First Colonial High School

Tech Prep

What is Tech Prep/High Schools That Work? What does TP/HSTW offer a Student?

TP/HSTW combines secondary and post secondary education into a seamless, integrated program of study that features opportunities for work-based learning.  It offers a unique way for student to obtain a career-oriented education which leads directly to employment or further education.

A student who completes a TP/HSTW program during high school and post high school years possesses the following qualifications:

• academic competence in college level communications, math and science;
• technical proficiency in an occupational career area;
• professional qualification of an associate degree or a state-approved apprenticeship certificate;
• work experience, and;
• personal readiness for workforce entry and advancement through a focused career-building lifelong educational plan.

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Goals of Tech Prep in Virginia

The following goals were developed by the Tech Prep Executive Committee and adopted by the Sate Tech Prep Advisory board in 1993.

1. Improve academic and technical competence of students through unified curriculum, which includes world-of-work applications.

2. Facilitate a seamless transition for students from secondary to postsecondary education and the world of work.

3. Increase the number of students who ear high school diplomas and postsecondary certificates and degrees.

4. Prepare students for work by developing and implementing programs that are responsive to labor market needs.

5. Provide students with comprehensive career counseling and advising services.

6. Provide equal access for special populations (as defined by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990) and minorities to Tech Prep equivalent to those accessible by the general population.

7. Inform students, parents, and the community about Tech Prep opportunities.

8. Contribute to economic development by providing a competitive workforce.

9. Initiate, stimulate, and support educational improvement at the secondary and postsecondary levels.

10. Create a community-based approach to Tech Prep by establishing partnerships among secondary and postsecondary education.

11. Enhance academic and technical competence of educators through extensive professional development activities.

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Can My Child Get a Good-Paying Job Without a 4-Year College Degree?

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TECH PREP BENEFITS BOTH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS

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A Call to Parents

You desperately want your child to do well in high school and graduate from college.   You want this so much that you support school levies, volunteer at school, and sacrifice greatly to save for college tuition.

But despite parent's god intentions, many children are not doing well in school and are doing even worse in college.  More than 40% of college freshman take remedial classes in college, and 50% withdraw before graduation.  Those who graduate take more than six years, end up with large debts - and they still have may not have marketable skills.

While parents and schools share in the responsibility for this unhappily situation, parents can turn things around.  Parents can help their children do better in high school, complete their post-secondary education, and find meaningful, high paying careers.

You can make this happen!  Research shows that family supports is more important to school success than a student's IQ, economic status, or school setting.

Children don't need to be geniuses to succeed, but in out real technical world, they need to understand that a diploma or a degree by itself is meaningless.  Skills, not degrees, will be the key to career success in the 21st Century.

 

Your Teen Wants You!!!

• 75% of junior high students and 48% of high school students want their parents to talk to them more about school
• 67% of teachers say that student success is produced by parents who stress education
• 56% of all teens say their parents know the name of their favorite teacher

Parents Make a Difference!!!

At home:

Four things that parents control explain 88% of the difference in student math scores and 91% of the difference in reading scores.   They are:

• student attendance in school
• the variety of available reading materials in the home;
• the amount of TV children watch;
• the amount of time parents read to children.

At school:

Teens with highly involved parents are three times more likely to earn a bachelor's degree.

What Can You Do Now?

Take these four steps to insure your teen's future success:

• Help you teen identify interests and ability.
• Help your high school teen acquire the skills that are necessary to successfully pursue any post-secondary educational path.
• Help your teen plan an appropriate, affordable post-secondary education.
• Help your teen take advantage of all post-secondary programs available in high school.

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Help Your Teen Identify Interests and Abilities

• Here  are some key questions to ask yourself:
• What is my teen's favorite subject in school?
• What subject is the most challenging for my teen?
• How well does my teen study?  Is homework completed on time?  Is my teen's homework the number priority in our household?
• What is my teen's favorite book? Why?
• How does my teen spend after-school hours? What extra-circular activities are my teen's favorites?
• What volunteer activities does my teen pursue?
• Is my teen's job connected to his or her interests?
• Have you asked your teen, "Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
• Which societal problems does your teen care about?
• Does your teen prefer to work individually or in groups?
• Does your teen prefer hands on activities or discussions?
• Has your teen connect with other people who share his or her interests?
• Has your teen met with the school career specialists?
• Has your teen met with the school counselors?
• Is your teen beginning to see a connections between passions and professions?
• Does your teen understand that the best post-secondary education following logically from interests and abilities developed in high school.
• Are you making sure that your teen is leaving high school prepared to succeed?   Does your teen have the necessary academic and technical skills to succeed after high school?

