Board recognizes career tech programs at EHS

Enterprise High School’s career technical programs were spotlighted during an Oct. 30 meeting of the Enterprise Board of Education. 

In anticipation of a shift toward more technical, skill-based accountability standards, EHS has been putting a lot time and resources into this area.

“We are, in the state of Alabama, in a transitional year,” said EHS Assistant Principal Danny Long. “Our State Superintendent (of Education, Tommy Bice,) has introduced a new accountability system called Plan 2020.”

Plan 2020 was a part of a voucher the state of Alabama submitted to the federal government in August that would let the state and its systems, opt out of No Child Left Behind standards that were supposed to be met by the year 2014.

Plan 2020 focuses on college and career readiness for all students as opposed Adequate Yearly Progress scores, which was originally mandated by NCLB.

A large part of the program focuses on giving students a completive edge when leaving high school and entering the workforce, and does so by allowing them opportunities to earn credentials in specified fields during their high school education.

“One of the things you’re going to see nationally, and we’re for certain in Alabama, is a much heavier emphasis on career technical classes,” Long said. “This year there are already new college and career readiness standards in math and next year there will be in English as well. You’ll also see increased funding for technical classes.”

EHS students can currently take technical classes in agriscience, automotive sciences, commerce and information technology, cooperative education, family and consumer sciences, health sciences, the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, welding and airframe and power plant courses through Enterprise State Community College and the Alabama Aviation Center.

EHS also partners with several local businesses related to these fields to know what skills each industry is expecting its potential employees to have.

“(We’re) pushing to get these students something they can leave high school with,” Long said. “We know not all of our students will go to a four-year school, and we want to give these students something that will make them more qualified for the workforce when they leave.”

In other news, board member Ross Cotter and Jimmy Jones, board vice president, were recognized for completing courses through the Alabama Association of School Boards’ Academy.

Cotter completed Level 1 in the academy, and Jones was recognized for recently being named as a Master Fourth Year.

“I commend both of these board members for their desire to become more informed,” said Superintendent Aaron Milner. “They’re gaining knowledge of the great things taking place across Alabama and bringing them back to this board.”

The board also named Jones and Board President Mark Jipson as delegates for the AASB’s Annual Convention and Delegate Assembly, which is scheduled for Dec. 6-8, in Birmingham.

Cotter was named as an alternate.