Academies of Grand Island Senior High

The nation's first all-ninth grade academy to receive the National Career Academy Coalition Model Status!

We are completely dedicated to making the Freshman year a personalized success for every Islander student. My Choice, Our Voice.

The Academy of Freshman Exploration allows ninth-grade students to experience a positive transition from middle school to high school. In this academy, students can explore their interests and passions while learning about the opportunities in the upper academies at Grand Island Senior High.

Academy Principal: Jared Bombeck

 

The Academy of Business & Communication offers pathways in Finance and Entrepreneurship. Students in this academy gain hands-on experience by learning from staff and local community partners. Students in the Academy of Business & Communication have done everything from starting their own business, managing finances,  creating exciting marketplace products, and more!

Pathways

• Finance
• Entrepreneurship 

Academy Principal: Nate Helzer

We have classes at both Grand Island Senior High and Career Pathways Institute campuses.

The Academy of Engineering & Technology offers pathways in Engineering and Architecture.  Students in the Academy of Engineering and Technology also have many local internship and job shadowing opportunities.

Pathways

• Engineering
• Architecture

Academy Principal: Matt Wichman

Students in this academy have many opportunities to gain real world experience in their classes and in internships and job shadows. Students in the Academy of Medical Sciences & Education have had the opportunity to earn certifications as nursing assistants, learn about emergency services in a classroom ambulance simulator, complete practicum in a school classroom, and much more.

Pathways

• Healthcare
• Sports Medicine and Therapy
• Emergency Services
• Education

Academy Principal: Greg Schlegel

All pathways in this academy offer dual credit courses for juniors and seniors through Central Community College. Students in this academy have the opportunity to earn many industry certifications, including certifications in National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Snap-on multimeters.

The Academy of Technical Sciences also boasts many partnerships with community businesses to provide students with work-based learning opportunities through the US Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeships, internships, and job shadowing opportunities.

Pathways

• Automotive and Diesel
• Construction
• Manufacturing

Academy Principal: D.W. Holley

What if a student doesn’t get their first pathway choice?

Students will be given one of the other pathways they selected and they will work with counselors to personalize their schedules and coursework to reflect their college, career and life goals. Students will have the opportunity to take courses from separate academies.
 

How will pathways be populated with students?

As the student pathway requests are reviewed in November, administrators and counselors will work together to create a balance in student membership within the academies. We are prepared to make adjustments as needed.
 

How will students be notified on pathway choices?

Counselors will notify students with a one-on-one student interaction during the month of November.
 

What if my student’s career interest is not listed as pathway?

Students will be encouraged to choose the pathway that interests them the most. Students will receive their personalized education through specific job shadow and internship experiences.
 

WHY

What are Academies?

Academies are small schools within a school designed to prepare students for their options after high school, whether it be college or career. The academy structure links students with peers, teachers and community partners in an environment centered around student interests to foster academic success.
 

What led GIPS to go to this model? Did the community have input? Did students and staff have input?

Our community helped get GIPS to choose this model. We started a high school visioning process to explore the best way to prepare our students for their future. A team was formed consisting of Board of Education members, administrators, teachers, parents, community and business leaders, higher education representatives and, of course, students. With the help of a national school consulting group, the visioning team reviewed the benefits of at least six different high school models. The team, wanting to build on the success of the Career Pathways Institute, decided to continue with the academy model. This team’s work was formally adopted by the Board as part of the Strategic Plan. Input into the high school plan and the Strategic Plan came from more than 6,000 connections with stakeholders in the form of face-to-face and small group meetings, focus groups, surveys and personal conversations with community members, parents, staff and students. This solution was selected based on meeting the needs and desires of the collective group. Student surveys showed a resounding desire for more hands-on project-based learning and interest-based opportunities.
 

Why do you feel the need to change how the school works when it's perfectly fine? Why fix something that's not broken?

High school should prepare students for their future and not our past. We know the new economy requires vastly different skills than it did 30, 20, 10 and even five years ago. This model will put all students in control of their future and prepare them to succeed in whatever their next step in life is after high school. Our students were quite clear in telling us they wanted more personalized relevance in their learning.
 

Did GIPS develop this plan, or is there a model we are following?

Academies have a 30-plus-year history of success.The flexibility this model affords helps us ensure our students are life ready. Students spelled out the need for a solution this model provides. Academies have had varying degrees of success for decades in many other school districts. We are adapting the model from many others to fit Grand Island.
 

