Section I  -  General 

Abstract

The State Department of Education operates the Connecticut Technical High School System (CTTSS) for the purpose of educating youths and adults with specialization in specific technical areas. 

The System as it is presently structured provides many aspects of a School to Career system.  At its Demonstration Site, Vinal Technical High School in Middletown, the CTHSS will build on these existing components to develop a complete School to Career model, with a view towards replication in the other sixteen technical schools. 

The mission will be to create a continuum of activities that will prepare CTHSS students for a Connecticut Career Certificate and to meet the demands of Connecticut's highly technical workplace.  The primary focus is two-fold, (1) to develop a total school conversion model that will assure that all students will have the opportunity to investigate a broad range of work opportunities before selecting a specific technology, and (2) to participate in a freshman foundation course that will prepare them for both Connecticut's workplace requirement and world class standards.  Connecticut STC Skill Requirements will be integrated into all technical, related and general curricula, allowing students to meet rigorous academic, technical, and employment standards. 

Key school-based, work-based, and connecting activities include: 

·        Integration of CT STC Academic and Employability Skill Requirements into all curricula

·         Freshman foundation course

·         Career Center Personal Interest Assessments, Work Attitude Assessments, Career Portfolios, individual Training Plans and Individual Career Transcripts.

·         Project-based learning

·         Integrated technology and related curricula as technologies, related, and general education collaborate on integrating.

·         A systematic work-based learning program that supports grades 9-12

·         Improved collaboration with elementary, middle and post-secondary institutions will continue the goals of the state to encourage STC across Connecticut and provide Vinal students with a continuum of experiences throughout their educational/learning years, while instilling the concepts and motivation to be life-long learners.

·         Vinal will develop teams of trainers, including students, to introduce occupations and provide motivation to students in our region who are beginning to experience STC awareness and exploration in grades K-8, and preparation in grades 9-12.  Vinal will be a guide by sharing its expertise with other CTHSS schools as they begin their STC conversions.

·         An all-student, all-faculty construct will emerge as the all-school conversion "comes to scale" at Vinal.

·         Connecticut's employers will play a primary role in all activities. 

The final product will be a new technical system that will meet the educational needs of the students and the employment demands of the 21^st century.