Survey comments

How satisfied are you with the quality of the TECHNICAL education we currently provide to students in the following four general programmatic areas?

Regular CTE

• Consultant teachers have too many students, too big of caseloads; supervision is scarce; some classes are too big

• Give students more real-life connections, more links to apprenticeship programs and employers

• Wish there were more programs.
• We need a computer class at Schoharie.
• It is hard for students to meet their academic requirements at home and successfully complete this program.
• Additional career options as well as a larger number of class sections would be great. There are more and more students looking to career training over college.
• The variety of programs available to Schoharie County students is very frustrating and has caused a decrease in enrollment.
• I think you could use more special education staff.
• One difficulty is when we get a transfer student two to three months into the year who could use Vo-Tec but the classes are closed.
• Additional support to deal with students with higher level behavioral needs would be helpful. I know the Myers Center in Saratoga includes this as an option.
• Programs are not adapted in ability level for learning disabled students.
• We’ve had some problems with students being closed out of programs due to lack of space.
• As a resource teacher, it would be beneficial to receive progress reports directly.
• There is not enough for students to do. Then they get bored and skip.
• We would like to see some new programs relating to careers that support the openings in the job market in our area.

Special Services

• These students need to be taught hands-on skills that can be applied in the real world. Future job placement for more students would also be beneficial.
• Wish there were more options for marginal students.
• The amount of consultant time special ed. students receive is inadequate in many circumstances.
• Need to supply a stronger, more supportive educational component to students who cannot schedule their academics at their home school.
• It would be helpful to have more communication with the teachers in regard to the kids’ status at Vo-Tec.
• We use BOCES programs when we cannot provide the services ourselves in-house.
• For some students who may need to avail the services of the CTE center for more than two years, there is not enough offered.
• Overall experience is very good. It would be wonderful to have a job-coaching/job-shadowing program for IEP diploma kids who are not low functioning enough for a full Bernard’s program but not high functioning enough for the other programs either. Would like them to have a few hours a week spent on job-keeping skills instruction and then the rest of the time at the job site with coaching.
• Additional support to deal with students with higher level behavioral needs would be helpful. I know the Myers Center in Saratoga includes this as an option.
• There is a lack of continuity between home school and tech school.
• I would like to see more communication between the consultant teacher there and us here.
• You need more variety of opportunities and variety of levels.
• Not enough options, not enough modifications so that students can participate in regular programs.
• The Transition and Training program meets many students’ needs but there needs to be a program that is one small step up from that.
• Would like to see additional educational support provided on campus (e.g., special classes related to subject area, social worker).

Alternative Ed.

• Alternative ed. needs to go beyond a resource room setting. It would be a great setting for discussing future goals and brainstorming means in which to get there.
• Alternative Ed. has truly given students a chance at a future. Most of the students would not make it in a traditional setting.
• Have concerns about the academic rigor of this program, as well as the depth/breadth of the academics.
• Career options are too limited.
• These are students who need as much structure as possible including expectations for appropriate behavior.
• The Alternative Ed. program needs a social worker or guidance person available every day, all day. Very disjointed and nearly impossible to get immediate needs addressed unless it happens to be the day when the counselor is there. We give credit to the counselor for trying, but there is not enough consistency for this population. Also programming for these students is difficult. Options need to be available for the variety of students who have the need to be in this type of program – and referring them to GED studies is not the way we want this done! Our district was told that students would be pursuing GED studies without consulting us. WE pay the bill – we need to be involved in the decisions. For the price the district pays for this program, we should be able to expect much more than part-time services, minimal program, low communication and movement of student to GED programs that we don’t necessarily support.
• Great program. I have visited and spoken with various staff many times as we try to provide alternative programming in our district.
• We have an excellent working relationship with this program. Our concern is for students who we know need the program but who do not want to leave our high school and their friends.
• Students are returned to their high school if they don’t work out in a short period.

