Issue 1, Volume 12
The Cutting Edge May 2021 What’s The Latest News?
Ross White Named New CTE Director Assumes New Role on May 1 DESE recently announced the appointment of Ross White as the new director of the ADE Division of Career and Technical Education. Ross, who is the current vice principal at Siloam Springs High School, will assume his new role on May 1. Prior to serving as vice principal at Siloam Springs High School, a position he has held since July 2019, Ross was the director of the school’s CTE program. From August 2008 to July 2018, he was a member of the career development and marketing faculty for the Alma School District. Ross also is a member of several professional organizations, including the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators, Arkansas Association of Career and Technical Education Administrators, and Arkansas Association for Career and Technical Education. He currently serves as a board member for the Arkansas Tech University Alumni Board.
CTE in Cinematic Action! Fayetteville High School
Congratulations to Fayetteville High School Film and Television students who successfully certified as Adobe Certified Associates in Adobe Premiere Pro. An Adobe certification is an industry-recognized credential that effectively validates students’ skills in Adobe digital-media software.
Students in the Student Activities Broadcast - Athletics class at Fayetteville High School recently worked the first baseball broadcast in FHS Television program history. They ran three cameras in addition to serving as announcers for the broadcast. They will continue to cover more baseball, softball, and soccer games during the spring season. Arkansas High in Texarkana Media Students Receive National Recognition Broadcast Excellence Award from the Student Television Network
Arkansas High School’s Razorback TV News has recently been recognized by the Student Television Network for earning the program’s third consecutive Broadcast Excellence Award. Texarkana was one of just 12 schools in the nation to receive the prestigious broadcast journalism award. Razorback TV was the only representative from the Southwest Region to be honored this year.
Springdale Har-Ber High School Recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Video Production National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Har-Ber High School in Springdale was recently recognized for outstanding achievement in video production by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Har-Ber received a National Emmy for Live Event Sports Broadcasting, competing against thousands of entries from across the U.S. The Academy promotes excellence by showcasing work created by high school students in a variety of categories. Watch Har-Ber’s Emmy highlight video here.
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Architecture Design Summer Camp Sponsored by Alex Foundation
The Alex Foundation’s mission is to engage and encourage students to consider and pursue careers and entrepreneurial opportunities in architecture design, and at the FREE, three-week 2021 Architecture + Design Summer Camp, 7th grade students get the opportunity to engage in STE+AM, design model structures, explore historic buildings, and more! The camp is offered July 12-16, July 19-23, and July 26-30. Click here for free registration details. NEACTC Unmanned Aerial Systems Students in Action iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 5-in-1 AcuRite Weather Sensor iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii This video features students of NEACTC’s Unmanned Aerial iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Systems class (Dave Holbrook, instructor) as they showcase their iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 5-in-1 AcuRite Weather Sensor. Students Issac Resendez (PHS), iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Zane Householder (PHS), Brennen Eaton (PHS), and Jacob Wilson iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii (VVHS) assembled and mounted the sensor on a light fixture on the iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii campus bus circle, shown here along with NEACTC Director Eddie iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Crain. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii The weather sensor was provided as part of the CAP (Civil Air iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Patrol) STEM kit helping students to learn about aviation and iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii aerospace technology. This weather sensor runs on solar power and iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii collects temperature, wind speed, wind direction, humidity, and precipitation information. It connects via WiFi to record the iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii weather data on a classroom weather station.
Weather information is critical to the operation of drones across multiple industries that benefit Northeast Arkansas. Agriculture, search and rescue, construction, conservation, game and fish commission, law enforcement, and the department of transportation are among these industries/operations adopting drone technology into their business models in Arkansas. Students of the Unmanned Aerial Systems class learn how to become FAA certified commercial drone pilots and how to build, repair and configure drones. Several students in the NEACTC Drones class will be taking the FAA, Part 107 certification exam in Memphis later this month.
Fayetteville Ramay JHS Shine at VEX Robotics Championship World Championship Bound
Ramay JH Robotics teams competed at the Arkansas VEX Robotics VRC Middle School State Championship, with one of the teams winning awards. Ramay Robotics qualified all four of its teams to compete at the Arkansas VEX Robotics State Championship. For two of the teams, this was their first robotics tournament. Ramay Robotics team 9935E won two state championship awards: Tournament Champion and Robot Skills Challenge Champion! In addition to the awards, Ramay Robotics team 9935E double-qualified for a World Championship event invitation. As a result of having a team double-qualified, an invitation is given to the state's next highest-ranked team from the world skills rankings not already qualified, and that team was Ramay Robotics team 9935G. This means Ramay will have two teams competing in the 2021 VEX Robotics Live Remote World Championship event in May, which will be held remotely with students able to participate from school. Congratulations Ramay! Harbor Freight “Tools for Schools” Apply Now for This Prize for Teaching Excellence Now in its fifth year, the 2021 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence will award $1 million in prizes to public high school skilled trades teachers and programs in the U.S. Apply today or forward this newsletter to a deserving teacher. This competition annually awards 18 outstanding teachers/programs that show strong evidence of past teaching success and future innovation. Click here for details!
DESE and DCTE Courses Approved for Weighted Credit May Replace Students’ Math and Science Graduation Credits
DESE recently announced in Commissioner’s Memo COM-21-103 that weighted courses which may replace students’ math and science graduation credits have been approved. These courses include career and technical courses and newly adopted computer science and computing courses. • These capstone courses are designed to increase specialization in the content area to better prepare students for careers and/or post-secondary education. • Students with grade point averages (GPAs) above 4.0 that earn an A in these courses will enjoy continued boosts to their overall GPAs since they are based on a 5.0 scale. • Weighted courses are available as options for many DCTE programs of study and better prepare students for industry-recognized certifications. • For some of these courses, students may be awarded a math, science, or career focus credit that meets state graduation requirements. • Many of these courses allow students to have additional opportunities for enhanced hands-on projects and activities.
2020-2021 AACTEA Board of Directors
Kelli Cypert, SE Region Director Lee Smith, President Dr. Joe Rollins, Past President Career & Technical Administrator Assistant Superintendent Director of Workforce Development Arkansas River ESC Mena School District Northwest Arkansas ESC Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Stacy Southerland, SW Region Director Dana Brown, Vice President Shantele Raper, NE Region Director Career & Technical Administrator Director of Student Services Federal Programs/Special Projects Director Supervisor Mountain Home School District Osceola School District DeQueen-Mena Educational Cooperative Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Lisa Hotsenpiller, Secretary/Treasurer Ross White, NW Region Director Eddie Crain, At-Large Director Director of Career & Technical Education Assistant High School Principal NEA Career & Technical Center Director Fayetteville School District Siloam Springs School District Jonesboro School District Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]