Office of College, Career and Technical Education

Middle School Pathway Awareness

Awareness of pathways and high school options while in middle school enables students and their families to make informed choices about their education. Districts with middle schools that have access to CTE programs through their high schools or through their municipality's membership to a regional CTE district must have and implement a Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy.

Developing a Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy

All districts are encouraged to create robust experiences that support student awareness of their high school options through the adoption of MyCAP. Massachusetts state regulations (603 CMR 4.00) require sending districts to CTE schools and programs to maintain a districtwide Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy that documents how middle school students in the district are made aware of, and gain exposure to, career technical education (CTE) schools and programs available to them in their district, regional, agricultural, and other public high schools.

Guidance for Middle School Pathway Exploration Policies

Developing Middle School Pathway Exploration Policies: Middle School Student Access to CTE Guidance
Middle School Pathway Exploration Model Policy Template

Annual Middle School Pathway Exploration Action Items

Policies: all sending districts will maintain a districtwide Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy that documents how middle school students in the district are made aware of and gain exposure to career technical education schools and programs available to them in their district, regional, agricultural, and other public high schools. Middle School Pathway Exploration Policies must be submitted to the Department by November 1, 2025 and as amended. Policies will be submitted via CHAMP.
- If your district is unable to meet this deadline, you may request an extension by completing this form and submitting the request via CHAMP before November 1.
Attestation: Annually, all districts will sign an attestation that the Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy is implemented. Attestations will be submitted via CHAMP.
- Attestation: Middle School Pathway Exploration Superintendent Attestation Form
Availability: Districts will make their Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy available on the district website and provide written copies to students and parents, upon request.

Supporting Documents and Resources for Admissions Policies & Processes

CTE Admissions Guidance and Resources
MyCAP: Utilize tools already available through MyCAP to help students plan their high school and career goals.
CHAMP: If you do not have a CHAMP login, go to CCTE CHAMP Resources & Requests , online at. From this website page click "next," at the bottom, to request access for a new CHAMP account. Please refer to the CHAMP for CCTE Guide in the Technical Assistance form as your initial resource for navigating CHAMP.
CTE Regulations
Federal OCR Guidelines for Vocational Education Programs OCR-00004 (See 45 CFR, Part 80, Appendix B, IV, K: Eligibility Based on Evaluation of Each Applicant Under Admissions Criteria)
Guidelines for Eliminating Discrimination and Denial of Services
on the Basis of Race, Color, National Origin, Sex and Handicap in Vocational Education Programs (34 CFR, Part 100, Appendix B)
September 4, 2025 DESE Webinar on CTE Regulation requirement updates for Middle Schools and CTE Schools/programs Slides and Video

Districts Required to Submit a Policy

Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, all sending districts to CTE schools and programs will maintain a districtwide Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy that documents how middle school students in the district are made aware of and gain exposure to career technical education schools and programs available to them in their district, regional, agricultural, and other public high schools. This list of districts required to maintain and implement a Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy can be found here: Districts for Middle School Pathway Exploration Policies .

Upcoming Webinars and Office Hours

To support CTE schools and programs in the implementation of the new regulations, DESE's Office of College, Career, and Technical Education, in partnership with the American Institute for Research is providing technical assistance, webinars, and office hours.

Webinars/Technical Assistance

Office Hours

Middle School Pathway Exploration Learning Module

Some CTE schools or programs may require students to complete an awareness activity as part of their admission process. To support students in meeting this requirement, DESE has developed an Awareness Module to be shared with students.

Access the Modules here: English | Spanish

Please integrate this into your MyCAP scope and sequence, publish it on your school and district website, and make students and families have access to this module to support them in completing this requirement. You can confirm if awareness activities are required by your CTE school or program by reviewing their Recruitment, Admission, and Retention Policy.

Last Updated: October 2, 2025