Introduction

cluster: Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
pathway: Environmental Service Systems
occupations:
• Environmental Compliance Inspector
• Environmental Sampling and Analysis Technician

cluster: Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
pathway: Plant Systems
occupations:
• Botanist
• Forest Geneticist
• Nursery and Greenhouse Manager
• Plant Breeder/ Geneticist
• Tree Surgeon

cluster: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
pathway: Science and Mathematics
occupations:
• Botanist
• Plant Breeder and Geneticist
• Plant Pathologist

The framework is divided into two sections: course content and related information. The course content consists of the tasks/competencies validated by industry experts as either essential or desirable (optional) for an entry-level worker to know or be able to do. Each task/competency is accompanied by a definition, a number of process/skill questions (not present in some frameworks), and various related elements that reinforce or are reinforced by its particular instructional objective. Following the course content section, the related information section includes unduplicated lists of various elements correlated with each task, supplementary information showing ways in which these elements relate to the course, and various general requirements for CTE students in Virginia.

Frameworks may include the following elements. Elements identified by an asterisk (*) are not found in all frameworks:

• A Definition for each task/competency, identifying what should be included in instruction and evaluation
• *Process/Skill Questions for each task/competency, suggesting areas for further examination and encouraging student reasoning, problem solving, and decision making
• Virginia Academic Standards of Learning reinforced by instruction in certain tasks/competencies, as well as an unduplicated list of all standards reinforced by instruction in the course
• Virginia Computer/Technology Standards of Learning, which should be reinforced by instruction in the course
• Leadership Development Student Expectations available for integration into CTE curriculum
• *Instructional Scenarios offering students the opportunity to use a combination of higher-order thinking skills and creativity to solve real-world problems drawn from business and industry, communities, and other settings
• *Suggested Learning Activities for certain tasks/competencies to help teachers engage students and facilitate the teaching-learning process
• *National Industry and/or Professional Organization Standards correlated to certain tasks/competencies, as well as a summary by task
• *Student Organization Competitive Events and Other Programs and Activities correlated to certain tasks/competencies, as well as a summary by task or an unduplicated list of these activities
• Contact Information for state and national student organizations and for national industry agencies and/or professional organization agencies
• *Resources readily available in print and on the Web for use in facilitating instruction

The following documents and Web sites are designed to enhance CTE course instruction in Virginia:

• Enhancing Workplace Readiness Skills, available in Verso by going to http://www.cteresource.org/verso2 and clicking "Across the Board" and "Find Curriculum"
• Teaching Virginia's All Aspects of Industry, available in Verso by going to http://www.cteresource.org/verso2 and clicking "Across the Board" and "Find Curriculum"
• Virginia Department of Education Leadership Development Initiative, located at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/leadership/leadership_curriculum.pdf.
• The Virginia Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools, located at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/index.shtml.
• The Virginia Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education Services, located at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/career_technical/index.shtml.
• The CTE Resource Center, located at http://www.cteresource.org.
• Career Clusters, located at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/career_technical/career_clusters/index.shtml.
• Equipment lists, located at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/career_technical/equipment/index.shtml.