Preparing Educators to Serve in Career-Themed Academies

Fayette County Public Schools will develop career]themed pathways at three high schools in coming years. This project will prepare teachers and administrators to implement a curriculum that integrates academic subjects with Career Technical Education, incorporates Work]Based Learning experiences, authentic problem]based instruction, and authentic project]based assessments around industry themes. This curriculum format produces beneficial results where it has been implemented in Texas, Tennessee, Michigan, Massachusetts, and California, among others. Students in career]themed pathways demonstrate higher levels of school attendance, academic achievement, and college]going, greater mastery of 21st century skills, and higher earnings. The project will employ expert consultants to conduct three days (18 hours) of professional development for teachers covering the principles and goals of industry-themed high school instruction, models and challenges of industry-themed academies, 21st century skill development, principles and practices of curriculum integration, principles and practices of project-based learning, and principles and practices of authentic assessment, among other topics. The culminating activity will be a co]planning simulation to prepare teachers for five days (40 hours) of planning for implementation. The project will conduct a separate two]day (12 hours) professional development sequence for school administrators focused on organizing a high school around these principles and practices. The project employs a trainer of trainers model and assessment for continuous improvement to ensure the sustainability of this curriculum redesign.