Career and Technical Education Programs. Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a planned program of courses and learning experiences that begins with exploration of career options and supports basic academic and life skills. CTE instruction is delivered through programs at middle and high schools, through approved online courses, and at skill centers.

Career and Technical Education Funding. The prototypical school model provides funding for CTE courses offered at the middle school and high school level. This funding is calculated using CTE-specific student-to-teacher ratios and per-pupil amounts for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC). MSOC funds are currently provided for exploratory CTE courses offered in grades 7 to 12, preparatory CTE courses offered in grades 9 to 12, and preparatory CTE courses offered in grades 11 to 12 through a skill center.

School districts may offer exploratory CTE courses to sixth grade students in middle school.

Sixth grade middle school students enrolled in exploratory CTE programs may not be included in enrollment counts for purposes of CTE allocations. 

Middle and high school CTE courses must be treated as a single program when accounting for and calculating minimum expenditures, carryover amounts, and recovery amounts. This treatment is exclusively for accounting purposes and must not result in disparate program quality across grade levels.