2022 EDUCATION EDITION
COURSE CLUSTERS The state recognizes 14 career clusters for CTE courses, but districts may o er a variety of options.
COLLEGE, CAREER AND MILITARY READY The state tracks the percentage of students who are deemed ready to enter the workforce, go to college or enlist in the military. CTE courses can help students reach this level of readiness. Region 13 is in Central Texas, and data is further broken down by school district.
courses from a selection of CTE-based o erings to take throughout their time in high school, slightly less struc- tured than similar o erings in RRISD or PfISD. PfISD students will similarly choose one or more programs of study to guide their course selection as high school stu- dents. Hendrix said students may change their programs of study at any time. In RRISD, students will select an academy to guide their educational pursuits beginning in high school, with some academies geared toward CTE education and others driven by performing arts focuses. These academies are aligned with CTE pathways that set students on a course of study throughout their time as a high school student with several programs o ering certi cation and internship opportunities in partnership with local businesses. As local CTE programs are evolving to meet the demands of changing indus- try, local data shows enroll- ment is also increasing. From the 2019-20 school year to the 2020-21 school year, RRISD and HISD saw substantial upticks in CTE students with year-over-year enrollment at HISD up more than 54% in that time period. Jacobson said RRISD’s CTE program has a variety of o erings that allow her chil- dren to explore their interests before choosing a career, get- ting ahead before they enter
the workforce. “These kids can walk in with this on a resume, show- ing that not only did they take this class, they have the cer- ti cation,” Jacobson said. “I think those make a big impact on careers, whether they’re going more of a technical route or a college route.” Post graduation After graduating, students who have taken advantage of CTE o erings in high school may choose to attend a four- year college or university, attend a trade school, jump straight into an apprentice- ship or otherwise enter the workforce directly. One local option, Texas State Technical College, o ers multiple opportunities for students to build on skills developed in high school CTE courses. TSTC’s Williamson County campus, located in Hutto, o ers a local option for students looking to begin their careers in trades. Asso- ciate Dean Nelson Adams said TSTC students have a placement rate of over 90%, meaning that over 90% of students who complete TSTC programs are able to nd jobs in their selected eld. Adams also said students who work prior to graduat- ing high school, whether in the eld they intend to seek a career or in retail, are gain- ing a set of transferable skills that provide an additional edge post-graduation. “They’re learning a valuable
ROUND ROCK ISD • Animation
State Region 13
RRISD PfISD HISD
SOURCES: HUTTO ISD, PFLUGERVILLE ISD, ROUND ROCK ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER PFLUGERVILLE ISD • Law and public safety • Emergency services ( re/ EMT academy) set of skills in that experi- ence,” Adams said. “Those students that are working really hit the ground running and are able to pick up on those skills faster.” • Fashion design • Interior design • Print shop • Science, technology, engineering and mathematics • Game programming and design • Transportation, distribution and logistics • Drone aviation HUTTO ISD • Applied agricultural engineering • Agricultural mechanics and metal technologies • Agricultural equipment design and fabrication
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
SOURCES: HUTTO ISD, PFLUGERVILLE ISD, ROUND ROCK ISD, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
programs and certi cations and gain additional expe- rience before attending an institution of higher educa- tion or working in their eld after graduation. Local programs are based on demands of the labor market and emerging indus- try, PfISD CTE Director Traci Hendrix said. “We focus on partnering with business and post-sec- ondary partners in the area and doing a lot of research on current opportunities,” Hen- drix said. “Then we look at what opportunities are going to be arising in the next few years and build programs that allow students to start explor- ing [those] in middle school.” Jodi Jacobson, an RRISD parent of three students, said the CTE program was a decid- ing factor in choosing the
district. She said it has kept her children in Round Rock as she has recently gotten a new job in San Marcos. “I make that commute daily,” Jacobson said. “Not just because of the comfort that my kids had built at Round Rock, but because of their very diverse interests, and knowing that Round Rock ISD has exactly the programs that they would want to be in and they would need.” CTE programming falls into career clusters. For example, in PfISD, agriculture encom- passes multiple courses of study, such as animal science, applied agricultural engineer- ing and plant science. The Texas Education Agency recognizes 14 career clusters that school districts may further break down. HISD students can choose
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ROUND ROCK EDITION • AUGUST 2022
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