New Visions

• New Visions has been a life changing experience for many students. Wish it could expand to include more options for more students.
• There needs to be more rigor for students seeking admission to highly competitive colleges.
• I know this is an excellent program, but our district has not availed itself of these opportunities for its students.
• Nothing is offered outside of the Capital District. Again, we pay the prices, but are limited in participating because of the distance. Some imaginative person must have some idea of a program that could be run somewhere other than Albany or Schenectady.
• Our guidance counselors speak highly of this program. One issue is some kids may turn down the opportunity because of scheduling. New Visions conflicts with advanced classes offered in the school that they don’t want to miss.
• Transportation costs per student are problematic.

How satisfied are you with the quality of the ACADEMIC education we currently provide to students in the following four general programmatic areas?

Regular CTE

• Feel there is a real need for these options at the center – just wish the home school departments would accept them!
• I am not sure these programs meet the needs of students who need to pass a Regents exam in the subject area.
• The curricula is not up to NY State standards, there is very little follow up, you do not communicate or work very closely with special ed. programs in the schools.
• Students in this area seem to be achieving well.
• The work has not always been at a high standard or consistent in English.
• I wish our students were allowed to use more of these programs.
• The English requirements could be more rigorous.
• Additional instructional support for the learning disabled and slower learner would be helpful. We try to support them through our resource room program, but having the support at Vo-Tec would be “closer to the source.”
• That do not meet the standards that we set in-house and create friction with parents when we do not accept them.
• I have not seen the curriculum and am unable to judge. Academic credit to be awarded needs to be determined by the home school. It should be an option.
• We wrestle with the problem of standards and the “magic” of CTE credit. For some of our students, however, it is realistically the only way they can graduate.
• Much less demanding than the same class in district.
• I am concerned that the students are not getting a full curriculum of English 12. The students have told us that it is not comparable to the difficulty of a regular English class in the home school. Students coming from this curriculum may be at a disadvantage in a college-level course.
• If students couldn’t get the credits, Vo-Tec programs would be out of reach.

Special Services

• Students are able to see how the academic subjects can be applied to real life.
• Time is the most precious commodity and neither your nor we have enough of it.
• There is a need for greater support in programs offered outside of the hime schools.
• I do not have specific familiarity with the content of these classes. But I am glad they are offered because it gives our students more flexibility in completing academic credit requirements to graduate and still get a vocational experience.
• Additional instructional support for the learning disabled and slower learner would be helpful. We try to support them through our resource room program, but having the support at Vo-Tec would be “closer to the source.”
• Test accommodations and curriculum adaptation need to be done on a consistent basis. Teachers need to be familiar with student IEPs.
• Not enough special education support for students who require it.

Alternative Education

• You typically succeed where we have failed.
• I have mixed feelings – some students are getting what they need, others seem not to be.
• The standards of the state exam is good. We appreciate your ability to be flexible in the sequencing of courses, so students can maximize their time in the program. We cannot do what Alt. Ed. does in this area!

New Visions

• Every student I have sent through the New Visions program has done well – sometimes I think too well, knowing how they have performed here. I suspect some grade inflation in academic areas.
• New Visions program offers academic credit rather than CTE credit.

How satisfied are you with our efforts to integrate academics into the technical curriculum?

• I have not seen this happening. Most of my students are removed from the technical component for academics, rather than having it integrated.
• It would be nice to get specifics on how this is being accomplished.
• It allows for a half day of vocational education to be scheduled and still graduate on time.
• Do not feel the grading is appropriate. For example, a 65 in Auto Trades automatically means a 65 in English 12.
• I know this occurs but I am unclear as to how science is integrated into food services, for example.
• I think linking English to an area of interest is a great teaching tool.
• I would like to see more collaboration with teachers in the home districts.
• I think you do this well.
• More support for learning disabled and slow learners would be beneficial.
• Special ed. teachers in Boces and district classes are not give ANY feedback on how kids are doing in academic subjects; there should be updates or communication rather than making the special ed. teachers guess how kids are doing.
• We are concerned about standards and the rigor of your curriculum. This comment applies to all the courses that follow, because the credit is given after the state exam year. There is now way of knowing if the quality matches what we believe we offer at our school. Again, realistically, we know some students need the integrated course to be able to graduate.

