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Health & Bio Sciences (CTE Career Cluster)

Health Science: Health science education prepares students for an introduction successful careers and informed choices in the health care industry through collaboration among education, the healthcare industry, policy makers and professional organizations.  This pathway is centered around technical skills and academic classes that lead to occupations commonly found in hospitals, clinics, dentistry, pharmacy, EMT, patient care, sports medicine, physical/occupational therapy and forensics.

Biomedical Science: Biomedical education prepares students for the introduction to exciting careers that blend medical, engineering and biosciences with classes in health, medical, robotics, engineering and the environment.  This pathway is centered around technical skills and academic classes that lead to occupations commonly found in biomedical scientist, hospitals, medical research facilities, forensics, genetics, immunology, microbiology, and orthopedics.

Biochemistry Science: Biochemistry education prepares students for the introduction to expanding careers that blend chemistry, engineering and biology with classes in environmental sciences, plants, animals, engineering, anatomy, and chemistry.  This pathway is centered around technical skills and academic classes that lead to occupations commonly found in laboratories, hospitals, food industry, medical research, forensics, genetics, plant research, pharmaceuticals, microbiology, and environmental studies.

To Accomplish this Mission:
The complete Health & Bio Sciences education program will target students:

  • Through high quality classroom and laboratory instruction
  • Develop premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through career student technical organizations
  • Offer opportunities for students to explore STEM content in the cluster

We aspire for excellence as we recruit, prepare and encourage individuals to pursue careers in the health & bio sciences.
We serve the community and inform them about health & bio sciences education, its needs, opportunities and challenges, as well as provide life long career skills.

Health & Bio Sciences Education programs will respond to community needs and prepare students to enter the workforce ready to participate as leaders in a broad range of careers.

Health & Bio Sciences Listserv: Updates and announcements about the Health & Bio Sciences pathway and other related activities are distributed to teachers and administration via the listserv. This listserv is free to all participants and you may discontinue email announcements at any time. To have your email address added to the listserv, please contact Barbara Bahm at bbahm@ksde.org.

 

Kansas Health & Bio Science Teachers - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kshealthscienceteachers  
Check us out on Facebook to see the latest news and events going on in local schools, students projects, partnerships with the medical community and events across the state. Teachers can share tips, lessons, and highlights from their classroom to their peers and the community. Be sure to "Like" us and keep up on all the great things going on in the Health & Bio Science pathway!

National Consortium for Health Science Education

National Consortium for Health Science Education     

The National Consortium on Health Science Education (formerly known as National Consortium on Health Science and Technology Education) is a national partnership of individuals and organizations with a vested interest in health science education. The consortium was organized in 1991 to stimulate creative and innovative leadership for ensuring a well prepared healthcare workforce. In April 2009, the name of the consortium was officially changed to the National Consortium for Health Science Education (NCHSE).

healthscienceconsortium.org/

Formation of the consortium followed numerous discussions among health careers educators from several key states. The group recognized the critical need to reduce duplication and fragmentation of healthcare educational efforts and to position the educational system to meet the human resource demands of the healthcare industry. The National Consortium for Health Science Education is an incorporated, non-profit organization and has a 501(c)(3)tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service.

 

Health Science Pathway Design Sheets with Competencies

The Kansas Health & Bio Science pathway design sheets listed below include a list of the current and future course options; as well as the competency profiles for each of those courses. The list of the course descriptions separate of the design sheets to give districts a summary of what could be taught in each course. The courses, competencies, and descriptions were created by the Health & Bio Science Advisory Team made up of Kansas teachers, health professionals, post-secondary health faculty, and state advisers.


To create a Health, Biomedical or Biochemistry Science pathway at your district, each school will be required to have a minimum of 3 credits offered to students each school year with a combination of introductory, technical, and application level courses. Only 1 of the 3 credits must come from the 3 required technical level course options identified in the pathway design sheet, but not all 3. The introductory courses are appropriate for both 8th grade instruction, as well as 9th and 10th grade, but all grades must use the high school course code for students to receive credit towards becoming a concentrator in the pathway.


Schools may select any technical level courses from any of the strands and are not required to teach all of the courses in any strand, as they are designed for guidance to students and teachers. Some courses require special certifications or licensure to teach and they have been identified on the pathway design sheet. A number of courses have the option to offer students the opportunity to test for industry certification and those have also been identified.


Health Science Career & Technical Student Organization - HOSA Future Health Professionals

HOSA - hosa.org

Contact:  Tina Goosz, State Advisor -tgoosz@kumc.edu

HOSA is a national student organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Science Education Division of ACTE. HOSA's two-fold mission is to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. HOSA's goal is to encourage all health occupations instructors and students to join and be actively involved in the HSE-HOSA Partnership. HOSA provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for secondary, postsecondary, adult, and collegiate students enrolled in HSE programs. HOSA is 100% health care!

Statewide Articulation Agreements

State-wide articulation agreements have been developed for all clusters. To see those available for this cluster's pathways, click on the following link.
 TitleCategory
Statewide Articuation AgreementsLink

Wage & Employment Information

The following documents highlight occupational outlook within the areas named in the title of the document based on the 2012-2022 Kansas Occupational Outlook Study and the 2015-2016 National Employment Occupational Outlook Handbook. Click on each title to open.

Health & Bio Sciences
Consultant

Eryn Knecht
(785) 296-2221
eknecht@ksde.org

Deputy Commissioner
Division of Learning Services

Dr. Ben Proctor
(785) 296-2303
bproctor@ksde.org

Director
Career, Standards and Assessment

Beth Fultz
(785) 296-3142
bfultz@ksde.org

Assistant Director
Career and Technical Education

Natalie D. Clark
(785) 296-4351
​ndclark@ksde.org

Assistant Director
Curricular Standards

Dr. David Fernkopf
(785) 296-8447
dfernkopf@ksde.org

Assistant Director
Assessment

Julie Ewing
(785) 296-2325
jewing@ksde.org

Assistant Director
Kansas Volunteer Commission

Dr. Jessica Dorsey
(785) 296-3163
jdorsey@ksde.org

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