Oklahoma CareerTech Pilots First ‘Technology Centers That Work’ Initiative

Oklahoma broke ground in January with a first-of-its-kind school improvement initiative in technology centers. Technology Centers That Work, developed by the Southern Regional Board of Education, will be piloted at nine technology center sites.

SREB is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization based in Atlanta that advises state education leaders on ways to improve education.

Several schools in Oklahoma have incorporated the SREB school improvement initiative, High Schools That Work. In fact, 23 of the 36 HSTW sites have been recognized nationally in the top 100 schools in the nation, the state’s CareerTech system.

Now, Oklahoma’s technology centers hope to model success of HSTW.

Oklahoma technology center pilot sites are Canadian Valley, El Reno; Central Tech, Drumright; Gordon Cooper, Shawnee; Moore Norman, Norman; Northeast, Pryor ; Northwest, Alva and Fairview; Pioneer, Ponca City; Tri County, Bartlesville and Wes Watkins, Wetumka.

Since 1987, Oklahoma has been actively engaged in HSTW, the nation’s largest and oldest school improvement initiative for high school leaders and teachers, according to Cheryl Bell, state HSTW coordinator at the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

Both HSTW and TCTW have a common goal to increase the number of students who meet the reading, math and science performance goals. Most students are taught the essential content of college-preparatory academic core and a career or academic concentration.

The nation’s 1,200 school HSTW Network in 32 states, focuses on raising student achievement. HSTW sites use Making Middles Grade Work framework of goals to raise student achievement and prepare them for further studies and careers. Durant High School was named one of only 44 high schools in the nation to receive the Bronze Award.

“This award is given to schools with the highest percentage of career/technical students earning the Award of Educational Achievement based on their performance on the 2006 HSTW Assessment in their state,” Bell said.

To earn this award, students must meet all three HSTW performance goals in reading, mathematics and science; meet the HSTW recommended curriculum in at least two of three areas; and complete a concentration in a career/technical area, the humanities or mathematics/science.

Now, SREB wants to work with stand-alone technology centers.

While other states have technology center systems similar to Oklahoma and participate in HSTW, none of them have yet initiated TCTW, according to Joe Robinson, state TCTW coordinator at the state CareerTech agency.

“Like technology centers in Oklahoma, the goals and objectives of Oklahoma TCTW addresses the educational and training needs not only of high school students in technology center programs, but adults as well as business and industry clients,” Robinson said.

The HSTW/TCTW initiatives share common-ground goals, which include increasing the percentage of technology center graduates who enter employment in the field studied; increasing the number of high school students in programs at technology centers who finish high school on time with their graduating class and increasing the annual percentage of students who leave tech centers with postsecondary credit or having met standards for advanced study without remedial courses.

TCTW also plans to increase the number of high school students entering the technology centers to earn college credit and pass an approved employer certification exam.

Both initiatives follow 10 Key Practices that include high expectations, developing a program of study, academic and career/technical studies and work-based learning as well as teachers working together, actively engaging, providing guidance and extra help with a culture of continuous improvement for the students.

The biggest hurdle for the new initiative will be addressing key professional development issues such as literacy. Since TCTW is unique, action steps to help teachers network and receive appropriate professional development will be developed.

“Students need to be able to read and write across curriculum,” Robinson said. “For example, an auto technology program will include reading and writing projects. Instructors will identify the type of reading and writing skills relevant for the workforce or further education then, determine how to grade the papers and final capstone project.”

To do this, instructors will need to work with academic teachers within the scope of the program, which is data-driven.

“Schools and technology centers develop local site goals with action steps for improvement,” Bell said. “For example, a ‘pass rate’ for reading at the end of the course or program may need to be established. If students don’t pass, they may be required to attend a 2-6 week summer reading program for literacy.

“While technology centers are probably doing much of this already, TCTW principles will help them focus, look at data and identify specific local issues,” Bell said.

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Posted February 6, 2007