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CTE Industry Credentialing

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Overview

To encourage more students to work towards selected industry credentials or state licenses while pursuing a high school diploma, the High School Credentialing program was developed.

A credential is defined as:

  • State-Issued Professional License required for entry into a specific occupation as determined by a Virginia state licensing agency (Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Cosmetology);
  • Industry Certification from a recognized industry, trade, or professional association validating essential skills of a particular occupation (A+ Examinations (CompTIA), ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification (National Restaurant Association)); and/or Stackable Industry Certifications which may consist of multiple entry-level exams as a component of a suite of exams in an industry certification program leading toward full certification (ASE- Automotive Service Excellence Entry-Level Certification Tests (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence), Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Examinations (Microsoft));
  • Occupational Competency Assessment, a national standardized assessment of skills/knowledge in a specific career and/or technical area, (Architectural Drafting Assessment (NOCTI), Electrical Level One Assessment (National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER));
  • Workplace Readiness Skills (WRS) for the Commonwealth Certification (Career and Technical Education Consortium of States (CTECS)); most valuable when given in addition to appropriate course specific credentials that demonstrate mastery of valuable CTE Skills.

Data on Industry Credentialing in Virginia

Build-a-tableRefer to the Credential Build-A-Table to create credential reports by state, division, school. Use to identify which credentials are earned in various divisions throughout the state. Compare/contrast this information to better match credentials to the needs in your local area and your students. Get an idea of the student attainment rates of certain credentials over others. 

Board of Education-Approved Industry Credentials

Industry Credential Submission Form

The Virginia Department of Education evaluates industry credentials on an on-going basis against prescribed criteria for graduation requirements for the Standard Diploma 8VAC20-131-51.B and verified credit (8VAC20-131-110.C). Credentials that meet the criteria are presented to the Virginia Board of Education annually for approval. Use the following link to submit new credentials for our consideration as well as to update existing credentials with VDOE.

CTE Student Industry Credentials

The 2020 General Assembly approved, and the Governor signed, HB 516  and SB 112 pertaining to high school graduation requirements. The legislation provided additional requirements that:

 “Require that students (i) complete an Advanced Placement, honors, or International Baccalaureate, or dual enrollment course; (ii) complete a high-quality work-based learning experience, as defined by the Board; or (iii) earn a career and technical education credential that has been approved by the Board, except when a career and technical education credential in a particular subject area is not readily available or appropriate or does not adequately measure student competency, in which case the student shall receive satisfactory competency-based instruction in the subject area to earn credit. The career and technical education credential, when required, could include the successful completion of an industry certification, a state licensure examination, a national occupational competency assessment, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, or the Virginia workplace readiness skills assessment. The Department of Education shall develop, maintain, and make available to each local school board a catalogue of the testing accommodations available to English language learners for each such certification, examination, assessment, and battery. Each local school board shall develop and implement policies to require each high school principal or his designee to notify each English language learner of the availability of such testing accommodations prior to the student's participation in any such certification, examination, assessment, or battery.” § 22.1-253.13:4.D.6.

CTE Catalogue of Industry Credentials with Testing Accommodations for English Learners

The 2018 Virginia General Assembly House Bill 442, directed the Department of Education to develop, maintain, and make available to each local school board a catalogue of the testing accommodations available to English learners for each certification, examination, assessment, and battery that satisfies the career and technical education credential graduation requirement.  The bill requires each local school board to develop and implement policies to require each high school principal or his designee to notify each English learner of the availability of such testing accommodations prior to the student's participation in any such certification, examination, assessment, or battery.

The Career and Technical Education Catalogue of Industry Credentials with Testing Accommodations for English Learners (Revised August 2023) (docx) provides a list of industry credentialing providers that indicated their examinations address one or more of the direct linguistic or indirect linguistic modes of English Learner accommodations. Additional information about accommodations can be obtained in the Procedures for Determining English Learner Participation in the Virginia Assessment Program (docx).

CTE Teacher Industry Credentials for Initial Licensure

Section § 22.1-298.1 of the Code of Virginia requires that every teacher seeking an initial license in the Commonwealth with an endorsement in the area of career and technical education shall have an industry certification credential in the area in which the teacher seeks endorsement. If a teacher seeking an initial license in the Commonwealth has not attained an industry certification credential in the area in which the teacher seeks endorsement, the Board may, upon request of the employing school division or educational agency, issue the teacher a provisional license to allow time for the teacher to attain such credential.

  • Guidance Document (docx) – Industry Credentials for teachers seeking an Initial Virginia License with Endorsement(s) in an Area of Career and Technical Education (Revised November 2023)

How Credentials Work for Graduation Requirements, Verified Credit, and Awards for Exemplary Student Performance

The board annually reviews and approves industry, professional or trade association certification examinations, and occupational competency assessments, and professional licenses that will meet the verified credit requirements as well as to earn the board’s Career and Technical Education seal and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) seal. Students who earn a credential by passing a certification or licensure examination may earn verified credits to meet graduation requirements. Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (8VAC20-131-51 and 8VAC20-131-110).

Career and Technical Education Credential - graduation requirement for students pursuing the Standard Diploma

8VAC20-131-51.B.2.

Criteria for Awarding Verified Credit – verified credit will be awarded for certification or licensure examinations that meet all of the following criteria:

A laboratory science verified credit may be awarded to students who complete a career and technical education program sequence and (i) pass two examinations or occupational competency assessments in a career and technical education field that confers certification or an occupational competency credential from a recognized industry, trade, or professional association; (ii) acquire two professional licenses in a career and technical education field from the Commonwealth of Virginia; or (iii) pass one examination or competency assessment from clause (i) and acquire one license from clause (ii). The examination or occupational competency assessment must be approved by the board as an additional test to verify student achievement.

Additional Requirements for Graduation for Standard and Advanced Studies Diplomas

8VAC20-131-51. B.2 and C.2.

In accordance with the Standards of Quality (§ 22.1-253.13:4.D.6) students shall (i) complete an Advanced Placement, honors, International Baccalaureate, or dual enrollment course; (ii) complete a high-quality work-based learning experience, as established by board guidance on work-based learning; or (iii) earn a career and technical education credential approved by the board, except when a career and technical education credential in a particular subject area is not readily available or appropriate or does not adequately measure student competency, in which case the student shall receive satisfactory competency-based instruction in the subject area to satisfy the standard diploma requirements. The career and technical education credential, when required, could include the successful completion of an industry certification, a state licensure examination, a national occupational competency assessment, or the Virginia workplace readiness assessment.

Awards for Exemplary Student Performance

Benefits of Student Credentialing

In addition to providing verified credit(s) and adding value to a student's résumé for obtaining entry-level positions in today's technical job market, credentials provide the following benefits to students:

  • added value to a transcript for higher education purposes or obtaining an entry-level position in the technical job market;
  • evidence that the student has completed advanced educational preparation by verifying competency in career and technical education skill areas in demand by business and industry;
  • increased job opportunities for advancement in a chosen career path; and
  • enhanced self-esteem for students through achieving national occupational competency standards recognized by business and industry.

Resources for High School Industry Credentialing

Credential Exam Codes

The Credential Exam Code list provides the official SSWS examination numbers needed for reporting purposes.

Current Process for CTE Credential Data Collection (SSWS)

National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) Assessments

Virginia uses NOCTI National Averages as our cut scores for NOCTI Examinations. These are updated by NOCTI every January and July and posted below.

Previous Years Archived Board-Approved Student Credential List

Previous Years Archived Teacher-Eligible Industry Credentialing Assessments List