All 10 of Porterville Unified School District's Pathways who have earned Distinguished status have maintained their status as Distinguished programs.
The 10 Pathway programs were again awarded with NAF's Katherine Blasik Distinguished level of recognition, NAF's highest level achievement.
Monache High School's Environmental Science Academy, ESA, Pathway has been awarded NAF’s Katherine Blasik Distinguished level recognition — NAF’s highest level of achievement.
The Distinguished designation is given to a select few programs who have reached Model level on NAF’s annual assessment, demonstrating a design that prepares students for success in college and careers. Model level is determined by an academy’s score on the assessment, which measures strengths and challenges in implementing NAF’s results driven design, A number of high performing academies meet additional thresholds to reach Katherine Blasik Distinguished level.
In the classroom NAF goes beyond what traditional career and technical education programs offer with experiential learning activities that complete career-focused curricula. With NAF students also are equipped with future-ready skills and industry-specific instruction. NAF was formerly known as the National Academy Foundation.
Of the 20 academies who have received distinguished status in California, 10 are PUSD Pathways. The PUSD Pathways maintaining Distinguished Status are:
Granite Hills' Advanced Career Education, ACE, and Academy of Law Justice and Ethics; Harmony Magnet Academy's Academy of Engineering and Academy of Fine Arts: Porterville High's Academy of Health Sciences, Partnership Academy of Business and Finance and Academy of Energy Resource Occupations, AERO; Strathmore High's Academy of Emerging Agricultural Technology; and Monache's Multimedia and Technology Academy, MTA, and Environmental Science Academy.
“We're pretty excited,” PUSD Pathways director Cynthia Brown said. “A great joy. We can't do this alone. We're grateful for all the members who make a difference.”
Brown was referring to all of the Pathways' stakeholders, including industry partners, educators and students. She said everyone involved is dedicated to make sure Pathway students are college career and future ready.
The state has also taken notice of what PUSD's Pathways are doing. A state contingent is touring the Valley this week and as part of their tour they will stop in Strathmore on Friday.
They will visit the Emerging Agricultural Technology Academy at Strathmore High and then will visit Harmony Magnet Academy. Included will be a presentation on the district's Farm to Fork program which is funded by a state grant.
Those coming on Friday are Dee Dee Myers, former White House press secretary for President Bill Clinton, who's now the director of the State's Office of Business and Economic Development, Go-Biz; State Labor Secretary Stewart Knox; and Derek Kirk, deputy secretary of climate economy for the State's Labor and Workforce Agency. Kirk is a member of Harmony's first Academy of Engineering graduating class.
“They reached out to us,” Brown said. “We definitely have a lot to show.”