Career and Technology Studies (CTS)

• Curriculum Update
• Resource Update
• Merit Contractors Association Career and Technology Studies in Construction Award

Curriculum Update
Review of Natural Resources (NAT) and Health, Recreation and Human Services (HRH) Clusters:  Review of the Natural Resources (NAT) and Health, Recreation and Human Services (HRH) clusters is presently under way.  Focus groups have been assembled and occupational areas, including Energy and Mines, Forestry, Legal Studies, and Wildlife, are now under review.  If you would like to provide suggestions on improving the Legal Studies or Forestry occupational areas, contact Peter Gallagher at 780–422–3211.  To provide suggestions for the Energy and Mines or Wildlife occupational areas, contact John Nedd at 780–415–4508.  To be connected toll-free inside Alberta to either of these contacts, dial 310–0000.

Validation of New and Revised HRH Courses:  Invitations to nominate teachers for the validation committees of the new and revised HRH courses have been sent to superintendents.  For information on the validation committees in Heath Services (Community Health), Foods, Cosmetology, Tourism, Agriculture or Fashion, contact Norma Clark at 780–422–5819.  To be connected toll-free inside Alberta, dial 310–0000.

Middle Years/Junior High Curriculum Update:  Development of Alberta Education’s new middle years/junior high practical arts curriculum is under way.  Implementation for the new curriculum is scheduled for September 2011.  If you have any questions regarding the new curriculum, contact Peter Gallagher at 780–422–3211 or John Nedd at 780–415–4508.  To be connected toll-free inside Alberta to either of these contacts, dial 310–0000.

New Format for Program of Studies:  Please check the Alberta Education Web site at the beginning of November 2008 to preview the 1-credit courses in Trades, Manufacturing and Transportation (TMT) and Business, Administration, Finance and Information Technology (BIT).  Courses in the new format will be in draft form and may not be used as curriculum until implementation in September 2009.  To provide feedback on these courses or the new format, send comments to Mike Dumanski at 780–422–4124, Norma Clark at 780–422–5819,  Peter Gallagher at 780–422–3211 or John Nedd at 780–415–4508.  To be connected toll-free inside Alberta to any of these contacts, dial 310–0000.

Resource Update
Learning and teaching resources for the revised CTS program will be acquired and/or developed and available concurrent with the program implementation schedule.  The current focus is on the Trades, Manufacturing and Transportation (TMT) cluster and the Business, Administration, Finance and Information Technology (BIT) cluster, which are scheduled for provincial implementation in September 2009.

Resource Authorization:  The evaluation phase of the resource authorization process was completed in August 2008. Selected learning and teaching resources are now undergoing validations, including a safety validation that has been initiated as a new strategy to ensure that authorized resources are safety compliant.  Authorized resource lists are scheduled to be published in April 2009.