Technical Skills Attainment & Industry Recognized Credential
NEW for 2020: Identification of Stackable Credentials
Beginning in school year 2020-2021, students earning two stackable credentials in a program area will have the same effect on a district's APR as earning an IRC. Our current working definition of a stackable credential is:
A series of aligned, recognized, preferred, and/or required credentials (stackable) within an industry or sector that support an individual’s ability to obtain related, career employment.
Examples of a stackable credential might include Basic Life Support (BLS), OSHA 10, ServSafe®, Forklift Operator or Commercial Driver's License (CDL). These credentials alone do not indicate concentration in a CTE program, but two or more of these types of credentials, that are aligned to a specific CTE program area, indicate the student has earned preferred credentials.
Guidance for Selecting IRCs and TSAs
New IRC and TSA Guidance
(Updated 09/15/2020)
IRC Summary
(Updated 11/19/2019)
Career Clusters
The National Career Clusters® Framework provides an organizational structure for framing CTE programs through well-developed programs of study. There are 16 Career Clusters and 79 Career Pathways in the National Career Clusters® Framework. The Career Clusters include:
- Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
- Architecture & Construction
- Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
- Business Management & Administration
- Education & Training
- Finance
- Government & Public Administration
- Health Science
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Human Services
- Information Technology
- Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
- Manufacturing
- Marketing
- Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
- Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
More information can be found on the National Career Clusters® Framework website.
