State of the State Mid-2022: Schools providing more workforce skills, less virtual instruction 

What’s the state of Arkansas education as a new academic year nears? Schools are emphasizing workforce education opportunities, they’re offering mostly in-person instruction rather than educating students remotely, and they’re trying to be safer and more secure in the wake of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

In Bentonville, more than 500 students last year were involved in the IGNITE Professional Studies program where they worked with local businesses to learn skills in coding, global business, construction and other fields. The district is adding a supply chain program working alongside J.B. Hunt next year.

In Fort Smith, the newly renovated Peak Innovation Center offers area students a chance to take classes in advanced manufacturing, information technology, and health sciences. Next year, an emergency medical technician certification program will be offered.

In Benton, students from six Saline County area districts converge on the Saline County Career Technical Campus, a $43.5 million facility funded by a voter-approved 3/8ths-cent sales tax.

The programs are part of an emphasis in Arkansas schools on workforce skills. The state helps fund 30 career center programs like Saline County’s, which is affiliated with Arkansas State University Three Rivers, and Fort Smith’s, which is affiliated with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

When Gov. Asa Hutchinson took office in 2015, 54 school districts were not served by a program. Now only one, the Piggott School District, remains, but a satellite center managed by Black River Technical College will offer manufacturing and welding starting hopefully in January. Those classes will be especially useful in a part of the state where manufacturing, particularly the steel industry, is growing.

‘GREAT STRIDES’
Randy Zook, president and CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, said schools are doing a better job of emphasizing workforce skills than they did in the past.

“There’s no question we’ve made great strides,” he said. “We’ve got a long way to go, but we have come a long way in just the last three to five years, especially the last couple of years.”

Bentonville Superintendent Dr. Debbie Jones said her district’s IGNITE program began in 2016 with about 14 students. Last year, more than 119 were on the waiting list for the professional studies medical program alone.

Students starting their junior year spend the first half of the day taking core credit classes and the second half taking IGNITE courses or working as interns at businesses. Students can earn college credit and graduate high school with certifications allowing them to move straight into the job market. The district’s teacher prep program allows it to grow its own workforce. Students can earn a paraprofessional certification by the time they graduate and can work for the school district while attending college.

Jones said the aeronautics program came about because of students’ interest in drones, and it will help fill jobs that are becoming increasingly available in the area. Walmart is delivering packages that way, while the Benton County Sheriff’s Department is using drones to search for individuals.

“That last mile delivery, it’s very active in Northwest Arkansas, and so we have to pivot to have graduates ready to fill the jobs,” she said.

A key to the program’s success is the connections teachers and the program have with local businesses. The local airport, Thaden Field, is providing space for instruction and is helping with the cost of simulators.

The new Saline County Career and Technical Center last school year had an enrollment of more than 400 students, sophomore to senior. The goal next year is 600, but with returning students and a new cohort, 700 is a real possibility. The center’s 12 faculty members had 234 years of industry experience between them. Students earn college credit as well as certifications, including the highly prized OSHA 10 (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) certifications.

“You give them an OSHA card, man, they’re taking selfies with it,” said Scott Kuttenkuler, assistant vice chancellor. “They’re fired up, because they’re like, ‘I have a certification. I can put that on my resume today.’”

LEARNING LOSS RECOVERY
Schools are moving into the fourth school year affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jones said the pandemic was a reminder that teachers and school employees are essential and virtual instruction cannot replace the kind that occurs face to face.

“We’re moving into this year aware that we’re going to be dealing with COVID for a long time, but we’re going to do what’s best for kids,” she said.

Mike Hernandez, executive director of the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators, said most school districts have moved away from virtual instruction.

“There have been some districts that have maintained a virtual program for parents that wanted that, but I think that number of parents that want that has dwindled over time to where some school districts may not have those programs next year because of the cost factors,” he said.

Schools have been dealing with the learning loss that has occurred during the pandemic, when instruction was often virtual or disrupted. Statewide results from the ACT Aspire exams showed students made some gains over 2021 results but scored lower than they did in 2019 before the pandemic. Twenty percent of the funds received by public schools through the American Rescue Plan Act must be spent combating learning loss. School districts have been hiring extra tutors and holding classes during the summer, Hernandez said.

SAFER SCHOOLS
School security is another major issue for school districts, which are responding to the threat of violence in various ways. Using funds from the 2018 millage increase that helped pay for the Peak Innovation Center, Fort Smith Public Schools has invested more than $15 million in school security upgrades such as controlled access with doors, increased alarms and lighting, and additional school resource officers. Some school districts, including Clarksville, use commissioned school safety officers, or trained educators and other staff members who have access to firearms.

In Bentonville, Jones said she meets with her security director after each national event to discuss lessons learned. Issues must be corrected. Police have access to interior and exterior doors.

The Arkansas School Safety Commission has been meeting to update recommendations it made in 2018, with its initial report due to the governor Aug. 1 and its final report due Oct. 1. Topics emphasized include the importance of behavioral health assessment teams and having a statewide system providing consistent training for law enforcement officers from various agencies.

“If we’re all on the same page, then I think that we can react in a uniform fashion,” said Fort Smith Public Schools Police Chief Bill Hollenbeck. “There are no doubts. There are no questions to be asked. We’re all going to be trained on the same page to make sure that we stop that threat.”

Editor’s note: Link here to connect to the State of the State section.