Transforming Teaching And Learning In Pinellas County Schools

If you know of an 8th grade student trying to decide which high school to attend,
or a high school student interested in curriculum that’s more career oriented,
please encourage them to speak to their teachers and counselors about the
many opportunities available at Pinellas County Schools.
We have already had a great deal of success with Centers of Excellence. Academies of Pinellas will incorporate much
of what has already proven successful with Centers of Excellence and expand on that formula to broaden opportunities
for high school students. The goal is to have each high school composed of multiple academies. The plan will ensure
that every region of the county offers the most successful programs to give students a greater variety of choices based
AP
on their interests and aptitudes in addition to improving the graduation rate.
To learn more about the Academies of Pinellas,
please visit www.pinellaseducation.org/careers
THE ACADEMIES OF PINELLAS
CAREER ACADEMIES
CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
CAPE ACADEMIES
THEME ACADEMIES
CURRENT AND PRE CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
OFFERING HIGH SCHOOL
Academy of Architectural Design and Building Technologies
DUNEDIN
Academy of Engineering
EAST LAKE
Academy of Finance
NORTHEAST
Automotive Academy
NORTHEAST
Business, Economics, Technology Academy
GIBBS
Career Academy for International Culture and Commerce
CLEARWATER
Center for Advanced Technologies
LAKEWOOD
Center for Computer Technologies
COUNTRYSIDE
Center for Construction Technologies
ST. PETERSBURG
Center for Culinary Arts
NORTHEAST, OSCEOLA
Center for Design in Business
LARGO
Center for Education and Leadership
SEMINOLE
Center for Wellness & Medical Professions
BOCA CIEGA, PALM HARBOR
Criminal Justice Academy
PINELLAS PARK
Graphic Arts Academy
DIXIE M. HOLLINS
Jacobson Culinary Arts Academy
TARPON SPRINGS
Transforming Teaching
And Learning In
Pinellas County Schools
www.pinellaseducation.org/careers
Pinellas County Council
With the current unemployment rate in Florida nearing 11%
and job competition at an all-time high, giving our children
an educational advantage before they even graduate high
school will prepare them for high-demand, high-skill and
high-wage career choices.
Our goal is to provide that advantage for every Pinellas County student through the Academies of Pinellas. It’s all about relevance.
Students not only succeed when they are enrolled in coursework that’s relevant, but they are better prepared for life after high school
whether their choice is to attend college, enter the workforce or obtain further technical training.
Made possible through a partnership with the Ford Motor Company Fund, Workforce Florida, Pinellas County Schools, the Pinellas
County Parent Teacher Association, Pinellas Education Foundation and FACTE (Florida Association for Career and Technical Education),
our county recently received a five-year planning grant aimed at advancing career academy methodology throughout our public schools.
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The goals of the Academies of Pinellas are to:
Consolidate the different academies (Centers of Excellence, career academies, themed academies,
Career and Professional Education (CAPE) academies) under one umbrella called the Academies of Pinellas.
Make learning relevant – more learning through application.
Promote academies and certifications that address community and workforce needs.
Increase the number of academies in all high schools.
Make schools smaller by creating multiple academies in each high school.
Integrate core subjects into themed programs.
Operate most academies with an open enrollment process.
Respect the dignity of all work and educational pursuits.
Have involved community and business advisory boards supporting academies.
A recent article in Reuters discussed the growing number of job vacancies that U.S. manufacturers have open but cannot fill because there are no workers
who have the skills to match. The Academies of Pinellas will help direct students toward potential high-demand careers by giving them relevant instruction
and in many cases crucial certifications that are needed in today’s professions.
Northeast sophomore Victoria Griffin is in the school’s Auto Body Academy. Her dad is a welder which has added to her fascination with the shop
environment. “I don’t like to sit. I need hands-on work,” Victoria stated. While Auto Body class is the highlight of her day, she saw her knowledge increase
on the subject when taking Geometry last year. Through relevant instruction, her teacher helped connect the subject to her passion. “Autobody is my
motivation to do well in my other classes. It has given me the confidence to pursue other things that girls don’t normally do like join the wrestling team!”
