Programs of Study (POS) are designed to provide students with the recommended academic and technical courses needed for employment in a Pennsylvania High Priority Occupation.
Programs of Study:
- Prepare high school graduates for postsecondary education, apprenticeships, or entry into the workforce in their career related field.
- Identify relevant secondary academic and technical courses required for postsecondary enrollment and/or entry into the workforce.
- Align with postsecondary options and offer college credit for specific high school academic and technical courses.
- Recognize schools that meet academic and technical program benchmarks.
- Prepare all career and technical programs to align with the Pennsylvania High Priority Occupations that support family-sustaining wages.
- Focus on preparing students with industry certifications and higher level STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills.
One of the highlights of the Perkins Act is the requirement for the development and implementation of “career and technical programs of study”. States must develop POS in consultation with local programs, and each local recipient receiving funds under the bill are required to offer the relevant courses of at least one POS. Programs of study are very similar to and build on, positive initiatives already underway in career and technical education programs around the country, such as Tech Prep, career pathways, career academies, and career clusters. In Pennsylvania, the foundational elements of programs of study are already in place.
Students Occupationally and Academically Ready (SOAR)
SOAR (Students Occupationally and Academically Ready) is built on programs of study which incorporate secondary education and postsecondary education elements and include coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant career and technical content. These career and technical programs of study include a statewide articulation agreement partnership between secondary schools and postsecondary institutions.