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     Beth Auerswald
     Richard Vespucci
     Kathryn Forsyth, Director

For Immediate Release: October 26, 2009

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Commissioner Davy Announces CTE Career Academy Grants to Nine Districts

Education Commissioner Lucille E. Davy today announced that the Department of Education has awarded nine school districts with grants to implement career academies designed to prepare students for higher education or careers.

The comprehensive and vocational-technical school districts were approved to receive up to $100,000 each of federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education funds to develop the necessary infrastructure to implement two- or four-year career academies and career and technical education (CTE) programs of study in one of 16 career clusters. The programs are slated to begin in September 2010.

“The nine new career academies will complement Governor Corzine’s commitment to graduating students who are career- or college-ready and able to compete in the 21st century global economy,” said Commissioner Davy. “Working with county colleges and state institutions, the new programs also will provide high school students with the opportunity to earn college credits and get a head start on their industry certificates or higher education careers.”

During the one-year grant period, the school districts will work toward five goals: develop the structural framework for a career academy; create partnerships with business and industry, an advisory board and subcommittees, if applicable; establish a partnership and a program of study with partnering postsecondary institutions; implement a marketing and recruitment campaign; and provide students with career counseling and career exploration opportunities. The themes support the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) standards of practice and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education requirements for developing programs of study.

Career academies are small learning communities of high school students who take classes together for at least two years and are taught by a team of teachers from different disciplines. Students complete a college-preparatory curriculum that includes a career theme to help students see the relationship between key concepts in academic and career and technical coursework, and their application to real-world settings.

The simultaneous programs of study will be developed in conjunction with postsecondary partners. Students will earn college credit during high school for successfully completing three or more CTE courses that lead to an industry-recognized credential or certificate, or an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.  In many cases, students will complete college courses that lead to multiple program options at partnering postsecondary institutions. It will ensure students have the flexibility to change their career aspirations as they explore different occupations.

Through programs of study, schools also create partnerships with employers, the community, and local colleges and universities to provide students with outside resources to help motivate them to achieve. The partnerships also provide students with authentic real-world projects and activities that help strengthen the knowledge and skills they learn during high school.

“Career academies and related programs of study are excellent ways to guide students through their high school years and help them decide whether a career is right for them,” said Commissioner Davy. “Likewise, these programs help steer students to academic areas and career paths that currently are in need of qualified people or are expected to be high-demand areas in the future.”

The nine comprehensive and vocational-technical school districts receiving funds are listed below along with the career clusters that will be the focus of the academies and related programs of study and postsecondary partners.

School

Career Cluster

Program of Study

Postsecondary Partner(s)

Bergenfield School District

Health Science

Nursing

Bergen Community College and Ramapo College

Egg Harbor Township School District

Education and Training

Education, General

Atlantic Cape Community College

Hunterdon County Vocational School District

Health Science

Health Science, General

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)

Jackson Township School District

Arts, Audio/Video Technology and Communications

Digital Mass Media

Ocean County College

Lakewood Township School District

Business Management and Administration

Business Commerce, General

Ocean County College

Mercer County Vocational School District

Health Science

Health Science, General

Mercer County Community College

Morris School District

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Electrical, Electronic and Communication Engineering Technology/Tech; and
Computer Aided Design (CAD)

County College of Morris

Pemberton Township School District

Health Science

Health Science, General

Burlington County College

Warren County Vocational School District

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Engineering, General

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)

The health science program at Mercer County Vocational Technical School will be the district’s first four-year, full-time program.

Each school district requested and received $100,000 grants, except for Morris School District ($66,677) and Warren County Vocational School District ($95,670).