Planning for High School and Future Careers

All students are required to have a six-year educational plan designed to include four years of high school and a goal of at least two years of post-secondary education. This plan ensures that students and their parents, along with the school counselors, are planning properly to meet the requirements for earning a Tennessee high school diploma and beyond. The six-year plan should be completed before a student begins high school and should be used each year as students register for classes. The plan will include core, path, and career cluster choices for high school, as well as post-high school educational and/or career plans.

State Core requirements are the 14 academic classes required for all students by the state for earning a high school diploma. State Path requirements are the specific courses required by the state to complete either the University Path or the Technical Path. Completion of the University Path will satisfy the course requirements for admission into the state institutions of higher education in Tennessee and most other universities. The Technical Path will prepare students to enroll in a technical school, a community college, an apprenticeship program, the military, or the workforce after graduation. Students choosing both the University and Technical Paths will complete the Dual Path. Career cluster electives allow students to choose classes in one area that will prepare them for a chosen career path. These career clusters are based on current jobs and industries in Tennessee. Each high school has aligned classes within their various departments into the following sixteen career clusters. Counselors assist the students in the selection of individual courses for the chosen cluster.

• Agriculture
• Food & Natural Resources
• Architecture & Construction
• Arts, A/V Technology & Communication Business
• Management & Administration
• Education & Training Finance
• Government & Public Administration Health Science
• Hospitality & Tourism Human Services
• Information Technology Law
• Public Safety, Corrections & Security
• Manufacturing Marketing
• Sales & Service
• Transportation
• Distribution & Logistics Science
• Technology
• Engineering & Mathematics