P-TECH
Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) Overview - COSER 101
Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) is an early college high school that integrates high school and college curriculum focusing on science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM), while also providing workplace skills including leadership, communication and problem-solving. Freshmen enter a flexible (four, five, or six-year) program combining academic rigor and career focus with graduates earning a high school diploma and an accredited associates degree. Students will experience internships with P-TECH business and industry partners and, upon graduation, will be regarded as viable candidates for employment with these partnering agencies. Enrollment for this program is conducted through an application process in collaboration with the component districts we serve. Students have the opportunity to fulfill Regents diploma requirements (22 credits, Regents examinations) and earn 64 college credits in one of 12 P-TECH associate degree pathways.
High School Preparation
Students will earn a Regents diploma by meeting New York State high school requirements. They will also take dual-credit courses affiliated with MVCC at the OHM BOCES taught by teachers at P-TECH OHM. Students will complete the majority of high school requirements at the OHM BOCES by their senior year. P-TECH OHM also offers college preparatory classes that are aligned with the degree pathways at MVCC and integrate professional skills required in the career pathways affiliated with each degree. MVCC instructors act as curriculum consultants to high school instructors to establish curriculum and instruction aligned to the college. Consultant committees have been established for each degree pathway that includes P-TECH staff, MVCC instructors, and industry partners to backwards design a six-year integrated scope and sequence that maps the progression of content and professional skills starting in students’ first year of high school that scaffold to college courses and finally business and industry experience (job shadowing, internships, etc.).
Business
Business courses offered include economics, personal finance, and a professional development and mentoring elective. Dual-credit business courses are also offered, including CF100 College Foundations Seminar, BM101 Survey of Economics and BM108 Personal Finance.
English
Students complete English 9,10,11 requirements and a Regents exam that is administered in 10th grade. Students’ performance on the Regents exam replaces the college accuplacer exam for students to transition into college English courses. English 11 is an honors course that prepares students for success in MVCC EN101 and EN102 courses, taken at MVCC by students’ senior year.
Math
Students take algebra in 9th grade, which culminates in a New York State Regents exam at the end of the school year. Students then take a non-Regents geometry class in 10th grade, followed by dual credit MA115 course their junior year. That course replaces the college accuplacer exam for students to transition into math courses offered in the provided degree pathways at MVCC.
Science
Students begin their high school career taking life science biology in 9th grade, which culminates in a New York State Regents exam at the end of the school year. In 10th grade, students take a non-Regents college preparatory chemistry course followed by a non-Regents college preparatory physics class in 11th grade.
Social Studies
Students complete global I and II in their freshman and sophomore year followed by the global Regents exam. Students complete participation in government and US history in their junior year, which includes the US history Regents exam. Students take economics and participation in government their junior year, as well.
STEAM
The STEAM courses offered to students starting their freshman year include Intro to Coding, STEAM Concepts 9, STEAM Concepts 10 and MT140 Drafting and Design using AutoCAD/DDP, which also earns students their required high school art credit. STEAM concepts are integrated throughout other subjects to create projects and cross-curricular learning opportunities, rooted in inquiry and student voice and choice.
Itinerant Services
Itinerant services are purchased to provide other high school required courses including PE, health, ENL and world languages.
Higher Education
Students access college courses starting their freshman year of the program. Every student has a college advisor staffed by MVCC. A designated college coach staffed by P-TECH OHM is assigned to students who attend classes at MVCC. Students have assigned weekly meetings with their college coach and receive mentoring to support their needs at the college. The college coach is responsible for collaborating and communicating with the college advisor, college instructors, parents, students, and the P-TECH school counselor. There are currently 12 approved degree pathways students will choose from by the start of the senior year in the program:
- Business Administration
- Civil Engineering Technology
- Computer Aided Drafting: Architectural Mechanical
- Computer Applications Programming
- Computer Science
- Computer Science: Cybersecurity
- Electrical Engineering Technology
- Engineering Science
- Human Services
- Mechanical Engineering Technology
- Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems
- Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology
Business and Industry
P-TECH OHM works collaboratively with Mohawk Valley EDGE to identify local businesses that align with the degree pathways available to students. The program now has more than 50 business partners who work directly with students in a variety of professional settings including: group mentoring, job site visits, 1:1 mentoring, job shadowing, paid and unpaid internships, and employment through the student workforce development program.
