In Lesson 5, you learned about HB5 and the changes to Texas high school graduation requirements. The following graphic will help remind you of the various paths to a high school diploma under the new legislation:

Endorsements are broad career readiness focus areas that comprise hundreds of potential career pathways for students. Think about the endorsement areas as the general umbrella under which career clusters and programs of study lie.

The following graphic depicts the relationship among endorsements, career clusters, and programs of study:^{1, 2}

While the definition and purpose of endorsements are specifically outlined in Texas HB5, career clusters and programs of study are linked to older federal legislation called the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 or “Perkins IV.” The AchieveTexas College and Career Readiness Initiative, funded by the TEA, is the organizational force supporting the implementation of career clusters and programs of study in Texas. AchieveTexas used the National Career Clusters Framework as the starting point for defining and developing programs of study.³

Let's unpack each level a little further.