Reed High School's S.T.A.R.S. (Success Through Applied Relevant Studies) Career & Technical Education Academy prepares students for the competitive job market of the 21st Century. Students can enroll in a 3- or 4-year Program of Study in the areas of Automotive Technology, Culinary Arts, or Metalworking and Design. Students who enroll in the S.T.A.R.S. CTE Academy are provided with the opportunity to participate in a more rigorous, relevant curriculum that applies to their daily lives as well as their future. S.T.A.R.S. CTE Academy students are given the opportunity to make interdisciplinary connections between their core curriculum classes and their academy classes as they gain hands-on knowledge in a specific career pathway. S.T.A.R.S. CTE Academy students graduate ready for college and highly-skilled careers.
Program Overview / Strategic Plan
The Washoe County School District's Strategic Plan, Envison 2015:
Investing In Our Future, promises a district that promotes the best
educational opportunities for every student to achieve high academic
success and receive the support they need to graduate ready for
college and highly-skilled careers. The Signature High School
programs were developed to focus on specialized, engaged student learning that supports
student achievement as part of the WCSD Strategic Plan. As a S.T.A.R.S. Academy student
progresses on their career pathway they may:
1) Take advanced level classes in their program of study.
2) Earn college tech prep credit.
3) Obtain industry recognized certification, such as the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
4) Develop entrepreneurial skills.
5) Participate in a Career and Technical Student Organization.
SkillsUSA
Students in the
S.T.A.R.S. CTE
Academy will have the
opportunity to
participate in SkillsUSA, a nationally
recognized organization that provides
quality educational experiences for students
in leadership, teamwork, citizenship, and
character development. It builds and
reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes
and communication skills. SkillsUSA
emphasizes total quality at work, high
ethical standards, superior work skills,
lifelong education and pride in the dignity of
work. It promotes understanding of the free
enterprise system and involvement in
community service activities. SkillsUSA is an
intricate part of the S.T.A.R.S. CTE
Academy.
Tech Prep Credit
Tech Prep is a
program that allows
students to earn
college credit from
Career and Technical Education courses
completed in high school through a formal
articulation agreement between the college
and the Washoe County School District. It
provides students with clear educational
pathways, academic training, technical
expertise, and the social skills needed to
successfully identify and pursue highly-
skill, high-wage careers. Students can earn
community college credit in their Program
of Study classes at no cost to them -- it's
free! Tech Prep starts the student on a
career path that can lead from high school
to college and, ultimately, to obtaining
their career goal.
College and Career Ready
S.T.A.R.S. CTE Academy graduates have job specific, technical skills that lead to employment or acceptance in post-secondary institutions. These post-secondary institutions include technical or community colleges like Truckee Meadows Community College, Universal Technical Institute, Johnson & Wales Culinary School as well as universities like the University of Nevada-Reno. Each program of study in the S.T.A.R.S. CTE Academy prepares students for future careers and educational opportunities.
Industry Certification
Today's high paying technical jobs require industry recognized certifications. By 2018, according to Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce, employers in America will need 4.7 million workers with postsecondary certificates. Twenty seven percent of people with certification will earn more money than the average person with a B.A. degree. A person with a CTE-related credential or Associate Degree will earn an average of between $5,000 and $15,000 more a year than a person with a humanities or social sciences Associate Degree, and those with credentials in high-demand fields such as health care can average almost $20,000 more a year. (Jacobson et al, "Pathways to Boosting the Earnings of Low-Income Students by Increasing Their Educational Attainment," 2009.) Reed High School's S.T.A.R.S. CTE Academy offers programs of study whereby students can earn industry recognized certifications.
