State-Specific Solutions
Solutions for Massachusetts (MA)
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has specific reporting requirements for districts in the areas of Work-Based Learning (WBL), College & Career Readiness (CCR), and Career and Technical Education (CTE).
Massachusetts User Group Meeting – June 24th 2025
For some insight into what we are currently doing for our clients in MA, here is a recent training session that was held at this year’s MAVA Connecting for Success Conference.
MyCAP Career Planning & Graduation Requirements
- Automatically Generated Portfolio: Each student has a public facing career portfolio that they can use to market themselves to potential employers and postsecondary institutions.
- Academic Planning: Plan courses to take, track academic progress, and ensure students have enough credits in each subject area to graduate.
- Career Development & Planning: Allow students to do career exploration activities, identify their strengths, set goals, and track development including particiaption in WBL and/or CTSOs and Clubs.
Track Act 74 Program Competency Completion
- DESE CTE Framework Standards:Â Jobready360 has built-in support for all of the UPDATED 2024/25 Career Cluster/Pathway Standards which serve as the competencies students must obtain by completion of Career Technical Education (Chapter 74) programs.
Track Industry Recognized Credentials (IRCs) Earned
- Simplify Reporting to SIMS: All MA state-approved industry recognized credentials are listed in Jobready360 with the associated SIMS code making it easy for students, teachers, and administrators to track IRC attainment.
Comply with Lottery-Based Admissions Requirements
- CTE Admissions Waitlist: Secondary career technical schools with more applicants than available seats can maintain a waitlist for the current school year for eligible students who do not gain admission.
- Blind Lottery: Schools can choose to implement a “blind lottery” where all eligible applicants have an equal chance of being selected, with no additional criteria influencing the odds.
- Weighted Lottery:Schools also have the option to implement a “weighted lottery.” In a weighted lottery, all students are entered, but students who meet certain criteria are given an “extra weight” per criterion met, increasing their chances of selection.
Manage Cooperative Education Requirements
- Timecards/Evaluation Forms: Students are typically required to submit weekly timecards and employers must complete evaluation forms (often weekly or at regular intervals) to verify hours worked and grade performance.
- CORI Checks: The Co-op Coordinator must obtain a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) check on the cooperative employer prior to student placement.
- Worker’s Compensation & Liability Insurance: For Chapter 74-approved vocational programs offering Co-Op, track requirements for employer’s to meet insurance and other requirements.Â
Program Advisory Committees (PAC) Meetings & Members
- PAC Members Representation: Ensure each Program Advisory Committee must consist of representatives from Local Business & Industry, Organized Labor, Postsecondary Institutions, Parents/Guardians, Students, and Registrerd Apprenticeship Programs (if applicable).
- PAC Member Diversity: Ensure every effort is made to promote membership on the Advisory Committee that includes diverse perspectives and reflects the communities eligible to be served by the school, including persons from all genders and racial and ethnic minorities.
- Open Meeting Law: Ensure all meetings must comply with the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, M.G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18–25, ensuring transparency and public access, including documenting meeting minutes.
- General Advisory Committee Requirement: In addition to program-specific committees, make sure each school appoints a committee and a for all CTE programs under its control.
Track Graduates & Alumni with Follow-Up Studies
- Graduates Attending College & College Persistence: Information on where high school graduates attend college (in-state/out-of-state, 2-year/4-year, public/private) and their persistence in college can be collected.
- Wage Outcomes of High School Graduates: Post-graduation wage data can be tracked to assess workforce success.
- CTE Concentrator Outcomes: Tracks where CTE concentrators who left secondary education are placed (postsecondary education, advanced training, military, or employment) in the second quarter following their program year.
Join the Growing List of Schools in Massachusetts
Over 65% of the Regional Vocational Technical High Schools in MA are already using Jobready360 to make their lives easier. Click below to schedule a meeting with us to learn how we can help you simplify your state reporting needs as well.
