An award-winning dropout prevention program was established in 1975. This program includes the Extended School Day Program which offers both vocational and academic courses from 3:30 until 8:00 p.m. daily for students who cannot or choose not to attend school during the regular day.
Students experience exposure to vocational offerings in the 7th and 8th grades, with exploratory courses introducing them to employment options and basic skills. These courses allow students to spend time in several different vocational labs at the middle school level. Math, science, and language arts skills are emphasized in combination with hands-on activities focusing on work examples.
The high school offers a broad selection of vocational programs that prepare students for life skills, college, or entry into specific jobs. Local businesses and industries provide support for vocational education by employing students after hours and in the summer. Business and industry representatives contribute many hours of volunteer work to the local schools by conducting tours, running a speakers bureau, providing shadowing/mentoring programs, and serving on vocational advisory counsels.
The Chamber of Commerce has a long history of support to the public schools. The leadership provided by the Chamber of Commerce has resulted in active business and industry involvement and support of the education program for all children. Special committees have been appointed to assist schools with administrative procedures, long-range planning, curriculum suggestions, and strategies for meeting the needs of at-risk students. Leaders from business, industry, the Chamber of Commerce, an area community college, and the public schools have developed a plan to keep the public informed about the value of completing high school. Through the efforts of this committee, strong incentives have been developed to encourage academic achievement, attendance, and to provide monetary rewards for staying in school. More than 100 business, industry, and local government officials have signed a formal agreement to encourage students to stay in school until they graduate. This seven-point document includes a pledge to provide encouragement and special education and training opportunities for all employees. Many employers are providing in-house opportunities for Adult Basic Education and GED preparation.
School-to-work activities include shadowing opportunities for all seniors. Shadowing offers an opportunity to spend a school day or longer with a person who serves as a career model in the area of the student's career interest. To participate in this activity, students must fill out application forms, and permission forms must be completed by their parents or guardians. A post-shadowing report must be completed by the student and turned in to the vocational director within a week after completion of the shadowing.
Many teachers participate each summer in the Back-to-Industry project developed through cooperation of the Chamber of Commerce, business and industry leaders, the community college, and the public schools. Through the Back-to-Industry project, teachers of vocational and academic subjects are provided an opportunity to spend one week in a local business or industry to develop a practical knowledge of skills required of prospective employees.
The center enrolled 2,078 students in the Spring 1995 semester; 569 were high school students and the others were in adult programs. This includes 27.3% of available students from the feeder schools. Secondary students in the 11th and 12th grades have first enrollment priority in all of the 24 daytime programs, except horse production and management which gives enrollment priority to adult students. All of the 24 daytime programs except cosmetology are open to adults.
All students who successfully complete their training programs receive certificates of completion, listing the areas of training, and the level of competence achieved. Thirty percent of students have paid jobs related to their occupational areas. Students are also offered leadership activities, including Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA), Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).
The Educational Enhancement Center at the vocational-technical center provides the opportunity for students to receive extra help with reading and math skills that are necessary for successful completion of their education. The Displaced Homemaker/Single Parent program is available to qualified adult students to assist them in reaching their personal and career goals.
School-to-work activities include the Back-to-Industry program where teachers are given opportunities to shadow in local businesses for a week. Teachers feel this industry training keeps them motivated to teach the students and keeps them aware of exactly what industry expects of employees. Other activities include field trips to local industries and guest speakers from industry. In the classroom, students complete projects that involve researching careers and are given opportunities for role-playing of various careers. An on-site construction project provides for participation of students from a number of programs. The students build a house from the ground up. When completed, the house is sold and moved from the center. The money provides funds to begin a new house the following year. Other school-to-work projects include an intern program at a local bank. The nursing program offers nursing home aide experiences and students can work toward LPN degrees.
In addition to the school-to-work activities in which the students are involved, the center also offers weeklong summer orientation sessions for teachers from the feeder schools. These sessions give teachers from the feeder schools and the vocational center the opportunity to work on activities that integrate vocational and academic curriculum.
