Length: Full Year /
Description: The Pathways Program offers juniors an opportunity to concentrate their studies in and gain wider exposure to – a career of their choice. The program’s primary goal is connecting students’ academic work with potential career pathways. Students develop career connections by combining the high expectations and academic rigor of a college preparatory academic program with the real-world relevance of career and technical education. This integrated approach, used in more than 2,500 schools nationwide, helps students build a strong foundation for success in college, career, and life.
Students who participate in the Pathway program join small learning communities and take a dedicated cluster of courses in their Pathway. Students are co-taught by a group of teachers who take an interdisciplinary approach to each Pathway’s course work and collaborate on common curriculum units within the Pathway’s course cluster. There are currently three Pathways available:
Health & Life Sciences (HLS) – This Pathway provides an interdisciplinary and integrated survey of both the scientific and career components of the rapidly growing Health and Life Science industries. This interdisciplinary approach used in HLS allows students to experience real-life and practical applications of the curriculum they may not have considered previously.
Law & Public Policy (LPP) – This Pathway focuses core academic courses – English, science, and history – through a ‘legal lens, but not with the goal of preparing students for careers in criminal justice, law, or law enforcement. Instead, students use an area of common interest to foster engagement and focus. The interdisciplinary approach used in LPP gives the curriculum real-life and practical application, and allows students to explore aspects of potential careers they might not have previously considered.
Education (EDU) – This pathway trains students to become urban educators, with the ultimate goal of having our students return to Chelsea to teach. Students take history and English courses that provide the history of education and expose students to issues in public education. Students also take a methods class that will teach and coach them on how to become educators. After students complete their coursework, they participate in an internship in a classroom where they will continue to transition into teachers. The goal of the pathway is for students to graduate from Salem State or another higher education institution with a Masters in Education.
Pathway Core Components
- Academics: All students take rigorous, standards-based, academic core courses united by a cross-disciplinary teaching approach and career theme.
- Internship: all students participate in a Semester-long community- or school-based internship related to their Pathway.
- College and Career Planning: Students are engaged in a College and Career Planning class to help gain and refine professional skills associated with their internship as well as learning about and managing various post secondary tasks such as: college applications, financial aid planning, career research, resume writing, etc.
- Performance Assessments: Students demonstrate mastery of their academic coursework through at least three interdisciplinary performance assessments.
- College Coursework: Students enroll in Bunker Hill Community College courses at CHS to experience college-level coursework and fulfill pre-requisites and/or coursework toward certificates and degrees in their Pathway focus area.
Enrolling in a Pathway
To be considered for the Pathway program, students must:
- Be in good standing in at least three (3) of their four (4) core academic classes (ELA, history, math, and science) at the end of the previous school year.
- Submit an application to the Pathway program of their choice;
- Be able to take the complete Pathway course cluster while staying on track towards meeting their graduation requirements.
The Benefits of Enrolling in a Pathway
Pathway students have an opportunity to take courses together with a group of students who share common interests.
Pathway students are able to connect with people already employed in their field of interest. Pathway students participate in an internship program, and each Pathway provides numerous field trip opportunities and hosts guest speaker presentations regularly. These activities all support academic learning while giving students real-world opportunities to explore potential careers.
Pathway students have a structured opportunity to focus on college and/or career planning. All students enrolled in a Pathway complete a college application, learn about financial planning for college or career training, and develop a detailed, personalized, post-secondary plan of action.
Pathway Course Clusters
When students enroll in a Pathway, they register for a specific cluster of courses that form the core of their Pathway experience. Students must register for all of their Pathway’s courses to participate. Students may not register for individual Pathway courses.