The Alliance of Educational Leaders

Options in high school...

You are….	You want…	Check out…
A traditional student who does well in school and is interested in standard curriculum and courses	A traditional schedule with a standard diploma and ready to attend college or another postsecondary institution	Traditional schedule with electives[see “Graduation Requirements”]
Interested in classes that relate to career interests – a “real world” connection	Same as above AND classes that focus on a specific area of interest	High School Career Academies
Wanting classes that are “hands on” and of interest to you	To graduate with the skills needed to find a job OR pursue postsecondary education in a related field	Vocational and High Tech Centers programs
A student who knows that 50% of the fastest growing occupations require at least a 2-year degree and 90% of new jobs by 2010 will require technical education	To have your high school career lead to the next educational level AND earn postsecondary credit while in high school	Tech Prep (2 + 2) programs
An academically talented student motivated to excel in school with college as your goal	To be challenged in course work that will allow you to earn a high GPA (grade point average) AND to graduate with some college credits already earned	Advanced Placement and Honors Courses Dual Enrollment International Baccalaureate Program (Lee County only) Laureate Program (Collier County only)
A student who would prefer to learn at your own rate and in your own place OR you want to take a course not available in your current high school	To work on your own and use technology for your learning AND/OR to take a class that is not offered locally	Florida’s Virtual High School: "Cyper School”
A student who would like to get some job experience while learning	To graduate with work skills and experience prepared to enter the job market or to acquire additional skills	Cooperative Education Apprenticeships Internships

High School Career Academies

Creates a “school within a school” - offering small communities of students and teachers
Offers career elective courses in sequential order
Integrates academic and vocational course content
Focuses on broadly defined career themes (e.g., computers, health, etc.) and not job specific training
Emphasizes post-secondary education and career planning
Offers hands on learning including: job shadowing, internships, mentoring and other “real world” experiences
Utilizes business and community advisory committees in writing/revising curricula, establishing standards, etc.

Career Academies of SW Florida

Charlotte

Collier
(2002-2003 school year)

Travel & Tourism Academy Sports & Entertainment Marketing Academy Wellness Academy	Gulf Coast High School
Medical Academy Hospitality Academy Engineering & Architectural Design Academy Business & Finance Academy	Baron Collier High School
Industrial Engineering & Automotive Technology	Immokalee High School
Engineering & Construction Tech Academy Law & Criminal Justice Academy Academy of Teaching	Lely High School
Academy of Architectural Design & Engineering	Naples High School
Academy of Aquaculture	Everglades

Glades

Hendry

Lee

Academy High School	New Directions
Finance	Fort Myers High School
Health and Medical Professions	Estero High School
Fine Arts Academy	Lehigh Senior High School
High Technology	North Fort Myers High School
Center for the Performing Arts	Cypress Lake High School

Vocational and Technical Centers

Ø Offers middle and high school students technology related courses that provide hands-on exploration of a variety of programs

Ø After completing courses, students can seek employment or transfer some of the credits to a technical center or Edison College

Ø Secondary/high school fields of study that lead to postsecondary study (examples):Agribusiness and Natural Resources Education, Business Education, Marketing Education, Family and Consumer Science Education, Technology Education and Industrial Education

County	Location	Programs for High School Students
Charlotte	Charlotte Technical Center 18300 Toledo Blade Blvd. Port Charlotte, FL 33948 941-255-7500	Competitive Edge Program: students attend home high schools for ½ day and the vocational technical center for ½ day; credits earned may go toward a high school diploma, a vocational certificate and/or completion of Vocational Gold Seal Scholarship* requirements. Electives: students may also attend Vocational Technical Center to fulfill elective requirements. Admission Requirements: based on prior year’s attendance; grade point average; and, for some programs, prerequisite courses (math and science). Choices: courses offered in the following fields: computer and software applications, general/legal/medical secretarial training, accounting, automotive technology, business & office technology, carpentry, cosmetology, culinary arts, drafting, early childhood education, electronic technology, and health sciences.
Collier	Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology 3702 Estey Avenue Naples, FL 34104-4405 941-430-6900	Academy for Career Education (ACE): students attend high school for ½ day and the Lorenzo Walker Institute for ½ day; upon successful completion of programs students earn occupational certificates; transportation is provided. Admissions Requirements: all students are eligible; admission varies with programs ranging from interviews to testing. Choices: programs leading to an occupational certification are available. Examples include automotive, technology, computer electronics (A+, Net+, etc.), nursing assistant and childcare.
Lee	High Tech Center North 360 Juanita Blvd. Ext. Cape Coral, FL 33993 941-574-4440 High Tech Central 3800 Michigan Avenue Fort Myers, FL 33916 941-334-4544	Dual enrollment: part-time while taking courses at their high school. If a program is completed, student will receive certification. Full-time: students may enroll as full-time students if they have completed their required academic courses or need only a limited number of required classes for graduation. Note: Full-time and part-time students are considered students of their high school and may participate in extracurricular activities; their diplomas and graduation will also be from the high school. Choices: courses offered in the following fields: family and consumer science

