A DoDEA PTS Pathway endorsement is an acknowledgment of a student’s in-depth study of specific and elective courses within a PTS Pathway. Students must complete a total of four credits (Carnegie units) in required and recommended courses to earn the pathway endorsement. DoDEA has identified specific PTS courses as required courses for each PTS Pathway. Additionally, there are recommended PTS courses that reflect the body of knowledge involved in the pathway, and these may be elected to complete the pathway.

Students completing these required and recommended courses are eligible to receive a pathway endorsement at the time of their graduation. The endorsement will be entered on to the student’s official transcript and will remain on the transcript as a permanent record of the student’s in-depth study experience in the pathway. The pathway endorsement on the student’s official transcript provides evidence of the student’s in-depth study experience.

Evidence of study experiences that are aligned with the United States Department of Education’s Career Clusters and Career Pathways is now widely accepted by educational, business, and industrial leaders at four-year college admissions offices, community/technical colleges, career academies, and perspective employers. These leaders recognize what students learn in school through these experiences is good for what the student can do in the future and helps students to work harder through the study of more rigorous courses.

All DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam high schools have implemented new PTS courses and pathways that will allow a student to work toward a major area of study leading to a pathway endorsement at the time of graduation.