The vocational center serves a rural area whose major employers are manufacturing, including an auto parts manufacturer, a trailer manufacturer, and an electric submersible pump manufacturer; government services; educational services; transportation and public utility services; medical services; financial institutions; real estate; mining; construction; retail trade; wholesale trade; and over thirty horse-breeding farms and ranches.
The advanced delivery system has been restructured to engage all students in experiential learning so they can master academic skills in a real-life context. Teachers involve students in active and constructive learning, drawing heavily on cooperative learning strategies and opportunities.
School-to-work offers school-community connected experiences that relate academics with workplace learning. These community/work-based experiences begin in middle school since it is in the middle school years that students are earnestly evaluating their options, including whether or not to drop out of school. A strong career information emphasis is included throughout the elementary school experience, as it is during the elementary years when parental involvement in the education process is highest. This time period, therefore, offers the best opportunity for fully informing parents of the choices that will be available and to shape parental expectations of school-to-work benefits for students, parents, and community. The goal is to provide for a smooth and informed transition from the elementary level to the increased school-to-work activities in middle school.
Efforts are made to soften the line normally drawn between the twelfth year of K-12 and postsecondary education or the world of work. Youth apprenticeships, mentoring, and job shadowing are just some of the ways of helping students in that transitional process. Additionally, effective counseling plays a key role in the transitional efforts of students.
Implementation of school-to-work requires strong central leadership. School-to-work can neither be implemented nor maintained without participation of the regional workplace community and the community at large. A consortium of business, industry, and community persons has been established to serve as support and accountability agents for school-to-work. School faculty and staff development has included training in cross-disciplinary integration, inquiry learning, team teaching, and cooperative learning. Workplace/community mentors who serve as trainers also need special training, some of which occurs along with the school-site training of faculty and staff. Counselors are also provided with school-to-work related professional development preparation.
Training and orientation sessions are made available for parents. Further, utilization of traditional methods such as district and individual school newsletters and bulletins are augmented by communications through electronic means and various aspects of the media, including short segments developed for showing at local theaters.
Youth apprenticeships are two-year programs (grades 11-12), which explicitly link high school students with business and industry through school-to-work integrated studies and work-based learning experiences. In the youth apprenticeship program, content is integrated by combining rigorous academics and vocational and work-based experiences into four semesters. The programs require students to participate in summer employment between grades 11 and 12. The 11th- and 12th-grade experiences for students follow an integrated studies curriculum in grades 9 and 10, which also integrates academics and vocational education, but not with the industry-based specific competencies identified for grades 11-12.
Two-year apprenticeship programs are offered by the county in the areas of graphics arts, financial services, and biotechnology. The school-to-work coordinator at the community college has implemented these programs in cooperation with the school districts. The community college assists in the recruitment of students and businesses as well as trains the instructors who deliver the curriculum related to each specific program. The competency-based curriculum for each of these three apprenticeship programs have been developed by industry members. Thus, the focus of the student apprenticeship programs is on the industry in the broad sense. Students gain a wide knowledge of all aspects of that particular industry, as well as pertinent workplace skills and competencies.
Quality technical training is geared toward the student as an individual, whether the student is an employee retraining for new skills, a returning student, or a new student seeking career guidance. Many courses may be taken in a self-paced format, where students can begin courses anytime during the semester. Labs are open all day and, in some programs, into the evening hours to allow flexibility for students who also work. Clustered learning allows students to obtain broader skills through cross training in related skill areas. Providing the students a variety of skills improves their career opportunities.
Students have access to career counseling, interest and ability assessments, career resources, and an information library. Other services include academic advising, tutorial assistance, and employability training.
Many students are placed in internships with area businesses. Workplace learning provides a beneficial complement to the student's technical education at the center. Through their workplace experiences, students get hands-on experience in state-of-the-art technology, as well as exposure to various aspects of business in their career field.
A number of secondary and postsecondary programs are offered at the main campus, including autocollision repair technology; electric lineworker; electronics technology; graphics communications; health occupations; manufacturing technology cluster, with programs in computer-aided drafting (CAD), machining technology, and welding technology; marketing education; and transportation services cluster, with programs in automotive repair technology and heavy equipment and diesel repair.
