District considers textbook and accreditation steps for veterinary assisting CTE program

District curriculum leaders and the instructor of the veterinary assisting program presented a recommendation to adopt a new textbook intended to support program accreditation and student employability. Dr. Matt Gar (director of curriculum and instruction) described an abbreviated adoption process for this site-specific program because the course is offered at one location and follows industry-prescribed standards.

Instructor Jenny Cun described the program’s structure: 440 classroom hours, up to 100 externship hours and live-animal instruction across species. "We are the only veterinary assisting program in the state that has live resident animals," Cun said, and she noted that current externships enroll about 47 students. Cun said the recommended text includes an online component that would support translation accommodations and integration with the district’s learning management system.

Gar and Cun said the text bears the mark of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians of America and that adopting it is a first step toward program accreditation and industry-recognized certification, which they said can improve student employability. Board members asked about the accreditation timeline and what the board should scrutinize in site-specific materials; staff said the board should focus on program alignment with state frameworks and national industry standards.

Physical copies of six candidate books were made available to the board for review. There was no formal vote recorded on textbook adoption at this meeting; staff requested the board’s consideration and indicated the next steps will include further review and coordination with industry partners for accreditation.