Admin Corner 2.4 - Revisiting CTE with Ms. Goike
Photo from Hamilton School District.
Hello, Hamilton! As we rapidly encroach upon the end of the year, everyone is making plans for the next stage of our lives, be it our seniors getting ready to graduate or incoming freshmen signing up for classes. Behind the scenes, Ms. Goike has been working hard to add to Hamilton’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. She was gracious enough to answer a few questions and share her goals for the future, just in time for the end of CTE Month in February.
Q: How is CTE progressing?
Ms. Goike is overjoyed to report an increase in interest in HHS’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs. There has been significant growth in both enrollment and in youth apprenticeship. In the past school year, there were 442 students enrolled who were considered CTE concentrators—students who have taken two or more classes within the same strand (i.e. woodshop, metals, etc.)—about twice as many as in the previous academic year. Many of these courses also offer Industry Recognized Credentials, also known as IRCs, which are extremely beneficial to both students progressing immediately to the workforce and to those entering undergraduate programs.
In the coming years, these programs will be refined with the goal of making the classes more structured. In the upcoming school year, a construction class and an interior design course will be implemented, along with talks occurring regarding the potential addition of a Charger Manufacturing class in the following academic year. There will also be an additional possibility of earning a Business Management Associate's Degree through the business academy of Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) through CTE classes.
Also, HHS now offers a job shadowing program called Career Connect. Students contact Ms. Goike with any interests or jobs they want to go to and job shadow for a few hours. The school helps get them set up. It is a wonderful opportunity that continues to build exposure to career opportunities and get kids on the right path for their respective paths.
Q: What is SPARK going to look like next year?
In a previous issue of Admin Corner, “CTE with Ms. Goike,” we were introduced to the SPARK program, which is a career-based learning program at Hamilton High School centered around individual career programs called “strands.”
Ms. Goike explained that construction strands would be our school’s first SPARK program rollout and would be initiated next year. There will be a partnership between Hamilton’s SPARK class and Tim O’Brien Homes, where a group of students will work on-site, helping build homes. At most, 12 students would be allowed per house being built. The course itself would take place during 1st and 2nd blocks, with the goal of offering students real-world mentorship, construction skills, and math skills relevant to construction. Students who complete the course will receive 3 credits in those same areas.
Goike then went on to explain that the following year, global business and teaching strands would be added to the catalog, with the possibility of them being accredited with the UW system. Similar to construction, students would receive mentorship for these programs and learn real-world skills. She also mentioned the possibility of healthcare and data science strands being added in the near future.
Q: Do you have any goals/final thoughts you’d like to leave us with?
Ms. Goike divulged that she hopes for an increase in enrollment in the following CTE strands: Computer and IT and Early Childhood Development. She also shared that there is potential for the healthcare classes to expand. Given how amazing and beneficial these classes are, Goike is hoping even more students will take advantage of the opportunities and experiences they provide.
One encouraging thing to note around all of the CTE additions and changes has been the parent feedback, which has been incredibly positive. Parent and student opinions have been taken into account (regarding the improvement of the classes) to large degrees. Ms. Goike would also like to shout out the CTE teachers for all their hard work and cooperation. She says that they are amazing, and they are the ones who do everything.
Finally, given all of the progress and growth of CTE as well as exciting new changes on the horizon, Goike encourages all students to take at least one CTE course in their time at Hamilton.