How satisfied are you with the academic rigor of the following credit-bearing courses offered as part of the regular Career & Tech program?

English 12

• Most of my students do not take this course very seriously.
• It is often difficult for home schools who require that students take English 12 to encourage that students do the work at both Vo-Tec and here.
• Not enough time spent on ELA requirements to meet NY State standards
• Could be more rigorous.
• Feel it needs to be locally approved by the home school.
• There’s a need for more communication with home schools.
• Students tell us they don’t do much reading and are not challenged by the program.

Math

• As a student progresses through their math courses, each is to be progressively more difficult than the one preceeding it. I don’t necessarily believe this is the case with the integrated third year math.
• Feel it needs to be locally approved by the home school.

Science

• Fine but some students need option for lab sciences to graduate.
• Students seem to achieve higher grades with the integration of the technical program.
• Feel it needs to be locally approved by the home school.
• Is it possible to include labs?
• Students at the Schoharie campus are being pulled out for science when we were told it would be integrated.

Career & Financial Management

• Is this still required or phased out?
• Most students attending Vo-Tec programs have taken this course at their home school.

Physical Education

• Too loose. I like the option because it frees things up, but wish people had time to monitor it better.
• This program relies a great deal on trust that students self-report accurately. That doesn’t always happen.
• Really…sign the paper, no follow-up, very little physical education going on.
• Are students really doing independent study? How rigorously is this approach being monitored?
• Too many kids take this option because it is an easy way to do nothing and get credit. Most parents will sign off on anything rather than see their kid fail. If they need the credit, they should have to take it at the home school. If their schedule at the home school precludes it, then some coordination with the PE teacher at the home school needs to be part of the mix, or the students need to demonstrate to the CTE person(s) authorizing the credit that they have done something, not just gotten some papers signed.
• Students seem to take this requirement too lightly, asking parents to sign off on it whether they did it or not. Maybe they need to set personal goals and be tested at the end of the year by a PE teacher in the district.
• We really appreciate that you offer this option.
• Allows students to have an option that fits their lifestyle and is enjoyable to them.
• There’s a need for more correlation between physical education and independent study.
• Too independent.
• I do not thing the independent PE is a viable Phys. Ed. credit. However, we need the credit to make CTE an option for many students.
• We understand this is not monitored much at all.

Health

• Many programs do not accommodate pullouts.
• From what I have heard from students, this course has no real curriculum. You just pass a test to get the credit.
• Too many “pull-out” courses” will take away from the quality of the CTE course of study.

How satisfied are you with the variety of career paths we offer your students (presently 26 regular Career & Tech programs, 8 Special Services programs and 4 New Visions programs)?

• I applaud the changes that have been made to keep up with new employer demands and the changing workforce. Wish there were more programs.
• Get rid of law enforcement, early childhood, floral design, fashion design. Add things like plumbing, masonry, etc. The vo-tec choices should be practical, leading to real jobs, not just “fun.”
• Would like to see more options in New Visions.
• Would like to see additional programs in the future.
• My favorite is the culinary program. Your staff does an outstanding job in this area.
• Without extensive travel or higher cost to our district, the students in Schoharie County realistically have six programs and one special ed. program to choose from. There are no New Visions programs readily available to our students. No one expects Albany students to come to Schoharie. We are told that “opportunity” comes with a high price tag. Our schools can not afford those prices.
• Nice selection, well implemented.
• Many students ask for a program involving animals in some way.
• A very worthwhile program and opportunity for students.
• The am/pm schedule does not fit with our block scheduling.
• The problem is accessibility. You need to expand to create enough openings for all our students.
• Not enough special services programs in Schoharie.
• There are a fair amount of special services programs.

How satisfied are you with our efforts to teach students the “soft skills” they will need in the workplace, such as functioning in teams, getting along with others, meeting their responsibilities, etc.”

