“Our kids come from twenty different schools, five separate school districts, and we offer seventeen different Career and Technical programs. We’re a busy place,” Principal Sue Shields said with a grin. “Some kids come in having passed the WASL, others haven’t. It doesn’t matter to us. They have a clean slate.” {Sue Shields}
At the Puget Sound Skills Center in Tukwila, students suit up in actual fire fighter gear to practice fire drills. Other students learn to transcribe dental information into client files. Still others leave their Translation/Interpretation classes to go into local middle schools to interpret for non-English speaking students. Some of the students created a Collection of Evidence last year, and for two Puget Sound Skills Center seniors, it was a great achievement.
“I liked the COE a lot. If it wasn’t for the COE I wouldn’t have graduated.” Eddie Nelson, an African American student, attends Puget Sound Skills Center. He breezed through the Writing WASL his sophomore year, but the reading and mathematics tests gave him a little more trouble. “At my school (Eddie worked on his collection at Federal Way High School), there was a class you could take. You could do the COE if you wanted, but no one was going to make you. I worked with my teacher sometimes just by myself. That really helped in math and reading.”
There are many students who submit a COE in more than one content area. All Washington students must pass the reading and writing tests in order to graduate, but they must pass reading, writing, and mathematics in order to earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement—the highest academic honor the state of Washington awards.
“We did everything in the classroom. Our teacher taught us and then we did the work samples ourselves. At first the math was hard, but once I learned how to answer the problems it got easier. I could focus on one work sample at a time. That was good. The WASL made it hard because there was so many problems and I have trouble sitting still that long.”
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Eddie was able to work on a variety of mathematics and reading work
samples in a regular classroom. His teacher chose which work samples
fit Eddie’s interests as well as the state’s requirements.
“If I had to talk to other students about it, I’d say go for it,” Eddie said seriously.
“Also I’d tell those people in the Legislature to keep it. There are other kids like me.”
For many Washington students the COE is the path they can take to stay
in their CTE classes. Their teachers help to integrate work samples
into the curriculum. For Eddie it was classes towards an automotive
certificate. When asked what his goal was now that he graduated from
high school he said, “I want to work with Fords. That’s my goal.” {Eddie}
Eddie was ready to move to his next class, so we all stood up to leave the classroom. We congratulated him on earning his CAA.
“Is that the sticker that was on my diploma? That’s cool,” he said and smiled over his shoulder as he went out the door.
*******
Michelle Jack is working with her eyes glued to a computer screen when
her teacher introduces us. She is a soft spoken graceful young woman
who tells us her family is from Micronesia.
“I liked the COE a
lot. It wasn’t stressful like the WASL. When I would take that test and
everyone was starting to leave, I felt bad about leaving so many
questions blank. It made me feel bad about myself. Then my teacher told
me about a COE class. At first I thought it would be dumb, but then I
started to really like it.” She shrugged her shoulders shyly.
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{Michelle} Michelle passed the reading and writing WASL her sophomore year. But
she wanted to pass the math test too. She plans to go to college, and
she was determined to show that she could pass all three tests. Michelle is passionate about computers, the internet, and how they work
together. Her work area is clean and organized, and we see her picture
on the wall featured in the web design group.
“I finally learned
the math,” she said nodding her head proudly, “my teacher helped to
break it down into smaller pieces. I really got it. Learning it in
small parts made a difference. It was a lot of work, but I didn’t care.
I worked on the papers all of the time. Finally I could do it on my
own. I even filled out all of the forms,” she said smiling.
“When
I found out I passed, I felt like I could really accomplish it. I can
be independent. But the best part was,” her eyes blazed, “when I turned
it in there weren’t any blanks and all of the questions were answered.”
*******
“We try to run this place as more of a business than a
school,” Principal Sue Shields commented as students streamed around us
during their morning break. “We’re the oldest Skill Center in the
state, and the COE is part of it, but not all of it. Kids prefer to go
to school here. If they need to do a COE, their teachers help by
modifying their assignments. Our attitude is that we can accommodate to
help our students do anything. We want them to have that same
attitude.”
The Puget Sound Skills Center is a haven for students
like Eddie Nelson and Michelle Jack. They can develop their
career-focused skills by manipulating their hands in a car engine or
surfing the net to explore other ways to communicate ideas; and the COE
can be part of their world. |
