Essex County Vo-tech Schools Earn National Praise
by Carmen Juri/The Star-Ledger
Sunday January 04, 2009

This article was featured in the Sunday Edition of the Star Ledger and also on NJ.COM

In the past, vocational high schools were places for students to learn a trade, with little emphasis on preparing them for college.

But that has changed.

At Essex County's Vocational-Technical campuses, there are a number of state-of-the-art programs ranging from preparing students for careers in green energy jobs to teaching them GIS mapping systems.

In fact, academic excellence has garnered accolades for three of Essex County's Vo-Tech schools by U.S. News & World Report for the second year in a row. The magazine recognized North 13th Street, Bloomfield Tech and Newark Tech for outstanding achievement in its list of America's Best High Schools.

According to the magazine's December issue, Essex County's three bronze awards show the Vocational Technical Schools have demonstrated "a commendable performance on state tests" and offered "dual enrollment at local community colleges," in this case with Essex County College. The award also noted how well the schools served all students "not just those that perform at the top of their class."

"The schools' strong academic emphasis prepares students for life after graduation", said Michael Pennella, superintendent of Essex County's Vocational Technical Schools.

"Many parents, when they hear technical, think we're just preparing people for the trades," said Pennella. "Many of our students go on to future educations, and strong academics have gotten recognition."

The schools are organized around main themes, Pennella said. For example, Bloomfield Tech has a Green Energy Academy that focuses on renewable energy sources and familiarizing students with "green collar" careers. At Newark Tech, there's a Health Careers Academy that prepares students for future careers in nursing and as dental assistants.

"Some students come to us with an average reading score of seventh grade. By the time they leave we have them reading on grade level or beyond," Pennella said. "We want to give them multiple options upon graduation."

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo said the schools provide a wide range of opportunities that enable high school students to achieve their highest potential.

"This award recognizes the record of success at our high schools," said DiVincenzo. "Their comprehensive programs of study - from health careers at Newark Tech to the Green Energy Academy at Bloomfield Tech - are preparing students to compete and excel in the workforce."

U.S. News & World Report analyzed academic and enrollment data for 21,000 high schools in 48 states for the 2006-07 school year using methodology developed by School Evaluation Services, an education data research business run by Standard & Poor's.

The schools were analyzed in a three-step process. The first step measured whether each school's students were performing better than statistically expected on state standardized tests for reading and math. The second step checked whether the high school achieved proficiency rates on state tests for its least advantaged students - including African-American and Hispanic students and economically disadvantaged students.

The third step judged the high schools on college-readiness using Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate test data, to determine which schools produced the most college-level achievement for the highest percentages of their students.