VERMONT CAREER ACADEMIES PILOT

The following is extracted from the "Background" Section of the RFP.

For download and printing options, see "Other Related Items."

Vermont is one of five states in the nation to receive a federal grant under the High School Reform State Grant program. The U.S. Department of Education invited proposals from states on how they would invest $1 million dollars over three years to support high schools to expand and build upon their own existing high school improvement strategies or to replicate other high schools' successful reform models, including such strategies and models that focus on school restructuring, curriculum and instruction redesign, and improving school climate. The desired outcome of this investment was that secondary students attain challenging, state-established academic and technical skill proficiencies and the required activities included: Integration of academics with technical skill courses, Establishment of learning and technical skill centers within secondary schools, and Programs that support and implement innovative strategies such as independent study, school-based enterprises, and project-based learning. One reason why Vermont was positioned well to receive this grant is that it had already launched an effort to guide and support high school innovation. During the past two years, the High School Task Force had been at work identifying how to improve the secondary experience for Vermont students and had developed twelve principles to guide high school innovation. Individual high schools, too, had already explored innovative approaches to restructuring including personalized learning, community based learning, and expanded career development opportunities as ways to improve student performance and school climate. Building from that work, Vermont's response to the intent and requirements of the federal funding program was to submit a proposal to pilot career academies as a strategy to implement the task force's twelve principles. The career academy model had elements already in existence and had demonstrated success in other states as a strategy to integrate academic and technical skill instruction, create learning communities within schools, and provide a basis for supporting independent study and project-based learning. It also provided a structure to coherently address the twelve principles of the High School Task Force . . . . For those high schools who have been exploring project-based learning as a component of school change, this is an opportunity to acquire resources and support, network with similar schools, and join the broader High Schools on the Move network of high schools engaged in the change process. Read the rest of the RFP online (as an HTML file) or check out the printing/download options provided under "Other Related Items." Contact: For more information about the RFP process, contact Chuck Stander at (802) 828-5135 or e-mail cstander@doe.state.vt.us.

Other Related Items: Vermont Career Academy Pilot RFP (download the complete RFP as a PDF* file or as a Word document) NOTE: For a better printed copy of the RFP, print from either the PDF or the Word document * PDF documents require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. A FREE copy of Acrobat Reader can be downloaded by clicking on the icon below.

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