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Cafeteria Plan: An insurance plan that provides the option of selecting a combination of health care and insurance benefits.
Capacity (Physical): The maximum recommended number of students in a physical shop, classroom or laboratory based on curriculum, square footage, number of machines used in instruction and/or safety issues.
Capital Outlay: Funds for the acquisition of land and buildings; building construction, remodeling and additions; the initial installation or extension of service systems and other built-in equipment; and site improvement. The category also encompasses architectural and engineering services, including the development of blueprints.
Capstone Course: A culminating experience in which students integrate special studies with their majors and extend, critique and apply knowledge related to their majors; a final mastery experience.
Capstone Project: A special project typically completed at the end of coursework and featuring faculty supervision, activity and knowledge linked to prior coursework, dissemination of results and evaluation by the instructor.
Career Academy: A smaller learning community within a high school or technology center that integrates rigorous academic preparation with a focused field of technical preparation including a model sequence of courses. The academy should focus on a particular industry cluster and must identify pathways that lead to postsecondary certifications, licenses and/or degree opportunities through continued education.
Career and Academic Connections: Division of the ODCTE that develops and disseminates products, offers in-service training and provides technical assistance and leadership for career and academic guidance.
Career and Technical Education: A sequence of courses that provides individuals with coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging professions. It provides technical skill proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, a certificate or an associate degree and may include prerequisite courses (other than a remedial course) that meet other requirements. It includes competency-based applied learning that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, occupation-specific skills and knowledge of all aspects of an industry, including entrepreneurship, or an individual. (Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006).
Career and Technology Education: Organized educational programs offering sequences of courses directly related to preparing individuals for paid or unpaid employment in current or emerging occupations requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree (Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, Public Law 105-332).
Career Assessment: Process of measuring vocational or career aptitude and interest. It may include such factors as work history, physical capacity, work values and temperament.
Career Awareness: Activities designed to help students understand the role of work, their own uniqueness and basic knowledge about career clusters and of different occupations.
Career Cluster: A way for schools to organize instruction and student experiences through programs of study around 16 broad categories that encompass virtually all occupations from entry- through professional-level. Each cluster (broad occupational grouping) is divided into pathways. Career pathways are composed of a wide variety of related career majors/programs. Career majors/programs are composed of sequences of courses that vary in length. Successful career major/program completion leads to employment and/or postsecondary enrollment.
Career Cluster Foundation Level: Represents the skill and knowledge, both academic and technical, that all students within a career cluster should achieve regardless of their pathways.
Career Cluster Pathway Level: Represents a sub-grouping of entry-level through professional-level occupations within a career cluster with common knowledge and skills, both academic and technical, necessary to pursue a full range of career opportunities within a pathway.
Career Concentration: Foundation, core and specialized courses or programs that help students succeed in work and further education.
Career Counseling: Communication that takes place between counseling professionals and their clients concerning issues of preference, competency, achievement, self-esteem and the array of factors that facilitate or inhibit personal planning.
Career Development: A lifelong process involving the development of work values, establishment of a career identity, learning about opportunities and trying out plans. The process is designed to help individuals understand their relationships to the world of work. Career development is generally accepted as including a person’s total lifestyle, such as occupations, education, social responsibility, family life and leisure activities.
Career Development Event: An FFA program.
Career Exploration: Activities designed to assist students in discovering their individual interests, abilities, career values and needs by exploring occupations and the world of work.
Career Exploration Program (Exploratory): A sequence of courses outlined in a plan of study or competency profile in which students explore careers and career options.
Career Major/Program: A model sequence of courses that prepares a student for a career and ensures that integration occurs between academic and occupational learning; transitions are established between secondary schools and postsecondary institutions; and students receive skill credentials. An approved career major/program is a career major/program approved to be delivered by a school.
Career Major/Program Approval Process: The process a technology center or skills center uses to secure approval of a career major/program by the ODCTE.
Career Major/Program Completer: A student who has completed all courses required for a career major/program.
Career Major/Program Concentrator: Category used by the Information Management Division to identify enrollees who completed 360 hours or more of a career major/program, but did not complete the entire career major/program.
Career Pathway: A grouping of related occupations within a career cluster. The pathway represents the knowledge and skills, 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. A pathway belongs to only one cluster, but a cluster can contain multiple pathways. A career major belongs to only one pathway, but a pathway can contain multiple career majors.
Career Planning, Preparation and Application: Helps students acquire specific preparations, including the development of occupationally specific skills, application of academic theory to work-based situations and the mastery of workplace basic skills.
Career Portfolio: A lifelong, student-managed collection of achievements that shows progress toward career goals.
Career Practicum: A planned program of work-site learning experiences relevant to a student’s chosen career major/program or plan of study that is coordinated with the student’s academic or school-based preparation.
