Rigorous, theme based high school career academies are the most proven education reform strategy in the US in the last 40 years, according to research compiled by the Career Academy Support Network at UC Berkeley. Career Academies increase attendance, improve graduation, enhance post secondary progress, deliver work readiness skills and, in some cases, increase life-long earnings.
Local districts report similar statistics. In Twin Rivers, students in career academies have a 99.65% attendance rate compared to 90% for their peers and have a 100%graduation rate compared to 84% for the entire district. 100% of students at Health Professions HS graduated in June 2011 and 71% of graduates enroll in post secondary institutions, second only to West Campus in SCUSD.
On May 3, 2011, members of the LEED Board of Directors and other LEED partners toured career academies at Laguna Creek High School, Grant High School and Health Professions High School. The report from this bus tour can be downloaded by clicking here. More information about the Capital Region Career Academy Initiative can be found at http://leed.org/programs/capital-region-career-academy-initiative/.
Related Links:
Inventory of Capital Region Career Academies (Revised 6/28/2011)