Help Your High School Teen Acquire Skills

Thirty years ago, a college degree was a sure thing - a guaranteed ticket to success.  But in today's job marker, young people need skills.  Teens who have mastered the basic skills are able to learn anything.  And in the 21st century, the best-pad workers will be those who are capable of ongoing, life long learning.  To ensure that teens will be lifelong learners, they must master key skills during high school.   How? Through hard work and discipline --  and with your ongoing encouragement and supports. 

Sound overwhelming?  Lets these simple "DO" and DON'T" suggestions be your guide:

1. Express high but realistic
2. Make sure your teen attends school regularly.
3. Encourage your teen to take challenging courses.
4. Make sure your teen completes all homework assignments before pursuing other activities.
5. Help your teen with class scheduling.
6. Encourage a well-rounded education, including academic and professional/technical courses.
7. Monitor out-of-school activities, especially teen jobs.
8. Encourage volunteerism, job-shadowing and relevant internships during high school
9. Obtain an accurate evaluation of your teen's skills through an ASSET test given at your local community college or technical college.

1. Don't underestimate your teen.  Don't let your teen do sloppy or incomplete work, either at home or at school.
2. Don't let  your teen skip school - or duck any other obligations.
3. Don't think that grades are more important than skills.
4. Don't let anything come before your teen's education.
5. Don't let your teen plan his or her class schedule at the last minute.
6. Don't let your teen's education be lopsided.  Balance is key.
7. Don't let your teen work more than 15-20 hours per week in a paid job.
8. don't let your teen be isolated from the community.
9. Don't assume that A and B grades prove your teen has mastered skills.

A Checklist of Skills

How can you determine if your teen is getting the right skills before leaving high school.  Assess for success by using the checklist below:

• How to research.  Can your teen use library resources effectively?
• How to read.  Can your teen read both fiction and non-fiction that are written at a twelfth-grade level?
• How to interpret.  Can your teen gather important and useful information from a textbook?  Can your teen draw conclusions based on evidence?
• How to write?  Can your teen compose a paragraph with a topic sentence and sentences that flow logically?  Can your teen compose a 2 page essay in which ideas are stated clearly?  Does your teen use accurate spelling and grammar?
• Math.  Can your teen interpret graphs.  Manipulate fractions?  Solve quadratic equations?   Use the Cartesian system to plot coordinates?  Solve story problems?
• Technical skills.   Can your teen read and follow a technical manual?  Is your teen computer-literate?

Help Your Teen Identify Specific Career Interests

What are your teen's unique interests?   Help your teen identify them and connect them to the world of work.  Here's how:

1. Ask your teen to jot down a dozen activities that have given him or her a sense of satisfaction and achievement.  Why were these activities fulfilling?

2. How did your teen get involved in these activities?  What step s were necessary to pursue them?

3. Ask your teen to circle all the words that describe subjects, abilities and results involved in the activities.  Look below to help in identifying these categories.  Then, make a list that includes all three categories: subjects, abilities and results.  This list will be helpful in choosing classes, volunteer activities, internships and paid jobs.

Subjects:

• Intangible ideals or values, such as justice, beauty or stopping violence
• Tangible things, such as materials, tools, automobiles or buildings
• Data collected in numbers, words or symbols
• People, such as children, seniors, students or patients
• Technical subjects such as computers, engineering, math and science
• Sensory items including music, dance or shapes
• Methods such as systems, strategies or models

Abilities:

• Learning and finding, such as reading, inquiring and researching
• Evaluating, such as assessing or comparing the work of things
• Visualizing, such as picturing or imagining
• Planning, including setting goals, forming strategies and scheduling
• Organizing details or categorizing
• Producing crafts, equipment or goods
• Presenting, such as acting, speaking, teaching or giving a musical performance
• Overseeing, such as coordinating, facilitating or monitoring a project
• Influencing, such as persuading, communicating or teaching

Results You Might Want to Achieve:

• To acquire things, such as a family, a home, a business or a car
• To be in charge of organizations, people or a business or a campaign
• To prevail over opposing ideas, programs, politics or approaches
• To develop or build  new things, including structures, organizations or technologies
• To achieve potential such as being your best or learning all you can
• To influence behavior by having people or systems respond to your ideas
• To grain public recognition, appear in the media or be on the stage
• To improve things by making better products, ideas, systems or organizations
• To serve or help people through teaching, ministering or running agencies

Facing The Future

As high school graduation draws near, your teen will need guidance in planning the best, most appropriate post-secondary educational path.  As a parent, you can take steps to help your teen meet the challenges of the future:

1. Don't choose your teen's career.
2. Don't fill out forms when your teen begins the application process for post-secondary education.
3. Don't write your teen's application essays.
4. Don't assume that your teen's future goals reflect on you.  They DON'T!
5. Don't forget who is really applying to college.
6. Don't automatically assume that a college degree guarantees success.
7. Accompany your teen to career fairs offered at community colleges and technical schools.
8. Let your teen know that you will not pay for redemption: your teen must master all basic skills before you'll pay a cent of post-secondary tuition.
9. Remind your teen that post-secondary education needn't happen directly after high school.  for many teens, travel, work experience , the military and AmeriCorps offer a chance to clarify career goals.   Older students consistently out-perform their younger classmates.

Facing The Future

• A successful post-secondary education must match your teen's career goals.
• College is only one of many post-secondary educational paths.  Don't overlook the others:  apprenticeships, community colleges and technical colleges.
• Remember, college isn't the goal.  College is only a means to an end.
• Don't let your teen pursue higher education without the necessary funds.
• To cut costs, have your teen live at home and attend community college for two years.
• Avoid loans if possible.  Before you or your teen take out a loan, calculate its REAL cost over the number of years it will take to be repaid.
• Students who switch majors lengthen the time they take to graduate.
• Students  who switch schools lengthen the time they take to graduate.
• Before choosing a college, students need to know if their planned major is competitive or open at the college.  When student apply to competitive major and are not admitted, they add time - cost - to their college experience.
• Both high school and college jobs are useful if they're relevant to a student's plan for the future.  In college, student who work at jobs related to their major are more likely to find a career within their chosen field.

Help Your Teen Make The Most Of High School

The following programs help teens acquire useful college-level skills and earn college credit while still in high school:

• Tech Prep
• Running Start
• College in the High School
• Advanced Placement Classes

Each of these programs has advantages, and one is sure to meet the needs and interests of your teen.

For further information on these programs contact your local high school specialists or counselor.

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1999 Annual Progress Report

What have been your school's major accomplishments during the past year to advance the achievement of students who are vocational/technical program completes and to use the HSTW goal and key practices to achieve comprehensive school improvement?

• A team of 8 teachers attended the '97 TP?HSTW Roanoke Summer Conference
• A team of four teachers attended the SREB Summer Conference in Atlanta
• One teacher attended the national Tech Prep Conference in Nashville, Tennessee
• A team of four teachers attended the Virginia ASCD Conference in Williamsburg
• A team of three teachers attended hm/Study Skills Conference in Williamsburg
• One teacher attended the Virginia Tech Prep Conference in Richmond
• Linda Love and Chris Colden provided an in-service opportunity for the entire staff in integrated learning
• One integrated lesson was written and executed by 35% of the teaching staff
• Two integrated lessons were funded by Virginia Beach City Public Schools Office of Careers and Technical Education as mini-grants
• Two integrated lessons were funded in-house as mini-grants
• A mentoring program for freshman was started
• A lunch time tutoring programs was in place
• Sixteen teachers participated in the first Teacher Shadow Day
• Twelve teachers participated in Tours of the Workplace designed by the Office of Careers and Technical Education
• 68% of the freshman in a special Reading/English block increased their reading skills by 2+ years from September '97 to January '98
• Our school provided transportation for students to attend city-wide career night and Job-o-rama
• Administered the NAEP Test to 60 seniors classified as vocational completeness
• Ten teachers attended an internet workshop in Norfolk and Richmond

What major challenges does your school face in achieving the HSTW performance goals in reading, mathematics, and science by improving school and classroom practices?

• There are many staff members unwilling to accept HSTW concepts and become involved
• There is difficulty in obtaining substitute teachers who need work during the school day
• many teachers are unwilling to use summer vacation time to attend institutes
• Many teachers feel overwhelmed with their responsibilities in light of the State mandated SOL testing which has begun this year as well as being on several committees of our schools' renewal process
• The number of students classified as at-risk is significant -- 5.5% for the '96-'97 school year

What percentage of the school's faculty and staff are actively involved in implementing HSTW and fully understand the goals and key practices?

