Gaston earns high rankings in Career and Technical Education
School district ranks first for CTE student proficiency among 10 largest districts in the state
The N.C. Department
of Public Instruction
has released Career
and Technical Education
(CTE) test data for the
2017-2018 school year,
and it provides “good
news” for Gaston County
Schools.
Among the 10 largest
school districts in the
state, Gaston County
had the highest
proficiency rate of 87.8
percent. A student
must earn a score of
70 or higher to receive
proficiency status.
Gaston ranked fourth
last year in student
proficiency and was sixth in 2015-2016. Gaston’s mark
of 87.8 is the highest proficiency rate for any of the 10
largest districts in the past three years.
For the 2017-2018 school year, 8,534 high school
students in Gaston County were tested in 58 CTE
courses – approximately 7,500 of them (or 87.8 percent)
scored a 70 or higher.
Additionally, Gaston County ranked second in the state
for the number of CTE credentials earned by students.
Gaston had 12,566 credentials earned by students.
Wake County, the largest school district in the state, was
first with 16,534 credentials earned by students.
It is possible for a student to earn several credentials
in one course. For example, a student in a Microsoft
course can earn two
credentials (Word and
PowerPoint). Gaston
County ranked ninth
in the state (among
all school districts and
charter schools) for the
percentage of students
(161.5%) earning more
than one credential
in a particular area.
The percentage
represents the number
of credentials earned
(11,524) compared to
the number of Gaston
students (7,135)
enrolled in CTE courses
that offer credentials.
8 • Mary/June 2019 • Parent Teacher Magazine
“We are extremely proud of our students and their
performance in our Career and Technical Education
program,” stated Superintendent of Schools W. Jeffrey
Booker. “Having the highest student proficiency rate
among the 10 largest school districts and also having the
second highest number in the state of credentials earned
by students indicate that we are experiencing great
success in Career and Technical Education.”
According to Booker, the district’s “good news” is the
result of a multi-year effort to focus attention on Career
and Technical Education. In 2015, in response to the
community’s request for more technical (vocational)
training for students, the Board of Education established
the CTE oversight committee, which involved school,
business, and community leaders. The committee
reviewed CTE programs and offered feedback to ensure
that the courses/pathways
being offered were the
ones students needed
to be career and college
ready.
Booker added, “Not only
do we want our students
to be successful while
they are in school, we
want them to be ready
for success when they
graduate. Through
Career and Technical
Education, students gain
valuable knowledge in
a particular career field
and have opportunities to
earn industry-recognized
credentials – this gives our
students an advantage as
they enter the workforce
after high school or go on
to college to pursue their
career interests.”
Brett Buchanan, director
of Career and Technical Education for Gaston County
Schools, said he is proud of the accomplishments
that students are making. As a former CTE teacher,
Buchanan knows how important it is for students to be
prepared for the workforce.
“We have expanded the number of CTE courses in
our middle schools and high schools in an effort to
get students to thinking about what they want to do
after graduation,” said Buchanan. “We also are placing
a career focus on several of our new school choice
programs as another way to provide students with
opportunities to explore career possibilities and gain
skills and credentials.”
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