The Boerne Independent School District’s Career and Technical Education program’s goal is to prepare students with technical, academic and employability skills for success in the workplace and in further education.
During the BISD board of trustees meeting late last month, Career and Technical Instructional Director Heather Willis provided an update on the program and the students involved.
“The Boerne Independent School District Career and Technical Education department collaboratively engages students, parents and industry partners to build essential skills in a school culture that inspires innovative student-centered opportunities to enrich our community,” Willis said. “CTE is a local required credit in our high schools for graduation. Our hope is that students enter a CTE course leading to a pathway as early as possible to scaffold skills and receive as much work-based learning as possible.”
Willis said the program aligns with BISD’s district scorecard. Information stated it has engaged members of the workforce, secondary education and higher education to advise on the development of programs of study, including coherent sequences of courses, industry-based certifications and work-based learning to ensure students are prepared for in demand, high-skill and highwage careers in Texas.
The district currently is in the third year of a three-year CTE plan. Willis said there are 18 programs of study in 10 career clusters with 63 courses offered.
“For a district our size, we offer a lot,” BISD Superintendent Tom Price told board members during Willis’ presentation, adding the number of programs offered “shows how robust our program is.”
In 2019, during the first year of the current program, 316 certifications were attained by BISD students. In 2021, the number jumped to 1,074.
“I call them resume builders,” Willis said.
Her presentation showed there were 87 external student placements as well as internal opportunities such as campus clinics, individual classrooms and the technology and communications departments.
“The state (Texas Education Agency) required that students claim an endorsement in high school, which is a broad area of study determined by the type of courses a student pursues based on their postsecondary interests,” Willis said. “Career clusters are the CTE categories: agriculture, arts audio/video technology and communication, business, marketing, finance, etc. Within those broad categories lives the more specific program of study like animal science, digital communications, accounting, culinary arts.”
She said student credentials include industry-based certifications as well as level certificates and dual credit coursework leading to a degree. Student certifications are offered in BISD courses as evidence of student skills to present to potential employers and build their resumes.
The five most popular student “pathways” are health science, agriculture, hospitality and tourism,
STEM and human services.
“Data collected from the Alamo workforce region and Perkins V federal data guide our needs,” Willis said. “We also account for community feedback and student interest.”
As far as the importance of the program, “CTE exists to help our students plan for life, including decisions around career interest and how to prepare,” Willis said. “CTE also supports our community by preparing those students to work in their businesses and connects students and parents with those opportunities.”
As far as future planning, Willis said she is looking into the possible addition of a law program, additional career exploration, STEM at the elementary level, expanding partnerships, growing education and training and adding some early college high school possibilities.
Comment
Comments