LM April2022_hi

At left, Counselor Whitney Bennett; center, Samantha Payne; and Callie Luna. Samantha and Callie are rising seniors and will be in Education Pathways program next year, Rantoul Township High School

WhoParticipates The Early College and Career Academy (ECCA) was established in the 2015–2016 school year. ECCA is a regional dual credit academy for high school juniors and seniors from 14 schools in the EFE #330 region. Member districts of EFE #330 include public school districts in Champaign, Ford, Piatt and Douglas counties. There are currently nine different pathways available for students including: education pathway, automotive, industrial technology, construction trades, criminal justice, computer programming, precision agriculture, emergency medical services, and certified nursing assistant. The regional academy is administered by the EFE #330 office and is located at Parkland Community College in Champaign. All the programs are dual credit, so students are earning both high school and college credit. Students attend ECCA between 7:30–9:30 a.m. each day and then return to their home high school. The Education Pathway was added in the 2020–2021 school year to provide an option for our high school students who are interested in a career in education. In the first year of the Education Pathways program, nine students participated.

This year, the total is up to 16, representing many of the high schools in EFE #330. Student Requirements In the Education Pathway program, students complete a minimum of 45 hours of classroom observation and classroom assistance at their home school district or a feeder district for their high school. Students also earn 12 college credits in this year-long program. This is the first year that a mentoring program for the students enrolled is being piloted. Each student is paired up with an educator at their home high school. The mentor helps set up the observation schedule and meets with the student at least once per month to discuss the ECCA courses and current issues within education. The hope is to provide a stronger connection between the home high school and the ECCA program, along with providing a supportive structure for the participating students. “The Education Pathway program is especially important for us. All schools have been hit hard by the teacher

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LM April 2022