transforming experiences througheducational pathways

Artist Rendition

PATHWAYSThe Academies of Natrona County

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Pathways: !e Academies of Natrona County is our academy system that completely transforms the high school experience for our students. Our academy programs will connect high-end academics with real-world experiences in a wide range of "elds such as engineering, business and natural resources, arts and media, and biomedical and health sciences.

Pathways will prepare our students for postsecondary education and careers. Pathways will deliver a high-end and engaging education, leading to a full range of postsecondary opportunities. Increasingly, career success depends on some postsecondary education and gaining a formal certi"cation. Each of our academies will feature areas of study that will give our students the opportunity to receive certi"cations in career "elds of their choice.

Our academies will not only prepare our students for a lifetime of success, but they are designed to produce higher levels of accomplishment in a number of measurable areas including grades, achievement scores, high school completion, and attainment of formal certi"cations.

We feel it’s our responsibility to give our students a high school experience that prepares them for college and careers, produces gains in academic achievement and gives them a head start on their postsecondary education. We know that students that graduate from Pathways: !e Academies of Natrona County, will be prepared to be competitive in their endeavors and in the global workforce.

We invite you to join us as we take on this new, exciting endeavor!

Welcome to Pathways: The Academies of Natrona County

Rita WalshNCSD Board Chair

If there ever was a day when high schools could be content to prepare some students just for college and others just for work, that day has passed.

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Curricular Integration: Instructional methodology that breaks down traditional barriers between subjects to make learning more meaningful and engaging for our high school students. In Pathways, integration includes a combination of various academic and Career Technical Education (CTE) subjects which pushes beyond textbook instruction to include critical thinking and complex problem solving.

Inquiry-based Instruction: Instruction that is student centered and highly active, which is driven more by learners’ questions, critical thinking, and problem solving skills than by the teachers. !is instruction’s foundation rests in this idea: “Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand.”

Work-based Learning: An educational approach by design that connects learning in the workplace to learning in the classroom to engage students more fully and to intentionally promote their exposure and access to future educational and career opportunities. !is could include but is not exclusive to "eld trips, mentoring, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experiences.

21st Century Skills: Skills necessary for success in the 21st century, which are vastly di#erent from previously needed skills. As our students transition from an information age to a conceptual age, they must possess critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, creativity, and teamwork skills to compete in today’s work force. !ese skills are collectively represented in Natrona County School District #1’s Graduate Pro"le.

Pathway: An academy structure, which connects strong academics with career/technical education and real world experiences in a wide range of career "elds. !e targeted outcome is for students to be college and career ready post graduation.

Certi!cation: A highly valued industry-recognized certi"cate, licensure, or credential.

Project-based Approach: A systematic teaching approach that engages students by focusing on a complex question or problem and having students investigate answers to that problem over an extended period of time, generally resulting in quality presentations and/or products.

Academies: Learning communities, joined with community partners, taught by a team of teachers with integrated, career-themed college-prep curriculum

Cluster: An organizational tool, used to group similar pathways within academies

STEM: Acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

CAPS: Acronym for Center for Advanced & Professional Studies; the facility which will house the academies

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eIndependent Lifelong Learning- Core academic foundation- Fine Arts education- Preparation for higher education or high skills jobsDigital Age Literacy- Basic scienti!c, economic, and technological literacies- Visual and information literacies- Multicultural literacy and global awarenessInventive !inking- Analytical thinking and problem solving- Adaptability, managing complexity, and self-direction

E"ective Communication- Teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills- Interactive communicationHigh Productivity- Prioritizing, planning, and managing for results- E"ective use of real-world tools- Ability to produce relevant, high-quality productsHealthful Living- Physical, social, and emotional well-beingStewardship- Personal, social, and civic responsibility- Commitment to compassion and caring for others

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The Academy of Architecture, Look around. !e buildings in which we live, learn, work, and shop are all products of the architecture, construction, manufacturing, and engineering industries. Professionals within these career "elds are responsible for not only creating these structures, but also imagining and designing them. If you are interested in designing and building our future’s structural environment, then the ACME Academy is for you.

If working with your hands on smaller projects draws your attention, the ACME Academy is still the place for you. Students with a knack for construction and manufacturing will excel in the carpentry/cabinet making, the welding fabrication, and the auto service technology pathways o#ered in the ACME Academy. Students with strengths in STEM skills will also shine in the ACME Academy – particularly in the "elds of robotics, computer science, science, technology, engineering, and math.

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DID YOUKNOW? !e mining industry in the state of Wyoming is projected to create 2,500 new jobs in

the next eight years. !ese jobs will be in the construction and engineering sectors.

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The Academy of Business, Agriculture, and Natural ResourcesBusiness is everywhere. At the mall. In our downtown. In the oil !elds. In our state of Wyoming, much of our business industries are directly tied to agriculture and natural resources. "is natural connection will bene!t our BANR Academy students. If your dream is to run your own business, to responsibly develop our natural resources, or to study horticulture - the BANR Academy is for you.

Another element of the BANR Academy permeates nearly every type of modern business – and that’s infor-mation technology. If you’re interested in an IT career, or in geographic information systems (GIS), the BANR Academy is where to start.

"e BANR Academy will also be home to a food service pathway, which will give students hands-on learning from culinary arts professionals. "is pathway will lead students toward possible careers as a chef, as a manager in the restaurant world, or as a professional in the hospitality and tourism sector.

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DID YOUKNOW? It’s no secret technology’s role grows in our lives everyday. !e current and future job

market re"ects that trend. !e Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in the IT industry will grow 20% between 2010 and 2020.

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The Academy of CreativeCreative types will have opportunities to engage in and express their creative passions through a variety of styles in the CACD Academy. Budding artists will work with clay and a variety of painting and drawing techniques to express their vision in many forms. If a student’s future lies in front of or behind the lens, they may look at digitally editing a short !lm; or they can work in the production studio as a reporter, newscaster, or editor. Students will also work with certi!ed instructors in animation and computer design studios. Digital photography will also be available.

Others may explore the world of performing arts by improving skills for acting, theater, dance, even instrumental music production or editing. Students will be able to expand those opportunities by performing in local plays, musicals, and the productions o"ered at their home schools.

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DID YOUKNOW? Lucas Lee Graham, a graduate of Natrona County High School, currently works as a

cinematographer in California. He is credited on more than a dozen productions.

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H SThe Academy of Health

Combining science and medical technology with human touch and compassion, the health sciences industry cares for millions of people. !e HSHS Academy will prepare its students to become the healthcare professionals that are needed to serve this growing "eld. Pathways within the HSHS Academy will lead students to careers in Pre-Med, Pre-Nursing, athletic training, pre-dental, and veterinary science.

If public service drives you, the Human Services component of the HSHS Academy allows for collaborations with local professionals in "re science and local law enforcement. Early childhood education and development are also skills that are taught in the HSHS Academy. Students may also choose to work in the challenging area of mental health services - learning the skills required to transition to this limitless profession.

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Sciences and Human Services

DID YOU

KNOW?!rough 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects health-related occupations will grow 36% faster than all other occupations combined. Healthcare will generate 3.2 million new wage and salary jobs between 2008 and 2018, more than any other industry.

FAQ

Why do we need an Academy approach to learning?!e world is changing and will continue to change dramatically throughout the 21st century, and schools are not keeping up with the skills and knowledge needed for these changes. In the 21st century mastery of basic skills of reading, writing, and math is no longer enough. !e work force now and in the future, will be called upon to know how to solve a range of intellectual and technical problems to compete in a global network.

When will CAPS open?!e Center for Advanced & Professional Studies (CAPS) is scheduled to open in the fall of the 2015-2016 school year. Tentatively, the permit process for the CAPS construction project should conclude by the end of October 2013, with shovels into the ground and construction beginning in November 2013.

Will transportation be provided?Yes, transportation from Kelly Walsh and Natrona County High Schools will be provided by the district for any student scheduled for classes at the academy facility. !e secondary system for Natrona County schools will be operating under the same schedule for all high school students, which will provide time for students to use district transportation or drive themselves to either their home schools or the CAPS facility.

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Who attends CAPS?Pathways, or academy learning opportunities, will be open to all students without regard to their past educational success or learner designations. Opportunities including honors courses, advanced placement courses, and high-end career and technical education courses will be a#orded all students of Natrona County at CAPS. Open access to Pathways supports increased opportunity and participation of students in high quality, rigorous education by eliminating barriers and/or restrictions.

When do students pick an Academy or Pathway?Protocols and guidelines will be developed over the course of the next two years that willsupport and assist students when the academy facility comes on-line in the fall of 2015. !e transformation of our secondary system for all of our students to promote engagement and improve achievement is supported by a K-12 system where students engage in high quality and rigorous experiences, which are relevant and connected to careers and postsecondary options outside of the school walls. Current thinking is that Pathway selection and orientation will begin in the 9th grade for all students, with the understanding that there will be $exible choices for all students throughout the Pathway experience.

How do I get more information?NCSDTransform.org will serve as a $uid location for information regarding our academy system. Interested parties may also call (307) 253-5253.

| www.NatronaSchools.org | www.NCSDTransform.org || (307) 253-5253 | ncsd_ideas@natronaschools.org |

| 970 N. Glenn Rd., Casper, Wyoming, 82601 |