Office of the Superintendent of Schools
Office of Academics
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Approval To Amend The List Of State And Industry Certifying Agencies For Students Enrolled In Career And Technical Education Programming For The 2026-2027, 2027-2028, 2028-2029, And 2029-2030 School Years
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This agenda item seeks approval from the Houston Independent School District (HISD) School Board to amend the list of state and industry certifying agencies approved on September 10, 2026, by adding Coastal Skies Aero Club, which provides eligible students participating in aviation programs with access to related training, examinations, and certification opportunities. All other terms of the prior approval remain unchanged.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) encourages districts to provide students with opportunities to earn certifications or licensures that add value to postsecondary education or workforce readiness. Students enrolled in HISD Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are eligible to sit for nationally and internationally recognized end-of-program certifications and licensures aligned to high-growth, high-wage careers upon completion of required course sequences. Students who earn a recognized end-of-program certification will also receive a Performance Acknowledgement upon graduation, with the designation noted on their high school transcript.
Amending the list of certifying agencies allows the CTE Department to continue fully funding industry-based certification exams and related services for students across the district. College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) outcomes are reported based on annual graduates and are reflected in the subsequent year’s accountability ratings; therefore, indicators earned during the 2026-2027 school year and beyond will be included in the following accountability cycle.
The amended list of certifying agencies and industry partners that support approved CTE programs is:
• Adobe
• AgriLife Learn
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
• American Allied Health (AAH)
• American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS)
• American Association of Psychiatric Technicians (AAPT)
• American Council on Exercise (ACE)
• American Culinary Federation (ACF)
• American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
• American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI)
• American Meat Science Association (AMSA)
• American Medical Certification Association (AMCA)
• American Medical Technologists (AMT)
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
• American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
• American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians (ASPT)
• American Welding Society (AWS)
• Apple
• Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI)
• Association of Technology Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE)
• Autodesk
• BASF
• Benz School of Floral Design
• Bioscience Core Skills Institute (BCSI)
• Biotility Applied
• C++ Institute
• Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI)
• Certiport/Pearson VUE
• Cisco
• Coastal Skies Aero Club
• CodeHS
• CompTIA
• Construction Career Collaborative (C3)
• Council for Professional Recognition
• C-Tech Associates
• Dassault Systems
• Dental Assistant National Board (DANB)
• Ducks Unlimited
• EC-Council
• Elanco
• electrical training ALLIANCE
• Equipment & Engine Training Council (EETC)
• ESCO Group
• ESRI
• FANUC
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• FESTO
• ForestryWorks
• Google
• Green Business Certification (GBCI)
• Home Builders Institute (HBI)
• HR Certification Institute (HRCI)
• Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) of Texas
• Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA)
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• International Academy of Emergency Dispatch (IAED)
• International Association For Six Sigma Certification (IASSC)
• International Code Council (ICC)
• International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO)
• Intuit
• ISC2
• Isograd
• Knowledge Pillars Education
• Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC)
• Medical Career Assessments (MedCA)
• Meta
• Microsoft
• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
• National Association for Health Professionals (NAHP)
• National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB)
• National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
• National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
• National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC)
• National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)
• National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)
• National Dispatch and Freight Certification Association (NDFCA)
• National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA)
• National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
• National Horse Judging Team Coaches' Association
• National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)
• National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS)
• National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI)
• National Performance Specialists (NPS)
• National Restaurant Association
• National Retail Federation Foundation
• National Workforce Career Association (NWCA)
• North American Technician Excellence (NATE)
• Online Marketing Certified Professionals (OMCP)
• Open Education and Development Group (OpenEDG)
• Oracle
• PayrollOrg
• PeopleCert
• PMY Group (PMY)
• Professional Photographers of America (PPA)
• Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Python Institute
• Risk & Insurance Education Alliance
• Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA)
• SMC CORPORATION (SMC)
• SME
• SpaceTEC Partners
• Sports Field Management Association (SFMA)
• Stratasys
• Stukent
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
• Texas Board of Nursing
• Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners
• Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA)
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
• Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP)
• Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE)
• Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)
• Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)
• Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
• Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
• Texas Education Agency (TEA)
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
• Texas Medical Board (TMB)
• Texas Nursery & Landscape Association (TNLA)
• Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC)
• Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE)
• Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP)
• Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE)
• Texas State Florists Association (TSFA)
• Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA)
• Toon Boom Animation
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Unity
• Unmanned Safety Institute (USI)
• VCARE Academy
• Web Professionals Global Organization
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COST/FUNDING SOURCE(S): |
This amendment does not increase the previously approved aggregate not-to-exceed amount. |
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STAFFING IMPLICATIONS: |
None |
THIS ITEM DOES NOT ESTABLISH, MODIFY, OR DELETE BOARD POLICY.
recommendation
RECOMMENDED: That the School Board approves the amended list of state and certifying agencies for students enrolled in CTE programming for the 2026-2027, 2027-2028, 2028-2029 and 2029-2030 school years, effective October 9, 2026.