Do colleges like this academy? What feedback has the district received from universities? Does this translate into a college experience? If a student graduates from one academy, but that isn't what they want to go into in college, will it hinder college access?

Colleges and universities like this model. We have already been in contact with multiple colleges and they are on board and ready to partner with us. One reason is the transferable skills all students will gain no matter which academy they choose. The skills gained in any academy will prepare students for college in any area.
 

Are we focusing on careers when we haven't even covered life basics?

This model does not just focus on careers. In order to be life ready, students must have college prep, career prep and life prep. This model will afford us the opportunity to provide more of the life skill opportunities parents and our community are consistently asking for.
 

What if a student doesn't want to go to college? Does this model push college too much?

The graduate profile that has been developed provides all students college and career opportunities. Providing all students these experiences will best prepare them to make a wise decision for themselves after high school.

 

Are you expecting 14-year-old kids to decide what they want to do for a career for the rest of their lives? Are you pigeonholing kids into a career too early?

We are not asking students to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives in this model. However, we are preparing kids with the knowledge and skills they will need to thrive for the rest of their lives. The pathways and academies are less about a life-long career and more about what students are interested in right now.
 

How does the Academy model impact AP courses and opportunities?

GISH students will still have the same opportunities to take AP courses. If anything, these AP opportunities will grow. Asking students to select an academy is not about choosing a career, it is about what interests them now. The content and skills students learned in an academy are completely transferable. Making learning opportunities for students more relevant and rigorous is our job. We believe we can help all kids connect to school through academies in doing so student attendance will increase.
 

Why were the academies chosen? Why the pathways? What is H3?

The academies and pathways were chosen using the H3 to guide our work. H3 stands for High Skill, High Wage, High Demand. While we can offer anything, we can't offer everything. H3 serves as a model for which we can make academy and pathway decisions in order to prepare students for success in their future while ensuring access to community partners.

 

What has GIPS learned from other Nebraska schools who have tried this? What have we learned from districts who have failed at this? What other Class A schools have done this? Will this be like Kearney's failure?

Even though we are "rivals" we work very closely with Kearney. Kearney High was facing barriers and challenges that we simply do not have. Our model is not going to be anything like Kearney's attempt at this. There are class A districts succeeding with the model, including a couple of examples in Omaha Public Schools.

 

HOW

What about students who don't know what they want to do? What if a student doesn't fit into any of these academies? What career exploration will students have before they are required to choose an academy?

Our PK-12 system is focused on the whole child. Students begin exploring their interests in elementary and continue through middle school. The Freshman Academy is designed to help students continue to discover and explore their interests. All freshmen will attend a career fair as another opportunity to discover what options they have and what goals they may want to set for themselves. This model is designed to help students start discovering how their interests and passions can translate into adulthood.
 

It is passion-based, but if a student changes passions, are they stuck? What happens when a student changes interests or wants out of a pathway? What happens when a student gets on a career path and finds it isn't for them? Can students change academies? How will students change academies? What does the process look like? How difficult will it be to change pathways or academies?

Students will be able to change academies at the end of their sophomore year. This process has yet to be defined. We will do everything we can to help students succeed. Changing pathways within an academy will be much easier, as many of the classes will likely align. In talking to students at other districts who have academies, requests for changes are rare. Students told us this is partly due to the number of relationships they form within their pathways and academy teams.
 

If you have a career idea that is not listed in a specific Academy?

Part of the benefit of this model is personalized academics for our students. If a career idea or interest a student has is not directly aligned with our pathways, we will work with to personalize a related pathway to meet that student’s needs, through electives, distance learning or work-based learning opportunities. Our goal is to help 100 percent of our students find high school to be relevant to their individual passions.
 

Is English the only required class for seniors?

Currently, English is the only class students are required to take for four years.
 

Are graduation requirements going to change? If the number of years for getting into college is four years math and science, are we changing our graduation requirements?

At this time, this isn’t being discussed.
 

DETAILS

Is the advisory time mandatory for all students?

Yes, all students will participate in advisory time.
 

Can students take classes in other academies?

Yes, pathway courses can also serve as electives or choice classes for students across academies.
 

Can students still be involved in multiple activities, fine arts and athletics?

