Regional Occupational Programs (ROP) and Career Technical Education (CTE)

Regional Occupational Programs (ROP) are typically run by the county office of education and provide Career Technical Education (CTE). At the end of a course of study through the county, a student can expect to receive a certificate in their area of study that they could then use to get a job. There  are other Career Technical Education (CTE) programs available; some of them introduce the student to the subject area, but do not provide a certificate at the end of the course. This can also be useful because the student can learn about a variety of careers. ROP programs currently are sometimes known exclusively as a CTE program. The defining quality is whether or not the program is offered by the county office of education. All of these courses however allow students to explore career choices, get career specific training, and get focused on a career before a student starts college or starts a professional trade. ROP courses give 11th and 12th grade students exposure to specific careers and often result in official certifications that can be used to jumpstart a career directly out of high school. Many CTE courses (including some from our online vendor eDynamic Learning) are open to high school students of any grade level.

Here are a few highlights of ROP:

• The courses are free.

• A student can earn up to 15 elective credits each semester. They must be concurrently enrolled in at least 20 credits through their IEM school with no more than 40 credits total for the semester.

• In the classes, students develop specific job skills.

• Students can build relationships with local employers that could lead to employment opportunities after high school.

• Students can experiment with a specific career field of interest (medical, computer technology, automotive repair, law enforcement, etc.).

Availability of ROP courses varies each semester, so check the county’s ROP website. Any public high school student is eligible to attend ROP courses but priority is given to students enrolled at the sponsoring school location.