Career Technical Education is a program that integrates high school classes, community connections, work-based learning, and postsecondary planning and training.
The goal of CTE is to support learners on their path to high-wage, high-skill, in-demand careers in established and emerging industries. CTE is not your mom-and-pop woodshop course. CTE programs connect learners with the skills, mindset, and knowledge base needed for college and high-demand careers.
CTE is personalized. Learners apply their own interests, passions, and goals into the pathway, ensuring the experience is meaningful and relevant to each learner’s goals.
CTE pathways are two to three years and count toward graduation requirements in the elective category. They are UC A-G approved. Learners sign up for a career pathway in their sophomore or junior year of high school and complete two to three years of coursework in that pathway, in addition to relevant internship and work-based learning, student associations and clubs, career and college exploration and preparation, and industry certifications. Courses are taught by industry professionals who also are credentialed teachers on campus. Learners who complete the pathway receive an additional certificate of completion, recognition at graduation, and may use this accomplishment to be more competitive for college admissions and career opportunities.
One hundred percent of iAD HS’s first graduating class met California’s rigorous definition of “College/Career Ready.” Only 45% of California graduates met this expectation in 2024, demonstrating that iAD HS’s model not only supports each learner’s personalized journey, but ensures that all activities, experiences, and effort lead to readiness for the future.
Career and Technical Education courses are true practice for the project-based real world. Learners use the same principles of iLEAD’s project-based learning model to apply skills and knowledge to real-world problems as they relate to the industry sector of their pathway. This mimics the workplace, gives learners voice and choice, and makes the learning meaningful and fun. Learners step into professional roles, learn work-related skills, and acquire new knowledge through projects that demonstrate necessary competencies for success.
Our advanced learners may also participate in the esteemed and globally recognized International Baccalaureate Programme, which provides opportunities for 5.0 GPA, college credits, and an IB Career-related Programme Pathway (IBCP) certificate at graduation. This supports college admissions to top schools and provides more challenges in core courses to interested learners.
