Career and technical education (CTE) is an excellent way for transition age students to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for their career interest. CTE programs can provide different opportunities in a wide range of fields such as automotive, manufacturing, health care, information technology, agriculture, culinary, and more. For a student with an IEP, it’s a good way to get a jump start toward a career by working toward a credential, earning dual credit, and completing work-based learning experiences.
According to the National Center on Learning Disabilities (see below), nearly 11.8 million students in the United States participated in CTE in 2017-18. Of those students, 877,938 were secondary learners with disabilities, and 126,110 were postsecondary learners with disabilities. Students with disabilities have shown more successful postsecondary outcomes when they have access to CTE with accommodations and supports.
Given those positive outcomes, it is important to include CTE information in the student’s transition IEP. Consider incorporating CTE information into the IEP by:
- including student interests and skills related to CTE programs in the present levels.
- using transition assessments that target skills and abilities related to CTE programs.
- including direct statements for employment and education connected to CTE that guide the IEP toward the postsecondary goals.
- including activities completed in CTE programs as transition services.
- developing annual goals related to the student’s interests in CTE.
Designing a Transition IEP that incorporates CTE will help the student and their family understand the relevance and purpose of their education.
Resource: