Center for Career and Technical Education

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Clay Education Building RM 112
(615) 963-5459

General Statement

The Center for Career and Technical Education is a collaborative effort between the College of Education at Tennessee State University, the Tennessee Department of Education, and the local education agencies offering Career and Technical Education programs in Tennessee. The Center, serving as a state-wide clearinghouse, provides services to new instructors in Career and Technical Education (CTE), to the Tennessee Department of Education as well as to the local system administrators.  The Center offers advisement and advancement coursework to new teachers at the K-12 level on the Practitioner Occupational License. Through its Occupational Educator Preparation Program (OEPP), the Center provides candidates, who have the requisite content background, with the pedagogical knowledge and skills to teach Trade, Industry and Health Science courses. In addition, the Center serves new teachers of adult students in the Tennessee Technology Centers. 

The Center objectives are:

1. To provide support to new CTE teachers in meeting the requirements for advancement from the Apprentice Occupational License to the Professional Occupational License through advisement and required coursework.
2. To provide CTE instructors with opportunities for knowledge and understanding of the multicultural society in which they live and their relation to and responsibility in such a society.
3. To assist new CTE instructors with their required education coursework by developing an individualized program of study; tracking their progress and reporting completion of the program.
4. To prepare new CTE instructors to advise their curricular-based student-professional organization by offering training workshops for the teachers.
5. To assist experienced CTE teachers through advisement and coursework in meeting recertification requirements.
6. To represent Tennessee State University and teacher education on Tennessee Department of Education CTE teacher licensure committees.
7. To provide a sound program of guidance and to work cooperatively with other departments, offices and colleges of the university and system in implementing the program. Occupational Educator Preparation  Program (OEPP).

Center for Career and Technical Education Programs Occupational Licensure Program:

New CTE teachers complete an 18-credit hour program of study as a part of their requirements to advance to the Professional License.  The teachers are admitted to Tennessee State University to complete their coursework and receive advisement on the advancement process.  The coursework is offered online.  Entrance into the Occupational Educator Preparation Program at Tennessee State University is based upon admission to the University and application for the Professional Occupational License. Teachers have three years to complete the program and advance their licenses.

Practitioner License Program for CTE Teachers:

CTE teachers can earn a full teaching license through the TN Department of Education. Applicants with the verified background in one of the occupational areas apply to TSU for admission into the 18-credit hour program through the regular application process to the university. Applicants are typically currently employed practitioners in the school system or contracted for employment in the system. As job-embedded applicants, candidates are required to provide the Educator Preparation Program with a letter of intent to hire from the prospective employer. While the state of Tennessee verifies that candidates have the requisite content knowledge and/or certification in their chosen field, TSU OEPP provides the candidates with the pedagogical and literacy competencies through six standards-based courses. All six courses are offered online through TNeCampus, allowing candidates the flexibility to take courses remotely at their convenience. The Center offers advisement and the classes needed to earn a full professional license in the following areas:

Occupational Endorsements

Tennessee Technology Center Program:

New instructors in the Tennessee Technology Centers (TTC) are required to take a series of six courses to qualify for tenure in the TTCs.  The Center for Career and Technical Education provides advisement and coursework for the instructors as they work toward tenure.  The Tennessee Technology Center program at Tennessee State University is based upon the candidate securing a position teaching at a TTC. The instructors are admitted to Tennessee State University to complete their coursework and receive advisement on the advancement process.  The courses are offered online.

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