Smith-Cotton High School

Smith-Cotton High School

Vocational-Technical Education

Enhancement Grant Application

2006-2007

Statement of Need

School and Community Background

The Sedalia School District #200 is located in Sedalia, Missouri, in the central part of the state. Founded in 1924, Smith-Cotton High School (S-CHS) serves grades 9 through 12 with an enrollment of 1,255 students for the 2005-2006 academic year. Sedalia is a historic city and the high school itself is one of the oldest original structures still operating as a school in the state of Missouri. We are celebrating our 81st year as a high school and rich tradition is embedded in our school. Located approximately halfway between Kansas City and St. Louis, slightly south of Interstate 70, Sedalia is the commercial center for the five smaller towns in Pettis County as well as numerous other small towns in the adjoining counties.

Sedalia is a working class city with several industrial and manufacturing companies providing employment for a significant number of citizens along with residents of neighboring communities. We have a hospital that is the second largest employer in the city along with a large food processing facility in a neighboring community. Many of our students are considered first-generation college bound and the majority of our students work while in high school. 44% of our high school population is eligible for the free or reduced lunch program. For an increasing number of students, the income they earn is used to help support the family, not just used for discretionary purposes (S-CHS Student Survey).

The Business and Marketing Education Departments at S-CHS provide students with training for entry-level positions in high-demand occupations as well as articulated credit through our local community college, State Fair Community College (SFCC). For the past 7 years we have had articulation agreements in place with SFCC and our students can earn up to a maximum of 11 credit hours based upon the work done through our programs. The following four vocational courses at S-CHS have current articulation agreements with SFCC: Computer Applications, Marketing, Computer Programming, and Accounting.

It is critical that our programs remain competitive and current with the college curriculum in order to retain our ability to provide our students with credit for these courses. The articulation credit available is applied to any certificate or degree offered at SFCC and can shorten the time spent in college by as much as 15 college credit hours, thus resulting in a significant cost and time savings for our students. The SFCC staff evaluates our courses periodically and this grant will allow us to upgrade our technology and software keeping us in step with their requirements and maximizing the number of credit hours our students can earn.

In addition to articulated credit, students are also able to earn college credit through dual enrollment courses taught at S-CHS and co-enrollment courses taken at SFCC during the school day and beyond. A college preparatory certificate, along with being certified as an A+ high school, gives our students options to continue their education beyond high school. While approximately 70% of our students do enroll in post-secondary training, a significant 30% directly enter the workforce for full employment. The majority of our students who do enroll in post-secondary education, also work while attending college (DESE, School Data, 2005). To achieve their goals, our students must be competitive and well-trained in order to enable them to support a lifestyle that is both comfortable and sufficient for their needs.

Our Business and Marketing Education Departments strive to give our students current, rigorous, and relevant curriculum and skills so that they will be well prepared to advance to the next level whether it be additional training or directly entering the job market. All of the students enrolled in our business department classes will benefit from this grant award. Both the vocational and non-vocationally enrolled students will have access to the upgrades in technology, the current equipment and the software enhancements.

The Business Department served 585 students this year, which is 55% of our entire student population. With the advent of the new state requirement for Personal Finance for the 2010 graduates and beyond, the Business Department will be reaching an even larger portion of our student body. As a result of the Personal Finance course requirement, even more students will be exposed to courses in the Business Department and potentially increasing our enrollment even further.

Occupational Outlook & Projections

As the expectations for all workers grow, the same is expected of the high school graduate. Once considered a terminal degree, the high school diploma is often thought of as the bare minimum for continuing one’s vocation or as the entrée into the working world. William Daggett, author and pioneer in school and work research writes that the world in which the current high school graduate will perform their work will be vastly different from our own. Technology is increasing at such a pace that it is doubling in days, not in years, as was once the standard. Our students must be exposed to and fluent in technology. Our students are entering fields and establishing careers in a world that will have technology as a centerpiece--not as a peripheral option.

According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), the following occupations have received either an average, above average, or excellent job outlook growth potential for the next ten years and all are careers that are available in the west central area of Missouri. Coupled with the expected job opportunity openings are the high school courses that are typically associated with these positions.

