Baltimore County Public Schools issued the following announcement on June 13.
P-TECH students at Dundalk High School will get their first taste of authentic career preparation.
The program, which stands for Pathways in Technology Early College High School, is the first of its kind in Baltimore County Public Schools, and will enroll 60 incoming Grade 9 students at Dundalk High.
“When we talk about offering students not only a diploma but a resume, P-TECH is exactly what we mean,” said BCPS Superintendent Verletta White. “This is an incredible opportunity to supplement daily instruction with career experience and exposure to mentors in our local community.”
Dundalk High P-TECH students will kick off their experience during a Summer Institute from June 18 – 22, 2018, held at numerous sites: Dundee Creek for team-building as well as an introduction to each business partner. Contact Amy Woolf, P-TECH program coordinator at Dundalk High, for schedule details at awoolf2@bcps.org.
During the school year, students will follow a career and technology education (CTE) pathway sequence of courses starting in Grade 9 that is focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. In partnership with Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), students will earn a high school diploma and Associate of Applied Science degree in engineering technology.
In addition, P-TECH students will benefit from skills training, mentoring, and paid internships from an industry partner: Alban CAT, KCI, Stanley Black & Decker, or Whiting-Turner. These companies have also agreed to give P-TECH students first consideration for jobs following successful completion of the program, for which students are allowed up to six years.
“BCPS, CCBC, and four P-TECH industry associates quickly formed a productive partnership during the 2017-2018 school year,” said Douglas Handy, BCPS director of Career and Technology Education and Fine Arts. “As a result, a diverse group of 60 BCPS students will be afforded the opportunity to start, in Grade 9, on a guided pathway towards a college degree and career preparation at no cost to them or their families.”
In March 2018, 100 students applied for the program through an open lottery admissions process. Eligible students included Grade 8 students attending Dundalk or Holabird middle schools during the 2017-2018 school year who were zoned to attend Dundalk High for the 2018-2019 school year.
During the 2017-2018 school year, BCPS prepared for the program by securing a P-TECH Planning Grant from MSDE; forming a steering committee with representatives from BCPS, CCBC, Alban CAT, KCI, Stanley Black & Decker, and Whiting-Turner; and hiring a contractual P-TECH coordinator who will serve as the full-time, school-based P-TECH coordinator.
As of fall 2018, there will be seven P-TECH schools in Maryland, including the program at Dundalk High.
P-TECH is a national model that began in September 2011 at P-TECH Brooklyn in New York, a partnership between the New York City Department of Education, The City University of New York, New York City College of Technology, and IBM Corporation. The P-TECH “9-14” School Modelrefers to a “seamless and integrated” six-year experience of high school and an associate degree at no cost.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Baltimore County Public Schools
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