Career Technical Education Programs and Courses 

Career Technical Education (CTE) is available to all high school students in the Santa Ana Unified School District.  The CTE programs and classes offered are specifically focused on career preparation with the main goal of preparing students for the workforce of the 21^st century.  The CTE Program includes district-sponsored CTE courses which are aligned to state-adopted academic standards. 

Perkins

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act focuses primarily on the improvement of career technical education programs, the integration and sequencing of courses, and most importantly serving special populations.

UC a-g Approved Courses

Our Programs of Study combine academic rigor and real world relevance.  Eight courses have been developed that satisfy the A-G entrance requirements for the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems:  Art of Animation, Art of Dance Composition, Art of Digital Photography, Art of Graphic Design, Business Economics and Finance, Engineering & Design, Child Development, and Sports Medicine.

Dual Credit / Dual Enrollment

The articulation process is designed to help students advance from one course, program or educational level to the next without repeating essentially the same course they took while in high school. By receiving college credit while still enrolled in high school, students can complete a certificate or degree program in a shorter time.  Courses are being articulated with colleges to establish a process for achieving dual credit as students attend high school courses and receive college credit at articulated schools. 

In addition, the Career Academy Scholars Program (CASP) is a dual enrollment program allowing high school students from the Santa Ana Unified School District to receive both high school and college credit for taking a college-level career technical course at Santa Ana College.

Internships – Work-Based Learning

Work-Based Learning activities may be available to all students. This gives the student an opportunity to apply theories and skills learned in the classroom to an actual job situation.

CTE Advisory Boards

Advisory Committees provide support and guidance to Career Technical Education (CTE) programs in the Santa Ana Unified School District.   The career technical advisory committee is comprised of all major stakeholders including CTE staffs, high school principals, high school counselors and career technicians, parents, students, and industry representatives.