Field Test of Exploration of Vocational Training

2008
Field Test of
Exploration of Vocational Training
A report on the experience of
Howard S. Billings Regional High School &
Chateauguay Valley Regional High School
New Frontiers School Board
I told the students, ‘We really are explorers
and I’m exploring as much as you are.’
Sasha Geukjian
Explo field test teacher – CVRHS
RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND WRITING
Cheryl Pratt
English Sector Provincial Coordinator for the Personal Orientation
Program and Exploration of Vocational Training
Laurene Bennett
Communications Arpeggia
Barbara L. Goode
Goode Transitions Consulting Services
English Sector Provincial POP/Explo Network
LINGUISTIC REVISION
Secteur des services à la communauté anglophone, Direction de la production en langue
anglaise
March 2009
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. OVERVIEW........................................................................................................4
- About Exploration of Vocational Training
- About the field test
2. BOARD SUPPORT FOR FIELD TEST .............................................................6
- Ad hoc “Alignment Committee”
- Developing a culture of cooperation between sectors
3. FIELD TEST EXPERIENCE ..............................................................................8
- Highlights
- Basic information
- Common approaches
- Major variations in approach
4. ISSUES AFFECTING SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY OF EXPLO ......................12
- The right teacher
- Ongoing collaboration between schools and vocational centres
- Budget clarity and stability
- Scheduling of Explo within the timetable
- Legal considerations
- Communication with parents
- Role of Complementary Educational Services
- Coordination of external partnerships
- Lead-time to create effective partnerships
5. SUMMARY OF FIELD TEST OBSERVATIONS ..............................................17
6. BEYOND THE FIELD TEST ............................................................................18
APPENDIX...........................................................................................................19
- Background Information and Fast Facts
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1
OVERVIEW
ABOUT EXPLORATION OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING
To provide students with additional learning experiences that will help them make more
enlightened decisions about their future academic and career paths, the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS) has developed a new Secondary Cycle Two elective
course called Exploration of Vocational Training.
Until now, most schools have placed little emphasis on the viability of the vocational training path, despite the labour markets need for skilled workers in the trades and technologies. In many instances, only students experiencing academic difficulties have been
encouraged to consider vocational training.
The Conseil supérieur de l’éducation has recognized this shortcoming in the career orientation of students in its report Career Training: Promoting the value of all paths. In this
document, the Conseil states:
Systematic activities to allow students to discover their aptitudes for and interest in
various fields of learning and work must be introduced, beginning at the elementary
level, to prepare them to choose the right training path.1
It goes on to say:
The choice of a career option must not be dictated by educational failure. Both
young people and adults must be offered a range of genuine vocational choices.2
The Conseil also suggests “career guidance and the promotion of vocational training at
the secondary level should be considered as two facets of the same process.”3
• Within this context, Exploration of Vocational Training (or “Explo” as it is increasingly
known) offers Secondary IV students the opportunity to explore a variety of trades and
occupations they may not have previously considered, and which offer good prospects
in the labour market.
• The course also encourages them to reflect on whether any of these vocational trades
and occupations mesh with their own personal aptitudes, skills and interests.
Career Training: promoting the value of all paths—Annual report on the state and needs of education 2003-2004
(abridged version), Québec: Conseil supérieur de l’éducation, March 2005, p. 9.
2
Ibid, p.9
3
Ibid, p.10
1
4
• Exploration of Vocational Training can be offered in a 2-credit or 4-credit format—the
main difference being that 4-credit students explore concepts in greater depth and take
part in one or more compulsory experiential job-shadowing activities. In either format,
learning and evaluation situations are divided among four categories: Observation,
Reflection, Information gathering and Experiential activities (ORIE).
• Schools will begin to offer Exploration of Vocational Training as a regular elective in
the 2008-2009 calendar year. By 2009-2010, all Québec secondary schools will be
expected to offer Explo.
ABOUT THE FIELD TEST
To determine how Exploration of Vocational Training could best be introduced into diverse
regions and schools and what budgetary considerations and other support would be required, MELS invited school boards to participate in a Groupe d’expérimentation du programme. This implementation committee consisted of two representatives (one from the
youth sector and one from vocational training) from each of the ten participating boards.
The group met several times in Québec City from October 2007 to January 2008.
The New Frontiers School Board (NFSB) participated on behalf of the English-speaking
community. As such, it was able to share its experience with program set-up; Anglophone
perceptions of vocational training; and initiatives it was undertaking to foster collaboration
between the youth and adult education and vocational training sectors, and with the community.
