Pottstown Students Are Workforce Ready

Editor's note: The following is a press release from John Armato of the Pottstown School District.

Graduating seniors from Pottstown High School Career Technical Education Program have demonstrated they are ready to enter the workforce with an array of valuable, technical skills.  Each year the National Occupation Competency Testing Institute administers a written and practical test to all seniors who have been in a career technical program for a minimum of two years. 

The results this year show that 85% of all Pottstown students scored in the Advanced category and overall 98% achieved Advanced or Competent recognition.  Each test consists of a written test and a practical test where students must demonstrate mastery of specific skills in their program area.  NOCTI tests are high quality occupational competency assessments designed for secondary and post-secondary educational institutions in the United States and around the world. 

Pottstown High School is one of only a dozen “comprehensive high schools” in the state where students can attend both their academic and career technical classes in the same building. 

Mrs. Danielle McCoy, Pottstown High School Director of Career Technical Education, expressed, “As a comprehensive high school where students have the opportunity to take part in all extracurricular activities and can combine vocational training with advanced academic training like the dual enrollment program with Montgomery County Community College and advanced placement courses, Pottstown students are afforded the opportunity for an optimal education.  Our scores this year are so exciting because it tells us that students are taking advantage of what the district offers and also that what we are doing in Career Technical Education at Pottstown is really benefitting our students and preparing them to play a role in the 21^st century workplace.  My hat is off to the Career and Technical teachers, as well, because these scores indicate they are doing a great job of relating to the students while teaching them the skills needed to be successful in the job market.”

Mrs. McCoy is excited about the rollout this year of a program that was developed in partnership with the Tri County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Team called PASS21 (Pottstown Alliance for Student Success 21).  The program will connect students with real life business opportunities that allow them opportunity to put 21^st century workforce skills into practical practice utilizing critical thinking, problem solving, communications, collaboration, creativity, and innovation.  The program will see the school district working hand-in-hand with the businesses in the Borough of Pottstown to create real life learning experiences through internships, job shadowing, work study, and cooperative education opportunities. 

Pottstown offers a wide variety of career technical programs which include:  Automotive Technology, Construction Technology, Health Technology, Childcare, Accounting, Retail Sales and Marketing, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, and Business/Entrepreneurship.

The success of Pottstown High School’s Career Technical students is also evident in the fact that 100% of all career and technical students graduate from high school and this past year those students scored 15% higher in reading and 20% higher in math on the state assessment test than other career and technical students in Pennsylvania. 

This year’s list of students scoring Advanced on the NOCTI Test include:

• In the Childcare program - Angela Cruz, Taylor Shainline, Victoria Corum, and Lina Saenz, and Caitlin Callahan.

• In the Cosmetology program - Shayonna Kelly, Brittney Pritchard, Shannon Kabilko, Ashlee Norris, Ciara Shore, Christine Frazier, Ashley Senn, and Ashley Baldassari.

• In the Construction Technology program - Joey Stasik, Dante Auman, Zachary Magyar, Mark Ames, A.J. Moll, Chase Adamski, James Williams, Nick Zipay, and Evan Downie.

• In the Retail Trades program - Rosalie Nodolski, Davenia McKim, and Zachary Haines

• In the Auto Technology program - Cody Christman and Zachary Moore.

• In the Culinary Arts program - Richard Gibson, Brittnee Epps, Brianna Mayberry, Jacob Watt, and Janisia Brinkley.

• In the Health Technology program - Madison Camacho, Chasity Rodriguez, Dominick Rodriguez, Christian Morant, Janise Williams, Dawn Henderson, Daisy Miller, and Anika Watkins Frazier.

The Career Technical Education teaching staff includes:

• Automotive Technology - William Bertoti
• Construction Technology - James Brazill
• Health Technology - Michaela Johnson
• Childcare - Marilyn Bainbridge
• Accounting - Justin Detweiler
• Retail Sales and Marketing - Kevin Pascal
• Cosmetology - Diane Shoffstall
• Culinary Arts - Mary Jo Kuhwald
• Business/Entrepreneurship - Dennis Arms, Dave Todd, Rebecca Hesier, Brett Myers