Office of the Superintendent of Schools
Office of Academics
title
Approval To Utilize 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
body
This agenda item seeks approval from the Houston Independent School District (HISD) School Board for students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) programming to utilize state and industry certifying agencies to earn industry- and state-recognized certifications and licensures. Students enrolled in CTE programs in HISD are eligible to sit for nationally and internationally recognized end-of-program certification and licensures upon completion of required course sequence. Students who earn a nationally or internationally recognized end-of-program certification will also receive a Performance Acknowledgement upon graduation, with the designation noted on their high school transcript.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) encourages districts to provide students with opportunities to earn certifications and licensures that add value to postsecondary education or workforce readiness. HISD’s CTE Department offers programs of study that prepare students to earn nationally and internationally recognized end-of-program certification and licensures aligned to high-growth, high-wage careers. The licensures and certifying agencies or industries that support approved CTE programs are included.
Partnership Scope of Work
Adopting the list of certifying agencies allows the CTE Department to continue fully funding industry-based certification exams for students across the district. Students engaged in CTE coursework are prepared and eligible to sit for industry-based certifications aligned to their program of study. The TEA has recently released the updated list of industry-based certifications to be used for public school accountability beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, which will apply to school accountability ratings issued in 2026.
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.
Certifying Entity Name
• 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
• 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
|
COST/FUNDING SOURCE(S): |
The total cost for this program is not expected to exceed $1,500,000.00 |
|
Fund |
Functional Area |
Program Intent Code (PIC) |
Process |
Account |
Cost Center |
Project |
Amount |
|
199201 |
11 |
22 |
000 |
629901 |
803019 |
50000159 |
1,500,000.00 |
|
STAFFING IMPLICATIONS: |
None |
THIS ITEM DOES NOT ESTABLISH, MODIFY, OR DELETE BOARD POLICY.
recommendation
RECOMMENDED: That the School Board approves the use of state and industry certifying agencies for students enrolled in CTE programming for the 2026-2027, 2027-2028, 2028-2029, and 2029-2030 school years, effective September 11, 2026.