Smith County Schools

Tennessee students have an unprecedented opportunity to prepare for entry into the workforce with education and training beyond high school through the Tennessee Promise. Tennessee is committed to expanding the number of high school students earning early postsecondary course credits and industry certifications and to broadening the reach of these opportunities to include students who lacked access in the past. Today’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) begins early preparing youth and adults for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers. The CTE framework includes career clusters and within each cluster are Programs of Study that align with industry groupings of occupations with similar domain knowledge requirements.

CAREER CLUSTER AND PROGRAMS OF STUDY

There are currently 16 Career Clusters as defined by the state that represents broad categories of occupations and broad industries based on commonalities. Expectations at the pathway level represent the skills and knowledge, both academic and technical, necessary to pursue a full range of career opportunities within a pathway— ranging from entry-level to management, including technical and professional career specialties.

Programs of Study are meant to provide a relevant framework of industry-aligned, rigorous courses that progress a student in knowledge and skills year after year. They provide invaluable opportunities for students to experience a subject they are passionate about and explore interests that lead to postsecondary learning and future career paths. These sequenced courses also reflect and support the three-credit EFA requirement for graduation. For a full list of all endorsed by the Tennessee State Board of Education visit TN Department of Education CTE Career Clusters. 

CTE CONCENTRATOR VS. COMPLETER

Effective in the 2020-21school year, the definition of a student who concentrates (or has a focus of study) in CTE was updated. The revised definition requires that a student who concentrates in CTE must earn two or more credits in sequential order within one program of study. Course sequences are structured to build upon the knowledge and skills obtained from one course to the next. 

Elective Focus Area

An elective focus area is a graduation requirement designed to help better prepare students for college and the workforce. The requirement is to take three-course credits in one of the focus areas. Courses are generally sequenced, and some may require pre-requisites. Rising Freshmen are required to select an elective focus area, but this may be changed in subsequent years. Students should work with their School Counselor(s) to determine the most appropriate plan that will align career goals and meet the Tennessee graduation requirements.

PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Students should work with their school counselor to choose the most appropriate program that most aligns with their career interests.

Programs of Study Information

Links will show display Programs of Study Information, Job Outlook, Postsecondary Certification, Salary Information, Careers, Projected Employment, Student Organizations, TN Promise Information, and School Contact Information for each program. Please click on your school and scroll to find your interested Pathway.

• Gordonsville High School Pathway Programs
• Smith County High School Pathway Programs

Tennessee’s career and technical education (CTE) programs of study are meant to provide a relevant framework of industry-aligned, rigorous courses that progress a student in knowledge and skills year after year. They provide invaluable opportunities for students to experience a subject that they are passionate about and explore interests that lead to postsecondary learning and future career paths. These sequenced courses also reflect and support the three-credit elective focus requirement for graduation. Level 1 courses are encouraged to be taken by students in ninth grade; however, districts may make scheduling decisions that work best for their communities and students.

Early-postsecondary opportunities (EPSOs), such as dual enrollment, dual credit courses, and college-level examination program exams (CLEP) are also valuable opportunities for all students and should be provided within the program of study. The dual enrollment course codes may substitute for the Level 3 or 4-course offerings in any aligned career cluster’s programs of study where those course codes represent post-secondary courses. Each program of study has four dual enrollment course codes.

Career Exploration (C25X00) is available to orient eighth and ninth-grade students to high school, postsecondary, and career options and develop employability skills. This course can serve as a prerequisite for any CTE course and program of study; however, it is not a required part of any program of study and should not be counted toward CTE concentrator status. Visit the CTE Career Exploration Course Information. 

Work-Based Learning: Career Practicum (C25H16) is available to be a substitute for any level 4 course offering. However, this course will not count toward concentrator status but will count toward completer status. Visit the CTE Work-Based Learning Information.

Industry Credentials have been removed from this document. To review promoted industry credentials by programs of study, visit CTE Industry Certifications.

(Resources are linked to Programs of Study. Course descriptions and standards are linked to each specific course. Photos of Activities are available under each SCHOOL NAME link.)

READY GRADUATE

The “Every Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA) requires reporting of an indicator to predict high school graduate performance in post-secondary training or the workforce. This indicator should represent proficiency beyond academics. The TN Ready Graduate indicator represents a holistic, well-rounded  education, and to meet this requirement, students must fulfill at least one of the following criteria:

• Earn a  composite score of 21 or higher on the ACT (or 1060  or higher on the SAT)
• Complete four early post-secondary opportunities (EPSOs)
• Complete two EPSOs earn an industry certification
• Complete two EPSOs earn a score of military readiness, 31 or higher, on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT)

Click to view more information on Ready Graduate and Indicators

EARLY POST-SECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES (EPSO)

Research has shown that on Early Post-Secondary Opportunities improve the readiness and success rates for students' post-high school graduation in the workforce or post-secondary or training programs. Early post-secondary opportunities allow students to: 

• earn post-secondary credits while in high school;
• become familiar with post-secondary rigor and expectations;
• develop confidence and skills for success in post-secondary learning and workforce;
• make informed post-secondary and career decisions;
• decrease the time and cost of completing a certificate or degree.

Smith County Schools offer students the following opportunities to earn EPSOs:

• Dual enrollment DE) is a post- secondary course, taught either at the post-secondary institution or at the high school, by post-secondary faculty or credentialed adjunct faculty. Dual enrollment provides college credit at the school where the course was completed but may also transfer to other colleges.
• Local dual credit (LDC) is a high school course aligned to a local post-secondary institution’s course and exam. LDC earned college credit is only valid at the college designated.
• State wide dual credit (SDC) classes are college- level courses taught at the high school level by trained high school teachers. SDC earned is valid only to state Tennessee colleges. 
• Industry certifications (IC) are earned through secondary and post-secondary career and technical education programs and courses.
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams can be taken to assess mastery of post-secondary level material acquired in a variety of ways, including through general academic instructions, significant indepeImagendent study or extracurricular work. CLEP credit is widely accepted at many postsecondary institutions.

TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

• ACT Information
• College Application Resume for 2025 [With Examples, Tips & Template]
• College For Tennessee
• College For TN
• College Stats
• Education Planner
• eTiger Login
• FAFSA Information
• Job Smart
• Jobs4TN
• PBS WCTE
• Tennessee Achieves
• Tennessee Promise
• The College System of Tennessee
• Teenagers Guide to the Real World
• TSBA Data Dashboard
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Virtual Job Shadow

Important Documents for Smith County Schools CTE

• Tennesse Student Success Resources
• Drive to 55
• Vision for Excellent Career and Technical Education (CTE) Instruction
• CCTE Transition Advisory Council
• CCTE Drive to 55 TN State Report
• Strengthening Career and Technical Education in Tennessee 2020-2024 State Plan
• TN Electronic Library
• TBR College System Early Post-Secondary Opportunities 

ACT in CTE Activities

• Machining and Welding
• Agriculture, Horticulture, Plant, Vet and Animal Science
• Audio/Visual Production
• Computer Applications, Business Communications, Adv Computer Applications
• Education and Teaching as a Profession
• Health Science, Anatomy & Physiology, Medical Therapeutics 
• Cosmetology, Dietetics and Nutrition
• Criminal Justice
• STEM 
• Auto Maintenance and Repair