Career & Technical Education (CTE)

Career & Technical Education (CTE) in Iowa includes educational programs offering a sequence of courses that prepare individuals for employment in current or emerging occupations. Programs include competency-based applied learning, which contributes to an individual’s academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills and occupational-specific skills.

At the secondary level, CTE programs are organized within six broad service areas, as defined in Iowa Code. The service areas are:

  • Agriculture, food and natural resources
  • Arts, communications and information systems
  • Applied sciences, technology, engineering and manufacturing, including transportation, distribution, logistics, architecture and construction
  • Health sciences
  • Human services
  • Business, finance, marketing and management

Programs within these service areas are further aligned with the National Career Clusters Framework.

More Information

For additional information about CTE, visit:

Iowa Department of Education

Important Contacts

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Barb Sersland

Barb Sersland

  • Curriculum Consultant-Math

Education: Bachelor’s degree, business administration management, area of interest human relations & elementary education endorsed in math, social studies, middle school talented & gifted; Master’s degree, educational leadership

Experience: Middle school math teacher, Instructional coach, Math consultant
Joined Heartland AEA in 2021

Expertise: Mathematics standards work; instructional practices; reviewing and implementing high-quality instructional materials; coaching and consulting around supporting diverse learners; intervention systems support; postsecondary success planning

How I’ve made an impact: I consulted with a school district to adopt and implement a high-quality math curriculum, providing ongoing support through targeted professional learning and team collaboration time on integrating instructional best practices.

Career & Technical Education (CTE)