Implementation committee members could choose to field test the new course should they
wish, although this was by no means a condition of participation. New Frontiers opted to
conduct a field test. It did so from January to June 2008 at its two secondary schools:
Howard S. Billings Regional High School in Chateauguay and Chateauguay Valley
Regional High School in Ormstown.
Given the short lead-time available to prepare for the field test, it was not intended as a
rigorous evaluation of Explo’s pedagogical content or of the competencies developed by
the students involved.
Its purpose was to determine how effectively the course could be offered as conceived,
what issues would need to be addressed and what conditions would contribute to Explo’s
successful delivery.
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2
BOARD SUPPORT FOR FIELD TEST
AD HOC “ALIGNMENT COMMITTEE”
Even before there was any thought of conducting an Explo field test, the New Frontiers
School Board had already created an ad hoc “Alignment Committee” in the early fall of
2007. This committee included one secondary school principal, a vocational training centre
director and several board-level administrators. It met several times in the course of the
year to address how the secondary schools and the vocational centres could best work
together to implement the guidance-oriented approach to learning and other areas of educational reform that were of mutual interest.
The existence of this ad hoc committee set the stage for a successful field test. When
presented with the opportunity to carry out the field test, both principals felt they had the
backing of the vocational centres, as well as the board-level administrative and financial
support required.
Brainstorming sessions between the two schools and vocational centres facilitated course
preparation, identification of teaching resources and tools, and joint allocation of monies
to cover three critical cost areas:
• Student transportation
• Teacher release time4/substitution costs
• Materials
DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN SECTORS
The NFSB ’s willingness to field test Explo coincides with other initiatives it has been taking
to promote a culture of cooperation and partnership between its youth and adult education
and vocational training sectors.
This is a direct response to the educational renewal initiatives of MELS that, more than
ever before, are bringing the interests of the two sectors closer together. For example:
• Within the youth sector, diverse paths at the Secondary Cycle Two level are accommodating a greater range of learning styles and educational needs, including applied
and work-oriented options. Courses such as the Personal Orientation Project (POP),
Exploration of Vocational Training (Explo) and the still-to-be-launched Entrepreneurship
are part of a new subject area devoted to career development.
4
Teachers were given three days of release time to prepare for the course.
6
• Parallel program reform is underway to renew the adult general education curriculum,
which should make the option of completing secondary school coursework through a
transfer to that sector more viable for young people. Changes to diploma requirements
are enriching and diversifying the educational selections available to adult students,
as well as the perceived value of their diploma.
• Targeted outreach programs are attracting more 16-to-24-year-olds to the adult education and vocational training sector. To provide greater support and accompaniment
to these young people and other segments of its clientele, the sector is restructuring
orientation services into the Reception, Referral, Counselling and Support Service
known as “SARCA.”
The Explo field test provided an ideal occasion for New Frontiers’ youth and adult education and vocational training sectors to support and learn from each other, while achieving
maximum benefits for students out of available budgets. Monthly management meetings
that include administrators from both sectors, joint pedagogical days, and a “table de concertation” with local community partners that focuses on issues related to 16-to-24-yearolds are other means the board is taking to foster ongoing collaboration.
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3
FIELD TEST EXPERIENCE
HIGHLIGHTS
The NFSB field test represents the experience of both an urban (Howard S. Billings) and
a rural (Chateauguay Valley Regional) school.
Both schools were very positive about the results of the field test. In particular, the teachers
were pleased that the course’s built-in flexibility allowed them to accommodate their students’ interests and still cover all 21 vocational sectors to at least some degree.
Out of the 36 students enrolled in the field test, all but three succeeded in meeting the
course requirements.
The experience was not without challenges. Receiving the approved program just days in
advance left teachers very little lead-time to prepare for a new course. At Howard S.
Billings, the mid-year introduction created issues with respect to student enrollment. Furthermore, both principals considered themselves fortunate to have identified teachers who
not only had the enthusiasm and ability to deliver the course on short notice, but also the
timetable availability.
That the schools rose to these challenges is evidence of their belief in Explo’s value. The
ingenuity of the teachers in engaging their students in the exploration process and the
support the schools received from the vocational centres were both critical factors in the
field test’s success.
BASIC INFORMATION
The chart below provides basic information about the field test in each school.
