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Curriculum The RCU, in partnership with educators and industry leaders, creates course content for Mississippi’s CTE pathways that combines academic rigor with real-world relevance. The RCU also provides curricula for K-12 science, social studies, and computer science in Mississippi.
RCU, Ingalls Create Shipbuilding Academy Curriculum RCU collaboration with one of the largest shipbuilders in the world and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) resulted in the development of a curriculum that will help the Ingalls Shipbuilder Academy (ISA) provide state-recognized credentials and college credit. The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) implemented the Shipbuilding Academy curriculum for the 2020-2021 academic year after it was presented to the Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) in January. The curriculum supports the ISA, a one-year CTE program launched in 2016 and taught at the Haley Reeves Barbour Maritime Training Academy at Ingalls in Pascagoula and the Gaston Point College and Career Readiness Institute in Gulfport, by providing high school seniors in area school districts industry-specific training, national certifications through the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), CTE credit from MGCCC, and a pipeline to future employment with Ingalls Shipbuilding. With NCCER-aligned objectives already in place in the ISA, much of the curriculum writing focused on aligning new pieces, such as student organizations and interpersonal and employability skills, to NCCER certification standards taught to students in two core track options: shipbuilding and naval architecture. Those needing an NCCER core start with the shipbuilding track that focuses on interpersonal and employability skills, student organizations, and introductions to topics such as construction math, hand and power tools, construction drawings, and materials handling and basic rigging. Students who have already completed an NCCER core go into the naval architecture track that begins with an introduction to shipbuilding and blueprint reading. The track also includes units on ship construction and a shipbuilding project. After finishing those two core tracks, students move into a shipbuilder exploration track that includes NCCER-aligned objectives including welding, sheet metal, industrial coating, insulation, electrical, and support crafts. The state-approved curriculum opens opportunity for implementation in other areas, providing additional opportunities for the RCU, the MDE, and one of the state’s top industries to partner in building a strong future workforce for local and state economies. 3
FY '20 Facts
75 18
instructors and
industry representatives served on curriculumwriting teams
10
Curricula Revised
and up for approval by the State Board of Education to go into effect the 2021-2022 academic year:
• Advanced Manufacturing • Computer Science and Engineering • Digital Media Technology • Food Products (Meats) • Forestry • Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning • Horticulture • Industrial Maintenance • Keystone • Television and Broadcasting “Curricula aligned to national standards, written with input from current classroom teachers, and vetted by industry members from across the state are key to giving students and teachers the rich, practical experience they need in a high-quality CTE program.” ~ Sam Watts, Curriculum Manager