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Georgia Career Academies Project Athens Community Career Academy

Quarterly ReportJanuary – March 2013

Mission and GoalsThe mission of the Athens Community Career academy is to provide expansive opportunities for students to achieve educational and career goals while meeting local and regional workforce needs.

PartnershipsWe continue to partner with Athens Technical College and the University of Georgia. All college classes are taught by Athens Technical College faculty.

In continuing our partnership with the University of Georgia, we currently have 19 volunteers through the College Student Affairs Administration graduate program. These students will be working with Career Academy students in a number of ways to encourage success in academics, leadership, and decision making.

In addition to the volunteers from UGA, we are currently in meetings between Athens Technical College, University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences, and the Apartment Rental Industry in Georgia, to develop a new pathway in Residential Property Management. We are working with Debbie Phillips to create a model program that will offer students a TCC that will lead straight into a career or they can continue their post-secondary education at either the UGA or Georgia Tech property management programs, both which are model programs since 2009.

We have also continued to build our relationship with Caterpillar. In March the Leadership Team from Caterpillar presented a program to all of the current students at the ACCA. This was a very successful program; I am including the agenda.

BudgetThe school system received a $5,000 planning grant from the Georgia Department of Education. From the Technical College System of Georgia, Athens Technical College received $2.9 million for construction of a building to house the Athens Community Career Academy on school district property. Of the $2.9 million, $150,000 has been set aside for operating expenses for the first year. Those startup funds have been utilized to pay for publication materials, hire staff, cover start-up costs of supplies, and purchase equipment for each of the pathways to include Law and Justice, Drafting, and a Media Center. We have been awarded $225,000 in vocational capital improvement bond funds from the Georgia Department of Education for curricular equipment in our broadcast video/music lab, information technology lab, business lab, and health occupations lab. Additional Perkins and local CTAE funding in the amount of at least $50,000.00 will be used for additional curricular equipment, materials, software, and supplies for the first year of operation, with additional funds to be allocated in subsequent years.

Governance & Leadership

Following is a list of members of the governance board.

Governance Board: Members

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Dexter Fisher UGA Physical Plant, Service Dept. DirectorChuck Jones, Athens Convention & Business Bureau, DirectorCarol Rayburn-Cofer NE GA Regional Commission, DirectorKevin Thigpen, ARMC, VP Human ResourcesDeborah Bambo Lonon Clarke Central H.S .ParentDavid Matheny Armentrout, Matheny, Thurmond, PC (Architect)Tom Gausvik UGA Human ResourcesDr. Phil Lanoue Superintendent, CCSDDr. Flora Tydings President Athens TechDr. Lynn Johns CTAE Director, CCSD Ex-officio- votingKaty O’Neal Arrowood CEO

The board met in January; I have attached the agenda.

Timelines

Second semester we increased our numbers of students taking college classes by five, increased the number of classes being taken by 37, and went from 8 college classes being offered to 10 college classes offered.

During this quarter we have focused on testing students for next school year. During the month of February we tested 149 students, and we are continuing to test throughout the remainder of the school year. A Compass testing schedule has been attached. Currently all morning testing sessions are full, and we have limited space available for afternoon testing sessions. We will offer some summer testing sessions if number or students wanting to test warrants June testing.

Career & College Focus The main focus of the Career Academy continues to be success in both college and future career choices. Our focus has also remained at offering pathways that are not only desirable to our students, but will answer workforce needs in our community and state. This fall we will be adding three new collegiate pathways: Culinary Arts, Mechatronics, and Early College Essentials.

Culinary Arts will offer a TCC to students in a community with a strong food/hospitality industry. We will continue to find useful internships for students in this area. Mechatronics is completely connected to Caterpillar! Students completing this pathway will be ready to begin a career with Caterpillar, or continue their post-secondary education in an engineering program at Athens Technical College, University of Georgia, or Georgia Tech. The Early College Essentials is simply the freshman core for most any college or university. Students completing this pathway will be ready to continue their college career, most likely as a sophomore, at their selected college or university.