* Vocational Gold Seal Scholarship: Available through the State of Florida, scholarship pays ~75% of tuition

and fees at in-state public universities, community colleges and tech schools; requirements include 3 credits

in sequential job preparatory courses; 3.0 GPA for regular courses and a 3.5 unweighted GPA for job

preparatory courses; and, a minimum of 440 on the SATs in both verbal and math sections.

What is Tech Prep?

A way for students to earn college credits in high school by taking courses that are linked to career fields
A program of study linking 4 years of high school with 2 years of postsecondary education (called a “4 + 2”) leading to a minimum AS (Associate of Science) degree at a community college and a BS (Bachelor of Science) at a university or a technical certification
A seamless path from high school to postsecondary education (college or technical center)
A focus on academic achievement and a path to college or technical school
A partnership for students and parents in career planning

Why Tech Prep?

Connects your high school experience with a post-secondary school (such as a technical center, community college or university)
Gives college credit for high school course work – saves time and money! – within specific guidelines
Offers scholarships to continue with your education through the Gold Seal program
Prepares you for a high-skill, high-wage occupation and gives you a competitive edge

What is Required?

Students take three or more sequential vocational-technical courses geared toward specific careers
To earn the post-secondary credit, you must graduate high school and maintain a minimum of a “C” average in all vocational-technical courses
To be eligible for a scholarship, you must meet grade (3.0 overall GPA/3.5 in applied technology courses) and testing requirements

Did you know: High school graduates earn an average of $16,028 a year

High school graduates with 2 years of training earn an average of $24,994

Community college graduates with AS degree earn an average of $35,344

Articulation Agreements:

the table below shows the postsecondary schools with which each school district has an agreement. Agreements vary among districts andthere may be other individual agreements. Check with school guidance counselors.
NOTE: all districts have agreements with the 10 State universities for selected AS (Associate of Science) to BS (Bachelor of Science) degrees.

	Vocational Technical Center	Edison Community College	Florida Gulf Coast University	International College	University of Central Florida	Thomas Edison State (via ECC)
Charlotte	Yes Charlotte Vo-Tech Center	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Collier	Yes Lorenzo Walker Institute	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Glades	Yes w/Lee County	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Hendry	Yes w/Lee County	Yes				Yes
Lee	Yes High Tech North and Central	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Advanced Placement

What you need to know about Advanced Placement:

	·	Provides college level work in high schools
	·	Teaches advanced knowledge, skills and study habits
	·	Offers college credits or advanced placement at colleges worldwide with qualifying scores on AP exams – saving time and money!

There are…

	·	16 State approved AP courses offered in Florida
	·	Course offerings throughout SW Florida and they vary from school to school and from district to district
	·	AP Courses available on-line through Florida’s virtual high school www.flvs.net

Find additional Advanced Placement (AP) information at:

www.collegeboard.org/ap/students

	v	Rigorous college prep courses available at most Southwest Florida high schools; specific courses vary from school to school
	v	No college or advanced credit offered for course completion
	v	Grades are “weighted” – most often, increasing a student’s Grade Point Average (GPA)
	v	NOTE: colleges and universities do consider “Honors” courses for admission; however, grades are not usually “weighted” in the consideration

	Seniors with a 3.0 GPA (grade point average); Juniors with a 3.5 GPA. Students must take an entry level test (CPT – Common Placement Test) measuring reading, math and writing and achieve a passing score.
	Students are enrolled both in their high schools and in a postsecondary institution with which the school district has an agreement. Credits earned are applied toward high school graduation and a certification (in a technical or vocational field) or an AA (Associate of Arts degree) or a Baccalaureate degree.
	Saves time and money! -- with no charge for tuition, books or fees, students can earn credits toward a degree or certification. Provides a challenge for students and a chance to experience another educational environment. Note: Some dual enrollment classes are offered within the district high school or a vocational/technical center.