• The skills are not transferring to home schools.
• I am glad these skills are being addressed in this program. I know that issues with hygiene with our at-risk students is of grave concern. I would like that to continue to be reinforced.
• By running your programs like a job, students are better prepared.
• This seems to be an area that has improved recently.
• Good idea, but I’m not aware of any specifics.
• It’s getting better. But students need to know that attendance, reporting to work on time, etc., are critical responsibilities for future success. Is that built in to the BOCES program?
• I’d like to see a greater focus here.
• The “teamwork” skills should extend to the CTE teachers as well. Special Ed. teachers are not informed on how students are doing. Major issues are filtered back to us many days later, when it’s too late to address the situation with our students.
• Was really unaware this was being done.
• I don’t see the carryover to regular education.

How well are we doing in meeting the overall (i.e., the career preparation, academic, and social-emotional) needs of the students you currently send us in the following four programmatic areas?

Regular Career & Tech

• I think career prep could be strengthened for students who want to go directly into the workforce. However, kudos must be given to the set-up of most programs. The hands-on keeps many students in school!
• A full-time counselor to work at the Schoharie site would be helpful.
• Need more work in meeting these needs, especially social emotional.
• These kids are pretty well on their way and don’t need much support.
• More behavioral support needed for some students.

Special services

• These students have greatly improved their self-esteem, which is very exciting.
• A full-time counselor to work at the Schoharie site would be helpful.
• Very few of my special ed. students end up in jobs related to their Vo-Tec courses. I think more job placement efforts would be wonderful.
• The entire staff has bent over backwards to meet emotional needs of some of my most challenging students.
• More behavioral support is needed for some students.
• Students need to identify with the special education teachers there and see their assistance on a more frequent basis.

Alternative education

• A full-time counselor to work at the Schoharie site would be helpful.

• Need more work in meeting these needs, especially social emotional.

• At-risk students require a social worker or counselor to be available on-site every day, all day – not twice a week or when it is convenient. There needs to be someone present who knows the kids, take an interest in them and their unique situations and who the students can count on.

New Visions

• College visits might be nice.
• Need to deal with the high stress levels of these programs.

How satisfied are you with the way we communicate in the following areas?

Classroom performance

• I don’t seem to get reports as I did in the past about individual students. I find it difficult to contact people at Vo-Tec since many teachers seem to be gone when I finish my classes at 2:07.
• Starting to improve slowly.
• I like getting grades and comments, but have been frustrated when trying to get to someone on the phone.
• I would like to have more personal contact from the teachers. I always have to contact them and only find out there is a problem through interims and report cards.
• Not enough feedback.
• Needs improvement.
• I would like to hear more about things the kids are doing before they happen (competitions, etc.) so we can encourage them, attend if possible, etc. Also, I would like the communication regarding grades to come from the home school, not from CTE directly to the parents. Integrated classes are reported to parents and students whether or not we use them at the home school. This can cause major conflicts and questions for the home school that are not necessary.
• Teachers and guidance counselors are always willing to talk but most times it is me contacting them. I would like the written quarterly interims to come to me, the special ed. teacher.
• Teachers used to get periodic reports, but that seems hit or miss lately.
• I am unsure of the amount of communication you have directly with the counselors.
• With the exception of interim reports, I don not hear from the technical school unless I call with specific questions about a student.
• Communication seems to be limited to grade reporting.
• I am hoping the program you are implementing next year will help keep us more up to date.
• We have excellent communication with the guidance counselors – especially for alt. ed. and special education students
• I wish I could email teachers directly. It seems difficult to get a hold of teachers.
• As a self-contained special ed. teacher, I get no communication unless I request something specifically. More would be helpful.
• Would it be possible to provide grades to guidance and special ed. office quarterly?

Attendance and behavior

• Usually don’t hear anything till big problems. Sometimes it goes to the wrong person to do something about it.
• I don’t seem to get reports as I did in the past. It’s hard to reach teachers after 2:07 when I finish classes.
• It would help if there were more calls to the home schools regarding these important issues.
• Starting to improve recently, 2005-06.
• I had a student suspended this year for smoking – and the only info I got was from the student himself. Our building administrator and guidance counselor got no communication either.
• I would like to have more personal contact from the teachers. I always have to contact them, and only find out there is a problem through interims and report cards.

• Maybe due to large number of new people at Schoharie and the lack of daily guidance/social work person, the level of communication this year in particular seems almost non-existent.