In addition to the main campus, the career center campus offers programs in child care occupations, computer applications, construction technologies, culinary arts, horticulture, and video productions. The high school campuses offer courses in agriculture education, business education, consumer and family studies, and consumer wage-earning occupations.
High school students are also offered a program in health occupations which develops skills required for beginning work in various health care occupations, including nurse assistant, home health aide, laboratory aide, dietary aide, ward clerk, central service aide, physical therapy aide, optometry assistant, and others. This course provides a strong lead for students into two- and four-year postsecondary health and medical programs. First semester involves classroom experiences and observations. Second semester includes an on-the-job training experience in one of the community's health care facilities. Students are prepared for careers in physical therapy, emergency care, nursing care, and home health aide.
Graphic communications students are provided the knowledge necessary to produce printed communications. Completers of this program obtain entry-level employment skills in graphics design, computer graphics and desktop publishing, typesetting, paste-up, plate preparation, process camera operation, and printing press operation used in commercial and in-plant print shops.
Auto Collision Repair I and Repair II classes are offered at the high schools with college credit available. Repair I students learn practical applications, including all phases of body and fender repair, gas welding, a comprehensive unit in auto painting, and related applied mathematics. Repair II training includes auto body repair, auto painting, and some frame and unibody repair. In-depth knowledge and skills are gained by students as they work on customer-owned vehicles.
The welding technology program is an integral part of the manufacturing cluster. Along with the emphasis in welding, students are provided the opportunity to learn skills in machining, fluid power, pneumatics, robotics, CAD, properties of materials, and basic electrical theory. This course is designed to prepare the student for entry-level placement within a range of manufacturing employment opportunities. The curriculum for this course is the same as used at the postsecondary level; thus enabling the student to transition into the college system without duplicating required competencies. This course uses competency-based standards set by industry, and is open entry/open exit. Credit is awarded on a performance basis.
The transportation services cluster, which has an emphasis on heavy equipment/ diesel, is designed to instruct students in shop safety; proper use and care for tools and equipment; and the theory of diesel engine operation, components, and repair. The principles of electrical systems, hydraulic systems, power trains, brakes, and other related components are studied with emphasis on diagnosis, maintenance, and light repair as it applies to heavy equipment. College credits are available.
Students with such career interests as service shop technician, manufacturing technician, laboratory technician, field service technician, engineering assistant, technical writer, or technical salesperson may enroll in Electronics I and Electronics II. Upon completion of the program, these technicians may be employed in the computer industry, communication industry, manufacturing industry, bio-med field, and retail sales.
A consortium of representatives from secondary and postsecondary institutions, including administrators, counselors, teachers, and representatives from UPS, began meeting in February 1994, to develop a pilot program to coincide with the nation's focus on school-to-work transition and school reform. The consortium sought a winning solution to meet the needs of youth and the workplace.
The purpose of the partnership is to develop cooperative ties between the educational and economic communities so that strong instructional curriculum can be established that prepares students for a variety of career opportunities, and to meet the increasing technical demands of the workplace.
Community college teachers developed the curriculum for the partnership to make use of students' work experience. Five community colleges and five school systems worked together to develop the partnership. Through flexible, part-time jobs, UPS gives high school seniors the opportunity to work part-time, finish high school, take nine UPS supported community college credits at the worksite, and help in obtaining low-interest college loans.
An on-site reading specialist sits in on all community college classes offered at the worksite to offer students assistance with classwork. The specialist also serves as a liaison between each student's work experience coordinator and counselor at the high school by faxing review materials to the school.
The community college classes on-site use experiences and opportunities from UPS as part of the curriculum. For example, the class Principles of Supervision links classroom learning with UPS's total quality programming and with the supervisory and team experiences students will have on the job. Three college courses are offered to students at the UPS center: Introduction to Business, Principles of Management, and Principles of Supervision.
