The Integration of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Academic Curricula: An Effective Model for Teachers

Abstract

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Acts from 1990, 1998, and 2006 include federal directives for CTE programs and curriculum to be integrated with academic content. Each reauthorization and review of the Carl D. Perkins Act has provided a more inclusive and expanded definition of integration, with the intention that learning become relevant, rigorous, and effective in preparing students for a career and/or college. My CTE project examines the literature on integration, discusses its important role in CTE, outlines implications to education, and creates an integrated CTE curriculum guidebook and website for teachers. The objective of this project is that teachers will use the guidebook and accompanying website as instructional tools in their implementation efforts. The intended benefits include increasing teachers’ instructional abilities, enhancing student learning, and supporting ongoing integration efforts.