Middle School Career and Technical Education (CTE) creates meaningful opportunities for Maine students in grades 6–8 to discover their interests, build confidence, and connect learning to the world around them. Through engaging, hands-on experiences, students can explore a broad range of careers, develop foundational workplace and employability skills, and begin to see how their strengths and aspirations can shape future educational and career pathways. Enacted by the Maine Legislature in June 2017, this initiative affirms Maine’s commitment to support middle school students through access to developmentally appropriate CTE experiences.
Maine’s CTE centers and regions play a vital role in supporting the delivery of high-quality Middle School CTE programming. Successful implementation depends on strong, collaborative partnerships among middle schools, CTE centers and regions, educators, families, community organizations, and employers. Together, these partners will design flexible, student-centered programs that reflect local opportunities and meet the Middle School CTE standards. By sharing responsibility for program structure, delivery locations, and learning experiences, Maine schools can ensure that Middle School CTE is accessible, relevant, and responsive to the needs and interests of every student.
Middle School CTE Information
- CTE camp experience – Summer or vacation camp offered multiple days during non-school hours for a minimum of 20 hours, which includes at least 3 CTE program opportunities.
- CTE during school camp experience – Camp experience offered during school hours in conjunction with the secondary CTE programming for multiple days, totaling a minimum of 20 hours, which includes at least 3 CTE program opportunities. May utilize CTE students to deliver instruction; middle school and secondary students attend together.
- Traveling CTE experience – CTE teacher/CTE coordinator visits middle schools (in the catchment area) to offer CTE programming – students would experience CTE on a rotating basis (at least 4 encounters) with other middle schools in the catchment area. The lab may be mobile or stationary at the middle school.
- MS CTE offered at the CTE school – Students attend the CTE school for an extended timeframe – four weeks to a full year – (usually a full quarter or more) during normal school hours. The experience will include at least one full period. Students rotate through several programs.
- CTE instruction offered at the middle school – instruction is taught during one section of the school day for an extended timeframe – four weeks to a full year, and students cycle through CTE either by selection or a requirement. The experience will include at least one full period. The instruction may be offered by CTE or middle school staff.
- CTE after school program – MS students attend the CTE school after regular school hours, students may rotate through more than one program – experience must last multiple weeks: at least 1 time per week. Minimum hours 20 per experience.
- Mentorship with staff and students, and with industry students, includes programs with multiple days of exposure and, in select programs, mentorship. Mentorship may be with a secondary student, teacher, or business. 20 hours minimum
Title 20-A, §8301-A — Career and technical education: "Career and technical education" means a course or program of education designed to create or improve job-related skills that is part of a secondary school or middle school level curriculum and approved by the commissioner. A school administrative unit shall make career and technical education available to persons residing in the school administrative unit who are eligible to receive free public secondary and middle school-level education. [2017, c. 171, §2 (AMD).]
§15672 — Middle School level: "Middle school level" means grades 6 to 8.
§15672 — Career & Technical Education Costs: "Career and technical education costs" means all costs incurred by CTE regions, centers, or satellites in providing approved programs, excluding transportation, capital costs, and debt service.
Public Law Chapter 171, "An Act To Enable Earlier Introduction of Career & Technical Education in Maine Schools," was enacted in June 2017 to expand career & technical education opportunities by requiring Maine schools to provide access to developmentally appropriate career & technical education for middle school students (grades 6–8). The revision of Department of Education Rule Chapter 232, currently underway in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) process, will provide a framework for developing and implementing middle school career & technical education.
Each CTE school will partner with the sending middle schools in its catchment area, and each middle school will participate in building the programs that serve them. The middle school catchment areas are determined by the same statute that governs the secondary CTE catchment areas found in Chapter 313 and State Board policy.
Middle School CTE programs will be developed by the CTE center and region in collaboration with the middle schools in their catchment area. Programs will be flexible enough to accommodate the diversity of sending schools while following common, state-developed standards — enabling all students to participate in an equitable MS-CTE program.
• When budgeting be sure to assign the appropriate object and function codes, see table below. You should work with your business managers to ensure the correct coding is used.
• Function codes 2210, 2212, 2213, and 2238 are for professional development. The majority of funding will use function code 1000 – Regular Instruction.
• Equipment 7300 – is only to be used for items valuing $5,000 and above per item. These are the items that will be required to be tagged. Equipment items less than that amount will not require a tag, but will need to be tracked in an inventory system as a Perkins expenditure and will need to be used in the program for which they were purchased. Perkins monitoring will continue to look at both equipment and minor equipment purchases.
• It is important that you use the chart below to determine if an item is equipment or supplies. Supplies still need to be tracked to program and used for the approved activities, but do not have to be tracked as thoroughly as equipment and minor equipment.
• For CTE 6150 is a special supply code for minor equipment. This is for walkable items of value that will last more than a year and must be tracked, but do not meet the $5,000 threshold. (laptops, cameras, electric or battery hand tools, etc.)
• Grant approval workflow – Director changes status to Draft Completed – Fiscal Representative approves – Superintendent (or Region Director) approves – DOE CTE approves
• All funds must be spent on MS-CTE activities and serve only middle school CTE activities.
• Budget adjustment must be approved before the expenditure is made
• You may pay for transportation but purchasing a vehicle is not allowed.
Contact
Nicholas LaBreck
Middle School CTE/Stakeholder Liaison
Phone: 207-557-3283
Email: nicholas.j.labreck@maine.gov