Career Readiness Certificate Program: A program that measures workplace literacy and represents a widely accepted common language for skills definition among employers, educators/trainers and potential/incumbent employees. With a database of more than 18,000 job profiles, Career Readiness Certificates identify skills needed on the job, assess an individual's skill level and help identify training needed to close any gaps. The program was designed by ACT, the company that developed the ACT assessment college entrance exam.
Career Readiness Certificate: A portable credential that confirms an individual's possession of certain fundamental skills needed in the workplace. The Career Readiness assessment system is used to determine skill levels for reading for information, applied mathematics and locating information. Depending on the scores, potential or incumbent employees receive a certificate at the bronze, silver, gold or platinum level.
Career Readiness Employer Partner: A school, business organization, employer, chamber of commerce, tribal career center, community college or local workforce office that recognize, request or require the Career Readiness Certificate during the hiring process. Jobs must be profiled by ACT Authorized WorkKeys® job profilers for partners that require the CRC when hiring or evaluating employees.
Career Ready 101®/KeyTrain®: Comprehensive career training course that provides basic workplace skills and National Career Readiness Certificate training using ACT WorkKeys® Assessment System.
Career Specialties: Represents the full range of career opportunities within each pathway.
Career Specific Program: A sequence of courses outlined in a plan of study or competency profile designed to prepare individuals with the knowledge and skills needed for employment in a specific trade, occupation or career.
CareerTech: Career and Technology Education.
CareerTech Student Organization: Student organizations designed to support the CareerTech goals of students and prepare members to be the leaders of the future.
CareerTech Testing Center: A division of the ODCTE that develops, maintains and analyzes competency tests and skill standards for occupational programs and licensing agencies.
Carl Perkins Career and Technical Education Act: Federal legislation that provides funding to states to develop more fully the academic, vocational and technical skills of secondary and postsecondary career and technology education students by promoting the integration of academic and vocational technical instruction, including links to secondary and postsecondary education for participating students. Eligible recipients are public schools with career and technology education programs, technology centers and community colleges that offer Associate of Applied Science degrees. The act establishes allowable expenditures by federal statute and requires each state to develop measures of accountability.
Carnegie Unit: Credit that may be given for the successful completion of a course that meets 40 minutes a day, five days a week, for at least 36 weeks or the equivalent of 120 clock hours within the school year or the equivalent in block scheduling. Oklahoma State Department of Education, Rules of the Oklahoma State Board of Education, Administration and Organization, Accreditation Standards 210:35-25-2, paragraph (3).
CATTRAX: HVAC training software programs, a product of Training Labs Inc., Redmond, Va.
Certificate: A formal award issued by a duly authorized body certifying the satisfactory completion of an educational program.
Certification: A designation granted to a person who has fulfilled the educational, performance and assessment requirements and who meets the standards established by a professional organization or government agency that regulates a particular career.
Certified Respiratory Therapist: An entry-level credential.
Child Development Associate: A national credential.
Civil Rights Compliance: Nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
Classification of Instructional Program Code: A coding scheme that contains titles and descriptions of primarily postsecondary instructional programs; developed to facilitate National Center for Educational Statistics collection and reporting of postsecondary degree completions by major fields of study using standard classifications that capture the majority of reportable program activity.
Client: An individual or entity receiving career and technology education services.
Client-Based Programs: Business and entrepreneurial services.
Clinical Coordination: Planned, supervised work-site learning experiences that are aligned with the curriculum and allow health occupations education students to practice skills.
Clock Hour: The unit of measurement some institutions give for fulfilling course requirements.
Cluster-Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources: Includes career paths in production, processing, marketing, distribution, financing and development of agricultural commodities and resources including food, fiber, wood products, natural resources, horticulture and other plant and animal products/resources.
Cluster -- Architecture and Construction: Preparing individuals for careers in designing, planning, managing, building and maintaining the built environment.
Cluster -- Arts, Audio/Video Technology and Communications: Preparing individuals for designing, producing, exhibiting, performing, writing and publishing multimedia content, including visual and performing arts and design, journalism and entertainment services.
Cluster -- Business Management and Administration: Preparing individuals for careers in business, management, administration, finance, information technology, marketing, sales and service.
Cluster -- Education and Training: Preparing individuals for managing and providing education and training services and related learning support services. The pathway leads to employment in such areas as paraprofessional, elementary, secondary or post-secondary teaching positions.
Cluster -- Finance: Preparing individuals for services related to financial and investment planning, banking, insurance and business financial management.
Cluster -- Government and Public Administration: Preparing individuals to execute governmental functions, including governance, national security, foreign service, planning, revenue and taxation, regulation and management and administration at the local, state and federal levels. The sequence of courses and course development guides has not yet been developed for the Government and Public Administration Cluster in Oklahoma.