Yes, all students will still have the opportunity to participate in multiple activities.
 

Does early bird go away? Is early bird every day? Will early bird be considered a class?

Early bird classes will still be an option next year. Yes, it will count as a class.
 

Can any student take AP classes?

Yes, any student can take an AP course. Some may be in a different academy or may be a global class, but all students will have access to AP classes.
 

Is the block schedule in place just to get more out of teachers?

The exact opposite is true in a block schedule. Over eight periods teachers teach for six. The other two periods are reserved for academy planning and content area planning.
 

Will it still be broken into two semesters?

Yes, there will still be two semesters of courses each year.
 

Are you getting rid of honors-level classes?

No. We are actually going to fine-tune the process to ensure every student is given equal access and appropriate level of challenge in all areas.
 

QUESTIONS?

If you have additional questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us at 308.385.5950. Our team is happy to provide support! 

 

#WearPurpleBeGold

2013-14

• Bond issue: Building a new high school is taken out of the plan for the Fall 2014 bond issue due to cost and lack of understanding of the need.

2016

• February: Board of Education hears a presentation about hiring a consultant to assist GIPS and community in developing a plan for the future of high school in Grand Island. “This conversation won’t simply be about a new building, but will be about what the community wants for our students in the year 2020, 2025 and beyond.” The Board voted unanimously to hire District Management Council at the March Board of Education meeting.
• September: Board votes unanimously to hire Cross & Joftus to lead district strategic planning process.
• September 12-14: DMC consultants meet with Board members, administrators, staff and students, as well as host four community meetings to gather feedback on what community wants for its graduates.
• October 27: First meeting of GISH Vision Team. This team is formed to research and make a recommendation on the direction for GISH going forward. The team includes three GISH students, four GISH teachers/counselors, two GISH principals, eight GIPS administrators (including Dr. Grover), three Board of Education members, one middle school principal, six business/community representatives and three higher education representatives.
• Fall-Winter: GIPS undergoes community meetings for strategic planning with Cross & Joftus.
• December: High school scheduling task force formed.

2017

• March: Board of Education hears update and recommendation from GISH Vision Team to move to college and career academy model.
• June: Board of Education unanimously approves GIPS strategic plan.
• July: Board of Education hears the recommendation from GISH Vision Team to hire Dr. Jay Steele and Steele Dynamics to help implement the Grand Island academies. In August, the Board voted unanimously to hire Dr. Steele.
• September 6-8: Dr. Steele works with Academy Leadership Team, GISH staff and counselors and GIPS administrators and Board members to develop implementation plans for GISH Academies. Graduate Profile and district nonnegotiables are established.
• September 26-27: Academy Brand Team meets.
• October 9-12: Community update meetings during Parent-Teacher Conferences.
• October 23-25: Dr. Steele works with Leadership Team on business and partnership engagement.
• October 29-November 1: Group of GISH students, staff, counselors and principals, GIPS administrators and Board members and community partners attend National Career Academy Coalition Conference in Nashville, Tenn., and tour Academies of Nashville.
• November 13-15: Consultant works with GISH staff on scheduling and team planning.
• November 20: COMMUNITY UPDATE MEETING

2017

• November 27-29: Consultant gives GISH staff training on program of study development.
• December: Group of GISH Math teachers visit Omaha Benson to observe teaching in a block schedule.
• December: GISH staff will know the academy in which they will teach.

2018

• January 3-5: Consultant gives GISH staff training on teaching in a block schedule and project-based learning.
• January 30-February 1: Consultant works with Leadership Team on goal setting using data.
• FEBRUARY: COMMUNITY UPDATE MEETING
• March 27-29: Consultant working with Leadership Team and GISH staff on developing the Freshman Seminar and Senior Capstone experiences.
• Spring-Fall: Continued training for staff on teaching in a block schedule, project-based learning and team planning.
• August: Incoming ninth-grade students begin the school year in Academy of Freshman Exploration. All of Grand Island Senior High and Career Pathways Institute are on a block schedule.
• Fall: Work continues on program of study for all academies.
• November: Students learn of pathways they have been placed in based on their requests.

2019

• Spring: Academy of Freshman Exploration awarded Model Status by National Career Academy Coalition, the first freshman academy to earn the status in the country.
• Fall: All Academies of Grand Island Senior High are in operation.