EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS

The 2021 school year took the Cherokee County School District (CCSD) to record heights in both student academic performance and Career Pathway engagement.

The Cherokee County School

“We’re dedicated to ensuring every student graduates ready for future success,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower says. “More of our students than ever before are earning college credit while still in high school and more of our students than ever before are graduating workplace ready through Career Pathway and industry certification opportunities.”

CCSD’s traditional high schools offer thirty-seven different Career Pathways, ranging from automotive maintenance and repair to health care services to computer science, with details about these programs at CherokeeK12.net/ Content2/Careers. Among the most popular industry certifications are numerous Microsoft opportunities, health care certifications like certified nursing assistant, and welding certifications.

CCSD’s newly launched Cherokee College & Career Academy, known as C3, offers high school students the opportunity to participate in unique Career Pathway programs not offered on their school’s campus.

Housed at the ACTIVE Academies campus in Canton, C3 opened in the 2021 school year with classes in cybersecurity. Students travel to C3 for morning or afternoon career classes then spend the remainder of the day at their school’s campus attending core classes.

For the 2022-23 school year, additional programs will be added in unmanned aircraft systems and flight operations, with opportunities for students to earn FAA certification in small unmanned aircraft systems and pilot ground operations. Selection of the programs was based on industry needs, and Cherokee County’s regional airport offers excellent partnership opportunities.

CCSD’s Career Pathway programs succeed thanks to partnerships with local business and industry, which also give students opportunities for Work Based Learning. CCSD develops these important partnerships through programs including the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce’s Partners in Education program and the Cherokee Office of Economic Development’s Workforce Collaborative.

Through these partnerships, CCSD has been able to offer students new options like paid summer internships with local employers to both learn about careers and job opportunities and earn a paycheck. Additionally, through a partnership with the Be Pro Be Proud Georgia program, CCSD students have learned about skilled professional careers by visiting its mobile hands-on classroom. Students who decide to pursue these careers are celebrated at the annual Skilled Professionals Signing Day presented through this partnership.

CCSD also maintains its high standards for college preparation, with an expansion of the Advanced Placement program. In addition to the 30 AP courses offered in core academic subjects through which high school students can earn college credit, CCSD now offers the AP Capstone Program.

AP Capstone is a two-year project-based learning program designed to help students develop critical thinking, research, collaboration, and presentation skills that are crucial to academic success. The elite program, which was developed by The College Board in partnership with colleges and universities, is offered in select high schools nationwide, with Etowah High School graduating its first class in 2019 and Sequoyah High School graduating its first class in 2022. River Ridge High School will be eligible to graduate its first class in 2023, and Woodstock High School started the program during the 2022-23 academic year.