According to the Journalism Education Association, the steps to become a CTE program include:
Step 1: Make friends with your school’s/district’s CTE department chair. Building a positive relationship with the CTE department chair can go a long way to an adviser’s future success in building a strong program of study. Here’s how to get involved with your state organizations.
Step 2: Assess your program. It is important to understand the language and expectations that are required under a CTE program. When going through this evaluation tool, oftentimes advisers realize that they are already doing much of what is expected of CTE programs.
Here is an example of the evaluation tool filled out from a rural school in New Mexico.
Step 3: Build an advisory board. An advisory committee represents stakeholders in the CTE program and provides input for the program’s continuous improvement. Advisory committees meet at least twice a year and minutes are available for review. Advisory committees should be gender balanced. Developing a Local Advisory Committee
Step 4: Build a Pathway of Study – Consider two or more courses in sequence that lead to either a career pathway through certification or post-secondary pathway in a related program. The course names and sequences will vary from state to state; check your state’s course descriptions and essential skills. Example course crossover: Photojournalism = Commercial Photography, Newspaper = Graphic Design, Broadcast Journalism = Video Production
Step 5: Investigate your state’s licensing or certification requirements. CTE certification varies widely from state to state. Some require professional experience in the field for licensing; others have multiple paths. Your state’s board of teacher certification is the best place to start.