	GPA	College Entrance Exam (SAT, ACT, ASSET, MAPS, CPT) Required	Institutions with which there are Agreements
Charlotte	3.0 unweighted seniors; 3.5 unweighted juniors	yes	Charlotte Vocational Technical Center; Edison Community College; Manatee Community College (Lemon Bay students only); Florida Gulf Coast University
Collier	3.0 unweighted	yes	Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology; Edison Community College; Florida Gulf Coast University
Glades		yes	Edison Community College
Hendry		yes	Edison Community College
Lee	3.0 seniors; 3.5 juniors	yes	High Tech Center North and Central campuses; Edison Community College; Florida Gulf Coast University; Florida State University; University of Florida

International Baccalaureate Program

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program began as an effort to standardized a rigorous

curriculum so that students could transition educationally among countries. Today, there

are 1270 schools in 110 countries that offer the program. The 3400 IB examiners assessed

40,000 students in 2001. For more information: www.ibo.org

Note: Currently, the International Baccalaureate Program is available in Lee County only at Fort Myers High School.

Noteworthy:

Program is a two year course of study, preceded by a 2 year “pre-IB” program
Admissions requirements include grade point average and entrance exam
Students are required to take courses in six (6) academic areas of the humanities and the sciences
Students select at least 3 of the 6 academic areas to study at the “Higher Level” (HL) and the remainder at the “Standard Level” (SL); this allows for in-depth study of at least half the courses
To obtain an IB Diploma, students must pass the IB exams (scored by an international team of examiners), submit an extended essay, and complete 150 hours in a service project
An IB diploma is worth up to 30 credits toward a college degree in most colleges/universities

Laureate Program

The goal of the Laureate Program is to provide a rigorous academic course of study and

to challenge and recognize high-achieving students. Although centered on Advanced

Placement courses, the program includes other activities to enhance a student’s background

and readiness for higher education.

NOTE: The Laureate Program is currently offered in Collier County and is available at Naples, Gulf Coast and Lely High Schools.

Noteworthy:

	√	Admission requirements include unweighted grade point average of 3.0 and scores at or above the 85^th percentile on district standardized tests
	√	Students may earn a Laureate Diploma or a Laureate Certificate. For the Diploma, students complete 6 or more Advanced Placement courses and score an average of 3.0 or better on the AP exams. The Certificate requires 5 or more Advanced Placement courses and an average 3.0 or better on the 5 exams. For both, an unweighted Grade Point Average of 3.0 or better must be achieved
	√	Students must also document 75 hours of community service, complete portfolios/demonstration projects, write an extended essay and participate in 2 school-based demonstrations of excellence annually
	√	Advanced Placement exams are grades by college professors and AP teachers at regional sites
	√	Successful completion may earn a student 15 to 30 or more college credits

For you?
	··	Flexibility:	you can take courses at any time, place and pace
	··	Availability:	full range of courses from the basics (leading to a high school diploma) to classes not offered at your high school (such as Advanced Placement or Honors courses)
	··	Affordability:	there is NO cost to any public, private or home schooled Florida student; in 2001, over 6900 students were enrolled
	··	Ability:	requires a computer (with an on-line connection and Netscape web browser or Internet Explorer); self-discipline; and familiarity with computers

Virtual High School activities are interactive including links and chat rooms. “Tests” can be on-line formats or an alternative of an essay or project. Students communicate with instructors weekly via email or telephone.

For registration, information and a list of courses and requirements:
www.flvs.net

Get Paid for Learning?

There are programs for students to attend school and work – check out:

Cooperative Education

ü Students attend school and work in a job each day

ü Students earn academic credit for work experience

ü Students are paid for their work

ü Schools and employers work together using written training and evaluation plans

Apprenticeships

ü Students enter into agreements with employers

ü Students are paid for work

ü Apprentices receive a minimum of 144 hours of related training and 2000 hours of on-the-job training each year

ü Entrance requirements and programs lengths vary

ü Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) is required for all programs

Internships

ü Students work with an employer to learn about a specific profession

ü Possibilities: students may be paid; students may earn academic credit note: both depend on school and employer

ü See www.CareersNow.org for more information regarding internships and other job related youth activities

	Cooperative Education	Apprenticeships	Internships
Charlotte	yes
Collier	yes	Contact: Fred Tuttle @ 239-430-6900 Carpentry 643-3300 Electrical 430-3553 Iron Workers 825-9008 Masonry 594-8847	yes
Glades		Contact: Pat Esmond @ 863-675-6800
Hendry		Contact: Pat Esmond @ 863-675-6800
Lee	yes	Contact: Richard Hoptar @ 239-334-3897