With the Maryland State Board of Education’s (MSBOE) approval of the new Career Technical Education (CTE) course standards, Maryland has set a new benchmark for consistency, rigor, and relevance — not only for its own learners, but for the nation’s CTE landscape.
I had the opportunity to testify earlier this month on behalf of Advance CTE in support of the new standards to the MSBOE. As I shared in my remarks, “Standards are a clear signal of what every learner should know and be able to do upon completion of a CTE course or program….By focusing on 152 courses, which feed into 48 programs of study, across 14 Career Clusters, Maryland is signaling a level of intentionality for the CTE system and its need to prepare learners for good careers, with clear opportunities in the state of Maryland, as well as learners’ overall economic mobility.”
| “The[se] standards establish a framework for instruction, curriculum development, and assessment that is consistent across the state, while allowing flexibility for local education agencies to meet the needs of their local communities and workforce partners.” – Maryland’s Course Level Standards Megapack |
This dual commitment to rigor and flexibility is the hallmark of Maryland’s approach. The standards not only align with the newly modernized National Career Clusters Framework®, but they also enable local education agencies (LEAs) to tailor implementation to the needs of their regional economies and learner interests as described below.
A Comprehensive, Inclusive, and Data-Driven Process
The development of these standards reflects one of the most inclusive and data-informed processes in Maryland’s educational history. As Richard Kincaid, state superintendent of the Division of College and Career Pathways in Maryland, shared during his remarks to the MSBOE, “This has been one of the most inclusive standards reviews Maryland has ever undertaken.”
The working group behind the standards included nearly 1,200 individuals:
- 48 members of the community,
- 392 representatives from secondary and postsecondary education, and
- 756 professionals from business and industry.
Kincaid underscored that, “These standards were not written in a silo—they are the product of a state coming together to ensure its young people are ready for the future.”
The input process – which strongly leveraged industry partners, labor market data, and educator expertise – has ensured the new standards are both aligned with what industry needs, and also can be delivered with fidelity in educational settings.
“Standards,” Kincaid emphasized, “are how we keep pace—how we align the classroom with the workplace, and ensure students are not preparing for yesterday’s jobs, but tomorrow’s economy.”
“For too long, Maryland’s Career and Technical Education programs have operated without consistent, modern standards. Many pathways have not been updated in over two decades… That era ends today,” Kincaid shared, capturing the urgency driving Maryland’s reform.
From Rigor to Flexibility: A New Model for States
Maryland’s approach is also a model for systemic flexibility within structure. The intentional two-course foundational sequence that underpins each program of study enables learners to pursue multiple options in their third and fourth year of high school once they have achieved “concentrator status” — such as continuing in their CTE program, entering a high school-level apprenticeship or other meaningful work-based learning, earning early college credit, or participating in cross-cutting coursework such as a capstone course in entrepreneurship or data science.
This is particularly exciting as many other states are interested in designing more flexible CTE pathways as they adopt the modernized Career Clusters and are looking for effective state models. There will be a lot of learning that comes from Maryland in the coming days.
This design supports Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future goal of having 45% of high school graduates complete an RA or earn an industry-recognized credential. It also serves as a model for other states exploring how to modernize CTE programs without sacrificing rigor.
Registered Apprenticeship: The Gold Standard
Among the most powerful components of Maryland’s new CTE Framework is how it incorporates Registered Apprenticeship (RA). As Kincaid noted, “The new CTE Framework makes a clear statement: Registered Apprenticeship is the gold standard. At the high school level, it represents the premier programmatic outcome for Maryland students.”
Apprenticeships are part of a broader vision for Maryland’s career preparation ecosystem. Every CTE pathway must now include career-connected learning experiences such as internships and mentorships, must culminate in an industry-recognized credential that is stackable and validated by employers, and must link seamlessly to dual enrollment and other advanced coursetaking opportunities.
This system ensures that graduates leave not just with a diploma, but with credentials, skills, and experiences that employers value.
All Means All as Non-Negotiable Principle
“All means all,” Kincaid affirmed. “Standards ensure that a student in Baltimore City has access to the same high-quality program as one in Talbot or Garrett County,” he said. “Standards are how we guard against systemic tracking, ensuring that every student, regardless of background, has a pathway to a credential of value and a family-sustaining career.”
With over 136,000 Maryland students currently enrolled in CTE courses — and 45,000 concentrators completing pathways — this work touches nearly half of the state’s high school population.
Looking Ahead
Advance CTE and our partners, Education Strategy Group, Jobs for the Future, and New America, will be watching and supporting Maryland through the Launch Initiative and beyond to identify what lessons can be learned and applied in other states across the country.
In particular, Maryland will be focusing on building out those flexible pathway models, supporting career coaches and advisers as they roll out the updated six-year academic and career path, and strengthening data collection and use to be more seamless and actionable.
By intentionally mapping to the skill frameworks and credential validations used in peer Launch Initiative states like Massachusetts, Texas, Virginia, Delaware, and Tennessee, named by Kincaid in his testimony, Maryland’s CTE standards not only meet local workforce needs but also ensure its credentials carry national credibility and global competitiveness.
“If employers are moving at the speed of light, then Maryland’s students deserve schools that move at the speed of relevance,” shared Kincaid.
