State Board of Education has adopted career and technical education (CTE) standards for high school and middle school CTE programs. The CTE standards correspond to each of the six service areas and are required for Iowa schools offering CTE programs. The six service areas include: agriculture, food and natural resources; applied sciences, technology, engineering, and manufacturing; business, finance, marketing and management; health science; human services; and information solutions.

Search by Service Area

Program of Study

RPP 1 Program of Study Self Study Schedule

RPP 1 Program of Study Review Cycle

A Program of Study Self Study is due by all CTE programs on a 5-year cycle. The table above shows program cycle for  NEICTEP RPP1. 

Timeline for Program of Study Completion:

1. AEA Workshop: Program of Study Launch Workshop (Feb/March)

2. Between March and September, educators complete their initial draft.

3. AEA workshop: Program of Study Peer Feedback/ Collaboration  (September/October)

4. Initial submission to the RPP Program Review Team (November)

5. Final revisions complete (December)

6. January RPP action item: Approve the Program of Studies to be submitted to the Department of Education. 

7. RPP Coordinator submits the region’s programs for review (before Feb. 1)

Resources

Model Programs

CTE Model Programs

The Iowa Department of Education’s Career and Technical Education Bureau developed these specific model programs as a starting point for school districts, new teachers and other educational stakeholders to view program examples that may serve as guideposts for new program implementation with fidelity. 

These model programs are not to take the place of high achieving CTE programming that is in compliance with current state and federal operation requirements, but rather to be best utilized by districts looking to create additional pathways or make updates to existing ones. Model programs may also be helpful to advisory committees when looking to make suggestions to course alignment.

The Iowa CTE model programs include foundational CTE courses, pathway specific example courses, and post secondary community college courses for a complete roadmap to program success. Also embedded into these model program documents are examples of aligned career and technical student organization activities and work based learning experiences. 

Please remember that these model programs are to be used as guideposts only. Please continue to analyze labor market data and solicit feedback from advisory committees, as well as other stakeholders on a local level to determine need and program specific coursework.

Model Programs by Service Area

Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment

Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO)

CTE State and National Organizations

Career Connected Learning/ Work Based Learning

Legislation passed in May of 2024 created an umbrella term of Career Connected Learning for experiences where students engage with and learn from business and industry. There are two components now: 

  • Career Exploration is defined “learning about work” and includes career activities of awareness, exploration, and preparation. 
  • Work Based Learning is defined as “working to learn” and focuses on the training portion of the continuum. 

The passage of Senate File 2411 in May 2024 clarified a consistent definition of work-based learning: “sustained project-based learning in partnership with an employer, simulated work experiences aligned with industry-recognized credentials, high-quality pre-apprenticeships aligned to an apprenticeship, student learner programs, internships, and apprenticeships.”

  • These experiences primarily occur in high school, and student attainment of work-based learning experiences is a priority indicator in Iowa’s school rating calculations under the new, unified accountability system.
  • Work-based learning experiences primarily take place in a physical work environment, but some may be provided in a simulated or virtual work environment within a classroom setting.

(Here is the direct link to SF2411)

Work Based Learning Definitions and Reporting

Additional Reporting Supports

Industry Recognized Credentials

Resources to explore:

Resources by Program

Agricultural Education

Agricultural Education three component model for instruction graphic

Agricultural education prepares students for successful careers and a lifetime of informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems.

— FFA Agricultural Education Mission

Resources:

Business, Finance, Marketing, and Management Education

Iowa Standards are aligned to the national standards by MBA research. Below are a few resources to check out:

State’s Connection (free with valid Iowa education email) is a space for instructional materials and resources to support educators and their program development. There are also a variety of supports for CTSO integration:

Family and Consumer Science

Industrial Technology

Career and Technical Student Organizations

FBLA

FBLA Logo
FBLA

FBLA Logo

General Resources

FBLA Kits & Recruitment Resources

Login in Dashboard: https://connect.fbla.org/

National FBLA Kit

Iowa FBLA Kit

In addition, the resources below will help with recruitment, including some promo videos. Below are a few videos that you could use. 

Iowa FBLA Contacts

District Leadership Conference

Schedule and Registration Information – January 28, 2025

District Leadership conference guide

Register Here on Blue Panda

Registration will be open from November 1 to December 4, 2024. Registration can be accessed at app.gobluepanda.com by clicking on “Log in with FBLA Connect”. For assistance, view the Blue Panda guides at www.iowafbla.org/advisers.

FCCLA – Keystone District

FCCLA

General Resources

FCCLA Quick Reference Guide

The quick reference guide is a compilation of notes, resources, and questions related to FCCLA in one space. Take a look!

FCCLA Quick Reference Guide

Schedule and Registration Information- November 4, 2024

Join us on November 4, 2024 at Keystone AEA in Elkader, IA for the District Leadership Conference. It will be a day of fun, leadership development opportunties, and is a great way to start the year for your FCCLA chapter. 

Schedule for the day

REGISTRATION LINK

District Officers

District Officer Application and Submission Resources

Officer Application

Keystone District Officers will be chosen at the annual District Leadership Conference. Linked below is the application to be completed by interested students. Applications are due 

Google Docs version

Microsoft Office Version

Submit completed application materials to the form provided below.

District Officer Application Submission Form

Chapters

Cascade 

Clayton Ridge

Decorah

Dubuque Hempstead

Dubuque Senior

Eastern Allamakee

Edgewood-Colesburg

Howard-Winneshiek

Maquoketa Valley

MFL MarMac

New Hampton

North Fayette Valley

Postville

Riceville

Starmont

Turkey Valley

West Central

West Delaware

Western Dubuque 

Skills USA

2024-2025 Skills USA

1. Starting your chapter

Complete a charter application and develop local bylaws. Here are links to both of these files. When completed, send to the Iowa Skills USA State Director, Kent Storm, at E-Mailstatedirector@skillsusaiowa.org

2. Professional Membership

Each year, after August 1st, you should join as a professional member on the national website (register.skillsusa.org).  This will allow you access to the Championship Technical Standards that are available on October 1st. You can follow the steps below to create your account. 

 3. General Resource Links

4. Steps to start your SkillsUSA Chapter 

  1. Do you have one or two students that are proactive in class that would make great chapter leaders? How can they support conversations regarding SkillsUSA with other students and the public? SkillsUSA is co-curricular, not extra-curricular.  That added piece of leadership to your daily curriculum is the key.
  2. Convene the chapter’s first meeting (before school/lunch/after school – during class) and go over some dates and maybe show the video below. Find student leaders who want to be officers, and let them do the legwork to find out how to run the show. Skills USA is student-led, so you are there to guide and advise, but let your students run it.
  3. Once an officer team is established, those leaders should brainstorm with the members what pieces (you don’t have to do them all – it’s YOUR chapter) of the Program of Work sound interesting and doable. It might be a fundraiser, It might be a community service project, It might be talking to the middle school students about CTE at the high school, It might inviting a local Business and Industry Partner to talk to the students about high-demand high-wage jobs in Iowa!
  4. And of course, there is the discussion of competitions offered at the State Leadership and Skills Conference in Ankeny in April.

2024-2025 Teacher Updates

Monthly Newsletter

Grant Management

RPP1 and Keystone Perkins Consortium Grant Management Resources

Access our grant management resources at https://www.keystoneaea.org/classroom-support/cte-main/grant-management.

Contact Bev Berns (bberns@aea1.k12.ia.us) to recover your password.

Contact

Bev Berns

School Improvement Facilitator

Elkader

E-Mailbberns@keystoneaea.org