School:
Howard S. Billings (HSB)
Chateauguay Valley Regional (CVR)
Principal:
Teacher:
Mike Helm
Desmond Byrne
Gary Tennant
Sasha Geukjian
School
Urban and multi-cultural
environment:
Rural and culturally uniform with deep
roots in small, English-speaking, agricultural communities
Class size:
21 – approx ½ girls; ½ boys
15 – 1/3 girls; 2/3 boys
Class setting: POP classroom, with 32 computers
connected via LanSchool; adjoining
smaller discussion room
POP classroom, with 25 computers connected by LanSchool; also equipped with
Smart Board, flip chart
8
Student
selection:
Full-year calendar precluded offering Semestered timetable made it possible
course as a true elective and students to offer course as a true elective. Stuwere selected based on timetable
dents chose to enroll in course.
availability at start of winter semester.
Class profile: Secondary V students who had all
Heterogeneous mix of secondary IV stutaken remedial Science 416 the previ- dents that included both higher and
ous semester and had an opening in lower achievers.
their schedule.
Proximity to hares building complex with Nova Cavocational
reer Centre
centre:
Course type: 50-hour, 2-credit; 4 Explo classes per
9-day cycle
Located 2 km from Chateauguay Valley
Career Education Centre
Duration of
field test:
January 28 – June 6, 2008
January 28 – June 6, 2008
50-hour, 2-credit; 2 Explo classes per 6day cycle
COMMON APPROACHES
• Physical set-up and use of classroom management software:
Both teachers found the physical set-up of a POP classroom5 ideal for Explo, as students rely heavily on the computer for Web-based research, virtual tours, presentation
development, etc. Student computer stations were arranged around the periphery of
the classroom with the teacher workstation in the centre. Use of a classroom management software (in this case, LanSchool), combined with other tools such as a Smart
Board, made it possible to monitor and assess each individual’s on-screen work, as
well as to provide direction and online explanations to all students simultaneously.
• Clear focus for each class:
At the beginning of each class, before any computer work was started, both teachers
gathered students together to discuss the specific activity/task to be accomplished that
day and to focus students’ attention.
• Taking time to cover the basics:
Both teachers agreed it was essential to devote several of the initial classes to preparing students for the exploratory activities to come. This involved providing them with
tools and shortcuts for Web-based research, advanced Google techniques, tips on creating PowerPoint presentations, and so on. The teachers also used these early sessions to address such questions as what is vocational training and why explore it, how
to recognize and navigate reputable Web sites, and what it means to conduct oneself
professionally.
As noted on page 5 in the MELS’ document Mise à niveau des locaux pour cours du deuxième cycle du secondaire
pour répondre aux besoins liés au renouveau pédagogique (Direction générale du financement et de l’équipement –
Direction de l’équipement scolaire, 11 mai 2006), Explo can be given in a POP-style classroom, if available.
5
9
MAJOR VARIATIONS IN APPROACH
• The ORIE model:
The MELS’ course outline for Exploration of Vocational Training specifies that teachers
can use a wide variety of learning and evaluation situations within the following four
categories: Observation, Reflection, Information-gathering and Experiential activities
(ORIE).
Teachers also have considerable leeway in how they divide their class time among
these categories of learning. This flexibility was very apparent in the different ORIE
models6 employed by the two schools.
MODEL BY CATEGORY OF ACTIVITY
HSB:
10%
CVR:7
20%
Observation
30%
30%
20%
20%
Reflection
20%
50%
Information gathering
Experiential
Both field test teachers cautioned that some activities could involve more than one category of learning, so that the
models presented here are only approximations of what took place in the classroom. The very short lead-time available to organize field trips, guest speakers and other activities involving external partners was another constraint that
affected the ORIE models used.
7
CVR teacher Sasha Geukjian noted that the 20% of coursework he categorized as “Reflection” was carried out
largely through homework assignments.
6
10
• Type of experiential activities:
While both schools found that students particularly enjoyed the hands-on portion of
their exploration process, the two teachers came up with different ways of organizing
these activities.
- HSB’s Desmond Byrne took advantage of the adjoining Nova Career Centre to
arrange student-for-a-day activities. In addition, he invited professionals from both
inside and outside the school to the class to speak to the students.
- CVR’s Sasha Geukjian also arranged visits to vocational centres (both at NFSB
and the Lester-B.-Pearson School Board), but also took another approach. After
reviewing specific modules within the vocational training programs (found on www.inforoutefpt.org), he devised experiential activities that he could do with his students
using CVR’s own facilities and readily available materials. Both teacher and students considered these activities a highlight of the course.
