Is Technology/Engineering (AKA Technology Education AKA Industrial Arts) a Core Subject?
rev. 9-20-2015
by Mark Kobel,
President, MassTEC
www.masstec.org
Is T/E a Core Subject? Do T/E teachers fall under the 'highly qualified' regulations?
The simple answer is yes and yes.
The explanation is more complex. Confusion stems from a misunderstanding of the subject (here
simply called T/E) as it is taught in Massachusetts. The following excerpts from an article by the
DESE's Dr. Jacob Foster, explains that when the term "Science" is used in Massachusetts, it includes
T/E.
"In Massachusetts, technology/engineering is now considered a science discipline
equivalent to physical science, life science, and earth and space science, and a
number of state policies, such as policies related to licensing and assessment, support
the implementation of school technology/engineering programs." 1
One possible source of confusion may be the term "instructional technology" which is NOT the same
as T/E. The DESE website is clear that "instructional technology is not considered a core academic
subject. Further clarification regarding the term T/E is at the end of this document.
"Are physical education, health, business, and instructional technology
considered to be core academic subjects?
No. The federal statute does not consider these to be core academic subjects and
therefore, individuals who teach these subjects are not required to meet the Highly
Qualified requirements by the federal NCLB legislation. This does not mean,
however, that these subjects are any less important to the academic success of
students throughout the Commonwealth. Teachers who teach these subjects must
continue to meet the state's laws and regulations related to licensure and relicensure,
and should continue to participate in professional development activities that
strengthen their professional knowledge and skills." 2
Additional confusion and questions related to licensing and the terms "industrial arts", "technology
education" and "technology/engineering" are addressed in the following excerpt from Dr. Foster.
"Once the first 1996 Framework had been developed with
technology/engineering as a discipline equivalent to other science disciplines,
technology/engineering items were incorporated into the Massachusetts
Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests. Technology/engineering
currently counts for 15 percent of the 5th grade test, 25 percent of the 8th grade
test, and is one of four options for the high school end-of-course test.
Changing the licensing requirements for teachers of technology/engineering
was much more difficult. The Department currently offers an academic license
in “technology/engineering,” which has expectations equivalent to those of
other science licenses in terms of required content knowledge (including
passing a content test), completion of a practicum, license for grades 5–12, and
a requirement for being rated “highly qualified” in keeping with NCLB
requirements.
However, because technology/engineering developed through a progression
from industrial arts to technology education to technology/engineering, the
license also went through the same transition. Thus all industrial arts and
technology-education certified teachers were grandfathered into the system and
are licensed to teach a core academic technology/engineering course. In this
way, a pool of teachers licensed to teach the new subject was made available,
but administrators raised reasonable questions about whether all of them were
truly qualified.
Finally, because the state recognizes technology/engineering as a core
academic science option, schools and school districts can give science credit
for these courses and apply those credits to high school graduation
requirements. The alignment of all of these policies means that schools and
school districts now have the necessary support to develop academic
technology/engineering programs." 3
Questions regarding T/E as a 'highly qualified' subject are also answered by the above information.
Science is a defined in the following quote as a core academic subject. Again, science includes
physical science, life science, technology/engineering, and earth and space science.
"What are the core academic subjects defined by NCLB/HQ?
The core academic subjects defined by NCLB/HQ, Section 9101 (11) of the ESEA, are:
 English
 reading/language arts
 math, science
 foreign languages
 civics and government
 economics
 the arts (art/visual art, dance, theater, and music)
 history
 geography" 4
1
The Incorporation of Technology/Engineering Concepts into Academic Standards in
Massachusetts, Author: Jacob Foster, National Academy of Engineering, release date: Fall
2009. https://www.nae.edu/Publications/Bridge/16145/16207.aspx
2
http://www.doe.mass.edu/educators/titleiia/hq/hq_faq.html?section=subjects
3
The Incorporation of Technology/Engineering Concepts into Academic Standards in
Massachusetts, Author: Jacob Foster, National Academy of Engineering, release date: Fall
2009. https://www.nae.edu/Publications/Bridge/16145/16207.aspx
4
http://www.doe.mass.edu/educators/title-iia/hq/hq_faq.html?section=subjects