Fayette County Public Schools’ two technical centers, Eastside and Southside, are among only seven schools in the nation to receive the 2008 Technology Centers That Work Gold Readiness Award.

 

The award is based on the progress of the schools’ leaders and teachers in improving their practices and raising student performance levels. “I give credit to the staff for the outstanding job they do,” Eastside Principal Joe Norman said.

 

“It is a very important and high honor. It says a lot about our students, who’ve worked extra hard,” Southside Principal James Hardin added. “It says not only are we working on technical skills, but we have the academic skills tied in with it.”

 

The awards will be presented by the president of the Southern Regional Education Board on July 9 at the High Schools That Work staff development conference in Nashville, Tenn. Several staffers from Southside and Eastside will be there to acknowledge the honors.

 

To earn this recognition, the technology centers had 85 percent or more of their students meet at least one readiness goal on the 2008 HSTW assessment. In addition, they had at least half of their students complete the HSTW-recommended curriculum in at least one subject or had 40 percent or more of students indicate they experienced an intensive emphasis on quality career/technical studies.

 

In other good news, for the first time, Southside and Eastside both have earned credentialing from the Southern Association of Accredited Schools.

 

“It helps with attracting students and with our dual credit with postsecondary schools,” Norman said, noting that students can get college credit for some of their tech classes.