CTE Blog
CTE has so many awesome Programs of Study for SUSD students! Did you know that each of our programs are tied to the U.S. National Career Clusters? Here is the current list of 2024-2025 courses being offered to our high school students. In the dark blue header, the U.S. Current Career Cluster is indicated. This chart can help with course selections for the 2025-26 school year that are coming up this month and next.
BUSINESS OPERATIONS |
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Tech Fundamentals for Business |
My Digital Brand |
Business Internship |
COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA TECHNOLOGY |
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Digital Photography I CTE |
Digital Photography II CTE |
Digital Photography Internship |
Digital Publishing I |
Digital Publishing II |
Digital Publishing Internship |
CMAS: Essential Musicianship |
CMAS: Advanced Musicianship |
CMAS Audio Production Internship |
Film and TV I |
Film and TV II – Live News Film and TV II – Film Production |
Film & TV Internship |
Graphic Design/Advertising Art I |
Graphic Design/Advertising Art II |
Graphic Design Internship |
Technical Theatre I |
Technical Theatre II |
Technical Theatre Internship |
FINANCE |
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Principles of Personal Finance |
Principles of Business |
Finance Internship |
HEALTH SCIENCE |
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Health Care Assistant I* |
Health Care Assistant II* |
Nursing Internship |
Intro to Sports Medicine |
Advanced Sports Medicine |
Sports Medicine Internship |
HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM |
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Culinary I* |
Culinary II |
Culinary Internship |
Hospitality and Tourism Management I |
Hospitality and Tourism Management II |
Hospitality Internship |
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY |
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Networking & Cyber Security I |
Networking & Cyber Security II |
IT Internship |
Coding in Python |
Coding for Apple iOS |
Software Dev & Coding Internship |
LAW & PUBLIC SAFETY |
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Introduction to Criminal Justice |
Advanced Criminal Justice |
Criminal Justice Internship |
MARKETING |
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Marketing I |
Marketing II |
Marketing Internship |
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) |
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Honors Biotechnology I* |
Honors Biotechnology II* |
Biotechnology Internship |
Engineering Design I |
Engineering Design II |
3rd Course: Engineering Design III |
This year, the national organization Advance CTE will be rolling out the newly revised National Career Clusters Framework. This is exciting news as we see a shift in focus to match more current occupational needs and titles. The new purpose statement regarding the Career Clusters Framework from Advance CTE is this:
“The National Career Clusters Framework provides structural alignment and a common language to bridge education and work, empowering each learner to explore, decide and prepare for dynamic and evolving careers.”
One of the updates is to include Entrepreneurship with the Management cluster. This is a great thing for the U.S. economy, as innovation occurs and jobs are created through new companies and ideas. Students are interested in being their own boss, so offering business courses to support these activities is crucial. CTE has several innovation and business programs including plans to introduce a new Business Management pathway at the Coronado Entrepreneurship Hub in 2025-2026.
Here is a sneak peek at the new framework. New clusters are the last three marked NEW. Click each Career Cluster for definitions and Sub-Clusters:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Construction
- Supply Chain & Transportation
- Arts, Entertainment, & Design
- Hospitality, Events, & Tourism
- Financial Services
- Education
- Healthcare & Human Services
- Public Service & Safety
- Agriculture
- Energy & Natural Resources
- NEW - Digital Technology
- NEW - Marketing & Sales
- NEW - Management & Entrepreneurship
For students needing further assistance understanding these career pathways and the U.S. Career Clusters, please reach out to our team at the College and Career Readiness department.
Amy Downs – Director – adowns@susd.org
Anthony Vogel – CTE Teacher on Assignment – avogel@susd.org
Krista Demetrulias – Programs of Study Coordinator - kdemetrulias@susd.org
Maricopa County Attorney's Office
Recently, Criminal Justice students at Chaparral High School participated in a Career Day at the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. This hands-on experience included reviewing a case, analyzing evidence, and deciding whether to charge it as first-degree murder, manslaughter or self-defense. Students opted for manslaughter and provided strong reasoning behind their decision. They were so engaged, curious, and inspired to learn that the case review turned into a miniature productive debate. The students critically analyzed the Arizona Revised Statutes for each crime, all concepts covered in Tarnisha Tilson’s class. It was incredible to see them apply what they learned in a professional setting … and get it right!