In addition to the wonderful courses/pathways offered at the ACCA, we also assist students in internships or work-based learning. We have students doing a variety of internships currently, including work by a Criminal Justice major at the District Attorney’s office, and another CRJU major at the Athens Clarke County Police Department.

Due to the competitive nature of college and careers in today’s society, we also work at connecting students to others who may already be successful in a particular career the student is pursuing. CEO Katy Arrowood takes students to a variety of community events in order to make sure the students are known in this community. Some of the events include special guest speakers at the Athens Rotary club including Olympic athletes, the Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture, a designer from London, and the legislative officials from our district, another was a luncheon on the arts and economic development, and next week a student is joining Ms. Arrowood at the Women in Bio-technology breakfast.

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Grade Levels

Students will be able to attend the Career Academy once they have turned 16 years old and taken the COMPASS exam. Depending on their scores and their interest, the student then has the opportunity to enroll in classes at the Career Academy. Most students will be juniors and seniors, though some older sophomores will be able to attend.

Enrollment & Student Focus

During this semester, we have focused much effort on recruitment in the high schools and introducing the ACCA to the middle schools. Teachers and administrators visited the local high schools during special assemblies, in individual classes, and during open houses. Each time an emphasis was placed on educating students and parents about the program, pathways, and opportunities offered at the ACCA. We also encouraged students to begin preparing for and taking the Compass. The recruitment effort seems very positive, with direct results shown once registration for next year is complete.

Student Support

We began this semester with a workshop for all students enrolled in the college classes. In this workshop each student was presented with a contract that spelled out expectations for both the student and the program. We also implemented the early alert system through Athens Technical College, alerting us if a student is struggling. We offer tutorial programs, study groups, and proof-reading assistance for papers written for classes. A new one-on-one student meeting with our CEO, the student, and a parent(s) will be held with each student taking college classes beginning fall semester before classes begin.

Standards & CurriculumAll standards for courses in the Career Academy are based on Georgia Performance Standards. As a district, our instructional design system is built around a common framework for instruction. Both high school level and college courses will meet all the standards set forth by the state of Georgia, accreditation bodies, as well as national standards. StructureWith both Athens Technical College and the University of Georgia having office space, teaching classes, and providing support/training as well as having space for community partners, we are planning to create a collegiate, professional environment. In addition the students at the Career Academy are encouraged to take part in volunteer opportunities including an after-school entrepreneurship club. All college clubs and extracurricular activities offered at Athens Technical College are open to the students from the Career Academy.

Faculty & StaffDr. Lynn Johns is the Director of the high school portion of the Career Academy and Katy O’Neal Arrowood is the Director of the college portion of the Career Academy. They have spent countless hours together over this quarter planning and preparing for the upcoming school year. They attended the GACTE conference together, and have attended many Leadership Development trainings through the Clarke County School District.

The CCSD will be providing highly qualified, certified teachers for the high school classes, and ATC will be provided experienced professors for the college classes.

EvaluationThe Career Academy continues to gain recognition in the Athens community. Students have the opportunity to gain college credit and meet their high school requirements, with the CCSD paying the fees! One parent at the Open House said that we had just upped the property value in Clarke County, which sums it up pretty well!

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NeedOur biggest need is to continue to educate our community and the teachers within the school system as to the benefits of the ACCA for our students and this community. We should be viewed as a team player and not as a competitor.

Cycle of ImprovementIncreasing enrollment is our main goal for improvement. Through a sound marketing plan, educating the community about the opportunity, and insuring the programs offered are worthwhile, the Athens Community Career Academy will continue to grow.

Charter School LawOn March 31, 2009, we were granted charter status to operate a charter school for a five-year term beginning on July 1, 2010. The charter was renewed and extended until June 30, 2013.