Presentando las Escuelas Públicas de Omaha Carrera universitaria Academias y Trayectorias
Información del sitio de internet de programación de la escuela preparatoria
Preguntas y respuestas
A student’s high school experience sets them up for success - it is the beginning of their story. The experience should allow students to gain skills that will be practical in any career field, while exploring career interests in fun and engaging ways.
The Omaha Public Schools is excited to announce the evolution of high school programming in our district. Starting in the Fall of 2021, Omaha Public Schools will begin to roll out The Omaha Public Schools College & Career Academies and Pathways.
The Omaha Public Schools College & Career Academies and Pathways comes after an evaluation and refocus of current programming. It builds on what has been working well and where we can grow. It ensures students gain real-world career experience while maintaining the foundation of core classes and access to advanced academics, fine arts and electives.
In February 2020, Omaha Public Schools launched the Strategic Plan of Action Powered by Foresight. Through work with community members, future labs encouraged OPS staff and community members to think about what’s next for Omaha Public Schools and brainstorm what’s needed to prepare students for their futures throughout the next five to 20 years. The result was the Portrait of a Graduate.
The Portrait of a Graduate outlines the skills essential for students beyond high school to be successful in college, career and life.
Mastery of these skills will be beneficial for any path a student may take after graduation. As our district reviewed our portfolio of program options, the goal was to ensure that students could explore career interests while learning these foundational skills.
Throughout the process, feedback and input from our community was essential to the academy and pathway plan development. Local business leaders provided input on necessary job skills, and future job trends, while high school leadership teams helped to determine what programs best fit the needs of their school community. More than 2,100 parents, students, staff and business leaders were able to provide input on perceptions of the district’s current programming and what they would like to see in the future.
After the evaluation and input from our community, our district developed the Omaha Public Schools College & Career Academies and Pathways. Students in both academies and pathways take their core classes (English, math, social studies and science) along with career-focused classes, advanced placement classes and electives. Student choices are what determine the differences in high school experience. To understand the options, we have provided a definition below:
Our District recognizes the important transition from middle school to high school. As all students enter their high school journey, they will participate in Freshman Academy. They will explore careers and focus on skills for success in high school and beyond. During their freshman year, students will select an academy or a pathway at their school.
We understand that not all students know what they want to do in the future, and that is ok. This evolution of programming gives students the opportunity to explore potential career fields while gaining skills that will be beneficial in their future and lead to high skill, high wage and in-demand jobs. In the Academies and Pathways, some students will find their passion, while others may find something they thought they liked is really not for them. Either way students will learn transferable skills that will help them succeed, no matter their future path. An advantage of being able to explore these opportunities in high school is there isn’t the financial impact to a family there is with college.
During their freshman year, students will select an academy or a pathway at their school. Students in both academies and pathways take their core classes (English, math, social studies and science) along with career-focused classes and electives. Student choices are what determine the differences in high school experience. The academy and pathway names are meant to group together similar career fields. For example: Leadership Academy at Burke High will include courses in management, financial planning and insurance, data analytics, teaching and marketing.
In both academies and pathways, students will have fun, engaging and hands-on learning opportunities. No matter which academy or pathway a student selects, they will have access to advanced academic courses through a variety of programs that include advanced placement, Cambridge, International Baccalaureate or Dual Enrollment. The specific offerings will be based on their high school.
Our District believes it is important for students to have a well-rounded education. All students will continue to have access to a variety of electives that include the performing and fine arts, world languages, JRTOC and other extra-curricular activities.
All high schools will transition to block scheduling. We currently have five of our seven high schools on a block schedule. By moving all schools to block scheduling it allows students the opportunity to have more in-depth learning in a single class, versus being broken up into multiple classes. An example is being able to complete a science experiment in one class versus setting up, working through an experiment and cleaning up on multiple days. Students are able to engage deeper with the course work and collaborate with their teacher and classmates. There is also less transition time between classes which allows for more learning time. In addition, it creates consistency across the district. This is beneficial for our teachers as they collaborate and also for our students who may move from one school to the other.
Everything we do in Omaha Public Schools is for the benefit of our students. Research shows that students in Nebraska who complete three or more courses in a career and technical education sequence graduate at an average rate of 10% higher than those who do not participate. For Omaha Public Schools, the average rate is 11% higher. This is true regardless of a student’s race, ethnicity or gender. Staff will continue to monitor student data to ensure student success.
The plan will rollout over the next four years. Freshman Academy will begin in fall 2021. Each year will build upon the previous until the program is completely rolled out in the 2024-25 school year.
What is the difference between an academy and a pathway? During their Freshman year, students will select an academy or a pathway at their school. Students in both academies and pathways take their core classes (English, math, social studies and science) along with career-focused classes and electives. Student choices are what determine the differences in high school experience. To understand the options, we have provided a definition below:
When does the Omaha Public Schools College & Career Academies and Pathways launch? The Omaha Public Schools College & Career Academies and Pathways will begin rolling out in the fall of 2021 with a Freshman Academy at all seven high schools. Our district will build upon academy and pathway offerings each year, for the following three years. The full plan will be in place by Fall 2024.
What is Freshman Academy? Our district recognizes the important transition from middle school to high school. As all OPS students enter their high school journey, they will participate in Freshman Academy. They will explore careers and focus on skills for success in high school and beyond. Students will participate in a freshman seminar course, career exploration and college experiences prior to choosing an academy or pathway in the spring of their freshman year.
Will students have access to electives like performing and fine arts, JROTC and world languages? Yes! Our District believes it is important for students to have a well-rounded education. All students will continue to have access to a variety of electives that include the performing and fine arts, world languages, JRTOC and other extra-curricular activities.
Will students be able to participate in extra-curricular activities? Yes! Omaha Public Schools believes in the importance of a well-rounded education. Students will still have access to extra-curricular activities. New clubs or organizations may also be available to align with academies and pathways.
Will students continue to have access to students support services for special education and English Learners? Yes! Students will continue to have access to support services that enhance their academic experience.
Will students be able to change their academy or pathway? School counselors will be available to talk with students who feel the need to change their academy or pathway. They will help students determine the best options. Students may change their academy/pathway one time. Academies and pathways are designed for students to learn the Portrait of a Graduate skills that will be essential beyond high school. Since those skills are transferable from one career to another, students won’t necessarily need to change their academy or pathway. In addition, we want to ensure students have enough coursework in their academy and pathway to complete their senior capstone successfully.
What is the senior capstone project? The senior capstone project will be a culminating activity that students complete as part of their academy or pathway experience. The project will be designed to pull from what students learned in their career academy or pathway. The project will be an opportunity for students to highlight what they have learned and present their mastery of the Portrait of a Graduate skills.