Aspire Academy
During fall break, Chaparral senior Paige Heymann graduated from Chandler's Aspire Academy, a hands-on camp led by the Chandler Police and Fire Departments. The camp offers young women the chance to develop leadership skills and experience firefighting, law enforcement and emergency operations alongside professionals in these fields. Paige had an incredible experience learning various skills, including crime scene investigation and traffic stops.
SUSD’s 2024 College & Career Fair
The third edition of SUSD’s College & Career Fair was the best one yet!
More than 1,500 SUSD high school students and families descended on Scottsdale Stadium’s Field House Sept. 14 with the opportunity to meet representatives from more than 100 colleges and universities from all corners of the country and everywhere in between. Local community colleges, technical schools and the U.S. Armed Forces were there, as well.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) staff and our high school College and Career Center specialists were there to answer questions about the college application process and how and when to complete the critically important FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application. Parents were especially pleased to learn about the district’s Major Clarity platform, a one-stop shop for college budget and financial aid information, career exploration and career-matching tools, academic planning for grades 6-12 and work-based learning tracking. At a bay of computers, students logged in through Google Apps to the robust SUSD college and career planning platform and discovered how helpful it will be to them in planning their futures.
In the Work-Based Learning partnership row, CTE teachers and students combined with local employers to represent the district’s nine, in-demand fields in which the district offers high school students two-year programs of study: Business Operations, Communications Media Technology, Finance, Health Science, Hospitality and Tourism, Information Technology, Law and Public Safety, Marketing, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. On-site community partners included Hyatt, MedSurge, NOAH, City of Scottsdale, AZ Youthforce, Scottsdale Rotary Club and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department.
We’re already looking forward to and planning next year’s fair!
Teen Court
Scottsdale Unified School District’s Criminal Justice program has officially launched its Teen Court program, a valuable work-based learning opportunity in partnership with the Maricopa County Superior Court Juvenile Division.
Teen Court is a Prevention/Diversion program aimed at addressing juvenile delinquency while educating students about the law and responsible citizenship. This program offers students a hands-on, courtroom experience where they take on roles such as attorneys, jurors, and court staff to determine appropriate consequences for peers involved in minor legal offenses.
Teen Court provides an excellent opportunity for students to apply their classroom knowledge of the legal system in a real-world context, while also honing critical thinking, public speaking, and decision-making skills.
September 14 College & Career Fair
We are looking forward to hosting SUSD’s third annual College and Career Fair on Saturday, September 14 at the Field House at Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn Rd., Scottsdale! From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day, SUSD students and their families are invited to meet representatives from more than 60 U.S. colleges and universities, as well as our own local community colleges and technical schools. If your student is interested in serving the nation, representatives from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines will be there, too, as well as some of the U.S. military service academies.
Just as important as choosing the right school is being aware of the actual college application process. That’s why the College and Career Fair will also have resources available that day about scholarship resources and financial aid, how to complete the critical FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application and resume-building skills.
We hope to see you and your students there, engaging with people who can answer college and career questions and get your students navigating their paths toward successful careers and possible post-secondary options!
CTE’s Criminal Justice Students at Summer FBI Academy
It’s exciting to report that Chaparral High School was represented by three of our outstanding students at the local Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Field Office’s Teen Academy this past summer. Chaparral Criminal Justice instructor Tarnisha Tilson connected the trio to this wonderful opportunity. As this program is highly competitive, student selection is based on a well-crafted application and written assignment.
Seniors Angelina Rosacci, Marin Pittinsky, and Amy Fleming were among those chosen to take part in this summer’s Academy. This prestigious program offers high school students a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the agency. Participants gain insights into the FBI’s efforts to combat drugs, engage in hands-on training with the office’s evidence response team, interact with the FBI SWAT team, and meet agents and personnel dedicated to the FBI mission.
Our students shared how much they learned and how much they enjoyed the experience. They even worked a mock crime scene and felt well-prepared, thanks to what they learned in their Chaparral Criminal Justice CTE class. Even more impressive, our students won the Crime Scene Challenge!
The officials involved in the Phoenix FBI Teen Academy had nothing but praise for our students. It is clear that our students and CTE faculty continue to live up to SUSD’s Elevate Excellence expectation!
CTE in SUSD EXCEEDS ALL STATE MEASURES in the ANNUAL EVALUATION OF ITS PERFORMANCE!