• We do not get much on poor behavior.
• We have had to upgrade the communication regarding attendance. It is better now.
• Needs to occur on a more frequent basis. We need to work as more of a team rather than separate entities.
• I understand the attendance reporting back to the home school is inadequate and not timely.
• We do not have quick, efficient ways of regularly communicating this. We rely on phone tag, which is difficult.
• For the first time this year, I am getting ISD notices. Thank you.

Policies

• Usually good – sometimes I just don’t understand what the change is!
• English requirement (3 years ago) was never explained to teachers who have day to day contact with students.
• Getting the information is not the issue – it seems that no one from the Schoharie Count contingency is involved or listened to.
• Not aware of what new policies exist.
• Plans to distribute report cards directly from the center was not well communicated.
• None. I hear about days off through the students.

Programs

• Info that you may send to guidance is not passed down to classroom teachers. In the case of special education students, often this could mean not graduating on time.
• Are there new programs?
• Many of my students have started programs only to find out they change – e.g., third year cos and second year of security. This often leads to difficulty in planning students’ senior year.
• The cosmetology test caught us by surprise this past year.
• Not aware of any new programs at this time.

How satisfied are you with the responses you received from the following staff members when you present them with a question or concern?

Director

• It usually has been referred to someone else

Principals/assistant principals/dean

• Deb Kaplan is good about communication
• I don’t think we have great communicators out here.
• Limited contact with administration; only when there is a problem.
• When I have called and spoken with the principal, I have been satisfied.
• We work very closely and cooperatively with our colleagues.
• I hope this survey went to others directly impacted by your programs as well.

Guidance counselors

• Usually helpful. However, right now there seems to have been a change in which guidance counselors deal with my students and I’m not sure who to contact.
• Excellent when she is there. She is only part-time.
• They do a good job.
• Gretchen M. has always been very prompt with her replies.
• She tries hard – difficult to do when you’re only here two days a week and have to concentrate your efforts on the other center the other three days.
• The guidance secretary is terrific!
• The counselors are outstanding. They have excellent communication skills, and they are incredibly dependable.
• Have been very supportive.
• I know the counselor at the center has a good working relationship with the home school counselors.
• Jeannine is great, always up to date, organized, and very helpful. All of your staff should be so good.
• They are outstanding!
• Great job…always professional and helpful.

Social workers

• Didn’t know you had them.
• We have social workers?
• My dealings have been limited, but my understanding is that he is an excellent resource for our alt. ed. students.

Consultant teachers

• Communication has always been through guidance office.
• I have the most contact with Consultants.
• Have been very supportive and always return phone calls.

Classroom teachers

• Sometimes slow in responding – some hard to get hold of.
• I find it very difficult to reach a classroom teacher. When I do get to talk to one, he/she is usually quite helpful.
• Teachers are timely and thorough in their responses.
• Some are very hard to get hold of, do not return calls, are gone by 2 p.m., do not reply to emails. Others have improved in this area in the last couple of years.
• I have always gotten good and prompt responses from the teachers.
• Can’t always get hold of them easily.
• Left several messages for a teacher and have yet to receive a response.

Clerical staff

• Have only spoken to clerical staff to get through to someone else. Usually pleasant.
• They are always helpful and patient.
• There is no direct contact about absences. Messages are erased. I called and found out about 32 absences. Poor communication.

How important is it to you and your district for Career & Tech to develop programs or strategies to meet the needs of the following types of students?

Students who lose their motivation long before their junior year

• This population is growing – we need all the help we can get.
• Crucial. I often deal with students who are ‘done’ by the time they reach 11^th grade even if they are still in school.
• Ever growing population of students.
• I believe strongly that programs need to be opened to younger at-risk students.
• Programs need to be local – not an hour-plus bus ride away.
• Critical need.
• Home schools need to address these issues before sending to the Career and Tech Center.
• This is a growing need in education due to the increased amount of Regents work expected from all students.
• This population is growing both in numbers and in the severity of their disaffection with school.
• This is critical.

