PRINCETON -- On July, 24 Mercer County Technical Education Center (MCTEC) brought home a first place win for Best Academic Partnership in the state during the annual Career and Technical Education Conference held in Charleston, WV. MCTEC was also named runner-up in Outstanding Business and Industry Involvement.
MCTEC Director, Linda Cox, said, "The two awards received during the WVDE CTE Conference show the community and the state what is happening in Mercer County for our students. The Mercer County Technical Education Center is number one, and MCTEC is the place for technical training. We are making differences in the futures of our students."
The Best Academic Partnership distinction reflects the school's integration of academic and career tech programs and instruction. Academic teachers work with career and technical teachers to offer lessons that enhance what is happening in the CTE classroom to ensure academic and technical relevance. All students enrolled in programs at MCTEC have the opportunity to work with academic teachers and earn academic credits through their career and technical classes using embedded credit.
MCTEC also offers middle and high schools the opportunity to tour their facility every school year in an effort to help them make an informed decision with their parents about the program that is right for them as students. Counselors from all four high schools in the county are regularly invited to meet with the administration at MCTEC.
Earlier this summer, the Mercer County Technology Center qualified for the TCTW Gold Readiness Award for the school's progress in improving students' readiness for college and careers. To earn this recognition, technology centers had to have at least 75 percent of their students meet at least one readiness goal on the 2012 HSTW Assessment. Additionally, centers had to have 75 percent or more of students complete the HSTW-recommended curriculum in at least one subject, had 45 percent or more of students indicate they experienced an intensive emphasis on quality career/technical studies, and had 45 percent or more of students indicate they experienced an intensive emphasis on guidance and advisement.
In two years, MCTEC has doubled the number of students receiving WorkKeys Certification. Enrollment has increased from 1,600 students in 2010-2011 to 2,366 students in 2011-2012. The school has added to its staff three academic instructors, one each in math, English, and technology, who work with both students and CTE instructors to enhance lessons and integrate skills and concepts.
The Southern Regional Education Board is a multi-state compact for education, founded in 1948. Founded in 2007, the Technology Centers That Work (TCTW) school improvement model has more than 160 technology centers in 16 states. The TCTW model is based on the HSTW school improvement design, with modifications that target the specific needs of technology centers and their sending high schools.
