Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question concerning this initiative? Please email one of our Career-Technical Credit Transfer consultants: Bob Casto at rcasto@regents.state.oh.us or Vicki Melvin at vmelvin@regents.state.oh.us.

1. What content is considered as part of the Career-Technical and Credit Transfer (CT²) project?

Technical content is the focus of Amended Substitute House Bill (H.B.) 66. Key words and/or phrases in H.B. 66 that provide guidance are (1) Agreed upon adult/secondary career-technical content, (2) commonly agreed upon technical course work, (3) content based on recognized industry standards, (4) completed by adults or secondary career-technical students, and (5) transferable and applicable to any state supported institution of higher education offering parallel degree programs.

2. What are the technical courses/programs addressed by CT²? In time, will additional majors or technologies be added?

Presently five subject areas are under consideration for inclusion in the CT² initiative: Nursing, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Technology, Medical Assisting, Automotive Technology, and Information Technology-Networking. New areas will be identified by the CT² Advisory Committee with input from the field. Those areas with the greatest breadth and reach and those determined to be vital to citizens of Ohio will be given priority.

3. What are the steps in developing the learning outcomes and validating equivalent courses?

The intent of H.B. 66 is to build upon and extend the articulation and transfer activities of the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR) as specified in the previous budget bill, H.B. 95, resulting in the current thirty-eight Transfer Assurance Guides (TAG). The following five-step process for H.B. 66 CT² was modeled after the TAG development process:

• Defining – Joint faculty panels define learning outcomes based on recognized industry standards. In 2006, five technical areas were initiated – Engineering Technology, Nursing, Automotive Technology, Medical Assisting, and Information Technology-Networking.
• Agreeing – Learning outcomes are distributed statewide for review and comment via a web-based survey. Education partners reach consensual agreement on the outcomes.
• Matching – Institutions match courses/programs to learning outcomes.
• Submitting – Institutions submit course program materials based on learning outcomes.
• Reviewing – Joint faculty panels review course/program materials to confirm submissions are equivalent to learning outcomes.

4. Does H.B. 66 promote mission change among career-technical institutions and/or state-assisted institutions of higher education?

Institutional mission change is not part of the Career-Technical Credit Transfer initiative. The guiding principles established for the CT² project emphasize that the “primary foci and missions of career-technical centers [institutions] or comprehensive high schools and the public institutions of higher education will remain unaltered.” Furthermore, this initiative “does not imply the evolution of adult career schools [career-technical institutions] into associate or baccalaureate degree offering entities.”

5. Is participation mandatory under the CT² initiative for career-technical institutions and state-assisted institutions of higher education that offer courses or content in the selected and agreed upon technical areas?

H.B. 66 expects participation by public career technical-institutions and state-assisted colleges and universities offering common subject matter in the selected and agreed upon technical areas.

6. Will state technical content standards for the sixteen career fields be utilized in the development of CT² learning outcomes? Will the learning outcomes replace the state career-technical content standards?

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE), Office of Career-Technical and Adult Education continues to develop technical content standards for the sixteen career fields mandated in
Administrative Rule 3301-61-03. These technical content standards serve as a major resource for the CT² developed equivalent learning outcomes for secondary, adult, and higher education
technical courses. The CT² learning outcomes will not replace the state’s technical content standards. The CT² initiative will coordinate its efforts more closely with ODE’s efforts to revise the technical content standards. Joint faculty panels may be used in the future.

7. How will the CT² initiative affect or change program admission requirements at state-assisted colleges and universities?

Individual program admission requirements will be preserved and remain unaffected by the CT² initiative. For example, if a collegiate program expects entering students to achieve certain scores on the ACT or SAT prior to admission that requirement is held harmless. Or, if a collegiate program expects entering students to demonstrate performance in writing before admission that requirement is not preempted by CT². Only the technical equivalent courses are impacted by CT².

8. When will students obtain the college credit?

Secondary or adult students enrolled in coursework determined to have equivalent learning outcomes will be eligible to receive college credit for the identified CT² content. To receive the credit, the student must meet admission requirements and enroll in the college (in some cases be admitted to the program) offering the CT² equivalent technical courses.

9. Are certifications and licenses considered the “industry standard” as mentioned in H.B. 66?

H.B. 66 directs the Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio Department of Education to develop criteria, policies, and procedures that enable students to transfer without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers. Moreover, the criteria, policies, and procedures are to be based on recognized industry standards. When certificates (professional, voluntary, and/or vendor specific) and state licenses exist they will be instrumental in defining and verifying learning outcomes.

10. What is the impact on College Tech Prep programs?

College Tech Prep promotes consortia-level collaboration for curriculum development, faculty engagement, student support, program improvement, and articulation agreement development. CT² compliments College Tech Prep by providing a statewide guarantee of credit and expands career pathways for students participating in College Tech Prep.