December 15, 2014
TO:
Curriculum and Instructional Leaders
Superintendents
Career and Technical Education Directors
Power School Data Managers
School Counselors
FROM:
Robin McCoy, Director
Curriculum & Instruction
Jo Anne Honeycutt, Director
Career and Technical Education
PRINCIPLES OF TECHNOLOGY I AND II
There have been a number of questions as to the number and types of graduation requirements that Principles of
Technology can fulfill. The purpose of this memo is to clarify the use of the CTE courses, Principles of
Technology (PoT) I and II, to meet high school graduation requirements. If your school or school system is not
offering PoT, the recommendations and guidance are offered for your information.
Changes in the Standard Course of Study in recent years made it necessary to reevaluate the graduation
requirements that the Principles of Technology can satisfy. The most significant change is that, beginning with
freshmen entering high school in fall 2015, Principles of Technology I will no longer meet the requirement for
Physical Science. Shifts in the Science Essential Standards created cause for this adjustment. However, if an
honors level PoT II course is taken, it is still allowable to use Principles of Technology I and Principles of
Technology II-Honors to meet the course credit for Physics and thereby meet a physical science requirement.
In order to satisfy the Physical Science requirement and earn course credit for Physics through PoT I and PoT II:
1. School systems should create an Honors section of PoT II to ensure that all of the content in the Physics
standards are addressed in the combination of PoT I and II. Students will not be required to complete the NC
Final Exam for Physics but they should complete a teacher-made exam that is aligned with the Physics course
standards (in addition to the CTE post-assessment for PoT II). Upon completion of the PoT I and the Honors
Principles of Technology II courses, students can be awarded transcript credit for Physics.
2. Schools should advise students to complete a sequence of science courses that includes: Earth Science,
Biology and Principles of Technology I and Principles of Technology II-Honors (for Physics and to meet the
Physical Science graduation requirement).
Principles of Technology I and II will continue to count as CTE course credits and toward completion of a CTE
concentration. Students will be expected to take the related CTE post-assessments at the end of each course. We
will distribute a detailed set of instructions on how to enter the Physics course for credit at a later date.
Please feel free to contact Jo Anne Honeycutt with questions, joannehoneycutr@dpi.nc.gov.
RM/JH/abb
C: June St. Clair Atkison
Tracy Weeks
Rebecca Garland
Beverly Vance
Jennifer Curtis
DIVISON OF K-12 CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
6341 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-6341 | (919) 807-3817 | Fax (919) 807-3826
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
The table below shows the current status and highlights the changes that will begin with the
freshman class of 2015-2016 for the Physical Science requirement and restates the PoT I and II
courses for Mathematics graduation credit.
Graduation
Requirement
Physical Science
Requirement
Mathematics
requirement
Career and
Technical
Education
Freshmen entering
prior to Fall 2015
Principles of
Technology I- may be
used to meet the
requirement for a
Physical Science credit
but NOT the course
Physical Science.
Principles of
Technology II- may be
used to meet the
requirement for
Physics.
Freshmen entering Fall
2015 and after
Principles of
Technology I will no
longer meet the
Physical Science
graduation requirement.
Principles of
Technology I and
Principles of
Technology II both
meet the 4th
mathematics
requirement for
graduation as well as
the mathematics
requirement for
students who need a
substitute plan for
mathematics.
Principles of
Technology I counts as
a level 1 foundational
course in the STEM
Career Cluster.
Principles of
Technology II counts
as a level 2
foundational course in
the STEM Career
Cluster.
Principles of
Technology I and
Principles of
Technology II both
meet the 4th
mathematics
requirement for
graduation as well as
the mathematics
requirement for students
who need a substitute
plan for mathematics.
A combination of PoT I
and PoT II-Honors will
satisfy the course
requirement for Physics
and therefore the
Physical Science
graduation requirement.
Principles of
Technology I counts as
a level 1, foundational
course in the STEM
Career Cluster.
Principles of
Technology II counts as
a level 2, foundational
course in the STEM
Career Cluster.
Rationale
PoT I does not contain
sufficient standards related
to Chemistry to allow the
course to substitute for
Physical Science or to
meet the Physical Science
requirement.
When an Honors portfolio
is developed, it should
include any content from
Physics not specifically
covered in PoT I and PoT
II.
PoT I and PoT II meet the
criteria for 4th required
mathematics course.
Students should also
complete Math I, II, and
III.
Students following the
substitute math
requirements may use PoT
I and PoT II to meet 2 of
the required mathematics
credits
PoT I and II will continue
to meet requirements for
CTE concentrator status.