Career and Technical Education
Applications for Academies and Programs of Choice
The following academies and programs of choice have an application process for 8th grade students transitioning to 9th grade in 2022-2023. Families are encouraged to connect with those schools and academy leads for more details about their application.
- Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy
Emily Shaeer - eshaeer@sbunified.org - SMHS Health Careers Academy
Marcene Tate - mtate@sbunified.org - SMHS AAPLE Academy
Erik Nielsen - enielsen@sbunified.org - PEAC
Gaby Cabrera - gcabrera@sbunified.org - AVID
Gaby Cabrera -gcabrera@sbunified.org
Career and Technical Education (CTE) is one of the key areas within SBUSD where students can explore their passions and develop professional skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives. In total, about 12.5 million high school and college students are enrolled in CTE across the nation. There are over 3,000 secondary students in our district participating in CTE courses, and interest in our programs is growing every year. CTE programs foster communication, collaboration, technical and leadership skills through group work, field trips, and mentorship/internship opportunities. CTE provides all learners for the world of work by introducing them to workplace competencies and makes academic content accessible to students by providing it in a hands-on context. Studies show that CTE supports students of all types and all backgrounds - CTE is good for all learners. The mission of SBUSD CTE is to make school valuable to students by linking learning today to their future tomorrow.
SB Unified currently offers 17 career technical education pathways within 8 industry sectors. There are CTE Programs in our three comprehensive high schools (Dos Pueblos High School, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara High School) and at three of our junior high schools (Goleta Valley Junior High School, LaCumbre Junior High School, Santa Barbara Junior High School). SBUSD CTE also includes two California Partnership Academies; the Multi-media Art and Design Academy (MAD) and the Visual Art and Design Academy (VADA), both at Santa Barbara High School. Santa Barbara High School hosts the Computer Science Academy; San Marcos High School hosts the Health Careers Academy, and Dos Pueblos High School hosts the DP Engineering Academy, and there are additional pathways at each school site as well.
All of our CTE courses are taught by teachers with CTE or Industrial Technology credentials, and provide students with sequenced courses. As of this year, all high school CTE courses are approved for UC a-g credit. Additionally, our CTE enrollment has increased over the past four years, as has the number of CTE completers we have, district-wide. Completers are students who have participated in 300 or more hours of sequenced, skill-based instruction in their industry sector, passing their courses with a C- or higher, and finishing a ‘capstone’ course. In the Santa Barbara Unified School District, some students are able to become pathway completers upon graduation by taking two sequenced courses in their industry pathway, while some pathways as many as eight courses. Students achieving completer status is a component of the CA Dashboard College and Career Readiness Indicators, and a useful data point when having conversations about how we are serving students.
How to connect with Santa Barbara Unified School District CTE Staff:
- Julissa Garcia, College and Career Readiness Coordinator, jvgarcia@sbunified.org or (805) 963-4338 x6259
Career and Technical Education Showcase
The Santa Barbara Unified School District High School Showcase is a special event that takes place every November. Held at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, the Showcase provides an opportunity for Career and Technical Education programs, Visual and Performing Arts, PEAVC/AVID, Middle College, and other elective offerings to 'showcase' what they do. Each high school puts together booths and exhibits for their programs, and high school students build and host the exhibits. All eighth grade students in the SBUSD (approximately 1500) are brought to the Earl Warren Showgrounds by bus, so they can move around the exhibit hall, learn about the programs they could participate in during high school, and connect with older students who can tell them about their experiences and invite them to learn more. In the evening, the Showcase opens up to parents and the public, and attendance at the event has typically been over 2,000 guests. The Showcase is strategically held in November so that when the course selection process begins in December, all students have had some experience to reflect on when they choose their classes and their high school.
Career and Technical Education in Santa Barbara Unified
To learn more about specific CTE programs, click on the "Programs by School" link.
Career Technical Education [CTE]
CTE Pathway
The state of California considers completing a Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway to be of equal importance to earning UC a-g completion when identifying students as college and career ready.
CTE Pathways are 2-3 years of single industry-based classes that apply academia and career skills training for a rich student experience of project-based coursework. Students who complete CTE pathway coursework are designated as CTE Pathway Completers.
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Students choose their other academic courses.
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All SB Unified CTE classes also earn students UC a-g credit.
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Some SB Unified CTE classes also earn students college credit through our dual enrollment partnership with SBCC
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Students are encouraged to complete pathways, but can finish just one year’s coursework, and explore other programs, if they wish.
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(CTE Pathways include Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunities and experiences, such as guest speakers, mock interviews, field trips, job shadowing, and internships.
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Some of our Academy Programs are also CTE Pathways.
CTE Pathway
Programs of Choice
CTE Pathway Programs of Choice are 3-4 year programs that include a CTE pathway and also provide additional leadership, supports, and extra-curricular activities for students. There are two types of CTE Pathway Programs of Choice in Santa Barbara Unified: Programs of Choice Academies and California Partnership Academies.
Programs of Choice Academies are 3-4 year programs that include a CTE pathway. They include:
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The opportunity for students to choose their academic courses.
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Courses that earn students UC a-g credit, some provide Honors/AP credit, some provide college credit through our dual enrollment partnership with SBCC.
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Strong student leadership organizations
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Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunities and experiences, including guest speakers, mock interviews, field trips, job shadowing, mentorships, and internships.
Programs of Choice Academies are:
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DPHS Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy
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SBHS Computer Science Academy
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SMHS Entrepreneurship Academy
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SMHS Health Careers Academy
CTE Pathway
CA Partnership Academies
California Partnership Academies are 3-4 year programs that include a CTE pathway and a prescribed program of academic courses. The model is best described as a ‘school within a school’, resulting in small learning communities and specifically designed for students at risk of not completing high school.
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The academic and elective courses focus on a single industry sector, and provide students with interdisciplinary curriculum and project based learning.
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Students are grouped together for 3-4 periods a day within the academy, and remain in this sequence until graduation.
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All courses earn students UC a-g credit; some provide Honors/AP credit, some provide college credit through our dual enrollment partnership with SBCC
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California Partnership Academies include Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunities and experiences, including guest speakers, mock interviews, field trips, job shadowing, mentorships, and internships.
SB Unified California Partnership Academies are:
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SBHS Multimedia Art and Design Academy
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SBHS Visual Art and Design Academy
Visual And Performing Arts [VAPA]
Elective Programs
Creativity and appreciation for the arts are important for all students to have a well-rounded education that exposes them to new ideas and perspectives. Arts education boosts school attendance, academic achievement, and college attendance rates; improves school climate; and promotes higher self-esteem and social-emotional development. Santa Barbara Unified is proud of the Art, Theater, Dance, Media Art, and Music Performance elective programs each of our high schools offer. All of the Visual and Performing Arts classes offered are approved for A-G credit. Students can take stand alone art courses, or a sequence of art courses to build their skills in a particular discipline.