Cluster -- Health Science: Preparing individuals for planning, managing and providing therapeutic services, diagnostic services, health informatics, support services and biotechnology research and development.
Cluster -- Hospitality and Tourism: Preparing individuals for employment in career pathways that relate to families and human needs such as restaurant and food/beverage services, lodging, travel and tourism, recreation, amusement and attractions.
Cluster -- Human Services: Preparing individuals for employment in career pathways that relate to families and human needs in areas such as counseling and mental health services, early childhood development, family, community and consumer services.
Cluster -- Information Technology: Preparing individuals for IT framework-related occupations for entry level, technical and professional careers related to the design, development, support and management of hardware, software, multimedia and systems integration services.
Cluster -- Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security: Preparing individuals for employment in corrections, security and protective services, law enforcement, legal services, emergency and fire management services.
Cluster -- Manufacturing: Preparing individuals for careers in areas such as quality assurance, manufacturing production process development, maintenance installation and repair, welding and metal fabrication.
Cluster -- Marketing: Preparing individuals to perform marketing activities for reaching organizational objectives such as brand management, professional sales, merchandising, marketing communications and marketing research.
Cluster -- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics: Preparing individuals to provide scientific research and professional and technical services (e.g., physical science, social science, engineering) including laboratory and testing services and research and development services.
Cluster -- Transportation, Distribution and Logistics: Preparing individuals for the management and movement of people, materials and goods by road, pipeline, air, rail and water and related professional and technical support services such as transportation infrastructure planning and management, logistics services, mobile equipment and facility maintenance.
Cluster Team: A team responsible for the planning and management of one career cluster and the pathways and majors/programs that fall under that career cluster. A career cluster is managed by only one cluster team, and a cluster team can only manage one career cluster.
Coherent Sequence of Courses: A series of courses in which CareerTech and academic education are integrated and directly related to both academic and occupational competencies.
College-Level Examination Program: A series of examinations demonstrating a student’s proficiency in a subject area for which some postsecondary institutions offer credit.
College Preparatory Program: Specific courses in academic subjects that stress preparation for college or university study.
Common Career Technical Core: A state-led initiative to establish a set of rigorous, high-quality standards for career technical education. It includes standards for each of the 16 career clusters and corresponding career pathways defining expected student outcomes upon completion of instruction in programs of study.
Common Core State Standards Initiative: A state-led effort to develop standards that provides a clear and consistent framework preparing students for college and the workforce upon completion of their K-12 education.
Communications and Marketing: The division of the ODCTE that provides internal and external communication services to promote CareerTech education.
Community Services: Courses and activities that do not meet the guidelines for formula funding and that are typically not occupational in nature.
Competency: A specific work task performed on the job or in the classroom. It is a large enough task to be valued in and of itself and is measurable and observable.
Competency Assessment: An ODCTE/CTTC- developed assessment of occupational readiness as outlined in the skills standards and taught using the curriculum materials.
Competency-Based Education: An educational system based on individualized instruction, emphasizing outcomes and allowing flexible pathways for achieving the outcomes. It identifies what is to be achieved and the standards for measuring achievement.
Competency Certificate: A recognition document that is awarded to an individual who has passed an ODCTE/CTTC-developed competency assessment.
Completion/Retention Rate: A unit of measurement that represents the number of students who completed or were retained in a career major/program divided by the total number of students enrolled in a career major/program.
Completer: A student who receives a degree, diploma, certificate or other formal award. To be considered a completer, the student must have the degree/award actually conferred.
Comprehensive Local Education Plan: A four-year plan for a school that is required by statute. For technology centers, the plan is submitted to the ODCTE and covers school improvement and capital improvement. For comprehensive high schools, it must also include alternative education and reading sufficiency and be submitted to the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Comprehensive School: PK-12 public school that offers CareerTech offerings in addition to academic curriculum.
Comprehensive School District: A school district in Oklahoma offering pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade education subjects fully accredited by the Oklahoma Board of Education.
Computerized Enrollment System for Instructors: An Internet-based system for comprehensive school teachers to use to submit student enrollment data to the Information Management Division of the ODCTE.
Concentrator (ODCTE Completion Status definition): A student who completes 360 hours or more of a career major/program but does not complete the entire career major/program.
Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education: Leaders across all levels of education and disciplines who are interested in entrepreneurship education and join together for leadership, technical assistance, advocacy, networking and sharing materials.
Consulting/Informal Training: Technical assistance and services provided by technology centers for organizational development (i.e., needs assessments, surveys, strategic planning) and small business activities (i.e., business plan development, marketing, finance and other areas relating to small business operation).
Contextual Academics: The integration of mathematics, science, written communication and reading into career and technology education curriculum using real-world problems and projects in a way that helps students understand the application of that knowledge.
Contextual Learning: Academic content and skills taught by using real-world problems and projects to help students understand the application of knowledge.
