Area schools receive $494K for new P-TECH program

Area schools received a boost to help high school students on their path to tech career readiness. The National Science Foundation awarded the Saint Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) and Front Range Community College (FRCC) a $494,175 grant to open a Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program in cybersecurity.

This will be the SVVSD's, third P-TECH program, with the other programs focused on biomedical sciences at Frederick High School and computer information systems at Skyline High School. All of the programs are designed to allow students to earn both their high school and associate degrees at the same time, within four to six years.

There is no cost to students for the degrees. Many complete the program in four years, which makes them eligible to either work professionally or enter their junior year in college at the same time as their high school peers. Of the first cohorts to graduate from Skyline High School's PTECH program this past May, 15 students received both degrees.

P-TECH program students take part in internships and hands-on work that are based on a relationship between the sponsoring school and industry partners. In the past, these partners have included IBM, Agilent Technologies, and Northern Colorado's Tolmar, inc.

The new program is expected to operate in the same way and will be based out of Silver Creek High School. According to P-TECH executive director Brandon Shaffer, "Seagate, Cisco and Comcast have shown strong support of P-TECH and are in talks to become community partners. We're open to other community partners as well."

P-TECH doesn't just benefit students, it grows a local workforce employment pipeline for much needed skill sets. According to a press release from the school district, industry partners will provide input into developing the classes that students will take so that they're better prepared to fill those roles.

Statistics underscore an urgent need for trained professionals to prevent and respond to security breaches. Last November, the ISC(2) a nonprofit international industry membership association, said the workforce would need to increase by and estimated 62% in order to close the hiring gap in the U.S. That breaks down to 498,480 workers still needed out of a required pool of 804,700 jobs nationwide.

Since the initial study was published, the organization found that due to the pandemic, cybersecurity needs have grown as large numbers of workers began to do their jobs remotely.

The new program will start with a cohort of 30 to 35 students for the first two years. After that, group sizes are likely to expand. This compares to Skyline's program, which now welcomes approximately 50 cohorts, with enrollment flexing slightly to expand based on student interest. Once trained, students will be primed to enter a local pipeline and support area industry.

P-TECH's curriculum isn't easy to complete. Participants take college-level classes at a younger age than their peers and balance classes with workplace-based commitments. These out of classroom experiences include internships, site visits, and working with mentors employed in the industry which challenge them to grow their professional skills. Patty Quinones, SVVSD's assistant superintendent of innovation, said, "The support of parents, teachers, and industry partners is key to getting them through the program and into successful careers."

FRCC, which already offers a computer networking, cybersecurity, and cloud computing program, welcomes the chance to work with P-TECH students. "I am excited for the students who will be at the center of all of this energy, attention and detailed work to help them to see their future," said Beth Wheeler, director of high school programs at the Boulder County campus. "I've taught for a long time and I know how wonderful it is to help students to realize what their futures can be. That's one of the best things about being in education."

To date, the programs have shown significant student achievement. Skyline's first graduating cohort included 33 students. Across all 241 students in that program, administrators have documented an average GPA of 3.03 and a 94.3 percent attendance rate. 100% of the students are on track to graduate high school on time. .

Frederick High School's class contains 57 students and is on track to have its first graduating cohort in 2023. Across the program, students maintained a 3.4% GPA and a 98% attendance rate in the last year, and all are on track to graduate high school.

Niwot High School principal Eric Rauschkolb "doesn't expect much of an impact to students at the school. Just as students interested in our IB program need to come to Niwot for classes, students interested in P-TECH go to Silver Creek."

Any incoming freshmen in the Niwot High School attendance area are eligible to apply to the program. As a first step, they would need to open enroll In Silver Creek and complete a program-specific application process in eighth grade If accepted, they would be responsible for their own transportation for the days they're required to take class at the school.