Examples:
- Professional Cooking (pizza making)
- Fishing (practice in tying knots)
- Forestry (using pulp created from students’ recycled assignments to produce new
paper)
- Computer technology (re-assembling old computers that had been dismantled)
CVR also used these experiential activities as a very effective “hook” to encourage
other forms of exploration. To be eligible to participate in the much-anticipated
hands-on activities, students first had to complete a previously assigned observational, information-gathering or reflective activity.
• Student selection and grade level:
- Since HSB operates on a full-year timetable, finding students for a field test starting
in the New Year was a scheduling challenge. The solution was to run the field test
with a group of Secondary V students who had taken a half-year remedial science
class together the previous semester and had an opening in their schedule. Their
participation in Explo was timely since they were in the process of deciding what
they would be doing post-graduation.
- Being a semestered school, CVR was able to offer Explo as the course was originally conceived and more Secondary IV students were interested in taking it than
there were spaces available.
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4
ISSUES AFFECTING SUCCESSFUL
DELIVERY OF EXPLO
THE RIGHT TEACHER
• In the opinion of both principals, the ingenuity, enthusiasm and resourcefulness of the
two Explo teachers were critical factors in the success of the field test. In identifying
potential teachers for this groundbreaking course, the administrators looked for these
qualities:
- Innovation and openness to new pedagogical practices
- Skill in using technology in the classroom
- Initiative and leadership
- Willingness to adapt course delivery model to student interests and available resources
- Some experience in industry
• The administrators also mentioned that when a specialized elective course such as
Explo is introduced into the curriculum, it requires a certain amount of nurturing and
teacher consistency until it becomes established in the minds of students, parents and
staff.
• Explo teacher workloads may need to be adjusted to accommodate the significant
amount of outside-the-classroom liaison and preparation time that may be required.
ONGOING COLLABORATION BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND VOCATIONAL CENTRES
Although Exploration of Vocational Training is a youth-sector course, collaboration between the secondary schools and the vocational training centres is fundamental to providing students with a rich exploration experience.
• In their visits to vocational centres, the field test students not only gained a sense of
the type of skills acquired in an actual vocational training environment, they were also
impressed by the degree of motivation and professionalism shown by many vocational
students and by the high pass mark (80%) required.
• With sufficient lead-time, vocational centre staff can be invaluable in helping Explo
teachers to design age-appropriate activities at centre facilities, to access resources
and information, and to build a network of contacts with local business and other vocational training centres beyond their immediate school board.
12
• With the advent of Explo, the Personal Orientation Project, the guidance-oriented approach to learning and other career development initiatives aimed at encouraging student success, there will be a growing number of opportunities for interaction between
the youth sector and the adult education and vocational training sector. Based on the
initial experience of New Frontiers, it will become increasing important for school
boards to devote sufficient human, material and financial resources to strengthen and
sustain ongoing collaboration between the two sectors.
BUDGET CLARITY AND STABILITY
• Because of the number and variety of observational, reflective, information- gathering
and experiential activities involved in exploring 21 different vocational training sectors,
effective Explo program delivery requires clear and designated funding.
• Efficient planning must take into account the costs that will be incurred for student
transportation, materials and teacher release time and substitution. As is the case with
all curriculum implementation, stable and transparent budgeting is one of the key underpinnings of a successful delivery model.
SCHEDULING OF EXPLO WITHIN THE TIMETABLE
To accommodate some experiential activities and field trips, Explo will occasionally require
blocks of student time that exceed the usual class time allotted. Collaboration with other
teachers will help to avoid conflicts with other courses. Administrators might also consider
scheduling mini-days or double periods into the timetable for courses such as Explo.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
To facilitate course delivery, school boards will need to resolve certain policy/legal issues
at the outset, and they may wish to consult legal counsel. For example:
• Will any screening policies/background checks that normally are required for adults
working with minors apply to Explo’s external partners? If so, how will they be administered?
• Can parental permission for students to participate in field trips/job shadowing activities,
etc., be handled through one blanket permission form submitted at the beginning of
the course?
• Will there be additional legal, risk management, insurance and work-safety issues related to the experiential activities of minors in the workplace?
13
COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS
• HSB received some resistance from parents whose children were enrolled in the field
test. Parents questioned whether their children’s post-secondary options would be limited as a result or if they would be “forced” into vocational training. Once parents realized the course was simply an exploration of vocational training and not a commitment
to enroll, they were more at ease.
