Through Career and Technical Education programming, or CTE, Englewood Public Schools offers various pathways to help students succeed.
Dr. Diana Zakhem, director of secondary success for the school district, said the purpose of CTE is to help students explore and prepare for “a wide range of high-demand careers by building technical knowledge, skills and postsecondary and workforce readiness competencies.”
“CTE programming ensures students seamlessly transition into further education and/or employment opportunities,” Zakhem said.
The program includes curriculum in areas such as audio production, business and marketing, biomedical science, computer science, cosmetology and esthetics, culinary arts and hospitality, digital media, engineering, manufacturing and design, SAGE (Sustainable Agriculture and Green Energy) and visual and performing arts.
“In addition to these high school classes, our early childhood education center, four elementary schools, and two middle schools offer students classes in STEAM or Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math,” Zakhem said. “Our STEAM experiences provide students with hands-on, applied learning opportunities that allow students to explore various careers and build college and workforce readiness skills.”
Zakhem said Englewood High School and Colorado’s Finest High School of Choice have several pathways for students closer to graduation.
“A pathway is an aligned sequence of classes within a focused career area,” Zakhem said. “Each of these pathways offers students multiple classes they can take over their high school experience.”
CTE programming is applied at all age levels, Zakhem said, as younger students also participate in different pathways.
“At the preschool and elementary schools, all students access STEAM experiences as part of their specials/electives rotation,” Zakhem said. “Depending on the school, students either take STEAM as a weeklong experience rotation.”
Additionally, Zakhem said, middle school students can take different STEAM classes and then continue within the STEAM pathway and take advanced courses in high school.
“At the high school level, students can choose to take classes within these pathways as part of their electives,” Zakhem said. “In addition to the courses offered at EHS and CFHSC, we also partner with neighboring school districts so that our students can access additional CTE programming.”
The program has formed partnerships with other school districts, including Sheridan, Littleton and Cherry Creek.
Zakhem said a goal of CTE is “to foster authentic student engagement.”
“CTE courses offer students rigorous, relevant learning experiences that allow students to explore their interests and passions while building important technical skills,” Zakhem said. “These classes are high-interest and very engaging for students.”
Zakhem said according to a presentation from the Colorado Community College System given to the district in mid-November, 2022 data shows CTE students across the state had higher graduation rates, 94.9%, than the state average graduation rates, 82.3%.
All of the CTE courses offered through the Englewood school district align with postsecondary certificate or degree programs and the majority of the classes offer students college credit while they are in high school, Zakhem said.
“All Colorado high school graduates must demonstrate college and career readiness through Grad Guidelines,” Zakhem said. “Students have several options to demonstrate proficiency, one of which is earning an industry certification. Several CTE programs offer an industry certification that helps students meet those graduation requirements.”
CTE has been offered in Englewood for several years, but the STEAM Pathways for the elementary and middle school levels began in 2018.
Zakhem said over time students have responded positively to the CTE classes offered at their schools and that 99% of the 2023 class took at least one course during their high school career.
An evaluation of the program, conducted by the Colorado School of Mines in 2022, shows participating students were enthusiastic about their STEAM classes.
“Students reported engaging in a wide range of STEAM activities and requested more time for STEAM learning,” Zakhem said. “Those who enjoyed the STEAM classes cited building, making, problem solving, having freedom and collaborating as their favorite parts of the classes.”
Zakhem said students at all levels enjoyed their classes and the knowledge they learned as well the educators who taught the different subjects.
For more information regarding CTE programing and the various pathways, go to https://www.englewoodschools.net/inside-our-schools/career-college-ready/cte-course-offerings.