Future Educators

Mission

The Career Academy for Future Educators - CAFE - prepares and inspires students to pursue a career in education through rigorous and relevant curriculum and an environment of lifelong learning.

Overview

The Career Academy for Future Educators (CAFÉ) at Sterling prepares students for a career in Education. Students engage in exciting education curriculum, job shadowing, internships and college preparation activities. With a team of teachers at each grade level, students’ academic and technical classes integrate related education activities into their coursework and projects that span across academy classes. Business partners such as GCCISD Elementary, Junior, and High School campuses, Bay Area Rehab Center and local daycare centers provide students with internship opportunities to explore the vast field of teaching. Students participate in Texas Association for Future Educators (TAFE) and Educators Rising (state and national organizations) where they have the opportunity to compete against other students in education related events. Academy students earn a Public Service Endorsement with Performance Acknowledgments by earning Microsoft Office Specialist, CPR and Education Aide (after graduation). They are also eligible for the BAER2 scholarship upon graduation. Students will have the opportunity to obtain an Associate of Arts in teaching.

NCAC

GCCISD Career Academies follow the National Career Academy Coalition's National Standards of Practice (NSOPs). Every 4 years, academies go through a rigorous review process to obtain or maintain certified, model or model with distinction status.

NSOP 1: Mission and Goals

The career academy has a written mission, goals and benchmark. These are developed, reviewed, available, and known by the administrators, teachers, students, parents, advisory board, and others involved in the academy. These include at least the following elements: connect postsecondary education and career; raise and maintain student aspirations; increase student achievement; show a commitment to equity.

NSOP 2: Academy Design

An academy has a well-defined structure within the high school, reflecting its status as a small learning community.

NSOP 3: Host Community and High School

Career academies exist in a variety of district and high school contexts, which are important determinants of an academy's success.

NSOP 4: Faculty and Staff

Appropriate staff selection, leadership, credentialing , and cooperation are critical to an academy's success.

NSOP 5: Professional Development and Continuous Learning

Since an academy places teachers and other adults into roles not normally included in their previous training, providing adequate professional development time, leadership, and support is critical.

NSOP 6: Governance and Leadership

The academy has a governing structure that incorporates the views of all stakeholders and the leaders of the advisory board.

NSOP 7: Teaching and Learning

The teaching and learning within an academy meet or exceed external standards and postsecondary entrance requirements while differing from a comprehensive high school by focusing learning around a career theme.

NSOP 8: Employer, Post-secondary Education, and Community Involvement

A career academy links high school to its host community and involves members of the employer, postsecondary education, and civic community in certain aspects of its operation.

NSOP 9: Student Assessment

Improvements in student performance are central to an academy's mission. It is important to gather data that reflect whether students are showing improvement and to report these accurately and fairly to maintain the academy's integrity.

NSOP 10: Sustainability

No new academy functions perfectly. Even well established and highly functioning academies benefit from self-examination and refinement. Ensuring and improving the quality of a career academy requires engaging in a regular cycle of improvement.

For additional information about NCAC, please visit www.ncacinc.com.

P-TECH

Texas College and Career Readiness School Models

The Academies at Sterling High School are part of our school-within-a-school Pathways in Technology Early College High School.

P-TECH schools are open-enrollment programs that allow students least likely to attend college or who wish to accelerate completion of high school, to combine high school courses and college-level courses while participating in rigorous and accelerated instruction. P-TECH also offers students the opportunity to engage in work-based learning at every grade level.

This is a great opportunity for students to earn college credit, college certificates, associate degrees and industry-based certifications for free while still in high school.

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For additional information, please contact Dr. Jade Cox, DC, M.Ed. (E-mail).

B1: School Design

Benchmark 1: School Design

1.6 Leadership Team Strategic Priorities

P-TECH/IHE leadership meeting agendas
School board and board of regents' presentations
Document(s) outlining the strategic priorities for the current academic year and/or long-term priorities of the P-TECH partnership

1.7 Leadership Team Key Roles

Description of each member and role in committee

1.8 P-TECH Staff

P-TECH leader/liaison meeting agendas and relevant materials
- 11/19/2024 Meeting
- 10/30/2024 Meeting
- 9/9/2024 Meeting
- 8/23/2024 Meeting

1.9 P-TECH Staff Professional Development

Mentor/induction program plans
Annual training or professional development plan with P-TECH and IHE faculty
- 10/28/2024 Meeting
- 8/19/2024 Meeting

1.11 Advisory Board

Meeting agendas and minutes, with action items and decision logs
- 11/19/2024 Meeting
- 8/27/2024 Meeting
A list of strategic partners with each member's organization, title, and role in providing work-based learning for students by grade level

B2: Partnerships

Benchmark 2: Partnerships

2.1 Goal of Higher Education Partnerships

Final, signed, and executed MOU/ILA or similar agreement with Institution of Higher Education
- Lee College
- Lamar Institute of Technology

2.16 Roles and Responsibilities

Final, signed, and executed agreement with business/industry partner(s)

B3: Target Population

Benchmark 3: Target Population

3.2 Documenting Enrollment Procedures

Written admission policy, and enrollment application
- High School Options Application - class of 2029
- Career Academy Handbook
Written recruitment plan, including a timeline of recruitment and enrollment events, and recruitment materials for distribution at feeder middle schools and other appropriate locations in the community
- Recruitment timeline
- College & Career Night

3.3 Stakeholder Engagement

Brochures and marketing in Spanish, English, and/or other relevant language(s)
- Health Science Academy Brochure: English, Spanish
- Career Academy for Future Educators Brochure: English, Spanish
- High School Options Booklet for class of 2029: English, Spanish
Written communication plan for targeting identified audiences (e.g. parents, community members, school boards, higher education personnel, etc.)
- Academy Design Manual

3.4 Lottery System

Written lottery procedures (district-level or campus-level)
- Academy Design Manual

B4: Academic Infrastructure

Benchmark 4: Academic Infrastructure

4.1 Regional Need

Documentation detailing courses of study examples that outline student pathways from high school to associate degrees, certificates, or industry-based certifications and beyond
Current dated regional high-demand occupation list

4.3 Course Sequence

Crosswalk aligning high school and college courses, grades 9 through 12, which enables a student to earn an associate degree or up to 60 college credit hours toward a baccalaureate degree
Master schedules

4.7 College Readiness

Calendar of scheduled TSIA test administration dates, sign-up process, and intervention expectations
Aggregate reports of TSIA exam performance
Testing calendar and schedule for SAT, ACT, or other college readiness assessments

B5: Student Supports

B6: Work-Based Learning

Benchmark 6: Work-Based Learning

6.1 Work-Based Learning Continuum

Documentation of appropriate work-based learning experiences for students at all grade levels

6.2 Work-Based Learning Offerings

Aggregate data describing student participation in work-based learning experiences

6.3 Student Participation

Samples of student artifacts such as writings, portfolios, presentations and links to digital content