CTE eNewsletter
August 2022
WELCOME BACK, CTE!
The new school year has started. We are excited to welcome back all of our teachers and industry partners. We look forward to a great year ahead as we continue to provide more opportunities for our students to prepare for post secondary and work force opportunities.
We appreciate your commitment and dedication to the students of the Antelope Valley Union High School District.
CTE SPED Student Support
Preparing all students to pursue career paths so they can continue to adapt to
workplace trends, contribute to the regional economy and have a good quality life is at
the core of the district's career technical education programs. Evidence based research
reflects that students with disabilities benefit from CTE pathways in the following ways:
increased graduation rate, attendance and workplace skills. The CTE data on career
pathway completion showed that AVUHSD students with disabilities were less likely to
complete the CTE sequence of courses that would lead to successful postsecondary
and/or workforce transition. In the 2021/22 school year, CTE and Student Services
division collaborated on a pilot to assess the additional supports these students would
need to complete the pathway, which could lead to increased opportunities for college,
career and life. Data from the pilot identified areas to improve student outcomes. This
school year the program has expanded to include a part-time CTE Case Manager
assigned to each school site to provide supplemental supports, solutions and increase
access for these students. Other aspects of the program include professional
development on career pathways and special education, introductory CTE curriculum
for all industry sectors, and further collaboration on workplace and employability skills.
We are looking forward to the benefits of this teamwork as an effective way to close the
achievement gap.
In Case You Missed It!
Highland High School Public Service Academy students Elena Gracia, Hailie Wild, & Airiana Jerz competed at SkillsUSA. With their presentation of American Spirit, they took bronze at the National Championships. The American Spirit competition evaluates local chapter activities for community service, citizenship projects and those projects with patriotic overtones that demonstrate a belief in the American way of life
One community service project was a toy drive that was promoted on campus to students and teachers. Over 70 toys were given to a local church to distribute to families in need. . The second project involved a local cemetery where flags were placed on Veteran’s Day. The third project was a dedication and honored the fire department on National First Responders Day. Through these efforts the girls became California State champions and national bronze medal winners.
Palmdale High School sent 16 students to compete in the 2022 Solar Car Challenge at
Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The PHS team finished in second place with their
Electric Falcon in the Electric category, completing 273 laps equal to 409.5 miles. The
Helios Falcon placed third in the Advanced Classic Division, completing 314 laps equal
to 471 miles. The team also won the Michael Foree Award for the best use of computer
technology in production and racing. Oncor and Lockheed Martin host the race. Next
year's cross-country solar car race will start in Fort Worth and end in Palmdale! We will
keep you up to date as we learn more.
For more information on the race, you can access this link:
Handwashing Trainer
Three 9th grade Health classes at Soar High School piloted a handwashing training for students with special needs, in collaboration with CTE and the Student Services.
This training provided important information and strategies for keeping hands and surfaces clean in educational settings. Hand hygiene and regular cleaning can break the chain of transmission in schools. The training provided guidance and resources for creating and following a hand hygiene and cleaning plan. A plan helps establish a culture of clean hands and surfaces. Teachers and students benefited from the training that proved to be a necessary resource during the time of COVID 19.
New CTE Courses
- Culinary
- Interior & Fashion Design
- Welding
Based on the input and advice from our Engineering Advisory Committee, we are excited to offer welding at Littlerock and Palmdale high schools.
Upcoming Events
- Edwards Airforce Base STEM Expo - Oct 14-16
- STEM Conference for Girls - Nov 5
- College Information Night - Nov 8 (AV Fairgrounds)
Medical Simulation
Throughout the summer 15 Eastside High School students participated in a 4 part simulation lab in the nursing training classrooms at Antelope Valley College. They trained on specialized simulator “Manikins” that are designed to simulate medical, surgical, or clinical scenarios. Students were given a scenario where they learned their “patient’s” trauma and condition and had to provide patient care accordingly. In collaboration with Kaiser Permanente, AVC, AVJCC, and AVUHSD, students were connected with medical professionals in the industry that guided the learning experience.
Contact CTE
Betsy McKinstry, Ed.D, Director of CTE College and Career
Teresa Howard, Director of Industry Liaison and Post-Secondary Partnerships
Duane Robertson, CTE Coordinator
Website: https://www.avdistrict.org/academics/cte
Location: 176 Holston Drive, Lancaster, CA, 93535
Phone: 661.948.7655
Twitter: @AV_cteacademies