CTE Assessment Requirements

  • All CTE Programs in the district are required to have students in the programs complete three different types of assessments (ADE Assessment, Industry Certification, & District Formative Assessments) at different times during the year and program. These assessments should be embedded into teachers planning each year as they are no optional. Each type of assessment has different criteria on who will take the assessment, when, and how the assessments will be scheduled and administered.

    Following is a summary of these criteria for each type of assessment.

    ADE End of Program CTE Assessments

    The Arizona Department of Education creates assessments for all CTE programs, and requires districts to administer these assessments to all program completers annually.
    Link to Arizona Department of Education CTE Assessment System:  https://ctetechnicalskillsassessments.azed.gov/student


    Details on the ADE End of CTE Program Assessments include:

    Developed By: ADE (teacher committees setup each spring)
    Administered: Spring (April)
    Participants: All Program Completers
    Focus: Test student’s mastery of State Standards for each program
    Scheduled By: District (within ADE window)
    Results: Students who pass these assessments will receive a certificate from the state department of education, and the district will receive reports of all results annually.
    Retakes Allowed: No

    Industry Certifications

    As per statue, most CTE programs are required to prepare students for Industry Certifications. Districts may select these certifications from a list of approved certifications updated by ADE twice per year. These assessments do have associated costs, however, at present TUHSD is covering the cost for all of these assessments. The current list of industry certifications offered to TUHSD students in each program are listed under CTE Programs.


    Details on industry certifications include:

    Developed By: Varies per assessment
    Administered: Varies
    Participants: Mostly program completers (some exceptions in specific programs)
    Focus: Test student’s mastery of industry skills related to the program
    Scheduled By: Each certification testing widow determined by Program Leads in conjunction with District Staff
    Results: Students who pass these assessments will receive a certificate from the testing agency, and the district will track the results
    Retakes Allowed: Varies depending on the certification

    District Formative Assessments

    TUHSD requires all courses to create and administer common formative assessments each quarter. These assessments are designed by program teacher teams facilitated by the district CTE Coordinator of Assessment & Accountability. CTE programs will begin this, Spring of 2018.


    Details on these industry assessments include:

    Developed By: Teacher Teams
    Administered: Quarterly
    Participants: All students in all programs
    Focus: Common material/skills taught during the quarter
    Scheduled By: Teachers
    Results: Evaluated by teacher teams and shared with the district
    Retakes Allowed: Varies depending on the certification