Students in the Vienna school system have yet again achieved state-level recognition with Career and College Pathway Endorsements (CCPE) approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) in teacher education, social work, certified nursing, agriculture mechanics, and construction craft.
Over the last several years, Vienna has been actively working on ensuring that all students are career-connected and life-ready. The Illinois Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act establishes a process for school districts to award CCPEs to high school graduates. Students earn endorsements by completing an individualized learning plan, a career-focused instructional sequence, and professional learning opportunities.
Director of Student Career Services Leslie Bradley leads this work locally and is actively involved in state-wide implementation. Bradley states, “We continue to expand ways for students to become engaged in meaningful work that supports their future careers, which is exciting and rewarding for everyone involved.”
School superintendent Joshua Stafford added, “The investment of the community into our school system is important and our community has to get a return on that investment. Our school ensuring that students are connected with meaningful career plans is evidence of major return on the investment. We are excited for the students who reached this special designation by the state and look forward to watching these students become young flourishing adults.”
Vienna offers numerous hands-on career-related courses and opportunities. The school has six career pathways with special CCPE designation from ISBE, including Ag Mechanics, Social Work, Teacher Education, Business Computer Systems, Certified Nursing Assistant, and Construction Craft. The district has established a comprehensive framework that has students actively preparing for and mapping out their future with a career/student success coach.
