Pioneer Technology Center received the Oklahoma Association of Technology Center's (OATC) Distinguished Achievement Award at the awards session of the recent statewide CareerTech conference. . Pioneer Tech was specifically acknowledged for partnering with Blackwell Middle School (BMS) with the Project Graduation: Gateway to Technology program. Representatives from both Pioneer Tech and Blackwell Middle School were acknowledged on stage. Pictured left to right: Mary Rigdon (PTC), Lesa Ward (BMS), Jaylene Soulek (BMS), Dr. Steve Tiger (PTC), Traci Thorpe (PTC), Orva Rothgeb (PTC), and Larry Buck (PTC).
Distinguished Achievement:
Pioneer Tech recognized for partnership with Blackwell Middle School
TULSA, Okla. - Pioneer Technology Center received the Oklahoma Association of Technology Center's (OATC) Distinguished Achievement Award at the awards session of the recent statewide CareerTech conference. The purpose of the award is to recognize technology centers for their innovative or unique accomplishments benefiting its students and community. Pioneer Tech was specifically acknowledged for partnering with Blackwell Middle School (BMS) with the Project Graduation: Gateway to Technology program.
Historically, Kay County has had one of the highest school drop out rates in the state. Studies of high school dropout rates have shown evidence that students are becoming disengaged with education and training prior to entering high school. With this in mind, Pioneer Technology Center created a new initiative designed to improve graduation rates and better prepare students for the workforce and post-secondary education through Oklahoma State Department of Career and Technology Education (CareerTech) programs and services.
"This initiative is exciting and has made a huge difference in many students' lives," said Dr. Steve Tiger, Pioneer Technology Center superintendent.
Based on data collected from the past two years, the Gateway students have demonstrated several performance improvements. Over half of last year's eighth graders in the program experience at least one letter grade increase in math and 35% of the students had a similar increase in their science grades. According to Jaylene Soulek, BMS principal, the students are not only discovering the relevancy of science and math in their future careers, but the BMS staff is seeing that their behavior and attendance is improving too. In regard to office referrals, 19 out of the 23 Gateway students have either had no referrals or significantly fewer referrals than the prior year. Accordingly, twenty of the students' attendance improved.
"By educating these students on the possibilities of career technology opportunities, we will see an impact on our community as these students graduate from high school and pursue additional education at our local career technology center rather than drop out," said Soulek.
Kari Widener is the Gateway Program instructor at Blackwell Middle School. She has more than doubled the course offerings for this school year and will serve approximately 86 students for the first nine weeks. "Gateway will open new doors for these students," said Widener. "They will get to show off their work to other students throughout the school, so they will experience pride in what they have done."
Dr. Tiger explained that BMS' effort is also a workforce and economic development initiative. Pioneer and its partners understand that a major key to economic development is a high graduation rate along with CareerTech and/or post-secondary education.