STILLWATER, Okla. (OBV) – Oklahoma CareerTech received renewed federal recognition as the official agency for approving public postsecondary vocational education in the state.
The U.S. Department of Education gave CareerTech, which is officially called the Oklahoma State Board of Career and Technology Education, the approval to continue being the accrediting body for Oklahoma’s technology centers.
“The Oklahoma CareerTech board accredits the tech centers to ensure that they are compliant with federal and state laws and regulations, committed to continuous improvement and contributing to a world-class workforce,” said Jessica Ventris, Oklahoma CareerTech director of academic affairs. “The process assesses the quality of programs and services offered.”
CareerTech participated in a two-year process working with the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality (NACIQI) and Integrity to receive the renewed accreditation approval, according to CareerTech officials.
Officials with the agency submitted examples of everything it does to accredit schools. An NACIQI representative attended an accreditation visit and observed a CareerTech meeting as part of the process.
NACIQI officials recommended the Department of Education give CareerTech renewed accreditation approval.
All technology centers in the CareerTech network undergo accreditation every five years.
“The process starts with the tech center conducting a self-assessment and includes site visits and interviews from an accreditation team composed of trained examiners from the agency and other tech center,” CareerTech officials said.
Accreditation reports are presented to the CareerTech board with a recommendation from the agency’s accreditation division.
Each tech center that receives approval from the board submits a plan for improvements based on the report.
CareerTech is the state’s lead agency for career and technology education. It offers programs and services across 29 technology center districts operating on 60 campuses, 391 PK-12 school districts, 15 Skills Centers campuses that include three juvenile facilities and 32 adult education and family literacy providers.
Its network includes 29 technology centers, 397 PK-12 school districts, 16 skills centers sites and 32 adult education and family literacy providers. Its total enrollment for FY 2023 was 489,635, a 9.5 percent increase from FY 2022.
Ninety-four percent of CareerTech graduates either found employment, entered the military or continued their education in 2022.
Over 42 percent of Oklahoma ninth through 12th graders participated in a CareerTech program in 2023.
Visit the CareerTech website for more information about CareerTech’s accreditation division.