Senior Dillion Wolff has been in the school’s culinary academy since 9th grade. He hasn’t even graduated high school yet, but he is certified in Serve Safe
and working on his 400 hours for the National ProStart Certificate of Achievement. Through the Ryan Wells Foundation, he met Chef Ponte’ from Café
Ponte’. The chef was so impressed with his work ethic and training, he offered him a job. Dillion is now a Food Runner who garnishes plates and delivers
to the appropriate tables. His dream job is to be a Chef or maybe own his own restaurant. “The academy helps students get real-world experiences and to
get out in the actual industry to see how it works,” Dillion said.
From principals to parents to students to community leaders, the support for this
plan is growing.
Michael Lewis and Gerry Hogan – Co-Chairmen, Career Education Board
“Funding from Ford PAS is critical in that it has helped to bring relevant instruction to our classrooms. We know that students in Career Academies
academically out-perform students in the general school population across the state of Florida. With funding from Ford and under the leadership of
administrators from Pinellas County Schools and school board members, Pinellas County business and civic leaders, our goal is for 50% of students to
be enrolled in Career Academies by 2017. This experience will translate to higher graduation rates, fewer absences, and higher FCAT scores.”
Sonja Tomas – Student at the Academy of Finance, Northeast High
“Studying in an academy has guided me because I realized that business is exactly what I want to do. After high school, I hope to major in business and
the Academy of Finance has helped prepare me and has given me the familiarity I need with the subject. It’s real life experience I’m able to take with me
no matter where I go or what I do.”
Keith Mastorides – Principal of Clearwater High
“We’re putting our students in small learning communities with a themed approach. All of our students will have an opportunity to earn a certification of
some type before they graduate high school.”
Gregory Johnson – Retired President of The Urban League
“The Urban League is in full support of the further development of Career Academies in Pinellas County Schools.”
LaShaé Copeland – Graduate of the Criminal Justice Academy, Pinellas Park High
“As the years progressed in high school, I learned a lot about forensics and criminal law and it all helped me discover my passion to become a criminal lawyer.”
Research shows that students enrolled in career and themed programs have a
higher success rate in school.
During the 2009-2010 school year, the Florida Department of Education released the following statistics regarding the average
Career and Professional Education (CAPE) academy student in Florida obtaining industry certifications like Microsoft vs. Non CAPE
academy students:
NON-CAPE
CAPE
+ CERTIFICATION
AVERAGE GPA
2.56
3.00
AT LEAST ONE DISCIPLINARY ACTION
21.3%
11.0%
12TH GRADERS EARNING STANDARD DIPLOMA
78.6%
97.4%
PERFORMANCE INDICATOR
The Academies of Pinellas: Answering students’ question, “When am I ever going to use this?”
Maria Kinzer – Pinellas County PTA President
“The PTA hopes that by partnering with Pinellas Education Foundation on the Ford Grant we can reach out to parents that might not otherwise get involved
with their children’s education after middle school. Many of these parents may not realize the choices that our students have, and our students do want
relevant studies. They want to know that the effort they make each day is going to help them in the real world and in their career choices.”
Dave Barnes – Pinellas County Schools Director of Workforce Education
“What we do in our career technical programs has to be relevant and current and the only way we can maintain it is to interact with our business partners
daily to find out what is happening in each field such as health, engineering, finance and automotive. These practitioners who are out there doing the job
on a daily basis helps bring relevance into our classroom.”
Patti McMaster – parent at Northeast High
“The experience my son is having at Northeast’s Academy of Finance is and will continue to be a life changer for him. His confidence level has risen.
As he has learned all about business, it’s motivated him to apply for and get a job at Publix rather than sit at home and play video games during the summer.”
John A. Stewart, Ed.D. – Interim Superintendent, Pinellas County Schools
“One point upon which all of our education partners agree is that the Pinellas County School District has an obligation to offer high-quality programs for all
students. That agreement led the district to embed in its strategic plan the mandate to prepare students for college, career, and life. The Academies of Pinellas
will be a welcome addition to our district’s strategies to ensure that we meet our obligations to our young people as well as to the community at large.”
Carol Cook – Chairwoman of the Pinellas County School Board
“The mission of Pinellas County Schools is to educate and prepare each student for college, career and life. In addition to college preparedness,
it is important to broaden the curriculum offerings so our students are engaged in their learning and have the skills necessary to enter the workforce
or continue with technical training.”