Department of Education
Dr. Tim Webb, Commissioner

National industry certifications for teachers are encouraged in all Career & Technical Education (CTE) areas.  A committee was formed in 2005 to evaluate the feasibility of all CTE program areas meeting some type of certification. Plans are ongoing to meet that goal.

Currently, industry certifications are required in the Health Science and Trade & Industrial program area and any CTE cross over courses with T&I. New T&I teachers have three years to meet this requirement. Health Science teachers must have a state R.N. or Allied Health license plus three or more years of work experience prior to obtaining a teaching license.

Business Technology Education teachers are not required to be industry certified except when teaching the following Trade & Industry cross over courses: Web Site Foundations, Web Page Design – Site Designer, Web Page Design – E-Commerce, Information Technology Foundations and Computer Operating Systems. Beginning the Fall of 2009, the above courses will require business teachers to be industry certified when teaching cross over courses.

Any teacher teaching the following courses must have industry certification:
Link to CTE courses requiring Industry Certification)

• Automotive Technology, Collision Repair and Diesel Technology courses must be ASE certified.
• Aviation courses must be Federal Aviation Administration certified.
• Construction courses must be U.S. Department of Labor, BAT (Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training) Journey Person Level or NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) certified.
• Welding courses must be U.S. Department of Labor, BAT (Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training) Journey Person Level or NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) or AWS (American Welding Society).  
• Drafting courses must ADDA (American Design and Drafting Association) certification.
• Computer Technology courses require A+ or NetPlus or CIW or CISCO certification.
• Web Page courses must be CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) certified.
• Cosmetology courses must be licensed by Tennessee State Cosmetology Board.
• Culinary Arts courses must be certified by Serve-Safe, or National Registry of Food Safety Professionals or CCE Culinary Chef Educator. 

In addition to the requirement for industry certification of instructors, program certification is recommended for programs which allow students to obtain industry certifications or credentials.

Tennessee State Board of Education’s Uniform Grading Policy (3.301) states that school systems may offer CTE courses as honors credit if

• The instructor is industry certified.
• The program is certified.
• The student can sit for a national certification.
• The policy for honors credit must be approved at the LEA level.

For additional information please contact sue.tucker@tn.gov.