Throughout most of the 20th century, vocational programs focused primarily on job skills and served students who were either struggling in an academic program or were not seen as "college material." In the early 1990s that emphasis began to shift. The adoption of more rigorous academic standards for all students, combined with increases in the skill level needed for most jobs, mean that programs focused primarily on technical skills need to increasingly include more academic content. This four-page brief provides basic background on how career and technical education is changing and its current status and scope in California. It introduces key issues that must be addressed as state and federal leaders consider the next steps for this important component of the high school curriculum. (Contains 1 figure.)