CTS Program and Pathway Planning for Teachers

While schools are encouraged to consider flexible methods of planning and delivering CTS courses that best meet the needs of students, care is needed when planning to ensure that

• all the prerequisites and parameters of CTS courses are followed
  
  
• all the general and specific outcomes of CTS courses are delivered and assessed
  
  
• the student’s right to access a minimum of 25 hours of instruction per course is observed
  
  
• credits are not awarded twice for the same learning
  
  
• students are apprised of their registration in CTS courses and that their right to choose CTS courses is maintained
  
  
• teachers who provide or supervise the instruction have the appropriate certification and are knowledgeable about the CTS course
  
  
• there are designated times when teachers are available to students
  
  
• students know, prior to enrolling in CTS courses, how and when they will be able to access the instructional expertise of teachers

CTS pathways are designed at the school and/or school authority level by combining 1-credit CTS courses into pathways that best suit the needs of the students, school, school authority, and community. Schools determine which CTS courses and pathways to make available to students, the extent to which students are involved in planning their own CTS pathways, and whether courses will be teacher-directed or student-managed using multi-activity learning. CTS pathway and program design and CTS course selection must address prerequisites and other delivery equirements defined in the CTS course parameters.

Teachers and counsellors should provide students with guidance and support during their individual pathway planning process. The Alberta Education: Program Supports can help organize student pathway planning and provide a record for regular reflection and revision.

Teachers plan for instruction to ensure that students meet all the learner outcomes defined in the program of studies by the end of the school year. In CTS, planning for instruction is focused on CTS course selections that lead to a student’s pathway of choice and deliberate planning to ensure that all learner outcomes for each course are met.

Prerequisite courses have been identified as essential to build on further learning in a specific area, to cover content required for an external credential, and/or for safety reasons. Students will benefit from the learning covered in prerequisite courses, and every effort should be made to ensure students acquire the necessary prerequisites as specified for their CTS programming.

To support the transition from existing CTS courses to new and revised CTS courses, documents entitled from Existing to New are available for each occupational area to indicate course correlations. Where applicable, current prerequisite courses will be aligned with new courses and accepted as prerequisites (as indicated).

Alternative delivery strategies may include concurrent delivery of CTS courses over the course of a term or semester. Teachers must ensure that all outcomes for prerequisite courses are successfully completed by the end of the term or semester.

A CTS course prerequisite may be waived by the school principal when a student can demonstrate competency in prerequisite CTS course outcomes, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and values. Funding will not be provided for a CTS course if the prerequisite(s) was not completed and/or waived in the same term or a prior term.

Course challenge is a provision that allows a senior high school student to challenge, for credit, the outcomes of a CTS course. This may be appropriate for a student who, as a result of prior learning, can demonstrate the ability to meet the assessment standards established for specific CTS courses. Course challenge cannot be applied to dual credit CTS courses.

Course assessment may occur through:

• a traditional comprehensive examination
• teacher observation over several classes
• teacher evaluation of a student’s portfolio or work sample
• student demonstration of skills through the performance of set tasks
• external credentialing that acknowledges successful completion of course outcomes

A CTS project course provides students with an opportunity to develop project design and management skills to extend and enhance competencies and skills gained in other CTS courses through contexts that are personally relevant. There are five CTS project courses available in each occupational area: one introductory project course, two intermediate project courses, and two advanced project courses. Additionally, CTS project courses

• must connect with a minimum of two successfully completed CTS courses, one of which must be at the same level and be in the same occupational area as the CTS project
  – at the introductory level, the other CTS course(s) can be either at the same level or at the intermediate level from any occupational area
  – at the intermediate level, the other CTS course(s) can be at any level from any occupational area
  – at the advanced level, the other CTS course(s) can be either at the same level or at the intermediate level from any occupational area
  
  
• may not be delivered as stand-alone courses
  
  
• may not be combined with core courses or connected to other CTS project courses or CTS practicum courses
  
  
• must include a course outline or student proposal for projects and/or performances that are teacher-led or student-led

A CTS practicum course enables students to apply prior learning and demonstrate the attitudes, skills, knowledge, and values required by an external organization to achieve a credential, articulation, or credit. There are two CTS practicum courses available in each occupational area: one intermediate practicum course and one advanced practicum course. CTS practicum courses

• may be delivered on- or off-campus
  
  
• may be accessed by students continuing to work toward attaining a recognized credential, articulation, or credit awarded by an external organization
  
  
• must be connected to at least one successfully completed CTS course from the same occupational area
  
  
• cannot be delivered as a stand-alone course or combined with a CTS project course
  
  
• cannot be used in conjunction with the Registered Apprenticeship Program or the Green Certificate Program
  
  
• cannot, at the intermediate level, be used in conjunction with any advanced (3000-) level course
  
  
• cannot, at the advanced level, be used in conjunction with any introductory (1000-) level course

K&E occupational courses are designed for students who need unique learning support systems; e.g., hands-on learning experiences and remediation in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

In general, the K&E learning environment may be characterized by:

• smaller class sizes, allowing teachers to provide students with individual assistance in building self-esteem and developing specific competencies
  
  
• hands-on learning, with minimal reference to occupation-related theory
  
  
• the recognition of students’ ability to demonstrate practical skills necessary for success in the specified occupational area
  
  
• the awarding of grades based on generic skills development, rather than for the equivalent career-specific competencies in CTS courses

Both the K&E occupational courses and the CTS program are designed to

• involve students in hands-on learning experiences
  
  
• assist students in the development of occupational competencies within a career-related context that will assist them in their transition into the workplace
  
  
• provide opportunities for students to explore a variety of career pathways