Forty high school seniors participated in the program the first year it was implemented. Program expansion to 200-300 seniors is anticipated. Students enrolled in this unique program are provided textbooks, tutorial services if needed, and worksite mentors. Extensive school and work coordination is an ongoing process. Students earn $8.00 per hour and opportunities are available for students to progress into company management positions.
Students benefit from the partnership in a variety of ways. A part-time job with a reputable employer gives students valuable workplace experience, a sense of responsibility, and the opportunity to learn valuable skills essential in successful academic or business careers. Students are better prepared to
Dropout prevention is one area of concern the vocational center focuses on. Student motivation is provided through Educational Employment Development Plans (EEDP) and Scout Teams. Each student has been assessed and tested by counselors at respective high schools and has an EEDP developed to meet that student's interests and needs. Scout Teams consist of employers who are in the center every day. These scouts serve as motivators for the students as relationships are forged between business representatives and students. Additionally, student incentive programs are provided by the center. Each month the "Most Outstanding Student" and "Most Improved Student" are honored.
Students are provided ongoing opportunities to learn more about their chosen field of interest. The center's Career Development Office offers personal counseling, special career forums and seminars, and the Career Resource Library maintains a comprehensive selection of information on postsecondary opportunities and programs. Additionally, a career expo is held annually where representatives from local businesses and industries are invited in to speak with students about educational and training requirements, as well as career opportunities available through their companies.
Students have repeatedly won bronze, silver, and gold medals in skill competitions on the local, state, and national levels. Graduates are ranked as some of the state's best prepared students by the National Restaurant Association, National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation, and the AutoService Excellence Commission.
Ongoing school-to-work activities at this site include internship programs, industry tours, guest speakers, and mentoring opportunities for students. Internships have been established with industry, especially with the "Big Three" automotive companies. Business representatives are invited into classrooms to speak with the students regarding skills needed on the job. Additionally, students experience business tours to learn first-hand what is required to succeed in the workplace. Realizing the importance of computers in today's workplace, each program has computers equipped with appropriate software for student use.
Major emphasis is placed on helping graduates make the transition from school-to-college and from school-to-work. Career placement services include cooperative programs, practicums, apprenticeship programs, internships, the GM-ASEP program, and the Ford-ASSET program. Through a cooperative program students earn credit, gain on-the-job experience, and earn money, all at the same time. A practicum experience offers students opportunities to work with companies to gain experience, but without pay. Apprenticeship programs have been established and registered with the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Apprenticeship. An apprenticeship is a paid work experience in which the student completes a four- to five-year program with an employer, while also earning college credit. Internship opportunities are offered to students where students take advantage of working with companies after school or during the summer. The GM-ASEP Program (Automotive Services Education Program) is designed to produce highly trained technicians who can service and maintain sophisticated electronic and mechanical systems being included in all new GM products. Students are sponsored by local General Motors dealerships. The Ford ASSET program is a partnership between Ford Motor Company, Ford Lincoln-Mercury dealers, and the technical center. It is a two-year program designed to develop entry-level service technicians. This two-year work study experience leads to an associate degree in automotive technology.
The staff at this site are committed to teaching excellence. Staff development seminars are frequently provided by national consultants. Curricula is updated and redesigned based on instructors' close interactions with the business community and advisory committee members. Each instructor is scheduled by the center to be out in industry at least four times a year.
This site offers a balance of technical training along with academic education in the following comprehensive programs: autobody/service, cosmetology, manufacturing technology, CAD, electronics/robotics, law enforcement, meat cutting, welding, bakery, and culinary arts.
The Chamber of Commerce provides leadership, which has resulted in business and industry involvement and support. Linking school and work are key components of each magnet program, with both the workplace and the classroom viewed as essential for preparing these urban students for future employment. Thus, employers have been made full partners in providing students quality, work-based learning.
Desiring to be on the cutting edge of the rapidly changing health care industry, this site has not only developed an extensive nursing program, but has formed a partnership with health care providers for its medical office administration program. Administrators of local health services organizations had cited labor shortages as a major problem in the city. Rising to this challenge, this site prepares workers as entry-level medical office assistants through a partnership with an insurance firm. Students are trained to prepare medical claims. The local insurance provider has set up a "dummy account" for the high school, with computers linked directly to the insurance firm. The medical forms processed by the students are checked for accuracy, exactly as those produced at the insurance company are checked.
