Blackstone Valley Technical High School and experiential learning: a case study in Massachusetts vocational education.

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20316499

As a nation we have struggled to provide adequate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education to all learners. This is partly because many students still receive STEM content knowledge in silos of teacher-centered instruction and are not learning to apply STEM content to solve real-world problems. Project-based learning (PBL) and experiential learning have been shown to be effective pedagogies for helping students learn and apply both content and success skills to solve real-world problems in interdisciplinary ways. Vocational schools, by their nature, tend to engage students in PBL opportunities, and are an increasingly attractive option for students seeking both vocational education and access to college upon graduation. Blackstone Valley Technical High School (BVT), a vocational school located in Upton, Massachusetts, has been particularly successful in changing the paradigm of vocational schooling. If we were able to better understand how BVT prepares its students for both college and career readiness, then we might be able to identify best practices to support students in other vocational and traditional educational contexts. Therefore, the purpose of this case study was to understand what has made BVT an exceptional school, as perceived by staff, administration, and students. The study analyzed the components that have contributed to BVT's transition from an average to an exceptional high school. Answers to these questions were synthesized from data collected from teachers, students, graduates, and administrators at BVT via a qualitative interview process. One major finding is the way in which the organization approached the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam when it first became a requirement for vocational schools. A second finding is high expectations for the school and the implementation of a high achieving culture. A third finding is the importance of creating authentic cross-curricular experiences for students through a blend of project-based classroom activities, coop experiences, and external partnerships. Other findings include the organizational structure of the school and the ability to implement a model of distributed leadership that results in teacher empowerment. The study concluded that this management style had an impact on teacher motivation, which led to student motivation. Implications for practice and areas for future research are also discussed.