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Houston County Career and Technology Center
Houston County School District|
Warner Robins, GA

"Pearson Digital Learning NovaNET is the perfect vehicle for a competency-based education. It is very challenging academically, and the kids really learn."
     Danny Carpenter, Director, Houston County Career and Technology Center

Highlights

• Houston County Career and Technology Center has met or surpassed both district and state averages on the 2002 Georgia High School Graduation Test using Pearson Digital Learning NovaNET.
• By progressing through NovaNET at their own pace, students who had been experiencing difficulties are now graduating on time.

School District Profile

Houston County Career and Technology Center (HCCTC) is a school of choice located in the city of Warner Robins, in central Georgia. The center, which opened three years ago, was developed for young people who were not successful in a traditional school setting, and to provide a pathway for students to either enter technical college or secure a position as a semi-skilled or skilled technician. Students attending the center must apply and appear for an interview before registering. The school serves students in grades 9 through 12 and enrolls 100 students.

HCCTC, in collaboration with Middle Georgia Technical College, offers technology courses in metals, automotive, cosmetology, integrated information systems, and construction. Students successfully passing these courses earn high school credit, college credit, and technical certificates of credit. The center also provides courses in food service, childcare, and business.

The Houston County Board of Education showed its support and endorsement of the Tech/Prep program of study by passing a local policy requiring all junior Tech/Prep students to take the ASSET test in February of each year. The ASSET test is an admissions requirement for students entering technical colleges across the country.

Challenge

The challenge at HCCTC is to provide an alternative high school environment that affords students the opportunity to participate in a competency-based instructional atmosphere in which they are not required to do seat-time in the core classes-math, English, science, and social studies.

Solution

Houston County Career and Technology Center implemented 60 stations of Pearson Digital Learning NovaNET computer-based online learning system in August 1999. Core classes are taught through NovaNET, which has been correlated to the Georgia QCC (Quality Core Curriculum).

Teri McCoy, a teacher at Houston County Career and Technical Center says, "It's a joy to help students master the lessons in NovaNET. They are able to quickly accelerate through the material they understand, and remediation is self-paced."

Students at the career center fall into one of two categories: 1) full-time students who take core classes through NovaNET and have access to the technical offerings, and 2) part-time students who are transported from the other four high schools in the county for two-hour blocks to take the career center's technical college classes.

Students using NovaNET take control of their own progress, and according to one teacher, "They can move through the material at their own pace, which often seems to accelerate when they realize that they are at the controls."

According to one student, "NovaNET has helped me by presenting difficult material in a way that I can understand."

A seat time waiver was obtained from the Georgia Department of Education to accommodate self-paced learning in math, science, English, and social studies. To graduate, students must have 22 units of credit and pass all Georgia High School Graduation Tests.

Results

In the spring of 2002, the full-time students in the 11th grade at HCCTC were tested for graduation. The results showed students meeting or exceeding the overall average in the district and the state. All full time students taking the GHSGT (Georgia High School Graduation Tests) are considered "at risk" students, and they passed the test in most subject areas.

The full-time 11th grade students at HCCTC met or exceeded
the overall average in the district and the state on the 2002
Georgia High School Graduation Team.

"With NovaNET, many of our students are able to make up for past mistakes and graduate on time," says Teri McCoy.

From 2001 to 2002, full-time 11th grade students made dramatic
increases on the Georgia High School Graduation Tests.

The Houston County Career and Technology Center has had the privilege of offering students their own path to reach success. With the input of parents, staff, businesses, and the community, the school is striving to meet the needs of all students. Teri McCoy is one such teacher devoted to student success. She says, "NovaNET helps students make the connection between the amount of effort they put into school and the results that they achieve. Understanding this direct correlation will hopefully make them more successful in their chosen careers."

Contact us for additional information on how Pearson Digital Learning can help you achieve results with NovaNET