Technology Centers that Work: Key Practices
TCTW has identified a set of Key Practices that impact student achievement through development of multiple
programs of study that prepare students for postsecondary studies and careers. These Key Practices provide direction
and meaning to comprehensive school improvement:
- High expectations: Motivate more students to meet high expectations by integrating high expectations into classroom practices and giving students frequent feedback.
- Program of study: Require each student to complete a plan of study leading them to complete a true concentration in an approved sequence of at least four career/technical courses and an upgraded academic core leading to preparation for postsecondary studies and a career.
- Academic studies: Teach more students the essential concepts of the college-preparatory curriculum by encouraging them to apply academic content and skills to real-world problems and projects within their career/technical studies.
- Career/technical studies: Provide more students access to intellectually challenging career/technical studies in high-demand fields that emphasize higher-level mathematics, science, literacy and problem-solving skills needed in the workplace and in further education.
- Work-based learning: Enable students and their parents to choose from programs that integrate challenging high school career/technical studies and work-based learning and are planned by educators, employers and students.
- Teachers working together: Provide cross-disciplinary teams of teachers the time and support to work together to help students succeed in challenging career/technical and academic studies. Integrate reading, writing and speaking as strategies for learning into all parts of the curriculum, and integrate mathematics and science into career/technical classrooms.
- Students actively engaged: Engage students in career/technical and academic classrooms in rigorous and challenging assignments using research-based strategies and technology.
- Guidance: Involve students and their parents in a guidance and advisement system that develops positive relationships and ensures completion of a career/technical concentration with an approved sequence of at least four courses and an accelerated program of study. Provide each student with an adult mentor who works with them throughout high school to assist with setting goals, selecting courses, reviewing progress and pursuing appropriate interventions as necessary.
- Extra help: Provide a structured system of extra help to assist students in completing accelerated programs of study with high-level academic and technical content
- Culture of continuous improvement: Use student assessment, program evaluation data, technology center performance reports, program enrollment, retention and placement reports, college remediation reports, student follow-up reports and advisory committee input to continuously improve school culture, organization, management, curriculum and instruction to advance student learning.