Career and Technical Education provides students with technical and professional skills for their future. Each year, the Arizona Department of Education compares each school district with Arizona statewide averages on many performance measures. Students who complete 2.0 credits in a single CTE pathway are considered concentrators and are measured by these indicators. SUSD is proud of its latest results!
Here are a few highlights from the just-completed 2023-2024 school year:
- Number of CTE Concentrators who graduated with their cohort in May 2024:
SUSD: 97.6%
State Measurement: 83.7%
- Number of CTE Concentrators who, in the second quarter after exiting from secondary education, were placed in postsecondary education or advanced training, in military service, in a service program that receives assistance through the National & Community Service Act of 1990, in the Peace Corps, or employed:
SUSD: 82.6%
State Measurement: 69.3%
- Number of CTE concentrators who graduated from high school in the reporting year and earned a recognized credential for their program:
SUSD: 98.5%
State Measurement: 30.6%
- Number of CTE concentrators who graduated from high school during the reporting year and passed the technical skills assessment for their program:
SUSD: 91.0%
State Measurement: 63.9%
Scottsdale Unified CTE students also exceeded the statewide average for reading, math, and science proficiency, as determined by the scores they earned on Arizona’s academic assessments.
CTE – Learning that works for Arizona!
CTE had another terrific year as SUSD students raised the bar on Arizona Technical Skills Assessment scores
For the second school year in a row, Scottsdale Unified School District has the honor of making the list of Arizona’s Highest Performing CTE Programs. This quality metric is based on average student score results on the Arizona Department of Education (ADE)’s CTE Technical Skills Assessment (TSA). One SUSD program took the top slot for their pathway in 2024, with students scoring an average of 91% and 100% of students passing.
Congratulations to the Arcadia High School CTE Finance program! This is an amazing REPEAT feat! Teacher Tom Otstot is proud of this effort and the hard work this year’s Level Two students put in to make this happen. The second-highest performing program was Desert Mountain High School, with an 83% average score and 97% of students passing. Great job, teachers Jon Pulli and Marc Telep!
This year, our SUSD CTE programs tested 456 students in the spring – and 403 passed! This is about an 88% pass rate. That’s an overall increase of 4% in the SUSD CTE passing rate. Last school year, 2022-23, SUSD had 84% pass rate and in 2021-22, SUSD had an 81% passing rate. Our programs have increased their achievement levels by a whopping 7% in two years.
While the data on total credits earned is not yet complete at the ADE, we can count the total students in our programs for Level 1 and Level 2 courses. In 2022-23, we enrolled 2,063 students in CTE courses. The 2023-24 year saw a large increase in overall enrollment, coming in at 2,448.
2023-24 CTE students participating in programs in SUSD schools = 2,448
1,855 in Level 1 and 593 in Level 2
- Arcadia - 611
- Chaparral - 559
- Coronado - 220
- Desert Mountain - 748
- Saguaro - 310
2024 was also the second time we have had a regalia cord for CTE Distinction graduates. This distinction is based on seniors who completed their programs and passed the Technical Skills Assessment for their pathway.
Class of 2024 CTE Distinction by school:
- Arcadia - 103
- Chaparral - 143
- Coronado – 11
- Desert Mountain – 130
- Saguaro – 79
- Scottsdale Online Learning (SOL) – 5
Also recognized in the CTE Distinction stats are the SUSD students who attend EVIT (East Valley Institute of Technology) in Mesa. Two-hundred nine students attended programs there this past school year. By school:
Arcadia – 71; Chaparral – 40; Coronado – 26; Desert Mountain – 31; Saguaro – 35; Scottsdale Online Learning – 6
Of these EVIT travelers, 136 were Level 2 students who took the TSA, with 121 passing! This brings our overall SUSD TSA combined total to 592 students assessed and 403 students passing. That is an 88.5% passing rate!
Hats off to all of our seniors who earned a state Certificate for their Technical Skills Assessment score and the CTE Cord of Distinction!
Workplace skills are invaluable to one’s future success, and the technical skills students are learning in SUSD and EVIT classrooms are helpful in preparing for the next step in life. Our programs provide real-world learning and open doors for our students. SUSD CTE is proud of its faculty for making this wonderful accomplishment occur and also of the students who have succeeded in embracing these learning opportunities!