The structure of Vineyard Academy creates close working relationships among students and teachers. Vineyard Academy is a small learning community within the larger high school, Windsor High School. We enroll 175 students in grades 10-12. A group of students at each grade level take a set of classes together.
In grade 10 the Vineyard Academy core classes include Global Studies, English and Integrated Science and a survey course in the Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Industry sector. In grades 11 and 12 the Vineyard Academy core classes include Economics and Government, English, Business Management Principles and Culinary Arts 1, 2 and Baking and Pastry.
Taking a set of classes together each year for three years helps students learn to collaborate and give mutual support. The Vineyard Academy classes include only VA students. This enables VA teachers to plan lessons and projects merging aspects of several academic and career-technical disciplines. For instance, 11th grade academy students often do projects requiring research in U.S. History; composition, editing, and citations in English; then formatting, word processing, and preparing presentation slides in Information Technology class. They will then receive credit for their work in all of these classes.
Having teachers who work as a team, and classes consisting only of academy students make interdisciplinary work like this possible. A team of several teachers works with the academy students over the three-year period. Teachers plan their curriculum together, creating connections across classes in different subjects. In team meetings they can discuss how a student is performing in different classes. Working with the same students for three years builds greater trust and understanding between students and teachers. The academy curriculum provides students a range of college and career options following graduation.
Academies have career-related themes ––common examples include health careers, information technology, media and communications, engineering, education, agriculture, law, and transportation. Academy students go on field trips to practice learning in context and to visit work sites. They have mentors, and internships with industry professionals. Seeing the relevance of their school work to life beyond high school helps motivate students to succeed, and practicing career skills guides them to success in the workplace whether or not they continue in the field of their academy’s industry focus.
Each academy is required to have an active advisory board representing local employers in the academy’s field of work. Advisory boards also include representatives of local colleges and universities. The board advises the teacher team on relevance and content of curriculum; provides resources; helps plan and arrange field trips, mentors, and internship opportunities; and
generally oversees and supports the work of the academy.
The State of California awards grants to local school districts to operate California Partnership Academies. School districts apply for these grants, and they must match state funds with district and local business partner contributions. information on funding is available from the California Department of Education at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/gs/hs/cpagen.asp.