• Interestingly, CVR did not experience the same reaction, possibly because many family
members of students work in the trades. The fact that students themselves opted to
take the course rather than being pre-selected may also have been a factor.
• Given the initial resistance of some parents to their children’s enrollment in Explo, it
would be helpful to develop an information activity and/or documentation for parents
to explain Explo’s purpose, content and value as an elective course. In addition, parents could be given examples of ways that they could play an active and positive role
in their child’s exploration process.
ROLE OF COMPLEMENTARY EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
• Although both secondary school and centre guidance counsellors participated in the
initial preparations for the field test, in neither school did they play a key role in the actual classroom. This is not unexpected in a field test situation in which school personnel
are still discovering their roles.
• However, it makes eminent sense that guidance counsellors and other Complementary
Educational Services professionals be involved in the ongoing planning and delivery
of Explo. The MELS’ Exploration of Vocational Training Program affirms this role, noting
“academic and career information and guidance counsellors are essential resource
persons for both students and teachers.”8
• Collaboration with teachers in the creation of learning and evaluation situations is one
possible role suggested by the program. It also notes that Complementary Educational
Services personnel can provide support by responding to student questions that arise
from the exploration process or in helping individual students validate their ideas related to a possible vocational training path.
• With this in mind, schools may wish to examine the role and assigned functions of their
current guidance staff to ensure that Explo teachers and students have reasonable
access to career-orientation professionals.
8
MELS’ Exploration of Vocational Training Program (version awaiting linguistic revision), p. 25.
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COORDINATION OF EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS
The field test revealed the need for schools and vocational centres to carefully coordinate
their partnerships with local businesses and organizations.
• As new career development courses such as Explo become established, it is increasingly likely that schools will want to involve local partners in a variety of observational,
reflective, information-gathering and experiential activities for their students.
• The vocational centres already have a network of external partners cultivated over
many years upon which they call for their own students’ work placements. Similarly,
the youth sector has been developing its own set of external partners.
• A coordinated approach is the best way to accommodate the needs of both vocational
and youth-sector students, without overtaxing the goodwill and resources of local partners.
• Such an approach would also respond to the schools’ concern that teachers have time
to teach and not be overburdened with coordinating external partnerships.
To address this issue, NFSB has used funding from both youth sector and vocational centre budgets to create two local coordinator positions—one for Howard S. Billings and its
feeder elementary schools and the other for Chateauguay Valley Regional High School
and its feeder elementary schools. These coordinators, who work out of each secondary
school, will provide a direct link between school and vocational centre. They will be responsible for facilitating “stages” and other work-related activities for Explo and other interested students. They will also diffuse information about the guidance-oriented approach
to learning and entrepreneurship at both the secondary and elementary levels.
LEAD-TIME TO CREATE EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS
• With very little lead-time, the field test teachers had to scramble to find guest speakers
for their class from among their own personal contacts. On more than one occasion,
a guest speaker cancelled at the last minute due to time constraints, sickness, etc.
Rescheduling was not always practicable because of the timetable cycle or because
the class had already moved on to another topic. Other potential community partners
expressed interest in participating at a later date. “Come and see me in six months”
was a typical response.
• To overcome these challenges, the teachers had these recommendations:
- Plan at least an entire term in advance: this gives teachers a big picture of the material to be covered, the time they can allot to different learning situations and what
dates conflict with activities in other courses, sports tournaments, rehearsals, endof-term embargoes on field trips, etc.
15
- Always have a Plan B in the event of a cancellation.
- Work closely with vocational centres. They already have established contacts in
the community and their own staff are program experts.
- Get to know the POP teacher and the POP resources and toolkits that can also
apply to Explo.
- Consider friends, family members, fellow teachers, guidance counsellors, former
students, school board personnel, cafeteria workers, etc., as potential experts/guest
speakers.
- Query students about their own potential contacts and ask them to develop contact
lists (local businesses and organizations, trade associations, etc.) as part of their
exploration process.
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5
SUMMARY OF FIELD TEST OBSERVATIONS
• A key finding of the field test was how adaptable Explo can be to different regions,
school environments and teaching approaches.
• While no direct student feedback was available for inclusion in this report, both teachers
and administrators confirmed a high level of enthusiasm and interest on the part of the
field test students, particularly with regard to the experiential activities.
• It is premature to identify a particular type of student who might most benefit from
Explo. Initial reaction from the field test principals and teachers is that the knowledge
gained through Explo could help any student make more informed academic and career choices.
