Exploratory Program Description SY 2024-2025

DESCRIPTION

Students participate in 14 career/technical programs and are scheduled for a STEM experience week during the first 15 shop weeks of the school year. Each freshman selects 8 shops to explore and will be placed in 6 additional shops by computer selection.

GRADING

Freshmen will receive a numerical grade for each exploratory or STEM based on an evaluation of the student’s performance. Students earn 2.0 credits on their permanent high school transcript for each passing exploratory or STEM grade (max. 30 credits, passing grade = 65).

ATTENDANCE

4 Points will be deducted for each day absent from shop. Students are eligible to make up absences by completing one after school session with the shop and one take home assignment per each day absent from the shop. This makeup session should occur within 10 days of the student’s return from the absence.

A freshman may be allowed to re-explore a shop only if more than half of the exploratory work is missed due to extenuating circumstances. Documentation is required and there must be space availability.

SHOP SELECTION

Freshmen make their shop selections at the end of the 15th exploratory. Students will be asked to rank order the exploratory shops in which they have received a passing grade. The STEM experience week is not an exploratory shop that a student can choose as a final shop choice.

Freshmen are placed in their permanent shops for the last half of trimester three. Students earn 6.0 credits on their permanent high school transcript for passing the permanent freshmen shop.

A computerized selection process attempts to place all students in their first choice shop. If space in that shop is unavailable, the computer will then place students in the next shop preference where space is available.

WAIT LIST

Wait Lists are generated for all shops that have filled to capacity. Students are organized on waitlists according to:

1. Shop selection rank order, then
2. Numerical grade earned for that shop

In the case of a tie, where students have equal numerical grades for a shop, the tie will be broken by using the following criteria:

1. Average of all exploratory grades, if the tie is still not broken, then
2. Grade point average for all academic courses

REVIEW PROCESS

Review process for Students Not Accepted into Selected Vocational Shop Area:

Upon receipt of notification that the student was not selected for enrollment in a selected shop program, the student’s parent/guardian may request a review of the decision. This request must be in the form of a letter requesting a placement review and sent to the Principal within 30 days of shop placement. The Principal will respond to the letter within 30 days, in writing, with the findings of the review.

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