Students participating in the medical office administration program are not only linked via computer to the world of work, but also interact with corporate sponsors through mentoring, shadowing, clinical internships, work experience, and other work-based learning activities. Realizing that in no industry is technology more significant than in health services, students are trained to complete forms on the screen, comprehend facts and information, order supplies, and send test results from labs to doctors' offices, and other sophisticated applications of computers in health-related occupations.
The Young Executive Management Program has established partnerships with a number of local businesses that provide valuable learning experiences for the students outside the classroom. One example is the KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) Partnership where KFC gave a mobile restaurant to the school to be used as a learning lab. Students are responsible for operating the unit from marketing to accounting--from customer service to employee relationships--and from food preparation to food sales. All income earned from sales in the mobile restaurant goes to the seniors involved in the project in the form of scholarships. These scholarships are based on the students' academic excellence and their involvement in KFC's partnership with the school.
The KFC Young Executive Management Program combines classroom skills in management, marketing, and entrepreneurship with practical hands-on experience. KFC provides the $225,000 mobile restaurant and underwrites the cost for food, paper, marketing, and maintenance so all profits can go into the scholarship fund for the students who run the restaurant. The restaurant is open for business two days a week and is in its fourth year of operation. The program has been heralded nationwide and KFC feels it is making an investment in the future workforce by forming and supporting this program with the local high school.
Educators are learning more about the workplace through the Education/Industry Exchange program in which local businesses and organizations sponsor teacher interns. Both the business sponsors and teacher interns widely praise the program. Teaching methods and curriculum changes have been inspired by these teacher internships. Further, teachers reported that they are increasing the focus on student writing skills, active listening, time management, teamwork, appropriate manners and dress, and computer skills in their classes.
Students in the early childhood program job shadow in area child-care facilities, Head Start programs, and local elementary schools. Additionally, students run an active community child-care program during the spring semester. The two classes of health careers and health specialty are directly linked to the community with school-to-work clinical experiences. Students in the health careers program work in local hospitals and nursing homes to earn their certified nurse assistant (CNA) credentials and students in the health specialty programs are engaged in actual clinical experiences in the community in specific areas within the health industry, including physical therapy, veterinarian, pharmacy, and mortician.
The human services program students learn essential work skills in support services provided to the elderly in the health care field. Students work at local boarding homes and nursing homes for the elderly in job training rotations to learn employment skills in the health care industry.
The banking program is the first school-based bank working through a local banking partnership in this state. Students are trained by bank personnel in an actual working branch bank housed at the technical center. Banking students have the option of earning additional academic credit by enrolling in the banking work apprenticeship course. This apprenticeship course, taken in addition to the banking program, is for students who are working in a financial institution outside of school as part of a school-to-work apprenticeship training program.
The carpentry program has built "Good Cents Homes" in partnership with a lumber company and the electric company. Through the program, students are currently involved in building classroom modules and an athletic complex for the school district. Students in electricity and the trade career cluster are also working on these projects. Further, the trade career cluster program uses community-based projects as its major emphasis curriculum focus. Linkages between school and work has enhanced student learning opportunities. Some activities these students have been involved with include foundation work, roofing projects, vinyl siding and window replacement, landscaping, and a camp skirting project.
The culinary arts program runs both a coffee shop and a lunch restaurant open four days weekly to the public. This link between school and work with service to the community provides real-world employment training for the students.
Students in the autobody and collision repair program experience working in area body shops and specialty shops. These community-based sites within the industry give second-year students an opportunity to experience work-based learning. Students also have the option through this work-based learning model to rotate to various job sites within the industry during their second-year.
