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Above: Katelyn Winston and Zorria Jones practice performing 12 lead EKGs. Left: Brianna Brown practices her assessment skills on Halley Lanier.
To address this need, Ford approached her director and district office to request a third year for her program. This third year allows college-bound students to take dualenrollment/dual-credit courses through East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), earn a national certification, and receive increased ACT preparation. Currently, Ford’s third-year students take dual-enrollment courses in microbiology, human anatomy and physiology, and nutrition, all of which
are prerequisites for most nursing programs, reported Ford. In addition to general academic help, Ford assists them with time management, lab assignments, and other needs identified by the students or their college instructor. This coursework will give them a leg up when they are ready to apply to degree programs at EMCC or another school upon graduation, said Ford. But Ford wanted the third year of her program to encompass more than just dual enrollment, so she applied to the State Department of Health to include a national certification exam as well. Now, her third-year students can earn a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) license, a credential that makes them immediately employable in the medical field. During parent meetings and talks with students, Ford realized many of
her students were not earning a high enough ACT score to enter competitive medical programs. So she included an ACT-preparation component to the third year as well. Ford admitted it’s too early to know how successful her students will be in the long run, but she is optimistic. Many are performing well in their dualenrollment courses, and all but one passed the CNA-license exam last year. Ford said, to her knowledge, all of her third-year students have continued on to college in some way, most to nursing programs at community colleges. Speaking of community colleges, Ford reported the experience working with EMCC on this project has been “wonderful” and that the instructors have been helpful and receptive to the unique collaboration. “It has been a really positive working relationship,” she added. Methods for bringing innovation to the student experience are endless. What works in one place may not be the right fit for another, but the common denominator in all successful innovations is attention to local needs. By focusing on the needs of students in their immediate sphere of influence and thinking creatively, innovators have the opportunity to help their students achieve greatness. For more information on career academies or other innovative school models, contact Myra Pannell, myra. pannell@rcu.msstate.edu. For more information on CTE programs and curriculum areas, contact Scott Kolle, scott.kolle@rcu. msstate.edu.
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