Section 170. Career and technical education – business and information technology

The program in business and information technology shall ensure that the candidate has demonstrated the following competencies:

1. Knowledge, skills, and principles of manual and automated accounting, including:

a. Accounting concepts, terminology, and applications;

b. Accounting systems; and

c. The basic accounting cycle of source documents, verifications, analyzing, recording, posting, trial balances, and preparing financial statements.

2. Knowledge and skills in economics necessary to:

a. Communicate basic economic principles as applied to the American economic system; and

b. Apply basic economic principles to consumerism.

3. Knowledge and skills in the foundations of business selected from the following areas:

a. Business law.

(1) Ability to recognize the legal requirements affecting business organization; and

(2) Ability to apply legal principles to business situations.

b. Business principles.

(1) Ability to identify, explain, and apply contemporary business principles;

(2) Ability to identify and explain the advantages and disadvantages of various business organizational structures; and

(3) Knowledgeable in the foundations of international business, the global business environment, international business communications, and global business ethics.

c. Management. Understanding and analyzing of basic management functions, tools, theories, and leadership styles to explore and solve problems in business organizations, economics, international business, and human relations issues.

d. Marketing and entrepreneurship.

(1) Understanding of basic marketing concepts in sales techniques, advertising, display, buying, wholesale/retail, distribution, service occupations, market analysis, warehousing, and inventory control; and

(2) Understanding of the unique characteristics of an entrepreneur and the knowledge and skills necessary for an entrepreneurial venture.

e. Finance.

(1) Knowledgeable about and skilled in the areas of money management, recordkeeping, and banking needed for sound financial decision making; and

(2) Understanding of the basic concepts of economics, insurance, credit, and other related topics.

4. Knowledge and skills in all of the following communications and information technologies:

a. Communications.

(1) Ability to communicate in a clear, courteous, concise, and correct manner for personal and professional purposes through the foundations of listening, writing, reading, speaking, nonverbal cues, and following written/oral directions;

(2) Ability to use information systems and technology to expedite and enhance the effectiveness of communications and telecommunications; and

(3) Ability to gather, evaluate, use, and cite information from information technology sources.

b. Impact of technology on society. Knowledge to assess the impact of information technology on society.

c. Computer architecture. Ability to describe current and emerging computer architecture; configure, install, and upgrade hardware; and diagnose and repair hardware problems.

d. Operating systems, environments, and utilities. Ability to identify, evaluate, select, install, use, upgrade, customize, and diagnose and solve problems with various types of operating systems, environments, and utilities.

e. Application software (e.g., word processing, database, spreadsheet, graphics, web design, desktop/presentation/multimedia and imaging, and emerging technologies).

(1) Ability to identify, evaluate, select, install, use, upgrade, and customize application software; and

(2) Ability to diagnose and solve problems resulting from an application software's installation and use.

f. Input technologies. Ability to use input technologies (e.g., touch keyboarding*, speech recognition, handwriting recognition, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other hand-held devices, touch screen or mouse, scanning, and other emerging input technologies) to enter, manipulate, and format text and data. *Touch keyboarding is required.

g. Database management systems. Ability to use, plan, develop, and maintain database management systems.

h. Programming and application development. Ability to help students design, develop, test, and implement programs that solve business problems.

i. Networking and communications infrastructures.

(1) Facilitate students' development in the skills to design, deploy, and administer networks and communications systems; and

(2) Facilitate students' ability to use, evaluate, and deploy communications and networking applications.

j. Information management.

(1) Ability to plan the selection and acquisition of information technologies (hardware and software);

(2) Ability to instruct students in the development of technical and interpersonal skills and knowledge to support the user community; and

(3) Ability to describe, analyze, develop, and follow policies for managing privacy and ethical issues in organizations and in a technology-based society.

5. Career development.

a. Experience in a supervised career in business and information technology through cooperative education, internship, shadowing, mentorship, and/or work experience; and

b. Ability to provide instruction in self-awareness as it relates to career exploration and development, career research, workplace expectation, and career planning.

6. Knowledge and skills necessary to teach leadership skills, organize and manage an effective co-curricular student organization and implement the organization's activities as an integral part of instruction.

7. Understanding of and proficiency in grammar, usage, and mechanics and their integration in writing.

8. Knowledge and skills necessary to apply basic mathematical operations to solve business problems.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 23, Issue 25, eff. September 21, 2007.

Statutory Authority

§ 22.1-298.2 of the Code of Virginia.