Continuing Education Unit: Ten contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction and qualified instruction.
Contract for Ongoing Career and Technology Education Programs: A contract that a comprehensive school district returns to the ODCTE for reimbursement for secondary and full-time adult career and technology programs. All comprehensive school districts approved by the state board to receive reimbursement must submit the signed contract. It includes a listing of programs being funded. Approval and return of the contract and the salary and teaching schedule by the school district to the department indicates the school district’s willingness to comply with all terms set forth in the contract.
Cooperative Agreement: A formal agreement offered by institutions in the Oklahoma State System for Higher Education that includes approved courses taught by a CareerTech technology center and leads to an Associate in Applied Science degree or a college-level certificate in the technical or occupational field. (State Regents Policy and Procedure Manual 3.6 Cooperative Alliances between Higher Ed Institutions -- Tech Centers)
Cooperative Alliance Program: A partnership between one or more institutions in the Oklahoma State System for Higher Education and one technology center as a joint vision of a collaborative partnership designed to benefit students and enhance the technical workforce in that part of Oklahoma. A cooperative alliance is voluntary and agreed upon by all partners and their governing boards. The Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education and the Oklahoma Board of Career and Technology Education review and approve the agreement for each cooperative alliance. The approved cooperative alliance agreement remains in force until the governing boards of the cooperative alliance partners dissolve the agreement. (State Regents Policy and Procedure Manual 3.6 Cooperative Alliances between Higher Ed Institutions - Tech Centers)
Core Content: A set of competencies common to the occupations within a career cluster.
Correctional Institution: Any prison, jail, reformatory, work farm, detention center, halfway house, community-based rehabilitation center or similar institution designed for the confinement or rehabilitation of criminal offenders.
Course: A single subject described in an institutional catalog or bulletin.
Course Completer: A student who has met the instructional requirements for a course as set by ODCTE program standards/requirements.
Course Equivalency: Evidence provided that the competencies required to successfully complete a course are included in another course or were acquired by an individual through specific tasks performed in the workplace or through extracurricular activities that will substitute for a required course.
Course Identification Number: Numbers assigned by ODCTE to identify courses.
Course Offering: An instance of a course that is being delivered.
Course Roster: A listing of students who attended a specific course.
Creative Services: A division of the ODCTE that designs and produces computer-generated and hand-illustrated art for printed products, visual presentations, Web pages, CDs, trade show booths and videos produced by ODCTE.
Credential: Credential that a CTE student may seek by satisfying additional requirements after completing a CTE course or career major/program (i.e. experience and/or higher education prerequisites).
Credit: Quantitative measurement assigned to a course and awarded upon successful completion of the course. Students demonstrating competency in a curriculum subject shall receive credit. Credit can also be given for the successful completion of a Carnegie Unit. Oklahoma State Board of Education Accreditation Standards 210:35-25-2, paragraph (3).
Credit or Credit Hour: A unit of measurement some institutions award for fulfilling course requirements.
Criminal Offender: Any individual who is charged with or convicted of any criminal offense, including a youth offender or a juvenile offender.
CTE Concentrator -- Secondary (Perkins State Plan definition): A secondary student who has enrolled in three or more credits in a single CTE pathway. A secondary credit is the secondary instructional time required to earn a standard Carnegie unit for high school credit in Oklahoma.
CTE Concentrator -- Postsecondary Adult (Perkins State Plan definition): An adult technology center student who has enrolled in 360 or more course hours within a single career pathway that terminates in the award of an industry-recognized credential, a certificate or a degree or who completes a CTE career pathway course sequence of fewer than 360 course hours that terminates in an industry-recognized credential, a certificate or a degree. An adult-level student is enrolled in a technology center career pathway.
CTE Concentrator -- Postsecondary Collegiate (Perkins State Plan definition): A postsecondary student who completes at least 30 academic or CTE credit hours toward a certificate or associate in applied science degree program that is composed of 30 or more academic and technical credit hours or who completes a short-term CTE program sequence of fewer than 30 credit hours that terminates in an industry-recognized credential, a certificate or a degree. Note: 30 credit hours are based on 50 percent of a typical associate in applied science degree program length. A postsecondary credit is the instructional time equal to the requirement to earn a college credit in Oklahoma.
ctYou.org: CareerTech's Moodle-based learning management system.
ctYOUniverse: CareerTech's online student-ready classroom.
Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center: The entity of the ODCTE that develops competency-based instructional products and services for CareerTech programs.
Curriculum Materials: Instructional and related or supportive materials designed to prepare the individual for employment or to upgrade occupational competencies. Appropriate counseling and guidance materials are included.
Customized Business and Industry Training Services: A division of the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education that fosters and promotes professional linkages and development among and between members who are providing or are interested in business and industry training services.
Customized Industry Training: See PACE.
