Learning Communities and Pathways Launched at Batesville HS

There will be eight different pathways of study.

(Batesville, Ind.) - As students at Batesville High School (BHS) begin to sign up for the classes they want to take this fall, the current freshmen will have new, career-focused pathway options to consider. Learning communities have been developed, proactively aligning the BHS curriculum with future statewide graduation requirements. The two BHS learning communities—Innovation & Design and Service Industry—will provide high schoolers with integrated career exploration opportunities and enable them to prove their readiness for enrollment, employment, or enlistment after graduation.

The learning community structure is part of Bulldog Ready, the Batesville Community School Corporation’s (BCSC) educational model that also provides students with in-depth real-world experiences. Within each of the two learning communities, career interests are broken down further into pathways and then concentrations so students can narrowly focus on a prescribed sequence of classes that will provide exposure to a potential career.

“The development of the two learning communities, the eight pathways, and the various concentrations has taken us more than a year to tweak,” said Kyle Laker, BCSC Bulldog Ready Coordinator. “We researched the Batesville area’s workforce needs and the trends in career choices among our students and settled on these two main divisions. From there, we delved deeper and crafted pathways and concentrations. These align with course sequences the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) has outlined that will be part of the high school diploma for the Class of 2029 and beyond. Our Bulldog Ready work puts us ahead of many other schools, as we were already working on this structure before the new diploma requirements were announced.”

The Indiana high school diploma will also include, beginning with the class that is currently in eighth grade, the ability to earn readiness seals that align with each particular student’s post-secondary education goal: additional education (enrollment), entering the workforce (employment), or serving the country (enlistment). If desired, students can enhance that seal by completing a three-course sequence in an area of interest that enables them to earn an industry credential before graduation.

“Our new pathways and concentrations will allow students to earn these credentials,” Laker added. “Both the new IDOE diploma model and the learning community concept being implemented at BHS provide flexibility and choice.”

Current sophomores and juniors will not be included in the learning communities since the new model will be phased in one year at a time, beginning with the Class of 2028. As these freshmen students and their parents review the pathway options, some might determine that a particular area of career interest is unavailable. While the pathways feature courses that lead to credentials, students will still have room in their schedules to pursue other interests during the remaining class periods. The pathways only require one three-course sequence before graduation to fulfill the pathway goal.

“With more flexibility being integrated into other diploma requirements, students should be able to take, for example, as many music classes as they can reasonably fit into their schedule while still fulfilling the three-course sequence in an offered concentration for a credential,” Laker explained. “We are attempting to provide pathways for the most common career choices, but we can’t meet every individual student’s desire for a personalized pathway. However, that doesn’t mean students can’t take other classes they are interested in. Our goal is to enhance, not inhibit, the student experience.”

Learning communities, pathways, and concentrations will include:

(Class location key — BHS: Batesville High School; SCC: Southeastern Career Center, Versailles; Ivy Tech: Ivy Tech Community College, Batesville)

· Innovation and Design Learning Community

o Agriculture Pathway

§ BHS—Agriscience: Animals; Ag Mechanics & Engineering

§ SCC—Vet Science

o Engineering Pathway

§ BHS—Engineering

§ Ivy Tech—Smart Manufacturing

o Skilled Trades Pathway

§ BHS—Welding Technology

§ SCC—Building Trades; Heavy Equipment

o Transportation Pathway

§ SCC—Aviation Maintenance; Auto Service; Diesel Service

· Service Industry Community

o Business Pathway

§ BHS—Business Administration

o Human Services Pathway

§ SCC—Culinary; Cosmetology

o Health Sciences Pathway

§ BHS— Project Lead the Way Health Sciences

§ SCC—Dental; CNA; Criminal Justice; Fire & Rescue

§ Ivy Tech—Medical Assisting; Pre-Nursing

o Digital Technology

§ BHS—Digital Design

§ SCC—Tech Support; Networking

§ Ivy Tech—Software Development

In their learning communities, BHS students will learn academics through the lens of a potential career, such as engineering, healthcare, or technology. All freshmen and sophomore classes will be taken at BHS. Beginning their junior year, students will have a variety of off-site options. Opportunities include taking classes at Ivy Tech’s Batesville campus and the Southeastern Career Center, as well as participating in authentic work-based learning opportunities, job shadows, and other career exploration activities with local employers. Students will work closely with professionals in their field of interest, adding relevance to their studies and connecting classroom knowledge to success in the workplace.

“This is our first year offering the pathways model at BHS,” Laker emphasized, “but this has been in the planning stages for a long time. We are confident that students will graduate with increased exposure to career options and a better idea of what they do and don’t want to pursue after receiving their high school diploma. We think it will be beneficial to all students.”