Parent Teacher Magazine Rowan-Salisbury Schools May /June 2016 | Page 7

CAREER & COLLEGE PATHWAYS OFFERED TO ROWAN-SALISBURY STUDENTS

More Choices in the Future for RSS High School Students

Rowan-Salisbury Schools continues to look deeper into meeting the academic needs of high school students as they plan their career and college pathways .

Several Rowan-Salisbury high schools currently offer academy-framed pathways for students . These academies are open for application to all RSS 8th-grade students during the spring “ Student Transfer ” window of opportunity . Students are required to enter the academic pathways beginning with their freshman year in high school .

In addition to meeting high school curriculum requirements , career and college academic pathways allow students to select courses in the areas they have chosen . The goal for the district is to give our students a head start into postsecondary / college and career opportunities . An added goal is to offer many students the opportunity to graduate with credentials enabling them to enter the workforce directly from high school in their chosen field of expertise .

The current career academic pathways offered at RSS high schools are as follows :

• West Rowan High – Agriculture Academy that includes Ag Mechanics , Horticulture and Animal Science

• East Rowan High – Business and Finance Academy that includes studies in Finance and Marketing

• Jesse Carson High – The Arts Academy that includes Visual , Vocal and Theater

Rowan-Salisbury Schools is very proud of our successful Early College program housed on the campus of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College . This program is an excelled college pathway that offers students the opportunity to graduate with both a high school diploma and a two-year college degree . Many of these students are first generation college graduates .

District administrators continue researching career and college pathways in order to bring to students in the Rowan-Salisbury Schools the best opportunities to be successful and competitive in our ever-changing and challenging world . We are excited to soon be offering more diverse choices to our students in their field of interest .

The following career academic pathways are in the planning and board approval stages of implementation :

• West Rowan High – Restaurant Management " Farm to Table ” pathway that will compliment the Agriculture Academy already in place at WRHS

Rowan-Salisbury Schools is keeping a pulse on the trending changes in the business world regarding industries that include :

• Clean Energy Systems

• Information Technology

• Education

• Advanced Manufacturing

• Global Logistics

We want our students to have the best ! We will continue researching , surveying , visiting and questioning stakeholders for input and feedback . It takes all of us ; employers , community partners , local college and universities , school administrators and Board of Education members to provide the best for our students so they can achieve their best during their years in the Rowan- Salisbury Schools .

Pathways begin at an early age . Middle school career counseling play a critical role in guiding students to start thinking about the choices that are before them . This way , they will be ready to begin their enriching years in high school .

As administrators iron out the details , the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education will continue receiving updates on the progress of the career and college pathways for students in our district . All pathways are approved by the Board of Education .

These are exciting times for our students . RSS is on the move !

• North Rowan High – Health Science with a curriculum focus on Nursing , Pharmacy Tech and EMT ( Emergency Medical Technician )

• South Rowan High – Communications with a curriculum focus on Broadcast Journalism , Web Design and Game Design

• Salisbury High – STEM ( Science , Technology , Engineering and Mathematics ) with a curriculum focus on Science , Math and Engineering .

Parent Teacher News • May / June 2016 • 5