Oglethorpe County High School From Traditional High School to College & Career Academies… Let’s Consider the Possibilities

Small learning communities of rigorous academics and career oriented courses organized around career themes of teacher and student choice.

Rigor – Full implementation of Common Core Standards-Based Instruction Relevance – Meaningful learning for students that has relevance to their college and career plans Relationships – Small learning communities of students and teachers with mutual ownership of outcomes

Benefits for Students:  bridge the gap between high school and post-secondary opportunities  students can earn professional credentials while still in high school  many high-tech and high-paying jobs of the future will not require a four-year degree, but will require highly skilled workers  the integration of rigorous academics and technical skills are necessary for all students Benefits for the Community:  tie in to local business and industry to be sure graduates have the skills employers are looking for  advance workforce development in Oglethorpe County and surrounding area Legislative Requirement: In 2013, HB 186 required every rising 9 th grader to choose a career pathway from a list of 17 options statewide. OCHS currently offers 6 of the 17 pathways. Are they the right pathways for our students?

Yes! Many jobs of the future have very rigorous academic requirements. Most plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters go through a four or five year apprenticeship program, which includes studying math, physics, and chemistry. Registered nurses, by far the fastest growing job that does not require a bachelor’s degree, need courses in anatomy, chemistry, and microbiology.

#1 Registered Nurses number of jobs: 2,724,570 average wages: $69,110 Pct. growth : 26% #2 Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics number of jobs: 589,570 average wages: $38,560 Pct. growth : 17% #3 Carpenters number of jobs: 578,910 average wages: $44,330 Pct. growth : 20%

#4 Electricians number of jobs: 512,290 average wages: $52,910 Pct. growth : 23% #5 Computer Systems Analysts number of jobs: 487,740 average wages: $82,320 Pct. growth : 22% #6 Machinists number of jobs: 368,510 average wages: $40, 520 Pct. growth : 7%

#7 Plumbers, Pipefitters, Steamfitters number of jobs: 349,320 average wages: $51,830 Pct. growth : 26% #8 Welders, Cutters, Solderers and Brazers number of jobs: 316,290 average wages: $37,920 Pct. growth : 15% Source: USA Today, Mike Sauter, 24/7 Wall Street jobs-no-college-degree/ /

relevance to keep students interested in school more meaningful transitions between high school, post-secondary education, and the workplace opportunities for students who need to “catch up” and for students who are ready to “move on”

Not… less rigorous “tech prep” course work for some a separation of students based on ability a way to pigeon-hole students into choosing a career Instead… all students are expected to master the same high academic standards students are grouped based on interest—not ability alone students are exposed to career pathways, but are not “locked into” any particular pathway after graduation unless it is their choice

1.Agricultural Mechanics 2.Plant Science & Horticulture 3.Nutrition and Food Science 4.Early Childhood Education 5.Small Business Development 6.Administrative/Information Support *Work-Based Learning

What are our students interested in? What does our community need? 7.Nursing? 8.Forestry? 9.Engineering? 10. Law and Justice? 11. Emergency Services? 12. Interactive Media? 13. Culinary Arts?

In a College and Career Academy, Advanced Placement is its own pathway. The AP pathway requires successful completion of at least 3 different AP courses.

Goal 1: Successfully prepare all students for graduation and college/career readiness. The transition to a college and career academy model for OCHS will occur in phases over time. Year 1 ( ) will include the following: Continuation of current pathways while studying student needs and interests, our regional job market, and economic development predictions for the Oglethorpe area. During this time, we will work to obtain state grant funding allowing us to modify existing pathways and/or add pathways to support students' post-secondary goals (i.e. Healthcare Science/Nursing). Articulation agreements will be developed with area post-secondary institutions.

All students currently in grades 8-10 will take a career inventory during the spring of 2014 to help determine their interests and aptitude for pathway selection. Recommendations will be made for each student. Students and parents will meet with counselors to finalize pathway selections. The six current pathways will be arranged into two upper academies (grades 10-12). Ninth grade students will be in an academy altogether. Students will be assigned to an academy based on their pathway selection. Teachers will be assigned to an academy based on interest and choice.

Instructional planning will be a collaborative effort between subject area teachers and CTAE teachers within each academy. Integrated lesson planning is the key to the success of this model. Instructional planning will begin in the spring of 2014 and be ongoing. Professional development for teachers will be specific to this model and a continual part of this transition. Middle school connections classes will be redesigned to provide a nine week sampling of pathway programs available to students at the high school.