SUSD’s College and Career Fair took place at Chaparral High School on October 17. It was a resounding success and a testament to the dedication and hard work of our school and community members, as well as the enthusiasm and aspirations of our students.

This event was a showcase of educational and professional opportunities, bringing together students, parents, educators and representatives from a wide array of colleges, universities and industries. More than 100 colleges and universities, along with 10 local businesses, participated in the fair, providing valuable insights and resources to our students as they plan for their future beyond high school. The experience allowed our students to engage directly with representatives from various educational institutions and industries. They were able to ask questions, seek advice and gain a deeper understanding of the post-secondary options available to them.  

The fair featured numerous booths, as well, offering invaluable guidance to our students. Topics included scholarship opportunities, financial aid, résumé building and career exploration. These well-attended resources were aimed at providing attendees with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate their paths toward higher education and successful careers. 

We are grateful for the incredible support and active involvement of our community partners. Local businesses and professionals played an essential role in making this fair a win-win for everyone. Their willingness to share their expertise was instrumental in helping our students make informed decisions about their future. 

SUSD is committed to providing our students with the resources and support they need to reach their educational and career goals. Thank you to everyone who made this event possible! Together, we are shaping the future for our students and our community. #BecauseKids 

Read more at The SUSD Source

We are so excited to host our College & Career Fair at Chaparral High School this month!

Since its inception last year, our fair has grown by leaps and bounds. College admissions representatives from more than 100 colleges and universities across the nation will join us at the October 17 fair, as well as our own amazing CTE teachers, who every day help prepare our students for workplace and post-secondary success.  Representatives from local career partnerships created within our local business community and city agencies will also be on hand to meet and greet SUSD students and their families, and provide insight into the real-life connections between our CTE pathways and their companies’ work.

It’s going to be instructional and fun for all SUSD students and their families, and will feature career resources, such as a résumé-headshot photo booth, scholarship tips, and MORE!

Planning an event of this size is no small feat, to be sure. Our College & Career Readiness team began working on it way back last spring.  Please join us in thanking our dedicated team of College & Career Readiness advisors for the work they do every day with and on behalf of their high school charges that help make this opportunity possible:  

Arcadia HS: Karen Treon and Jennifer Steen
Chaparral HS: Angela Vaught (*site coordinator)
Coronado HS: Taytum Best
Desert Mountain HS: Jenny Dorsch
Saguaro HS: Brandee Chan

#becausekids!

Read more at The SUSD Source

You hear us talk about the value of Career and Technical Education to today’s students and how it helps prepare them for success, but to hear it from a parent’s perspective is so meaningful.  

Please read about the SUSD and EVIT CTE experience of one of our recent students, Bailey Beckstead, as related by his mother, Larissa (PDF Download). 

Read more at The SUSD Source

Coming up on October 17 from 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. at Chaparral High School, SUSD will host its second annual College and Career Fair. More than 60 universities will be in attendance and there will be CTE booths with career development information. Fun prizes will be given away to registrants.

Many helpful resources will be there, too, to help students plan for the future, such as a FAFSA booth with financial aid information, a photo booth where a professional headshot can be taken for job application platforms, resume-writing assistance, interview tips, and more! Don’t miss out on this spectacular event.  A variety of Valley employers will also partner with CTE to showcase many of the interesting jobs that area available right here in Arizona. 

CTE is introducing internships for high school seniors who qualify for CTE pathway experience.  Our first success has been to formally enroll Athletic Training Assistants from our CTE Sports Medicine program. We already have nearly 15 CTE student interns for the Sports Medicine program this year and several other programs have now placed interns, as well, in the fields of business, hospitality, and broadcasting.  SUSD is also creating positions within our own facilities and schools for more interns to be hired. As this internship program grows, CTE hopes to have 30 interns per high school.  

If your CTE student is interested in applying for one of the internship spots, please see the school’s CTE faculty for assistance.  Applications are available at the Counseling department and require teacher recommendations.  

 Read more at The SUSD Source

Career and Technical Education provides students technical and professional skills for their future.  Each year, the Arizona Department of Education compares each school district with Arizona statewide averages on many performance measures.  Students who complete 2.0 credits in a single CTE pathway are considered concentrators and are measured by these indicators.  SUSD is proud of its results!

