On July 31, we were happy to host a diverse group of local businesses and human resources professionals for a meeting at the high school to learn about our district’s new career and technical education initiative, which aims to expand curriculum, instruction, assessment, and program opportunities for high school students. Called the PLAN (Performance-Based Learning and Assessment Networks) Pilot Initiative, Johnson City High School is one of only 23 schools in New York State participating in the program, giving our high school teachers opportunities for professional development and new methods to engage students in project-based learning, performance-based assessments, and work-based learning.
The goal of this week’s meeting was to engage invited local businesses in a focused discussion with guest speaker Dr. Ken Wallace and the district about ways to start creating meaningful opportunities for our high school students to gain the skills needed for employment in various regional industries through work-based learning experiences, internships, apprenticeships, and industry-recognized certification pathways.
Dr. Wallace is a retired school superintendent from the Maine Township High School District outside Chicago, Illinois and is a founding partner of Student-Centered Services, consultant for the National Dropout Prevention Center, and the Successful Practices Network. He is currently a district support specialist for career education for the DuPage County Regional Office of Education.
We are excited to begin this new endeavor and look forward to continuing our work with PLAN Initiative mentors and local stakeholders to provide our high school students with more learning opportunities.