Students in the law enforcement program (LEP) have several learning and instructional experiences with local, county, and state law enforcement agencies. For example, LEP students use the firing ranges at local police departments for shooting instruction and target practice and they are involved in a ride-along program with local police departments, the county sheriff's department, and the state police. Additionally, the LEP has an active and effective partnership with the Army National Guard. This program provides training for youth interested in the law enforcement field by utilizing the expertise of the guard. Students are exposed to actual military training aspects and are involved with the guard in a positive linkage between school and the community. This partnership includes a ten-year contract with the National Guard to use the guard armory facility for program training and development for students. Additionally, the technical center in concert with the Army National Guard, has developed a heavy equipment maintenance and operation program to be housed at the guard armory utilizing guard facilities for training and instruction.
Several other options are offered to provide school-to-work activities for students. Currently, seven students are involved in a pilot of the youth apprenticeship program. In addition, students are offered work options under the jobs for graduates program. This program has a senior school-to-work program that serves 35-45 high school seniors helping them develop job readiness skills and strong job-seeking and keeping skills.
Solid connections with work also include the activities of the student organizations. From the organizations, many students have competed at the state and national levels as well as had the opportunity to serve as representatives. These youth leadership opportunities, coupled with local organization participation, enhance students' self-esteem and further facilitate positive linkages between students, school, and work-career development.
The technical center is a school that recognizes students as whole human beings. In this context, the center has an infant care center that serves teen mothers, providing them with child-care support and parenting skills development while they are in school; thus, helping them stay in school, gain their education, and move forward in positive ways. Additionally, students are offered an on-campus wellness program. The wellness program is staffed by a nurse practitioner and support staff and is open daily during the school week from 7:30 am to 3:00 p.m. All students in the vocational center as well as the high school students may receive services from the student wellness center.
The critical importance of technology in the area of workforce education is recognized by the center. To this end, the center has developed a computer network utilizing a Novel Network file service as the backbone of its technology thrust. Over 200 computers are networked together in classroom labs, mini-labs, and individual computer configurations which share information and peripherals. The next stage will be to develop an Internet lab to link to the outside world and community resources. These advances and applications of technology and computers are critical to the continued growth of the center and success for the students.
During meetings the following spring between college officials and business, industry, service, and other community leaders, more concerns about the workforce became apparent. From these early discussions, diverse sectors of the community joined to form Workforce Challenge 2000, which has led to numerous school-to-work initiatives being implemented. An education summit held in February 1991 brought together junior high and high school teachers and administrators to talk about how education must change to meet the needs of a changing world. A second education summit for all area educators occurred in October 1991. Committees were formed and priorities were established.
Because the area has suffered through harsh economic times, many high school and college graduates believed they must leave to get good jobs. However, with business expansion based on a well-prepared workforce, 31 local businesses anticipate needing about 5,250 new employees by the year 2000.
To address workforce development concerns, Workforce Challenge participants established five goals. The first was to conduct a community awareness program for the Workforce Challenge initiative. As a result, continuous evaluation of local employment opportunities are conducted, with better communication between government agencies, business and industries, and education. An information file is maintained that can be used for speeches, pamphlets, fliers, videos, and so on. Additionally, a speakers bureau was formed. Informing counselors, teachers, students, and parents about changing opportunities in the local and global workforce is a major thrust of the awareness goal.
The second goal is to assist educators in better preparing students to meet the workforce needs of the community. Some ongoing activities that support this goal are the use of advisory boards, with representatives from business, industry, and labor, in the curriculum review processes. The community college serves as a regional training center for curriculum development and inservice training for Workforce Challenge.
Career development activities have been incorporated into every level of the educational system on an ongoing basis. Job shadowing, plant tours, mentoring, and internship programs have been incorporated into the local school systems. A Directory of Services has been developed, with 105 businesses willing to share and help with education. An apprenticeship program has been implemented at one of the local industries, with students beginning this program in their junior year. The students go through manufacturing technology courses at the vocational-technical center and at the community college. During each summer, the students work at the local industry with this business paying for their associate degrees. Students are expected to work full-time for the business for at least two years or reimburse the cost of their degrees.
