The Hutchinson Career and Technical Education Academy has been selected as an Outstanding Technology Centers That Work (TCTW) Center. This award is based on the success of center leaders and teachers in improving center practices and increasing the quality of experiences provided to students.
The award was presented by Dave Spence, president of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), at the 27th Annual High Schools That Work Staff Development Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday, July 17.
Spence praised the center for its achievement, pointing out that it takes dedication and hard work on the part of technology center leaders and teachers to make progress in preparing students for college and careers in an increasingly competitive world. He presented the award before an audience of more than 4,000 educators from across the nation attending the HSTW Conference.
“When looking at the criteria I believe we have been nominated due to our implementation efforts of the TCTW framework at HCTEA and our collaborative efforts with Hutchinson Community College,” said David T. Patterson, director of HCTEA. “It is an enormous honor to be chosen for this award by your peers at the national level. My hope is to build on this recognition as we move forward to meet the needs of our students and workforce.”
HCTEA was one of only nine TCTW centers in the nation to receive the 2013 Outstanding Center Award. To be recognized for the national award, a center had to be nominated by the TCTW state coordinator or by an Southern Regional Education Board director for a noteworthy accomplishment such as improving achievement, improving graduation rates, improving college and career readiness, improving the quality of career and technical offerings and robust assignments, fully implementing the TCTW design, implementing a signature feature, or extensively implementing the Gates’ Literacy Design Collaborative and/or Mathematics Design Collaborative.
“This center has shown what can be accomplished to improve student performance and readiness for college and careers by deeply implementing the TCTW model for strengthening curriculum and instruction,” said Gene Bottoms, SREB senior vice president. “The center illustrates the spirit of change that Technology Centers That Work advocates and supports through assessment, staff development and technical assistance.”
TCTW was established in 2007 to assist shared-time career/technology centers in improving student achievement and producing graduates who can excel in high-demand, high-skill, high-wage career fields. The TCTW design is based on the High Schools That Work design, with modifications that address the specific needs of shared-time centers. More than 190 centers in 18 states participate in activities to promote increased academic performance.
The largest SREB program, High Schools That Work is a national, comprehensive school improvement design based on the premise that most students can master rigorous academic and career/technical studies if school leaders and teachers create a school environment that motivates all students to make the effort to succeed.
The HSTW initiative is the nation’s first large-scale effort to engage state, district and school leaders in partnership with teachers, students, parents and the community to equip all students with the knowledge and skills needed to graduate from high school and succeed in college and the workplace. More than 1,100 high schools in 30 states and the District of Columbia participate in the HSTW school improvement initiative.