Educators to Present at National Conference
James B. Phares, Superintendent of Marion County Schools, accompanied by Linda A.
Collins, Counselor and Work Base Coordinator for Marion County Technical Center, and
Deborah H. Super, a teacher at the Randolph Technical Center will present two West
Virginia county profile programs at the National Tech Prep Conference, Tech Prep and
Career Pathways: The Next Step, in Dallas this November.
The presentation titled "21st Century Passport Program, Marion County Schools," is
an overview of the initiative for change throughout the entire secondary curriculum
and instruction program. The Passport Program will become a graduation requirement
for all Marion County students in 2010, according to Phares. At the end of their senior
year, students will meet the requirements of 30 hours of work-based learning and produce
a final research project that becomes their reality check for workplace or post-secondary
education readiness.
"Preparation begins in the ninth grade with career awareness, career and academic
planning, basic technology understanding, communication and presentation fundamentals
all with a full understanding of their high school preparedness, readying them for
life beyond high school," Collins said.
The presentation titled "PROP Up a Poster and Pass? Making Senior Projects Count,
Randolph County Schools," is an overview of the evolution of senior projects as graduation
requirements and emphasizes project-based learning.
"When students, mentors and teachers understand that a project is more than a poster,
both quality and accountability increase," Super said.
The session includes planning templates that lead from research papers to projects,
products and presentations for all students, including those with special needs. Session
attendees will receive samples from handbooks for both regular and special needs students
as well as video clips of actual student presentations.
The National Tech Prep Network Annual Conference planned for Nov. 1-4 celebrates
its 15th anniversary by returning to Dallas, the site of the first conference. Texas
is one of the states on the forefront of Tech Prep Initiative.
