Academics

CTAE PATHWAY COURSES

CTAE Pathway courses are cluster-based courses scheduled during the academic cycle to meet the needs of Strands 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 of the Vocational Technical Education Frameworks under Chapter 74 Regulations (CMR 603).

Grade 9 CTAE Pathway Foundation Courses

Freshman Seminar

Course #: ps001 | Level: CP | Credits: 4
This full-year Pathway course begins with a common unit that introduces all grade 9 students to the Graduate Profile entitled: “What it means to be a Hawk?” This will familiarize freshmen with our expectations for them over the next four years at Essex Tech.  This will be followed by sharing with students an overview of a service learning project that will provide the content as they develop their technology and presentation skills.  Service learning integrates community service with student skills in entrepreneurship, leadership, and teamwork as students work with teachers and community partners to address needs and problems in our communities and identify and implement solutions to address them.  Students will begin by learning about technology use that is guided by the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) and the following standards: Empowered Learner, Digital Citizen, Knowledge Constructor, Innovative Designer, Computational Thinker, Creative Communicator, and Global Collaborator. Students will also be introduced to appropriate communication through Social Media, accessibility tools and features, and research tools and skills.  Throughout the year, the students will develop new technology skills and apply them to their service learning project in real-time.  These technology skills include mastering tools and techniques with spreadsheets, presentation programs, proper researching techniques and many others. Students will learn how to adapt a presentation for different occasions and audiences related to service learning, how to support ideas effectively, how to select and organize materials in preparation for a presentation, and how to utilize multimedia tools in presentations, among other skills. 

Grade10 CTAE Pathway Foundation Courses

United States Government & Politics – Grade 10

Course #: 4210 | Level: CP | Credits: 2
This required Pathway course is designed to provide tenth-grade students with knowledge of the purpose, structure, and operation of the national and state governmental systems. Based on the History, Social Science, and Civics Education: Implementation Updates (2020-2021), the primary focus will be on the Federal system and its underlying principles as they are related to national, state, and local levels.  This course will be a thought-provoking exploration taught through the lens of current events and political issues.  Topics will include: the Constitution, civil rights, interest groups, politics, voting, Congress, the Presidency, the Judiciary, laws, public policies, state and local government. This is a semester course and is paired with Personal Financial Literacy, both designed to help students become responsible citizens in a representative republic (Course #: 2250).

Financial Literacy – Grade 10                                                                                                                      

Course #: 2250 | Level: CP | Credits: 2 
This required Pathways course is essential in meeting the financial challenges of the 21st century, with understanding and managing personal finances the key to one’s future financial success. Based on the Massachusetts Mathematics Curriculum Framework (2017) learning standards, this course teaches students to apply the knowledge and skills to various financial situations they will encounter later in life to make critical decisions regarding personal finances. Students will learn money management, savings and investing, income, and spending strategies. This course will teach students to identify and prioritize their personal money management goals, develop personal spending, savings, and investing plans, tax implications and understand the cost of using credit along with asset protection.  This is a semester class and is paired with United States Government & Politics (Course # 4210).