• 45 teachers of 217 (35%) were involved in integration projects/lessons.
• 8 teachers attended the HSTW Roanoke Summer Conference.
• 4 teachers attended the SREB Conference in Atlanta.
• 16 teachers participated in Teacher Shadow Day.
• 12 teachers participated in Tours of the Workplace.

What specific actions does your site plan to do in 1998-1999 to address these challenges?

• Establish a required tutoring program for students at risk -- two days each week in the core subject areas with bus transportation provided for all students.
• Provide a forum for teachers involved in HSTW to share their positive experiences with the rest of the staff.
• Provide in-service training to further integration of instruction to one lesson per semester.
• Provide in-service training on SMART Board as well as the new work processors installed this year.
• Offer in-house funding of two mini-grants over and above those that may be funded by TCE Office.

Has your site made a commitment to end the general track and replace it with an upgraded academic core that includes a challenging and focused vocational/technical and/or academic program as advocated by Virginia HSTW? Please check yes or no.

Yes_________X___________     No__________________

If you checked yes, please describe what you have done.

• All basic English classes have been eliminated.
• All students are required to take Algebra I and Geometry.
• All student will have an opportunity to receive academic assistance when needed.

What has you r site accomplished in developing a comprehensive system of guidance and advisement that involve parents, their children and a school representative in working together to develop a four-year program of high school study that leads to further learning in a work or post-secondary setting and in annually reviewing that plan together?

• Set up career portfolios for all freshman and sophomores
• Established an evening registration for incoming freshman with their parents.
• Invited parents of current freshman to an evening of career exploration for their children.
• All students, when registering, are provided a booklet of the career clusters.
• All counselors house career portfolios for all freshman and sophomores.
• A website has been created for access on the internet.
• All guidance counselors have had the opportunity to attend a city-wide counselors' workshop with nationally known speakers.
• All freshman and sophomores have taken the Discover Career Interest Survey

What does your site plan to to in 1998-99 in this area?

• All freshman will take the Discover Career Interest Survey on computers in our computer lab.
• Provide parents of freshman with an opportunity to use the career interest survey and personality assessment used by the freshman.
• All freshman will, through their English classes, do a research assignment for a selected career.
• Have members of the business community come in as guest speakers throughout the year.

What are the biggest challenges you face in this area?

• The majority of parents in our community believe that their children need to go to a four year college and see little correlation between that and becoming informed about careers.
• Many of our teachers still believe that the HSTW program is only for students who are not going to college.
• A majority of our student believe that going to college is their goal and see little reason to receive career training and information at this point in their lives.

Describe ways your school supports academic and vocational teachers working together to improve the quality of their instruction.

• 35% of the teachers participated in integrated lesson plans as the result of an in-service on integration.
• Two mini-grants were funded by the TCE office.
• Two mini-grants were funded in-house.
• Sixteen teachers were participants in Teacher Shadow Day.
• Twelve teachers were participants in Tours of the Workplace.

What specific efforts do you plan in 1998-99 to support teachers in improving the quality of their instruction?

• As this year, teachers grouped by their planning bell will participate in preparing an integrated lesson plan, increasing from one for the year to one each semester.
• Provide SMART Board training.
• Teachers will again have the opportunity to participate in Teacher Shadow Day.
• Teachers will again have the opportunity to participate in Tours of the Workplace.
• Funding will be available for in-house funding of mini-grants as well as those funded by TCE office.

How has your site organized itself to involve teachers, parents, employers, post-secondary representatives and other community leaders in building community and school support for motivating and getting student to meet higher academic, intellectual and technical standards?

• We have a School Partners Committee which give businesses in the community an opportunity to become involved with he programs and the students.
• The entire staff, as well as parents and business leaders, is presently involved in a School Renewal Evaluation process which will establish a five year plan to address the issue in this question.  This should be completed by the close of this school year.
• Teachers have shadowed business people in the community in order to implement concepts and concerns resulting from their observations in their instructional strategies.
• business members participating in Shadow Day will be invited to a reception to recognize their efforts.

What are the biggest challenges you face in this area?

• Many student seem to show little interest in speaking with business people about careers at this point in their lives.
• Many students only see their goal as attending a four year college.
• Time and place for having guest speakers is difficult due to room utilization problems in our building.