Workforce training begins long before high school. The Workforce Challenge "Elementary Educators Task Force" was formed so that local elementary school teachers and administrators can ensure that their students begin preparing for the workplace of the future. Kindergarten through postsecondary students learn the foundations and competencies needed in the workforce. In the middle school, 8th graders are provided with monthly one-half day career awareness sessions. Each session begins at the community college, with a panel of businesspeople discussing the day's topic. Then the 8th graders spend about two hours visiting local businesses, either alone or in pairs. At the end, the students return to the college to share their experiences with one another. The students are also expected to report back to their classmates at their home schools about what they have learned. Additionally, area-wide job fairs and career days have been implemented to assist students in discovering their career interests.
The third goal of Workforce Challenge is to increase the collaboration and investment between education and businesses and industry. To meet this goal, a program called "Adopt a School" facilitates the formation of school-business partnerships. Realizing the crucial role that parents play in students' success, employers are encouraged to enable employees who are parents to participate in school activities, with parents allowed "parent visitation" time similar to personal leave days for pre-arranged school functions. To further meet this goal, business and industry personnel are brought into the classroom as guests and speakers. Speakers stress hiring needs, required skills, and the relationship between school and employment. They also stress the negative effect such behaviors as drug use might have on employment. Another interesting twist to the traditional shadowing are "reverse shadowing" opportunities, allowing workers to follow students in school and explain how various classes might relate to the work they do. A "Community Resource Guide to Education" has been distributed to all teachers in the district. The guide provides information about speakers, tours, and other business/industry resources.
The fourth goal of Workforce Challenge is to increase the involvement of parents in preparing their children for education and employment. "Parents' Day" and "Grandparents' Day" have been held at many of the local schools. A homework hotline and activity hotline--tape-recorded messages parents can call to keep up-to-date on what is happening at their children's schools--have been implemented at some of the schools. Other communication methods include newsletters, personal messages, and Parents 2000 Workshops. These workshops are a proactive partnership serving as an information exchange between parents and educators. Some of the information provided at the workshops include the nature of the job market in the year 2000, the type of education that will be necessary to find employment in the year 2000, financial aid, and curriculum choices for students.
The fifth, and final, goal of Workforce Challenge is to increase the involvement of human service agencies in preparing their clients for education and employment. The objective of this goal is to bring functionally unemployed and newly displaced workers back into the workforce as productive employees. To meet this goal, adults with long histories of unemployment and poor work histories are provided opportunities to learn the skills they need to secure employment. A student assistance program is provided, with human service professionals available to assess student needs, intervene in crises, and refer children and/or families to needed services. A community assistance referral network was established through the United Way office.
In conclusion, Workforce Challenge has evolved from the conceptual stage into an active force in the community. The initiatives begun will continue growing and expanding as they adapt to changing workplace needs. The director of Workforce Challenge emphasizes that this is a countywide effort that owes its success to community partnerships.
Students are actively involved in the workplace and in the community. They have served as interns with a major aircraft manufacturing industry, as well as several other local industries, and at the local hospital. Students are interviewed for these internship positions and are chosen based on a number of factors, including professional dress, communication skills as assessed by the interviewer, and teacher recommendations.
School-to-work activities are offered through the following programs: manufacturing and technology, business and computer applications, cosmetology, housing and design, health and human services, and family life. An additional program offered at the school is "Seaward Bound," where students interested in occupations dealing with ships or the waterfront can learn the skills needed. Students who earn occupational certification work on cruises in the summer and earn enough money to support themselves in college for the upcoming year.
Ongoing school-based enterprises, where students are learning workplace skills in a school-based setting, include a school store and a school newspaper. The business department has an advanced graphics program that does publications for various business and community organizations. Students are also offered leadership activities through school organizations, including VICA, DECA, and FBLA. Teams from the school have been state and national winners in various competitions.
Through the PIPE (Partners in Progress in Education) program, partnerships have been established with local businesses providing students with shadowing and internship opportunities. Through these close alliances with the business community, other school-to-work activities are provided to help students understand the workplace. Field trips are scheduled to local industries and guest speakers from businesses and the community are regularly invited into the classrooms. Teachers often invite speakers from businesses and industries to come into their classroom to tell how a particular unit of study will be used in the workplace. For example, when the English teacher teaches technical writing, representatives from business relate to students how they use technical writing in their particular jobs. Additionally, every year the school sponsors a career fair where students can learn about local businesses and job opportunities.
