REVISED
Please note: We are unable to amend the typo on Lesson #1 under M&B. It should read “M. 4, B-LS. 10, B-SMS. 1”
Overall, the results of our 2016-2017 programming showed us that we are on the path to success, while focusing on appropriate and necessary programming for our specific student population. These programs are all related to our drop-out and graduation goals of graduating all students on time with a clear post-secondary plan. Many of the programs within our core curriculum plan are intended to provide students with skills and information that allows them to make appropriate decisions in post-secondary planning.We used the Core Curriculum Action Plan for our new ideas and based our work on the mindsets and behaviors which underscored the necessity that students understand the importance of planning for their post secondary experience while they have the support of our team specifically but also the school stakeholders. We paid particular attention to participating in extracurriculars and creating relationships with their peers and adults in the building and in their lives. We also emphasized the value in setting both long and short term goals and how that affected both their academic and personal success. Additionally, we underscored the base they were building when weaving responsibility and time management into everything that they do at school, home and work. These were lofty goals, but definitely worth the attempt. There are considerations and improvements we can make, but, as we like to say at Vernon Malone, we are failing forward.
The first lesson is centered around the weeklong event sponsored by CFNC during which students in North Carolina are permitted to apply to select public and private state colleges/universities free-of-charge. It gives the students an opportunity to strengthen their relationships with the counselors and our stakeholders who support the event. This is an important opportunity for many of our students, as evidenced by our free and reduced lunch eligibility rate of 42%. We have used this program each year that our school has been in existence, with varying degrees of success. Two-thirds of students completed at least one application from this lesson until the end of the semester. Nearly half of students requested additional time with a counselor. What this shows our counseling staff is that students were not ready to complete applications, either because they were undecided about post-secondary plans, or because the did not have the necessary information need to complete the process. We will continue this activity as long as the event is available and continue to encourage students to participate in this incredible opportunity.
The second lesson is the first in a set of two ACT test prep lessons leading up to the ACT Boot Camp. Our goal was to work with students to plan their time in preparation for the exam and to set an academic goal which was based on their own personal data. This is the first year in which we polled students on anticipated scores during these lessons of the Boot Camps. The response was very informative, as many students did not have a strong understanding of how they would perform on the ACT. Moving forward, we will adapt these plans to include more information about the scores students should aim for and their predicted performance. Improving in this area will also provide more data aligned with the B-LS.7 standard of this lesson.
The final lesson presented in this application is an important component of post-secondary planning for students in particular program areas. Students in our Multi-Trades, Welding, and Collision Repair program are often the same students who pursue additional certifications or directly enter the workforce following graduation. It would be an injustice to our students to lack a core focus celebrating their specific post-secondary plans. This was the first year we performed this program, and with such great results we will continue this program in years to come. One consideration we will make in the future is whether students in other programs would also benefit from this lesson, and what other Career Fair events that we could connect our students to in the community.