CONTINUED FROM 1 PAVING PATHWAYS
2022 EDUCATION EDITION
OUT IN THE FIELD
CTE programs o er students opportunities to earn certi cations and enter a trade straight out of high school or gain extra experience prior to college. Enrollment in CTE programs is broken down into di erent areas of study and students can enroll in multiple programs. Each district has di erent wording for their programs. SOURCES: HAYS CISD, SAN MARCOS CISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
2021-22 ENROLLMENT AREAS OF STUDY:
Business, marketing, nance: 397 Health science: 484 Agriculture: 594
Law enforcement: 994 Agriculture: 1,376 Business, marketing, nance, arts: 2,993
ANNALEAH LOMBARDO
High school Graduated San Marcos High School in 2022
Automotive: 445 Cosmetology: 543 Computer science, engineering: 613 Biomedical: 895 Family consumer science: 954
SAN MARCOS CISD
Architecture, construction: 105 Cosmetology: 90 Education and training: 132 Law, public service: 229 Hospitality, tourism: 261
HAYS CISD
Certi ed veterinary assistant CTE certi cation
Paid internship at Southern Winds Veterinary Services Current position Will attend Texas A&M and major in animal science College
Certi cation examples: • Medical assistant • Entrepreneurship and small business Certi cation examples:
Certi cation examples: • Emergency medical technician • Certi ed veterinary assistant
• Educational aide • Texas State Floral Association oral certi cation
• Cosmetology license • Emergency medical technician
HCISD CTE Director Suzi Mitchell said. “You do not necessarily have to go to college to be very success- ful in life, so because of that, our CTE programs have just exploded, and they are growing.” Student participation in CTE programs at HCISD has increased 7% over the past nine years. In the 2013-14 school year, 4,365 out of 17,255 students were enrolled in CTE classes, or about 25%; In the 2021-22 school year, 7,428 out of 22,932 students were enrolled in CTE classes, or about 32%. Both districts o er more than 20 programs of study that range from accounting to culinary arts to nursing. The CTE programs o er rudimentary and hands-on courses that build on each other, after which students can earn an Industry Based Certi cation, or IBC. Engaging the students As student participation has increased over the years, so has the attitude surrounding CTE pro- grams as a viable piece of the overall education sys- tem, SMCISD CTE Coordinator Clayton Odam said. CTE programs and classes used to be seen as a last resort to engage students, whereas now, it is seen as a driver for student engagement and participation. “[There are] countless examples that I can point to that I have seen over the years where [a student] was wandering, was getting into behavioral issues, did not have the best grades. … Once they found ath- letics or once they found choir or once they found a CTE program, again, that was maybe why they got out of bed but then they also behaved better and performed better,” Odam said. “For us, getting kids engaged becomes the key.” To further increase engagement, Odam said the district is actively working on outreach to the ele- mentary schools so students can witness what the possibilities are once they get to high school. CTE classes are typically geared toward high school
“I get so many questions about how I am going to get my CVA, and I [said] my school o ers it,” Lom- bardo said. “I think it is such a cool program that it allows kids to get their CVA license because when you apply to a veterinarian, the rst thing they ask you is if you have any type of certi cation. ... Most say no.” Aside from the certi cation through the CTE pro- gram, Lombardo said that it has helped her with other valuable life skills such as preparing for a job interview, writing a resume, communication skills and public speaking. Breaking down barriers The ultimate objective of CTE programs is to pro- vide students with ample opportunities, Odam said. There are no GPA requirements that need to be met in order for a student to participate in a CTE like they might have to for athletics, Odam said. The courses become more and more hands-on as the stu- dents progress through high school, and while bar- riers might pop up, such as a fee or transportation needs, the district said it will work to help bridge the gap to meet the students’ needs. “I think about a kid that has nothing, living in one of our poorest neighborhoods with no resources. They have lost every round of the life lottery up to this point. This is available to them; just come to school every day,” Odam said. “We will hand you a diploma and this other piece of paper and you can take them to that other business and they will start paying you more money than your family has ever seen. To leave school with a diploma is what you are supposed to do. But you would have really left a lot on the table if that is all you left with from San Marcos High School.”
students with four-year programs and pathways. However, some start as early as seventh grade. “The more I can get kids engaged and see that there is a life beyond middle school, beyond high school, … the more they get hooked into school,” SMCISD Director of Curriculum and Instruction Kieth Cunningham said. CTE courses happen concurrently with the curric- ulum and the knowledge learned in classes such as math or English help students with the “real-world” application of those abstract concepts, Odam said. “YOU CAN COME IN KNOWING NOTHING, AND THEY WILL TEACH YOU EVERYTHING FROM SCRATCH.” ANNALEAH LOMBARDO, SAN MARCOS CISD GRADUATE “[CTE] becomes the answer to the kids’ question of, ‘Why do I have to learn this?’” Odam said. Real-world application Growing up on a farm and around livestock, Anna- leah Lombardo said she knew she wanted to pursue a career in veterinary medicine when she was 4 years old. Lombardo joined the animal science program under the Agricultural, Food and Natural Resources CTE at San Marcos High School where she received the certi ed veterinary assistant certi cation. However, students do not need an extensive back- ground to join a CTE program, Lombardo said. “You can come in knowing nothing, and they will teach you everything from scratch,” Lombardo said. “The teachers are very exible, and they are willing to work with you and your schedule.” In her last year at SMHS, Lombardo was eligible to take on an internship at a local veterinary clinic where she now has a paid position.
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
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SAN MARCOS BUDA KYLE EDITION • AUGUST 2022
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