Here are a few of this year’s highlights:

1. Number of CTE Concentrators who graduate with their cohort in the reporting year ‒ SUSD:  98.8%
   State Measurement:  83.475%
   
   
2. Number of CTE Concentrators who, in the second quarter after exiting from secondary education, were placed in postsecondary education or advanced training, in military service, in a service program that receives assistance through the National & Community Service Act of 1990, in the Peace Corps, or employed ‒
   SUSD:  74.3%
   State Measurement:  69.075%
   
   
3. Number of CTE concentrators who graduated from high school in the reporting year and earned a recognized credential for their program –
   SUSD:  98.4%
   State Measurement:  30.375%
   
   
4. Number of CTE concentrators who graduated from high school during the reporting year and passed the technical skills assessment for their program ‒
   SUSD:  85.3%
   State Measurement:  63.675%

In the upcoming school year, CTE is adding a new internship program to all 17 of the pathways SUSD offers.  Stay tuned for results!

CTE – Learning that works for Arizona!

SUSD has been working diligently to earn the honor of being included on the list of Arizona’s Highest Performing CTE Programs for the 2022-23 school year.  This quality metric is based on average student score results on the Arizona Department of Education’s CTE Technical Skills Assessment (TSA) tests.

One of SUSD’s programs ‒ Arcadia High School’s Finance program ‒ took the top slot for its pathway this school year, with a TSA score average of 88% and 100% of its students receiving passing scores. Congratulations to teacher Thomas Otstot, who is understandably proud ‒ as are we! ‒ of his Level 2 students and the hard work they put in this year to make this accomplishment possible.

This spring, our SUSD CTE programs tested 543 students, with 458 of them passing! That’s roughly an 84% pass rate.  Last school year, 318 of SUSD’s 394 CTE students passed the TSAs, for an 81% passing rate. The 3% increase in the passing rate this year is worth celebrating.

SUSD’s CTE program is growing, too. Thirty-eight percent more students took the TSAs this year than last, a huge increase in test-takers.  Only students who complete 2.0 credits are eligible to take the ADE’s TSAs.  SUSD is proud of this large increase in the number of students who finished their programs of study this year and the increase in their passing percentage.

In 2021-2022, SUSD CTE programs had 1,945 participants and concentrators.  A participant is a student who completes 1.0 Carnegie units of a course.  A Concentrator is a student who completes 2.0 Carnegie units in one pathway (1,508 students for Level 1; 437 for Level 2).

While ADE data on total credits earned this school year is not yet complete, we are able to count the total number of students in both our Level 1 and Level 2 courses.

In 2022-2023, SUSD had 2,159 CTE students, 1,488 of whom were enrolled in Level 1 courses and 671 enrolled in Level 2 courses.  Here’s the school-by-school breakdown:

Arcadia – 506 students
Chaparral – 640 students
Coronado – 55 students
Desert Mountain – 687 students
Saguaro – 272 students

This year’s CTE graduates in SUSD’s Class of 2023 were proud to wear a regalia cord with their caps and gowns at their school commencement ceremonies last week.  It was the first time our CTE grads were distinguished in this formal, visual way.  Seniors wearing the cords were students who completed their programs and passed the Technical Skills Assessment for their learning pathway.

2023 Graduation Cohort CTE Distinction, by school:
Arcadia – 63 graduates
Chaparral – 186 graduates
Coronado – 20 graduates
Desert Mountain – 164 graduates
Saguaro – 77 graduates
Scottsdale Online – 6 graduates

Included in the CTE Distinction stats above are the 206 SUSD students who attended EVIT, the East Valley Institute of Technology, in Mesa this school year.  By school: Arcadia – 66, Chaparral – 37, Coronado – 31, Desert Mountain – 31, Saguaro – 37, Scottsdale Online Learning – 4.  Of our EVIT travelers, 108 were Level 2 students who took the TSA, 94 of whom passed!  Their achievement brings our overall, SUSD TSA total to 651 students tested for the just-completed school year with 552 of them achieving passing scores, for a combined passing rate of 85%.  Well done, SUSD CTE students and SUSD CTE educators!

Workplace skills are invaluable to one’s future success, and technical skills are always helpful when preparing for life’s next steps.  Our programs provide real-world learning and open doors for our students. SUSD CTE is proud of its faculty for helping make these wonderful accomplishments possible this school year.

Read more at The SUSD Source