• Both teachers noted that male and female students reacted similarly to the course material and the tasks required of them. The only noticeable difference was in their areas
of interest.
• Close collaboration between the secondary schools and vocational training centres is
fundamental to ensuring the effective use of budgets and resources, and to maintaining
a coordinated approach to external community partners.
• Proximity to a vocational centre certainly enhanced the students’ exploration experience and proved a real plus for the field test schools, especially H.S. Billings. Nevertheless, CVR’s experience is very pertinent to schools that cannot easily access a
centre. It shows that resourceful teachers can also devise experiential activities that
“hook” students, using existing school facilities and readily available materials.
• Some students, parents and educators may have misconceptions about Explo, based
on erroneous, yet lingering perceptions of vocational training as a “dead-end” path.
Informational activities that support the introduction of this new course would allow
schools to clarify its purpose and address questions or concerns. Such activities could
include presentations to Commissioners, Governing Boards and parent organizations,
flyers for parents and students, as well as class visits to Secondary III students by
Explo teachers and students.
17
6
BEYOND THE FIELD TEST
• Both field test schools have incorporated Explo into their timetable as a regular optional
course in the 2008-2009 school year. Howard S. Billings High School is offering it as
a 4-credit option running from September 2008 to June 2009. Chateauguay Valley Regional High School is offering a 2-credit version from January to June 2009.
• Other English-language boards are also offering Explo in 2008-2009 in at least one of
their schools. These include the Central Quebec School Board, English Montréal
School Board, Lester-B.-Pearson School Board, Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier School Board and
Commission scolaire du Littoral. Their experience will contribute additional perspectives and approaches for exchange among the English school board network.
• To support the introduction of Explo in the English sector, the POP Network evolved
into the POP/Explo Network in 2007. With membership from all nine English-language
public school boards, as well as the Commission scolaire du Littoral and the Quebec
Association of Independent Schools, its purpose is to share information and best practices, develop resources for use by all members and organize joint professional development sessions.
• Boards will also be able to exchange ideas and identify resources through the Explo
section of the LEARN Web site.
• Both field test teachers have already shared their initial experience with some 45 English-language teachers, professionals and administrators at an in-service training session held May 13-14, 2008.
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APPENDIX
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND FAST FACTS
New Frontiers School Board:
Approximately 4 700 students in total
11 elementary schools and 2 regional secondary schools
Three vocational training centres situated close to the secondary schools:
Nova Career Centre in Chateauguay
Chateauguay Valley Career Education Centre in Ormstown
Huntingdon Adult Education and Community Centre (in development)
Howard S. Billings Regional High School (HSB):
Approximately 1 100 students
Serves Chateauguay and surrounding communities (Ste-Martine, Kahnawake, Mercier,
among others)
Culturally diverse, urban environment
At least 50% of students participate in extra-curricular activities
Wide range of programming to meet different needs
Close ties to community (ex: mutual sharing of facilities with municipality, significant %
of teachers are former HSB students)
Courses run for full year
Nine-day cycle with four 75-minute periods per day (36 periods per cycle)
Chateauguay Valley Regional High School (CVR):
Approximately 850 students
Serves several small, rural, agricultural communities, including Ormstown, Huntingdon
and Howick
Economically disadvantaged area (MELS’ category 9)
School is centre of community – with strong local attendance at student performances
and sporting events
Culturally uniform with deep roots in English-speaking community
Many teachers are former students
Semestered school (courses run half a year)
Six-day cycle with four 75-minute periods per day (24 periods per cycle)
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Nova Career Centre:
400 students (approximately half in vocational training and half in adult general education)
Vocational training programs in Welding and Fitting; High-Pressure Welding; Automobile
Mechanics; Administrative Assistance (Secretarial Studies); Residential and Commercial Drafting; Accounting; Interior Decorating and Display; Hairdressing; RV Maintenance and Repair; and Starting a Business
Located in a newly constructed wing attached to Howard S. Billings Regional High
School
Chateauguay Valley Career Education Centre:
145 students in vocational training
Vocational training programs in Carpentry; Health, Assistance and Nursing;9 Home Care
and Family and Social Assistance; Landscaping Operations; Ornamental Horticulture;
and Business Technology (Secretarial Studies)
Located in a separate facility 2 km from Chateauguay Valley Regional High School
Huntingdon Adult Education and Community Centre (recently opened):
80 students in adult general education
Vocational training in Starting a Business
9
Health, Assistance and Nursing is currently offered through an agreement with the Lester-B.-Pearson School Board.
20