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CTE Academy exposes BV students to new career opportunities
By By Jill Meier
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EmailAugust 30. 2010 7:28AM
Gregg Ode wishes he could go back to high school after touring the new Career and Technical Education Academy in Sioux Falls earlier this month.
The Brandon Valley school board member hasn’t been the only adult wanting to go back in time after touring the $12.5 million facility.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our kids,” said Jay Rasmussen, vice president of the BV school board. “I wish I had this opportunity growing up.”
The opportunity Rasmussen speaks of is the varied hands-on learning programs offered at the CTE Academy, a school owned and operated by the Sioux Falls School District.
“I don’t think the general public can even fathom what this all about,” said BV High School Principal Gregg Talcott. “I have to give Sioux Falls (School District) a lot of credit for going this way, and our central office and school board for approving (our participation).”
Pam Homan, superintendent of the Sioux Falls School District, said they are elated to be in a partnership with 10 neighboring school districts.
“We are excited about our partnership so your students and ours can both benefit,” she said. “It’s a dream come true for us.”
The CTE Academy has been in the works for about two and a half years, Homan said. Construction on the facility began in April 2009, and was ready for students last week.
Superintendent Dave Pappone said the local high school had run out of space for new CTE classes about the same time Sioux Falls made plans to build a new facility for classes such as carpentry, auto body repair and media production.
“We don’t have space to grow … so this opportunity to partner with Sioux Falls and other schools came at the perfect time,” he said.
Brandon Valley will pay $2,053 per student for 30 students to attend CTE Academy this year, a $61,590 expenditure.
This year, 30 Brandon Valley students will take their core academic classes such as English, math and science in Brandon, but will attend the Academy for a block of specialized training.
Talcott said all 30 slots the district purchased are filled for both semesters.
“I’m excited for the opportunities this presents for our kids that we, as a district, could never provide on our own,” he said. “(The CTE Academy) has so many wonderful possibilities.”
The CTE Academy offers programming in several trades, including architecture and construction, arts, AV technology and communications, health science, hospitality and tourism, human services, manufacturing, science, technology, engineering and math, and transportation distribution and logistics.
Through the architecture and construction program, students can get a head start on training to become an architect, carpenter, drafter, electrician, mason, plumber, a surveyor and more. Eight different course offerings provide the foundational knowledge for these trades and others.
All the courses have classes designed to train students in their intended interests.
The biomediocal sciences and pathway to engineering courses come from Project Lead The Way, a hands-on curriculum package that covers science, technology, math and engineering (STEM). Instructors Allison Hutchinson and Christy Carlson took accelerated two-week courses this summer to get prepared.
Hutchinson has taught Advanced Placement biology and said the PLTW curriculum is on par with the college-prep class.
“The content is right up there with what students would need to know in AP biology,” except there’s a health focus, she said.
She describes the introductory class as “a bit like ‘CSI’ mixed with ‘ER’ with a little ‘House’ and ‘Bones’ thrown in.”
Carlson is new to teaching, having left a career designing metal buildings. She said the engineering classes won’t be easy but will appeal to students who like to build and create.
“It will be challenging, but then again I think the students will enjoy it because it’s so hands-on,” she said.
The new courses coincide with a state-led movement toward career exploration during high school. Updated graduation requirements give CTE classes a higher profile, and students will begin building personal learning plans in eighth grade, which connect their career interests with high school classes and internships.
The biomedical sciences and pre-engineering classes steer students toward math and science careers, a priority of the Obama administration.
Students who receive the opportunity to attend the CTE Academy will have the ability to explore their career interests.
“Any student who doesn’t like this opportunity will be missing out on something that could show them where they want to go or stop them from going into something they don’t like,” said BV school board member Renee Ullom.
Jim Kayl, principal at the CTE Academy, said all of the programs have been designed to give students hands-on experience.
“In all of the programs we tried to tie those real-life experiences into the curriculum in connection with hands-on experience,” he said.
For instance, a student could graduate from high school as a certified welder.
Maguire Iron, a Sioux Falls-based business, has signed a five-year agreement to provide funding and materials to the Academy. The funding and materials, Kayl said, will be used to take the program a notch higher.
“The way I see it,” Ullom said, “is that our kids are going to come out here and they’re going to love it.”
Argus Leader Media reporter Josh Verges contributed to this story.
ABOUT CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACADEMY
The Sioux Falls School District built the $12.5 million Career and Technical Education Academy on open land south of Southeast Technical Institute.
STUDENT SIZE: The facility has room for 950 high school students, but 10 neighboring districts, including Brandon Valley, are paying tuition for 200 slots. Brandon Valley purchased 30 slots for this year.
CLASSES: They last 110 minutes and are held during three blocks of time each day. Students who take classes there will spend the majority of their school days in traditional high schools.
NEW SUBJECTS: Pre-engineering, biomedical sciences, culinary arts, human services, manufacturing.