Students who are failing mandated courses

• Very important for some of these students to be able to attend Vo-Tec – if they can’t, they are strong candidates to drop out.
• I am finding that students who would benefit most from Vo-Tec can’t go because they have failed a class or state exams and need to stay in the district to make up this work.
• The center and the home school need to work closely with these students to provide support.

Students with scheduling difficulties

• This has been better in the past few years – but would love to see the time come when they could stay at Vo-Tec all day and get all their courses there!
• This is becoming more and more of a problem as students need to complete three years of math and science. One failure pretty much precludes them from going to Vo-Tec.
• This is important but cannot be used as an excuse.
• If they are having a problem in this area, the problem exists because of prior failure or other issues that THEY didn’t take care of.
• Scheduling is very difficult.
• We work hard to accommodate that.

Students who are reluctant to leave their home schools

• This has really not been a large issue the past few years – maybe it’s gone “underground,” as the students who have these issues are not even talking about being interested in these programs.
• This is a real problem for some of my students, when coupled with a negative perception of the students who do go to Vo-Tec.
• They need to make the choice – sometimes you can’t have it all.
• It is important for students to feel comfortable on their campus.

Students who are not interested in the fields we offer

• These kids are from all ability level – would like to see more for the “higher” as well as the “lower” students.
• I sometimes have students who are interested in a field, such as the arts, and are unable to find a Vo-Tec program that meets their needs.
• There is a wide variety.
• Relevant programming in the center closest to the student would help.

Students who have little or no idea of what they want

• Vo-Tec can inspire!
• Again, a real problem for some students.

Are there other needs that you believe we should be meeting?

· Job placement, apprenticeships, more college credit courses.

· Middle school alternative programs

· Help for students who are having difficulty meeting the graduation standards.

· There are a group of students who are just not sure what they want to do with their lives but do take school seriously. You might want to offer a way to explore some of the career options in a hands-on program.

· State diploma is biased against vocational and favors college prep.

· Issues specific to students from poor socio-economic backgrounds and related problems.

· We need to address needs from the district first.

· The need to improve communication with home schools

· Vo-Tec should work more closely with day-hab programs and post high school employment sites. Perhaps opportunities to sample more of a variety of careers would help to transition students into authentic jobs where they will actually be employed.

· Set up more work-study programs.

· Students who are unsuccessful in alt. ed. – we need to plan for them other than returning to their home school, which we all know doesn’t work.

· New Visions students who need upper level math and science for college admissions but can’t fit them into their home school schedule due to lack of time after New Visions day.

· Integrated social studies in the curriculum for seniors.

· Possibly an art class, maybe graphic art design.

· Students with higher behavioral needs and poor attendance.

· Many students are asking for programs involving animals. There is also a need for some level of cosmetology for students with lower academic skills.

· More for students who can not achieve a Regents diploma.

· There must be additional programming, especially for careers of the 21^st century.

· An alt ed. option for middle school. We are losing students due to retention at the elementary/middle school level. By the time they reach high school, their motivation to continue is minimal. Prevention and success at earlier ages would be highly beneficial.

· Some students in special services programs have a lot of down time.

· More programs for the student who enjoys hands-on classes but may not be academically motivated. Too many programs have applications and GPA cut-offs.

We are looking at many different ideas for changing and improving Career & Technical Education in the Capital Region. Please rank each one in terms of priority to your district or your students.

A combination of full- and half-day programs

• Cost will be a concern for our district.
• Grades 9 and 10 lack maturity and fundamental academics.
• I strongly believe that many students would benefit from entering a program in the ninth grade.
• Excellent idea!
• It only works if you are addressing ALL of the areas of need, not just the career and technical aspect.
• I would love to have programs for 9^th graders who are disengaged from the learning process.
• I am unsure that our district would be willing to pay for many full-day students.
• Although I think this is a good idea, I do not think my district could afford to participate in it.
• We need help at the 7^th and 8^th grade level before the students become thoroughly discouraged and make a plan to drop out when they are 16.
• An interesting idea, but not sure how it would accommodate students with special needs.
• BOCES and CTE were designed to provide services the home school can not offer. The intention was never to replace or duplicate the services we provide.
• We offer Vo-Tec to 11^th and 12^th graders only.
• Great idea!

