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A sneak peek into the future of IPS

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH)-Monday night’s IPS school board vote means high school students will study not just general education, but a career path based on their interests.

The board voted to introduce seven career themed academies within IPS. Each of the four remaining high schools will offer different academies and students will choose which high school to attend. The changes will go into effect next fall.

The seven College and Career-Themed Academies include:

  • Health & Sciences
  • Manufacturing, Engineering & Logistics
  • Teaching, Learning & Leading
  • Construction, Engineering & Design
  • Business & Finance
  • Information Technology
  • Military

The Health & Sciences College and Career-Themed Academy already launched at the start of the school year at Crispus Attucks High School.

Gavin Crocker, a senior focused on nursing, said he spent part of his day Tuesday learning how to properly turn a patient to his or her side on a bed.

“I’m thinking about being in the medical field and thinking about being in the hospital or a surgeon,” Crocker said.

Students in the Health & Sciences College and Career-Themed Academy can also focus on physical therapy, biomedical services and health informatics.

Mee Hee Smith is the IPS Career Academy Coordinator.

“Our goal is to just really expose our students and make them really aware of the health care professions,” Smith said.

Students in the academies will work on career-themed projects and even visit local companies. The goal for IPS is to guide students to their next step.

“Whether that means they are ready for the job force or they’re actually going to continue their education,” Smith said.

IPS said they formed the academies based on high demand career fields, employer and university feedback, and student interest.

IPS said some students studied career-themed programs even before the academies. School leaders said the graduation rate is 91 percent for students who studied in career-based programs with six or more credits.

The overall graduation for 2017 was 77 percent according to IPS.