Describe the major lessons you and your colleagues have learned about raising the quality of learning for student by using the HSTW key practices.

• When interested teacher effectively design integrated lessons, student learn more and see the relevance to learning beyond the classroom.
• Change in teachers' attitudes, as well as the attitudes of the community, is a very slow process that must be addressed carefully and subtly.
• School district support, as well as in-house administrative supports, is critical to change taking place.

What additional support or technical assistance would you like to receive from your state leaders or SREB?

• Speakers who could aid our city specialists in motivating teachers to take a more active role in HSTW principals.
• Assistance in developing better lines of communication with business leaders to establish mentorships and apprenticeships for students.
• Advisor or consultant who could assist us in getting the parents of the community to really listen to the data about the future of their children in the work place.

Please rate the usefulness and quality of the follow types of help provided  by SREB, your state and your school district.    Use a rating scale of 1 to 4 on which "1" denotes great usefulness or high quality and a "4" denotes no usefulness or poor quality.   Leave the item blank if you have not received the services.

Southern Regional Educational Board

State Vocational Education Consortium

High Schools That Work

Demographic Report

For the School Year of 1997-98

How would you describe the location of your High School That Work Program.

Approximately how many miles is it from your campus to the nearest junior, technical, or community college that students from this school could attend?

20 miles

 

How long are your standard class periods?

 

51 minutes

How many class period are there in your standard school day?

7 periods

Please provide the number of students enrolled in 1997-98 by grade level and gender.

What percentages of high school students in your HTSW schools (s) are members of the following groups?

What is the gender distribution of high school students in your HSTW school(s)?

Male:  51%         Female:  49%

How many of the following teachers are at your school?

Academic:  103         Vocational:  13

Is your school eligible for Title 1 funds?     Yes

How would you describe your school?

Comprehensive High School (vocational and technical education may or many not be conducted on the high school's campus)

Please indicate the number of you 1997 graduates for each of the following categories:

Please provide your school's dropout rate for 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1996-97.  A "dropout" is a student who was enrolled in school at some time during the previous year, was not enrolled at the beginning of the designated academic year, had NOT graduated from high school or completed an approved educational program (including special education programs, home-based instruction and school-sponsored GED preparation) and did not meet any of the following exclusionary conditions: death; temporary absence due to suspension or illness; or transferred to another public school district, private school or state- or district-approved education program.  This is the Common Core of Data definition developed by the National Center for Education Statistics.

SREB would like to increase its capacity to serve you better by exploring the possibility of providing information and staff and staff development through electronic media.  To assist us, please check the appropriate response for your school or supply the necessary information.

• Does you school have Internet access?  YES
• Do you have Internet access?  YES
• If yes to the question above, is your access through a network server?  YES
• Does your school have a web page?  YES
• If yes to the above question, what is the URL or address for your school's web page:  firstcolonialhs.vbcps.k12.va.us
• Does your school or district have the capacity of using the Internet for participating in two-way instruction?  YES
• Has your school successfully used the Internet for participating in two-way instruction?  NO
• Would teachers at your site participate in HSTW staff development programs via the Internet at your school, regardless of how you responded to the previous question?  YES
• Is satellite distance learning available through your school, district, community or post-secondary partners?  YES
• Has your school successfully used satellite distance learning?  NO
• Would teachers at your school participate in HSTW staff development programs via distance learning if it were available?  YES
• Is video-conferencing available through your school, district, community or post-secondary partners?  NO
• Has your school successfully used video-conferencing?   NO
• Would teachers at your site participate in HSTW staff development programs via video-conferencing if it were available?  YES

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1998-99 High Schools That Work

Management Plan

Continuing Sites

July 1, 1998 - June 30, 1999

 

 

 

 

Budget Summary

 

School Division:   Virginia Beach City Public Schools     Division Code:  126   

School:   First Colonial High School                                  School Code:  061

Funding Level

Grant recipient will be eligible for the following:

FY99 (July 1, 1998 - June 30, 1999) Planning and implementation activities for continuing sites, $13,000 federal grant funds maximum with a maximum match of 50 percent local funds.  Funding beyond June 30, 1999 will be contingent on the site's progress and achievement and athe availability of federal funds.

NOTE:  Indirect costs are not an allowable exprense.

* Optional:  Sites are encouraged to schow other sources of funding (i.e. in-kind contributions, contributions from business and industry).