
As students at Batesville High School (BHS) begin to sign up for the classes they want to take this fall, the current freshmen will have new, career-focused pathway options to consider. Learning communities have been developed, proactively aligning the BHS curriculum with future statewide graduation requirements. The two BHS learning communitiesâInnovation & Design and Service Industryâwill provide high schoolers with integrated career exploration opportunities and enable them to prove their readiness for enrollment, employment, or enlistment after graduation.
The learning community structure is part of Bulldog Ready, the Batesville Community School Corporationâs (BCSC) educational model that also provides students with in-depth real-world experiences. Within each of the two learning communities, career interests are broken down further into pathways and then concentrations so students can narrowly focus on a prescribed sequence of classes that will provide exposure to a potential career.
âThe development of the two learning communities, the eight pathways, and the various concentrations has taken us more than a year to tweak,â said Kyle Laker, BCSC Bulldog Ready Coordinator. âWe researched the Batesville areaâs workforce needs and the trends in career choices among our students and settled on these two main divisions. From there, we delved deeper and crafted pathways and concentrations. These align with course sequences the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) has outlined that will be part of the high school diploma for the Class of 2029 and beyond. Our Bulldog Ready work puts us ahead of many other schools, as we were already working on this structure before the new diploma requirements were announced.â
The Indiana high school diploma will also include, beginning with the class that is currently in eighth grade, the ability to earn readiness seals that align with each particular studentâs post-secondary education goal: additional education (enrollment), entering the workforce (employment), or serving the country (enlistment). If desired, students can enhance that seal by completing a three-course sequence in an area of interest that enables them to earn an industry credential before graduation.
âOur new pathways and concentrations will allow students to earn these credentials,â Laker added. âBoth the new IDOE diploma model and the learning community concept being implemented at BHS provide flexibility and choice.â
Current sophomores and juniors will not be included in the learning communities since the new model will be phased in one year at a time, beginning with the Class of 2028. As these freshmen students and their parents review the pathway options, some might determine that a particular area of career interest is unavailable. While the pathways feature courses that lead to credentials, students will still have room in their schedules to pursue other interests during the remaining class periods. The pathways only require one three-course sequence before graduation to fulfill the pathway goal.
âWith more flexibility being integrated into other diploma requirements, students should be able to take, for example, as many music classes as they can reasonably fit into their schedule while still fulfilling the three-course sequence in an offered concentration for a credential,â Laker explained. âWe are attempting to provide pathways for the most common career choices, but we canât meet every individual studentâs desire for a personalized pathway. However, that doesnât mean students canât take other classes they are interested in. Our goal is to enhance, not inhibit, the student experience.â
In their learning communities, BHS students will learn academics through the lens of a potential career, such as engineering, healthcare, or technology. All freshmen and sophomore classes will be taken at BHS. Beginning their junior year, students will have a variety of off-site options. Opportunities include taking classes at Ivy Techâs Batesville campus and the Southeastern Career Center, as well as participating in authentic work-based learning opportunities, job shadows, and other career exploration activities with local employers. Students will work closely with professionals in their field of interest, adding relevance to their studies and connecting classroom knowledge to success in the workplace.
âThis is our first year offering the pathways model at BHS,â Laker emphasized, âbut this has been in the planning stages for a long time. We are confident that students will graduate with increased exposure to career options and a better idea of what they do and donât want to pursue after receiving their high school diploma. We think it will be beneficial to all students.â
About Bulldog Ready at BCSC
For more information about the Bulldog Ready initiative or the BHS pathways, please visit the Bulldog Ready website or contact BCSC Bulldog Ready Coordinator Kyle Laker at klaker@batesville.k12.in.us or 812-934-4384.