Career & Technical Education (CTE)

Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs support local middle and high school programs that provide 21st-century, academic and technical skills for all students. Teachers participate in the professional development of curricula and instruction, standards and assessment, and academic integration.

For more information on how CTE is designed, please review the Washington State CTE Program Standards.

Course & Program Approval

Every CTE course is approved by OSPI through the Course Application process in EDS. Course applications include course frameworks, extended learning opportunities, skills gap information, and more.

Carl D. Perkins Act

The purpose of the Carl D. Perkins Act is to develop more fully the academic and career and technical skills of secondary education students and postsecondary education students who elect to enroll in career and technical education programs.

CTE Graduation Pathway

• Approved Local CTE Pathways (updated May 2025)
• Local CTE Graduation Pathway EDS Submission Tutorial (updated January 2022)
• Form Instructions (updated January 2021)
• Please note, the Local CTE Graduation Pathway Approval Form is now located in the Graduation Alternatives application in EDS.

Program of Study & Career Clusters

See a list of CTE career goals and job skills, post-high school, used to further their academic and hands-on education and training.

Resources & Essentials

Find a compiled list of resources like the course and program approval charts, leadership templates, toolkits, and more!

Skills Centers

Skills centers are regional secondary schools that serve high school students from multiple school districts.