District/School Resources PK-16 Program Support
Career/Vocational Technical Education

Certificate of Occupational Proficiency

The Education Reform Act established the Certificate of Occupational Proficiency. The statute - M.G.L.c.69 section 1D (iii) states: "The certificate of occupational proficiency shall be awarded to students who successfully complete a comprehensive education and training program in a particular trade or professional skill area and shall reflect a determination that the recipient has demonstrated mastery of a core of skills, competencies and knowledge comparable to that possessed by students of equivalent age entering the particular trade or profession from the most educationally advanced education systems in the world. No student may receive said certificate of occupational proficiency without also having acquired a competency determination. Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a student from beginning a program of vocational education before achieving a determination of competency. Such vocational education may begin at grade nine, ten or eleven. No provision of law shall prohibit concurrent pursuit of a competency determination and vocational learning. There shall be no cause of action for a parent, guardian or student who fails to obtain a competency determination, a certificate of mastery or a certificate of occupational proficiency."

The development of the student assessment system for the award of the Certificate of Occupational Proficiency has begun.

Questions and Comments on the Assessment System: Contact Richard Fields in the Student Assessment Services unit at rfields@doe.mass.edu or 781-338-3618.

Vocational Technical Education Frameworks:

Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks in Arts, English Language Arts, Foreign Languages, Comprehensive Health, Mathematics, History and Social Science, as well as Science and Technology/Engineering have been developed and are presently being implemented across Massachusetts. Vocational Technical Education Frameworks have also been developed and are being implemented. The Vocational Technical Education Frameworks will form the basis for the development of the student assessment system for the award of the Certificate of Occupational Proficiency. The Frameworks may be viewed on the "Frameworks Web" at http://www.doe.mass.edu/cte/frameworks.html.