The career specialist keeps students informed about school-to-work opportunities as well as assisting them with long-term goals. Students are exposed to opportunities in the world of work and participate in seminars and workshops on various topics, including cultural diversity and women in nontraditional roles. The school embraces the philosophy that the more information students have, the better career decisions they can make.
A reward program has been implemented for honor students based on their grade point average (GPA). At the end of each grading period, students are issued a card, similar to a credit card, which entitles them to discounts at local businesses. Different color cards, with differing rewards, are awarded to students according to their GPA. An additional card is offered to students who improve their GPA by .5. This program is financed by local businesses.
In addition to student school-to-work opportunities, this site stresses quality staff development. Many opportunities are given for teachers to spend time in the workplace to see first-hand what is going on in the local industries and to learn the types of skills that students need if they are to be competitive in the job market. Teachers are involved in continual learning.
All students graduate with the attitudes, skills, and knowledge needed to enter and succeed in the workforce and/or postsecondary institutions. School-based learning activities include a variety of different options for students. Career exploration and awareness begins in the elementary schools. Counseling in a career major is available for all students. Academic preparation is essential in preparing all young people to be able to enter and succeed in postsecondary programs, including four-year colleges. Vocational programs are available for high-wage careers which are in demand. Teaching techniques emphasize workplace applications of academic subjects.
Work-based learning activities include a planned program of work experiences that are linked with school-based learning. To improve students' skills for employment and provide work-based teaching strategies, students participate in internships, mentoring, job shadowing, cooperative education, pre-apprenticeships, and study tours/field trips.
For connecting activities, school-based advocates, with each student having an adult in the school who takes a special interest in the success of the student, are used. Collaboration with the school district services and community agencies help youth overcome barriers. And efforts to involve businesses and parents with the schools provide an education based on real-world needs.
The high school offers "The High School of Medical Professions" for students with an interest in any of the medical professions or allied health fields, including medical business administration. In addition to taking a core of English, math, science, social studies, and foreign language, these students complete a required strand of courses consisting of health career exploration, health care science, honors anatomy and physiology, and health science technology education.
All freshmen take health career exploration where they explore and research health occupations. Students participate in projects and assignments on health-related issues which emphasize communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. Sophomores take health care science which includes a study of medical terminology, medical ethics, human anatomy as well as skill development in the areas of vital signs, practical use of medical terminology, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The students work with community organizations, including the local blood bank and the Health Science Center at the local university. The students sponsor a school blood drive and a community health fair. During the fair, individuals from the neighborhood get their blood pressure taken and learn tips for good health and nutrition. In addition, students concurrently enroll in honors anatomy and physiology.
During the junior or senior year, students participate in health science technology education. This course provides the students with opportunities to place into practice their knowledge and skills. They gain actual work experience and hone their communication skills during six different clinical site rotations. Presently, there are over 75 rotation sites from which to choose. These choices range from emergency care to veterinary medicine to medical law and medical business administration. Students complete these rotations during the school day (2 periods a day) and receive honors credit. Transportation is provided to all sites. Students are expected to function as responsible interns, displaying professional attire and behavior. Each student works at different clinical sites throughout the city, one per six weeks for 2 to 2.5 hours. Grades are based on job performance and research papers on current health issues. Students' performance at the site is evaluated by the preceptor (mentor) as well as their supervising teachers. Some students have been offered job opportunities as a result of their performance on the clinical rotations.
The "High School of Medical Professions" is one of the most outstanding academic programs in the district. What started as a very small program, has evolved into a highly competitive college preparatory school. The curriculum offers a variety of honors and advanced placement courses including two period blocks for advanced placement biology and advanced placement chemistry. In the last two graduating classes, all of the graduates went on to college and received financial scholarships or assistance. The school has produced National Merit Scholars and National Negro Scholars. Other awards received by the students include science fair winners at the local, state, and national levels; Black Achievers in Science; and Future Problem-Solving participation.