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Implementation Experiences: Aligning CompTIA Training with U.S. State CTE Frameworks (e.g., DESE Massachusetts)

jvolquezm

New member
Sep 13, 2025
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Hello everyone,

I’m an Information Technology instructor at a Chapter 74 Career and Technical Education (CTE) high school in Massachusetts, working under the DESE Information Support Services and Networking (ISSN) framework.

I’d like to learn from others about their experience implementing CompTIA training programs (such as A+, Network+, Security+, etc.) in alignment with state-level CTE frameworks across the U.S.

Specifically:
  • How have schools structured CompTIA coursework within multi-year high school CTE pathways?
  • Which CompTIA certifications have you integrated at each grade level (e.g., sophomore, junior, senior years)?
  • How do you ensure compliance with your state’s CTE standards (for example, DESE’s six strands: Safety & Health, Technical Skills, Employability, etc.) while maintaining industry relevance?
  • What methodologies or pacing models have proven most effective (semester-based, full-year, hybrid, or modular)?
I’m currently mapping CompTIA A+ Core 1 & 2 (CertMaster Learn v15) against the DESE CTE framework and would appreciate insights, success stories, or lesson structures that have worked well in your districts.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experience and best practices.

— José Volquez
Greater Lawrence Technical School, Andover MA
 
Hello everyone,

I’m an Information Technology instructor at a Chapter 74 Career and Technical Education (CTE) high school in Massachusetts, working under the DESE Information Support Services and Networking (ISSN) framework.

I’d like to learn from others about their experience implementing CompTIA training programs (such as A+, Network+, Security+, etc.) in alignment with state-level CTE frameworks across the U.S.

Specifically:
  • How have schools structured CompTIA coursework within multi-year high school CTE pathways?
  • Which CompTIA certifications have you integrated at each grade level (e.g., sophomore, junior, senior years)?
  • How do you ensure compliance with your state’s CTE standards (for example, DESE’s six strands: Safety & Health, Technical Skills, Employability, etc.) while maintaining industry relevance?
  • What methodologies or pacing models have proven most effective (semester-based, full-year, hybrid, or modular)?
I’m currently mapping CompTIA A+ Core 1 & 2 (CertMaster Learn v15) against the DESE CTE framework and would appreciate insights, success stories, or lesson structures that have worked well in your districts.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experience and best practices.

— José Volquez
Greater Lawrence Technical School, Andover MA
I can tell you what my district does. Currently we offer CompTIA A+ Core 1 as a semester course and CompTIA A+ Core 2 as a semester course at our comprehensive high schools. These courses are open to 9-12. We meet daily for 52 minutes a class period.

As for CompTIA Security+, Network+ and Linux+, we offer those as well at our CTE school that meets daily in block schedule. Those classes are all semester courses and students (juniors and seniors) have to apply to be accepted at our CTE school.
 
I just took over the cyber program here and they have been using codehs. My idea was to align and teach comptia certs so that the kids could get certifications along with grades. My thought process is to put students into a position where they could graduate and find a help desk or NOC job. Or if they went to college test out of some of the classes. I think I'm going to have to write out a 1 to 1 relationship to the state objectives. Probably gonna fire up chatgpt for that one lol