by Jessica Milashus
“Despite consistent improvements in our state’s high school graduation rates, ACT performance, ESPO attainment, and seamless college enrollment rates since 2015, less than 30 percent of high school graduates are completing a postsecondary credential within 6 years of graduation. Moreover, the structural barriers to completing postsecondary training disproportionately affects vulnerable student populations. As we imagine a future that works, we must address the inequities in our current system.” (TN Department of Education)
To address these issues, the state of Tennessee has passed a $500 million state investment in Innovative School Model (ISM) as a way to eliminate the structural barriers that exist between high school, workforce, and postsecondary systems. The goal behind this investment is to allow students the ability to seamlessly make connections ensuring that all students graduate high school prepared to successfully complete a postsecondary credential or attain high-quality employment. “ISM is the department’s strategy to empower schools to transform the traditional high school and middle school models to foster a culture of college and career awareness and readiness. The program will provide middle schools and high schools with the resources, flexibility, and technical support to successfully reimagine time, space, partnerships, and modes of learning while engaging all learners in grades 6-12.” (TN Department of Education)
Fentress County School District began their application with intent to participate in the Innovative School Models (ISM) in the later months of 2022 and completed the application process and plan of action model in early 2023. The state approved the county’s application and awarded each of the elementary schools and Clarkrange High School with funds according to the credentials: Allardt Elementary, South Fentress Elementary, and Pine Haven were all awarded $500,000 for serving more than 100 students in their middle school (6th-8th), York Elementary was awarded $200,000 for serving less than 100 in their middle school (6th-8th), and Clarkrange High School was awarded $1,000,000 for being a high school serving more than 100 students. In total, the state of Tennessee awarded Fentress County $2.7 million to implement the state’s guidelines for the Innovative School Model (ISM). This money will be motioned to be accepted by the county at the Fentress County School Board meeting on Monday, March 6.
STEM/STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Coordinator, Sheri Stilts spoke of the advancements Fentress County Elementary Schools have already been exploring over the last several years and the plans for using the additional funds in the middle school (6th-8th) grades. The main goal for implementing the Innovative School Model in middle school is to “support students in making connections to their interests and aptitude earlier, allowing for a more directive leaning path and seamless transition to high school and beyond. This encourages students to make intentional decisions about future goals aligned to their interests with expert advising from trained educators: high school course selection, postsecondary options, major selection and/or career placement.” (TN Department of Education) These connections with be supported by teachers and the librarians here in the county. The librarians at each of the elementary school will be taking on the task this fall of helping 6th grade students create a college and career readiness portfolio of their interests and potential future careers as part of the Career Exploration classes.
In addition to providing music classes at each school, in the 2022-2023 school year, Fentress County School System hired 2 art teachers to provide students with art courses during their encore rotations. Through the acceptance of the ISM funds, the elementary schools look to hire 4 new positions in the upcoming school year: 2 STEM instructors and 2 agriculture instructors. These instructors would work a similar rotation as the current music and art teachers, by each working 2 schools each: first semester (fall) at one and the second semester (spring) at the other. The addition of the 2 STEM and 2 agriculture teachers would allow CTE classes to be offered at the middle school level, along with the Career Exploration classes that were added to the library rotation.
Through past grants each of the elementary schools were able to purchase STEM related equipment and two of the elementary schools have 3D printers that were received by teachers who attended professional development at TTU during the summer. All the schools have access to the 3D printers; but since their training was limited, the schools haven’t put the equipment to use to its fullest potential. However, there is at least one person from each school enrolled in certification classes this spring. With the hopes of accepting the acquisition of the ISM funds, Fentress County Schools are taking the initiative to help equip more of its teachers with the training and skills needed to use their current equipment, such as STEM Certifications, Computer Science K-12 Certifications, and other skills-based courses. All four of the elementary schools, along with Clarkrange High School, are working towards becoming STEM Designated schools through plan of action portfolios. After receiving those certifications, the county has intentions of purchasing additional equipment for student use during classroom lessons and in after-school clubs, such as a virtual welding simulator, computer science technology, t-shirt printing equipment, and classroom equipment.
Fentress County School District has been able to provide students with different after school and Summer STEM and Art programs over the last several years, but they hope to provided a larger variety of opportunities for students moving forward, though receival of this grant. The county looks forward to introducing E-Sports, which is a “video game” type prototype that exposes students to the world of coding with the lead help of Wayne Crouch and Jason Hull, providing each school with afterschool STEM/Tech clubs and work-based learning clubs, and providing more career-based learning trips and tours within our local and surrounding communities.
Vocational Director, Karen Little, spoke of the advancements Clarkrange High School has already been implementing over the last several years and the plans for using the additional funds. The main goal for implementing the Innovative School Model in high school is to “empower districts to reimagine the use of time, space, partnerships, and modes of learning to accelerate and increase student attainment of high-quality, in-demand postsecondary credentials, by aligning high school programs to regional career pathways in partnership with employers, industry, and postsecondary opportunities. They also provide students with the opportunity to earn college credits and industry certification alongside high school requirements, through integration of ‘soft skills’ into daily instruction, curriculum, and experiences.” (TN Department of Education)
CHS has worked in coordination with TCAT Huntsville and Dwight Murphy to provide students with dual enrollment opportunities for CNA, Welding, and Farming Operations Technology. CHS Agricultural teacher, Patrick Little, currently works in coordination with Hailey Stults, the Farming Operations Technology teacher for TCAT at York Agricultural Institute, to match standards and provided his 20 agriculture students with dual enrollment opportunities. CHS also currently has 14 dually-enrolled welding students and 10 dually-enrolled CNA students through TCAT Huntsville. Through the funding of the Innovative School Model (ISM), Clarkrange High School will be completing the vocational building, that is currently under construction at the rear of the high school, and will be able to offer additional new opportunities to the students at CHS. Through their plan of action model, they are working to become a STEM Designated school and have devised to add dual enrollment courses for culinary arts, cosmetology, and EMT with spaces and equipment needed to be housed in the new building. CHS will also use funding from the ISM grant to purchase equipment, provide salary supplementation, and hopefully purchase a van to provide transportation for CTSO (Career Technical Student Organization) and work-based learning opportunities.
One of the big components of Innovative School Model (ISM) application was a plan for sustainability of the project, including aligning and/or matching funding sources by Fentress County. Through the implementation of the ISM funds, the county hopes to provide its students with career-based learning skills to help better allow them to become productive working members of our community and help advance the future work-force opportunities available in our county. Fentress County Schools has already created several partnerships with businesses in our community and has made connections with the Fentress County Chamber of Commerce through school board member Seth Vaughn, who is the Director of Tourism and Membership at the Chamber of Commerce. However, the goal is to partner with more businesses and members in the Fentress County community to help sustain the Innovative School Model after the 4 years of funding has ended.
If you are a local business and would like to learn more about investing in the future work force of our community, you can reach out to Fentress County Director of Schools, Kristi Hall at the Fentress County Board of Education: (931) 879-9218.