Two-year full-day career academies

• Another excellent idea!
• I am unsure that our district would be willing to pay for many full-day students.
• Sounds great. Again, cost would be a factor.
• Need the specifics to see the model for delivery of such a program.
• Space in home school is limited.
• This would be interesting!

Internet-based courses

• Students would be missing out on the “soft skills” of learning to interact with others and work as teams.
• This would be an interesting idea, but motivation is a serious factor that needs to be addressed. Working from home will be challenging for many of my students.
• I believe Internet courses have a place in education, as long as it is combined with classroom experiences.
• Our students need opportunities to interact with other peers and staff. In fact, this one of the most challenging aspects of employment.
• These are already available through other sources. Why duplicate? The target students need more assistance from LIVE people.
• I currently teach an online course. It is a great tool, yet the course moves extremely fast. Students would need to be able to work at their own pace.
• Online courses are being explored by many schools.

Late afternoon, evening, weekend and summer courses

• This may be a solution for some students.
• Great idea…we have a lot of students who are limited based on the amount of time vs. the number of credits that they must receive in order to graduate.
• Back in the 1970s, there used to be a third shift (believe it or not) that was perfect for our students. I would love to see it return.
• Don’t see our inner city population of students willing to attend during the summer or weekends unless there was a paid component to it.
• Depending on cost, transportation, etc., this may be an option to consider.
• We should all be looking to expand our notions of time in the school “day.”

Additional programs in business settings

• So important!
• Definitely!
• This is especially important for the Special Education programs.
• We offer these kinds of programs to our students at the home school.
• Allows for students to transition into jobs.
• Many home schools offer solid work-based programs. Again, services should not be duplicated.

Closer partnerships with colleges

• Is it really an associates degree if it’s earned in high school?
• College credit, but not an AA degree.
• Maybe house some of those programs at the area community colleges.
• Creating stronger secondary connections to post-secondary programs is very important.

Better career and educational planning

• Would be helpful if you could partner with home high school guidance counselor.
• Would it get a full-time guidance person into Schoharie?
• Some programs seem to get student hopes up when visiting competitive, 4-year schools (e.g. FIT) rather than visit more realistic college choices.
• The standard Singer evaluation is of limited assistance.
• There is only so much time in the day. Many of these services are provided through counselors at the home school. Services should not be duplicated.
• I think it is pretty good right now.

Do you have other ideas for changing and improving career & technical education?

• A reality class for students who don’t think school is important could be a great dropout prevention technique. I applaud you for this. We could all stand some improvement. Think you do a great job now – can’t wait to see the improvement.
• Practical opportunities for jobs that will be in demand and available for 18-year-olds. There will have to be tough decisions made if you are serious about changing and improving. Do we need 50 new cosmetologists in this area every year? Do you law enforcement grads regularly get jobs in the field? Do the early childhood grads have qualifications to do more than assist at a daycare? Why should a school district spend $7,000 for fashion design?
• I feel that a lot of good things are happening right now.
• Improved communication of what is offered, how it is delivered, student progress, behaviors, etc.
• Please include students with multiple and moderately severe disabilities in this endeavor.
• One the job training and bringing in business owners to tell the students what it takes to make it in their profession, etc.
• Schoharie may be out here in the boonies, but our money is just as green and our students are deserving. I understand there are many factors…it is just frustrating.
• Don’t cut programs. Students who have little motivation and poor grades often turn themselves around and do fabulously. These students can come out of school with a skill and be able to make decent money, which many kids in high school all day can’t do. Many go on to college, when at one time they talked about dropping out.
• Focus on designing services and programs that cannot be offered through the home school. The AYES program is an excellent example.
• More direct intervention with individual students, rather than just calling the home school. Later application dates – starting in March.
• I believe the best mix is going to be some half-day programs and some full-day programs for students who need more classes for graduation. Yet we will still have some students who are on target and just need a career piece and then be able to return to their home school. A combination of what we have and a full-day program would be idea.