Metro Technology Centers

1. Metro Technology Centers Emphasizing Academics in the Career Tech Classroom

2. Metro Technology Centers • Shared-time center • Five campuses • 1,231 full-time students • 501 secondary • 730 adults • 85 faculty • Second year as a TCTW site

3. Goals for Improving Academic Performance • Goal: 10 % student gain in reading, writing and science taught within context of CT course • Actual: 29% student gain • Goal: 10% increase in number of students achieving Career Readiness Certificates through Work Keys • Actual: 206% increase (85 CRCs earned in 2007-08; 260 CRCs earned in 2008-09) • Goal: Average 1 level gain in core areas of KeyTrain (reading, math and locating information) • Actual: 1.28 level gain (6-8hours focused work results in a one level gain)

4. Goals…. • Goal: 10% increase in the number of competency tests being passed • Actual: 14.2% increase • Goal: Attend all state-sponsored SREB workshops and cascade what is learned through our site development plan • Actual: Representation at each workshop and with presentations by 15 faculty to multiple peer groups

5. Strategies • KeyTrain (web-based training system) • MAX reading strategies (Cornell Notes, Flip chart notes, previewing, anticipation guides) • Academic center teachers team teaching with CT teachers • Slowly changing faculty meetings to include more professional development / best practice sharing • Monetary incentive for both career tech and academic teachers who integrate academics

6. Addressing ChallengesRigor • Students set SMART goals for learning and track their progress using quality tools • Students maintain classroom data centers and student note books to chart and monitor progress • Notebooks include standardized set of tabs for Academic and CT goals, CTSO, Character First, and a Learning Journal • Students use a problem solving model (PDSA & fishbone) to address gaps in meeting their goals • Identifying academic skill standards and grade level being taught within the CT curriculum (piloting at one campus this year)

7. Addressing ChallengesTeacher Comfort Levels • Consistently emphasize academics at district-wide in-service • Invite faculty to share best practices at in-service and at faculty meetings • Two faculty are certified to provide peer support in using MAX teaching strategies • Starting small – document academic standards for one course • “The Seven Elements for a Math-in-CTE lesson plan (from the SREB numeracy workshop) helps teachers feel more comfortable in presenting new concepts to students” (from math and construction trades teachers) • Attendance at SREB summer conference expands our thinking and our comfort levels

8. Addressing ChallengesStudent Learning Styles • Expanding blended learning • eLearning (80% of faculty are using eLearn to teach at least part of one course this year) • Using interactive white boards to teach vocabulary, math, and scientific, construction and graphing calculators – very interactive and engaging instructional tool • Guidance staff surveyed students to identify barriers to learning and implemented strategies to address these barriers • 24 of 26 high priority needs identified were addressed through individual or group interventions • Included very specific interventions to help students with disabilities to read more effectively

9. Lessons Learned • Set realistic and measurable goals • Recognize small successes of both students and faculty • “Issue a challenge and involve teachers in creating methods to achieve the challenge; then express confidence teachers can do this” • Be systematic but flexible – what works on one campus or in one course / cluster may not work with another

10. Denise Kennemer Camilla Riley Metro Technology Centers 1900 Springlake Drive Oklahoma City, OK 73111 Denise.Kennemer@Metrotech.org Camilla.Riley@metrotech.org