The Brandon Valley school board member hasn’t been the only adult wanting to go back in time after touring the $12.5 million facility.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our kids,” said Jay Rasmussen, vice president of the BV school board. “I wish I had this opportunity growing up.”
The opportunity Rasmussen speaks of is the varied hands-on learning programs offered at the CTE Academy, a school owned and operated by the Sioux Falls School District.
“I don’t think the general public can even fathom what this all about,” said BV High School Principal Gregg Talcott. “I have to give Sioux Falls (School District) a lot of credit for going this way, and our central office and school board for approving (our participation).”
Pam Homan, superintendent of the Sioux Falls School District, said they are elated to be in a partnership with 10 neighboring school districts.
“We are excited about our partnership so your students and ours can both benefit,” she said. “It’s a dream come true for us.”
The CTE Academy has been in the works for about two and a half years, Homan said. Construction on the facility began in April 2009, and was ready for students last week.
Superintendent Dave Pappone said the local high school had run out of space for new CTE classes about the same time Sioux Falls made plans to build a new facility for classes such as carpentry, auto body repair and media production.
“We don’t have space to grow … so this opportunity to partner with Sioux Falls and other schools came at the perfect time,” he said.
Brandon Valley will pay $2,053 per student for 30 students to attend CTE Academy this year, a $61,590 expenditure.
This year, 30 Brandon Valley students will take their core academic classes such as English, math and science in Brandon, but will attend the Academy for a block of specialized training.
Talcott said all 30 slots the district purchased are filled for both semesters.
“I’m excited for the opportunities this presents for our kids that we, as a district, could never provide on our own,” he said. “(The CTE Academy) has so many wonderful possibilities.”
The CTE Academy offers programming in several trades, including architecture and construction, arts, AV technology and communications, health science, hospitality and tourism, human services, manufacturing, science, technology, engineering and math, and transportation distribution and logistics.
Through the architecture and construction program, students can get a head start on training to become an architect, carpenter, drafter, electrician, mason, plumber, a surveyor and more. Eight different course offerings provide the foundational knowledge for these trades and others.
All the courses have classes designed to train students in their intended interests.
The biomediocal sciences and pathway to engineering courses come from Project Lead The Way, a hands-on curriculum package that covers science, technology, math and engineering (STEM). Instructors Allison Hutchinson and Christy Carlson took accelerated two-week courses this summer to get prepared.
Hutchinson has taught Advanced Placement biology and said the PLTW curriculum is on par with the college-prep class.
“The content is right up there with what students would need to know in AP biology,” except there’s a health focus, she said.
She describes the introductory class as “a bit like ‘CSI’ mixed with ‘ER’ with a little ‘House’ and ‘Bones’ thrown in.”
Carlson is new to teaching, having left a career designing metal buildings. She said the engineering classes won’t be easy but will appeal to students who like to build and create.
“It will be challenging, but then again I think the students will enjoy it because it’s so hands-on,” she said.
The new courses coincide with a state-led movement toward career exploration during high school. Updated graduation requirements give CTE classes a higher profile, and students will begin building personal learning plans in eighth grade, which connect their career interests with high school classes and internships.
The biomedical sciences and pre-engineering classes steer students toward math and science careers, a priority of the Obama administration.
Students who receive the opportunity to attend the CTE Academy will have the ability to explore their career interests.
“Any student who doesn’t like this opportunity will be missing out on something that could show them where they want to go or stop them from going into something they don’t like,” said BV school board member Renee Ullom.
Jim Kayl, principal at the CTE Academy, said all of the programs have been designed to give students hands-on experience.
“In all of the programs we tried to tie those real-life experiences into the curriculum in connection with hands-on experience,” he said.
For instance, a student could graduate from high school as a certified welder.
Maguire Iron, a Sioux Falls-based business, has signed a five-year agreement to provide funding and materials to the Academy. The funding and materials, Kayl said, will be used to take the program a notch higher.
“The way I see it,” Ullom said, “is that our kids are going to come out here and they’re going to love it.”
Argus Leader Media reporter Josh Verges contributed to this story.
ABOUT CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACADEMY
The Sioux Falls School District built the $12.5 million Career and Technical Education Academy on open land south of Southeast Technical Institute.
STUDENT SIZE: The facility has room for 950 high school students, but 10 neighboring districts, including Brandon Valley, are paying tuition for 200 slots. Brandon Valley purchased 30 slots for this year.
CLASSES: They last 110 minutes and are held during three blocks of time each day. Students who take classes there will spend the majority of their school days in traditional high schools.
NEW SUBJECTS: Pre-engineering, biomedical sciences, culinary arts, human services, manufacturing.
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The Brandon Valley School District purchased 30 slots for the first year of class offerings at the Career and Technical Education Academy that i owned and operated by the Sioux Falls School District. Photo by Jill Meier |  |
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