High Demand Business & Marketing Occupations

CIP Code / Occupations / Typical Course Titles
CIP 52.1400 / Retail Salespersons
Cashiers
Counter and Rental clerks / Marketing I, II
CIP 11.0103 / Order clerks, Travel Agents
Data Entry Keyers, Computer Support Specialists, Secretaries, Word Processors and Typists / Multimedia, Desktop Publishing
CIP 52.0101 / Bookkeeping, Accounting, &
Auditing clerks,
Executive Secretaries / Accounting, Computer Applications

High School Needs

The Sedalia School District #200 is trying to meet the needs of students by keeping computers and equipment up to date. It is imperative that we train our students on the type of equipment that they will be using in the workplace and with the type of software programs that they will be using as well. In addition, for our students who opt for post-secondary training, the need to be fluent and skilled in current technology is just as important.

Career Education Marketing Classroom Program Needs

We currently have six computers in the marketing lab, which were purchased in 2001 through an enhancement grant. These computers are equipped with 256 Mb of RAM which is insufficient for the computer software applications needed to appropriately teach the current curriculum. The marketing curriculum emphasizes promotion with products and presentations. Students need to learn to use current technology in creating effective promotional presentations. In addition, the physical structures of the classroom make it very difficult for students to see what is being demonstrated and participate in active learning strategies. Wall space is limited due to windows and the structural design of the room. The room is long and narrow and those students sitting on either end of the classroom have difficulty viewing the only available board space.

The lab should be ergonomically sound so that students will be able to be physically comfortable and learn proper technique. Currently there are nonadjustable chairs and ineffective computer tables in this classroom. New computer stations and the purchase of computers with flat screen monitors will help with this problem in the classroom.

The marketing students must share in the two digital cameras currently available in the Business Department. A camera is needed to prepare presentations for competition at conferences and class projects. We have approximately 145 students enrolled in marketing sharing two cameras along with the 81 students in the Multimedia/Desktop Publishing classes.

Career Education Multimedia and Desktop Publishing Program Needs

The classroom is currently equipped with 24 computers with 256 Mb of RAM which makes it difficult to use most graphic design programs at best and impossible at the worst. The computers are currently situated on five-foot non-adjustable tables with two computers to a table. The chairs are non-adjustable and the set-up is crowded and does not facilitate student learning. Visual presentations are limited due to lack of board space that is viewable by all students. Students lack hands-on learning opportunities and pedagogy is limited by space and technology. We currently have two digital cameras, which are shared between all three departments. These cameras have

1.2 mega pixels and lack sufficient mega pixels to take high quality photos. Technology has advanced significantly to make these cameras largely obsolete.

The classroom currently has two ink jet printers that print one-sided copies thus making it impossible to teach curriculum-based classroom projects requiring two-sided copies such as brochures. Further hindering classroom activities and assignments is the lack of functional copier capabilities. Student-prepared presentations and teacher related projects are limited due to the lack of a reliable and available institutional copy machine. S-CHS has one copy machine, which is shared by 83 teachers, and students are restricted from using this machine.

Career Education Computer Applications and Accounting Program Needs

As students grow and develop their competitive employment skills, they need adequate technology to remain employable and competitive. Currently in the computer applications and accounting lab, the 24 computers have an inadequate amount of RAM, only 256 MB in each computer. As students desperately try to work on Access or create their PowerPoint projects, the computers freeze and they lose their current work. Ineffective desks and chairs cause students to complain of their backs and wrists hurting. Ergonomics is a concept taught in all business classes, but our labs are currently not ergonomically safe; students are quick to make this observation.

When students prepare major projects such as accounting reports or PowerPoint presentations in Computer Applications or Accounting, they have no effective way of formally giving the presentation. Currently students can surround one computer in the room as they all try to see the small screen and listen to their classmates’ presentations. A Smart Board is desperately needed in this case. Students would effectively be competitive in the workforce if they learn to use the current technology in school that they will be expected to use in higher education or the business workforce.

Besides giving presentations, accounting students must master an accounting software program before they complete the course. Our current version of the QuickBooks program is outdated and freezes as students try to generate complex balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and cash flow statements. An update to the latest edition of QuickBooks would also better prepare students for programs that are currently being used in workforce.

