1. Career Clusters: Focusing Education on the Future
U.S. Department of Education
National School-to-Work Office

2. Career Cluster Definition
A Career Cluster is a grouping of occupations and broad industries based on commonalities.
The 16 Career Clusters provide an organizing tool for schools, small learning communities, academies and magnet schools.

3. 16 Career Clusters Agriculture & Natural Resources
Architecture & Construction
Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications
Business & Administration
Education & Training
Finance
Government & Public Administration
Health Science
Hospitality & Tourism
Human Services
Information Technology
Law & Public Safety
Manufacturing
Retail/Wholesale Sales & Service
Scientific Research & Engineering
Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics
Represent all career possibilities -
Organizes instruction for
Tech Prep
career academies
work-based learning
smaller learning communities
magnet and charter schools
restructuring around themes

4. Cluster Partnerships Are Key
State Education Agencies
Post-secondary Education (vocational school, community college, university)
Employers/Industry Groups (local, national)
Other relevant stakeholders (labor, professional organizations)

5. Career Cluster Development
Form Cluster Consortium with Partners
Conduct Research to Identify
Cluster Occupations
Existing Standards
Define the Scope of the Cluster
Align Occupations to Identify Cluster Pathways

6. Career Cluster Development
Select Cluster Pilot Test Sites
Establish Cluster Foundation and Pathway Standards
Develop Cluster Assessments
Pilot Test Assessment and Certification Process
Document Pathway Knowledge and Skills With Certificates

7. Cluster Foundation Standards Topics
Academic Foundation
Communications
Employability Skills
Ethics
Information Technology Applications
Legal Responsibilities
Safety Practices
Systems
Teamwork
Technical Skills

8. Career Cluster Framework
Cluster Foundation
Represents the skills and knowledge, both academic and technical, that all students within the cluster should achieve regardless of their pathway.
Pathways
Represents the skill and knowledge, both academic and technical, necessary to pursue a full range of career opportunities within a pathway - ranging from entry level to management, including technical and professional career specialties.
Career Specialties
Represents the full range of career opportunities within each pathway.

9. Career Specialties Pathways Cluster Foundation
FRAMEWORK
Pathways
Cluster
Foundation

10. Arts, Audio/Video Technology and Communications Career Cluster

11. Instructional/Assessment Scenarios Include:
AAVTC Content Standard(s) Addressed
Required Academic Skills (Taxonomy Based)
Workplace Skills
The Contextual Problem to be Solved
Conditions for Performance
Performance/Assessment Criteria

12. Instructional/Assessment Scenarios Include:
Student Instructions
Teacher Instructions
Resources Used to Develop the Scenario
Business and Industry Input for Reality Check
Quality Criteria for Scenario Developers/Reviewers

13. CLUSTER CROSSWALK 2000 Census BLS/OES Classification
OMB/SOC Classification
ETA/O*NET Classification
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)
NSSB Industry Standards
U.S. Department of Ed. Career Clusters

14. Current Career Cluster Projects
Arts, Audio Video Technology, and Communications (AAVTC)
Health Science
Information Technology (IT)
Manufacturing
Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL)
5 projects to date – each at different levels of development.
Synergy among all projects, learning from each other to provide continuous improvement of the Career Cluster Initiative.

15. The AAVTC Pilot Sites Miami Senior High School Miami, FL
Glenwood High School
Chatham, Il
Covington High School
Covington, LA
Communication Hi School
Wall, NJ
Western Suffolk BOCES
Dix Hills, NY
Will Rogers High School
Tulsa, OK
Middle Bucks Institute of Technology
Jamison, PA
Hannaford Career Center
Middlebury, VT
Peninsula/Gig Harbor High
Gig Harbor, WA

16. CAREER CLUSTER BROCHURE AND POSTER ORDERING INFORMATION
CALL ED PUBS AT:

17. Cluster Project Web Sites
AAVTC
Health Science
Information Technology
Manufacturing
Transportation, Distribution and Logistics
education.dot.gov/translinkage

18. Contact Information: U.S. Department of Education
Scott Hess
Education Program Specialist
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Vocational and Adult Education
4090 MES Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC