High School Linkages Action Project: Quarterly Progress Report
Winter 2005
A.
Describe the past quarter’s accomplishments and the current status of
this Action Project.
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Sinclair’s work to expand linkages for students from secondary to
post-secondary education continues to grow through its Tech Prep,
CCTI and other initiatives. Implementation planning continued this
quarter for the two new pathways in Exercise Science and Criminal
Justice Science, with commitments made by five area high schools
or career centers to offer these programs beginning in fall 2005
(Exercise Science: Miami Valley Career Technical Center,
Miamisburg High School and Centerville High School; Criminal
Justice Science: Greene County Career Center and Warren County
Career Center). Student response to these pathways was quite
strong, and well-qualified, full classes are scheduled to begin in
August.
Sinclair’s Tech Prep Consortium was asked by schools outside the
consortium’s service district to develop two pathways:
Biotechnology in Bellefontaine and Automotive in Clark County.
These pathways will be launched in fall 2005.
Enrollment in the new PALS pathway (Procurement, Acquisitions,
Logistics and Supply Chain Management) is building gradually, with
strong support from the Department of Defense and Wright
Patterson Air Force Base. This pathway has promise for meeting a
very strong employment need; Ohio has one of the highest number
of PALS-related positions (public and private combined) in the
country, and anticipated retirements will greatly expand openings
over the next decade.
Two task forces made recommendations for improving the Miami
Valley Tech Prep Showcase and the Tech Prep Awareness Days,
activities that are an important avenue for recruiting and
recognizing Tech Prep students.
The Tech Prep program continued to track data on student
enrollment and success by pathway, high school, and for the
consortium as a whole. Student achievement, as indicated by
GPA, is tracked upon entry into a pathway, in the fall of the senior
year and upon graduation. These data are reported to and
compared with a state-wide data base.
Sinclair continued its participation as one of 15 sites nationally for
the League for Innovation’s College and Career Transitions
Initiative (CCTI). Staff presented on the progress of Sinclair’s
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project at the national summit in early March. As a partner in this
initiative, Sinclair helped develop an electronic toolkit for other
campuses interested in replicating the pathway model, and
Sinclair’s pathway template is featured on the League’s website.
The project was charged with developing a plan for state-wide
dissemination of the CCTI model, and staff authored a summary of
the project, including principle strategies, lessons learned, a case
study of the project and a detailed improvement plan.
The pilot and evaluation of the Metamorph project were completed.
Metamorph is a web-based career guidance tool designed to help
ninth grade students develop realistic, personally meaningful goals
for their education and careers. Metamorph was piloted with 350
students at nine area high schools, and participating students
completed pre- and post tests. Students who participated in
Metamorph were statistically more likely to demonstrate important
competencies related to career development than students in the
control group. Importantly, this program worked well with students
of high, average and low academic achievement.
The Academic Resource Centers in five area high schools served
236 students during the winter quarter. Planning continued for
opening four additional centers in fall 2005, and prospects for
adding a fifth center were explored. Guidelines for identification of
students to participation in the ARCs were finalized. A new
Program Coordinator was identified for the Academic Resource
Center initiative. Student learning continues to be tracked as
reflected by grade level gains for individual students and for
schools and the overall ARC initiative in the aggregate.
Sinclair’s Engineering Division is providing leadership for Ohio’s
Project Lead the Way initiative, a national program to insure an
adequate supply of skilled high-tech workers. In this role, Sinclair
will train teachers from across Ohio in the delivery of the PLTW
curriculum. During the winter quarter, plans were developed for a
summer institute for 60 high school math and science teachers.
Planning continued for the new Dayton Public Schools career tech
high school and Sinclair’s support of this project. A proposal was
developed for a 2005-06 collaboration between the college’s
developmental studies program and the existing career tech high
school (Patterson Career Center) to improve students’ math and
English proficiency.
Planning was initiated for a new course designed to help students,
including recent high school graduates, make a more successful
transition to college, clarify educational and professional goals, and
improve skills critical to college success.
The college’s high school linkages inventory was updated.
B.
Describe how the institution involved people in the work of this Action
Project
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C.
Describe your planned next steps for this Action Project.
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D.
Additional faculty were involved in the development of the Tech
Prep pathways, specifically with student recruitment, curriculum
development, teacher hiring and consultation with area schools on
facilities and equipment considerations. Professionals in the fields
represented by the college’s new pathways were consulted on
curriculum, equipment and facility issues. Collaborations were
initiated between Tech Prep staff and faculty and the faculty and
staff in two new high school systems.
Tech Prep personnel and college leaders participated in the CCTI
national summit and conferred with colleagues from other
campuses who are part of this initiative.
Faculty-to-faculty collaborations regarding curriculum were initiated
between college and high school faculty on math and English
curriculum alignment.
Over 350 ninth and tenth grade students participated in the
Metamorph pilot.
Contacts with personnel at area high schools were expanded as
planning progressed for the opening of four additional Academic
Resource Centers next fall.
Report student progress during 2004-05 through the Academic
Resource Centers. Complete plans for the opening of the new
ARCs. Relocate the on-campus ARC to a new space.
Continue planning with Dayton Public Schools for the new career
tech high school.
Prepare a best practices summary on the Metamorph project for
dissemination, and seek funding to provide training to teachers
throughout Ohio in the use of this tool.
Continue the roles associated with Sinclair’s affiliate college status
with Project Lead the Way.
Commit funding to support the curriculum alignment project with the
Patterson Career Center.
Develop plans for a pilot of the new student success course.
Evaluate the scope of the college’s initiatives related to high school
linkages. Determine whether to continue or conclude this action
project.
Describe effective practices that resulted from your work on this Action
Project.
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E.
The Metamorph tool clearly is an effective device for early career
guidance, an important missing piece in the college’s existing Tech
Prep/CCTI work and these initiatives on other campuses.
The electronic toolkit and pathway template, developed in
conjunction with the CCTI initiative, are useful resources for the
expansion of high school to college connections across many
disciplines.
What challenges, if any, are you still facing regarding this Action
Project?
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The college’s portfolio of high school linkage initiatives has grown
significantly this year, and it is appropriate to examine whether to
continue or conclude this action project.