As students work on their projects, instructors have no electronic control over students’ computers. SychronEyes is needed in this lab to block students from certain websites, turn monitors off when instruction is given, and project parallel information to all students on every computer.

In addition to SychronEyes, students currently use Dragon Naturally Speaking in their Computer Applications course. This lab currently has version 7 of the software and needs to update to version 8. The most current version will help students again be competitive with current programs being used, in addition to giving them more speaking flexibility and advanced speaking tools in all programs when using Dragon Naturally Speaking 8.

Students must remain competitive and employable. As educators, it is our job to also remain competitive and stay current with technology. We must update our classrooms to effectively prepare our students.

Description of Improvements

The Vocational Education Enhancement Grant will enable Smith-Cotton High School to update the following vocational programs: Computer Applications, Computer Design (Desktop Publishing and Multimedia), Computer Programming, Accounting, and Marketing through the purchase of needed hardware, software, and equipment. The new equipment and software will enable each of our labs to be upgraded to the Windows XP operating system as well as Office 2003. The Computer Applications course is currently being taught in both Business Education labs and voice recognition is also taught in both as part of the Computer Applications curriculum. Therefore, Dragon Naturally Speaking is needed in both labs. The grant will enable us to purchase SynchronEyes so that the instructor will be able to monitor students at all times and show demos on their computers if needed. Through the use of this new and up-to-date equipment to be purchased with the enhancement grant, our students will be better prepared to find work or go on to higher education.

Career Education Marketing Classroom Program

Computers: This grant would allow us to purchase six Pentium 4 computers with 512 MB of RAM, floppy drives, CD burners, and front USB ports. Each computer would also come with a new flat screen monitor, keyboard, and mouse and would have sufficient RAM to allow students to operate the more current software, save larger up-to-date presentation files, and utilize the Internet to research and investigate curriculum related activities.

64” Smart Board: With the purchase of this board, with all operating components, would improve students’ competitiveness and employability. Promotion is the key to success in Marketing; therefore, students would learn the new technology that businesses are currently using in promoting their products or services.

Digital Cameras: Two new digital cameras would also be used to improve productivity and efficiency in the classroom. These cameras would upgrade our current student/camera ratio from 15/1 to 10/1. The current cameras have 1.2 mega pixels. If purchased, the new cameras will have at least 5 mega pixels that will allow students to present better quality work. Student motivation will increase as quality improves their promotional presentations.

Workstations: The purchase of six computer stations would allow students to work on their projects at greater length without becoming tired and sore from improper ergonomic positions. Each station comes with an adjustable rolling chair that allows for flexibility in student height. The workstations would also improve the physical layout of the room allowing for better use of space and room for student/teacher interaction. By using ergonomic workstations, students will be able to understand firsthand the benefits of using proper technique in the classroom/work environment.

Career Education Multimedia and Desktop Publishing Program

Computers: With the grant we would be purchasing 24 Pentium 4 computers with 1 GB of RAM, floppy drives, CD burners, and front USB ports. These computers would allow students to operate current software, save larger up-to-date presentation files, and utilize the Internet to research and investigate curriculum related activities. The computers for the Multimedia class need to be equipped with an enhanced graphic interface card along with a video capture card that would allow students to manipulate graphics efficiently in their design classes. These computers would also come with a new flat screen monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

64” Smart Board: With the purchase of this board, along with all operating components, students would be able to effectively present their projects to other students without having to look over one another’s shoulders. Students would increase their active learning skills as they can “see and touch” when learning a new program or technology. The Smart Board would also prepare students to use current technology in the workforce or in higher education.

Workstations: With the purchase of 24 computer workstations students will be able to work on their projects at greater length without becoming tired and sore from improper ergonomic positions. Each station would come with an adjustable rolling chair that allows for flexibility in student height. Workstations would also contain cords, which would allow for better mobility in the classroom for the teacher and students.

Digital Cameras: A new digital camera would also be used to improve productivity and efficiency in the classroom. This camera would upgrade our current student/camera ratio from 12:2 to 8:3. Current cameras have 1.2 mega pixels. With the purchase of this new 5 mega pixel camera, students will be able to present better quality work. Student motivation should increase as quality improves their presentations.