New Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways to Graduation through PL 489, “An Act To Implement Certain Recommendations of the Maine Proficiency Education Council”
The Maine Department of Education is excited to outline some of the multiple pathways to earning a proficiency-based diploma that involve CTE enabled by Public Law Chapter 489, “An Act Implement Certain Recommendations of the Maine Proficiency Education Council,” signed into law by the Governor in April 2016. The new statute can be found in MRSA 20-A, §4722-A. The Maine DOE is currently engaged in rule-making to outline the parameters for these multiple pathways to graduation.
In addition to demonstrating proficiency in all content areas of the Maine Learning Results, other pathways have been identified through which Maine students may earn a proficiency-based diploma:
- Satisfactory Completion of a State-approved CTE Program and Met 3rd Party-verified National or State Industry Standards
Satisfactorily completing a state-approved CTE program and meeting 3rd party-verified national or state industry standards are of equal value to evidence of proficiency in a content areas of the system of learning results which contributes to the meeting the diploma requirements per the phase-in timeline pursuant to MRSA 20-A §4722-A (3)(B-2).
- CTE and Content Intersections Process
State-approved CTE instructors and content area instructors from sending high schools may identify points of intersection where students can simultaneously demonstrate proficiency in high school content area reporting standards and proficiency in each guiding principle of the system of learning results while demonstrating proficiency in 3rd-party verified national and state industry standards pursuant to MRSA 20-A §8306 (B).
- Instruction in Content Areas of the System of Learning Results at the CTE Center or Region
When scheduling conflicts or time restraints create an impediment to both the student’s opportunity to learn the content areas of the system of learning results and the opportunity to learn a state-approved CTE program of study, students are provided the opportunity to learn and demonstrate proficiency in the content areas of the system of learning results by teachers certified to teach in the content areas of the system of learning results at the state-approved CTE center or region.
- Dual-enrollment CTE Programs Pursuant to MRSA 20-A Chapter 229
A non-duplicative learning pathway for a specific career and technical education program that provides secondary school students with the opportunity to take postsecondary education courses and earn credits toward an associate degree while participating in a career and technical education program that:
- Learning Pathways; Articulation Agreements with Postsecondary Institutions; Collaborative Agreements
Pursuant to MRSA 20-A §8306-B(4), to the greatest extent possible, a career and technical education program offered at a center or region must provide students the opportunity to take advantage of any applicable learning pathways, including learning pathways set forth in an articulation agreement with a postsecondary institution or in a collaborative agreement with publicly supported secondary and postsecondary educational institutions that form a dual enrollment career and technical education program pursuant to MRSA 20-A §6972.
The Department is looking forward to the additional pathways students will be able to pursue, most notably through career and technical education, toward earning a proficiency-based high school diploma. For more information regarding Career and Technical Education contact Maine DOE Career and Technical Education Director, Meg Harvey, at 624-6739 or email margaret.harvey@maine.gov. For more information regarding proficiency-based learning and proficiency-based diplomas contact Maine DOE Proficiency-based Education Specialist, Diana Doiron, at 624-6823 or email diana.doiron@maine.gov.