A Program of Interest is defined as a multi-year, specialized program that is available to high school students from across the district. Programs of Interest outlined below include St. Johns County Center for the Arts, Junior Officer Reserved Training (JROTC), Advanced Academics and Career Academies of St. Johns.
Career Academies
Each high school offers career academies, often referred to as “career and technical education.” They are defined as strategic career-oriented educational training opportunities. Each career academy program integrates a rigorous and research based academic curriculum through an industry-driven career curriculum theme. The academic focus of individual career academies is determined cooperatively among the school district, postsecondary institutions, local workforce boards and the local Chamber of Commerce.
Students enrolled in career academy programs work toward a standard high school diploma with the same opportunities for accelerated coursework as other programs. Many career academy programs offer the opportunity to earn industry certification(s). Some of the career academy programs also offer the option of obtaining post-secondary college credit(s).
These programs are accessed through an application process. Directions on the application process are emailed to families via SchoolMessenger. Information is also available on the Career Academy website at https://cte.stjohns.k12.fl.us/join/
Students who are accepted to and attend a school outside of their school zone will not be provided with transportation.
The Career Academy model contains three critical structural elements:
- a small learning community, comprising a group of students within the larger high school who take classes together for at least three years
- a college preparatory curriculum with a career theme, enabling students to see relationships among academic subjects and their application to a broad field of work, and
- partnerships with employers, the community, and local colleges, bringing resources from outside the high school to improve student motivation and achievement.
The goals of St. Johns County Career Academies are to:
- Ensure student success – All St. Johns County career academy graduates will possess the skills and tools necessary to be successful in college, career, and the global economy.
- Provide relevant curriculum and assessment – The academy team will develop and implement project-based curricula that engage students in real-world relevance focused on the career theme.
- Ensure meaningful business engagement – The academy team will seek to develop business engagement to the highest level with a focus on student success.
Middle school students may obtain information about the Programs of Interest in many ways. Every middle school advertises the Middle School Blitz, an event during which the high school career academy specialists visit the middle schools on advertised days, school counselors provide information, and the district advertises the High School Showcase, where all of the programs are available for review. Each high school holds an “Academy Night” at their school to provide more in- depth knowledge about the Programs of Interest for that school. Families may also visit the Career Academy website https://cte.stjohns.k12.fl.us online for additional information.
Due to the variety of programs offered at each school and flexible assessment schedule, Florida Virtual School students, St. Johns Virtual School students and Homeschool Education students who wish to learn more about participating in Career Academies and available Industry Certification Assessments should contact the Career and Technical Education Department at 904-547-6000.
Program of Interest Student Information (must be a resident of St. Johns County)
- Acceptance into a Program of Interest automatically provides an out-of-zone waiver for students to attend a school other than their zoned school. No separate actions need to be taken to receive an out-of-zone waiver.
- Completed applications must be submitted by the established due dates.
- Each school will determine the number of student seats available in each Program of Interest and may deny entry solely based on seats available. A weighted lottery system is available to ensure students have equal access to a Program of Interest if seat capacity is met. Students may be placed on a waiting list. Out-of-zone students can be taken off the waiting list and be placed into a Program of Interest up until July 1. In-zone students can be taken off the waiting list and be placed into a Program of Interest up until the first day of the next school year.
- Rising 11th and 12th grade students currently in the school district are ineligible to apply for and obtain an out-of-zone waiver to a new Program of Interest.
- Each Program of Interest sets expectations for academic progress, attendance, and behavior. Should an out-of-zone transfer student not meet such expectations the following actions will ensue:
- The principal of the out-of-zone Program of Interest school may initiate action to rescind a student’s out-of-zone waiver for failing grades, excessive school absences or tardiness and/or recurrent discipline problems.
- Prior to rescinding a student’s out-of-zone waiver, the principal or designee shall notify the student’s parent/guardian in writing citing the reason for potential revocation of the out-of-zone waiver.
- The parent/guardian shall be permitted a reasonable time and opportunity to address or correct the situation.
- If not corrected in a reasonable amount of time, the principal will make a recommendation to the Department of Career and Technical Education for revocation of the student’s out-of-zone waiver. The recommendation will be reviewed by the Director for Career and Technical Education and a letter submitted to the family with the outcome of the review, at which point the decision will be final. In most instances the revocation will be effective at the end of the semester after grades have been awarded.
- Escalated infractions (for example Level 3 or 4 infractions) may result in immediate removal from a Program of Interest/Career Academy.
- Mid-Year transfers to a new Program of Interest are not allowed. If a student opts to drop out of, or ceases to be enrolled in, a Program of Interest for which an out of zone waiver has been approved, the student will be required to return to his/her home zoned school at the start of the new semester once credit has been awarded.
- Students may apply for multiple programs of study; however, students may only attend academies and or Programs of Interest at one school.
- Students who miss the deadline to apply to a Program of Interest may complete a late application during the established Late Application window. Late applications will not be included in the lottery. Late applicants may be placed in open seats pending availability after the lottery. If programs are full, late applicants will be placed on a waiting list according to receipt of late application. There will be no out of zone placements after July 1.
- The parents/guardians of students attending an out-of-zone school are required to provide transportation for the student to and from the out-of-zone school. There is an exception for students attending St. Johns Technical High School.
- Student enrollment in an Academy is contingent upon a minimum enrollment in two or more additional school-based core academic courses as determined by the school principal.
- Students may not apply for a Program of Interest at an out-of-zone school if the program exists at the student’s zoned high school. This policy went into effect in December 2015.
- Students who have applied for and been accepted into a Program of Interest at an out of zone school and move into a zone where the program exists, will need to attend the program at their zoned school.
Program of Interest New Students entering the St. Johns County School District
Any student entering 9th or 10th grade not previously enrolled in a St. Johns County public school within the prior school year is eligible to apply for any Program of Interest in the St. Johns County School District up until the first interim and pending district and school approval. Students entering the St. Johns County School District enrolled in the 11th or 12th grade who were previously enrolled in an equivalent Program of Interest at his/her previous school may apply for the equivalent Program of Interest, regardless of school zone, pending district and school approval. Applying does not guarantee acceptance into the Program of Interest. For more information on Programs of Interest see https://cte.stjohns.k12.fl.us.
School-to-Work Transition
2023 Legislative Update School-to-Work Transition All schools (elementary, middle, and high) shall document the manner in which they have prepared students to enter the workforce, including information regarding the provision of accurate, timely career and curricular counseling to students. This information shall include a delineation of available career opportunities, educational requirements associated with each career, educational institutions that prepare students to enter each career, and student financial aid available to enable students to pursue any postsecondary instruction required to enter that career. Schools shall also delineate school procedures for identifying individual student interests and aptitudes, which enable students to make informed decisions about the curriculum that best addresses their individual interests and aptitudes while preparing them to enroll in postsecondary education and enter the workforce. Beginning in grade 6, this information shall include recommended high school coursework that prepares students for success in college-level work. The information shall be made known to parents/legal guardians and students annually through inclusion in the school’s handbook, manual, or similar documents or other communications regularly provided to parents/legal guardians and students. Students whose cumulative grade point average drops below a 2.0 are required to receive in-person academic advising that includes information on career education programs by a certified school counselor or the school principal or his or her designee during any semester the student is at risk of dropping out or has a cumulative grade point average below 2.0. 1003.491, F.S. Additionally, information regarding the Florida Ready to Work training and credentialing program may be found in 445.06, F.S. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0400 -0499/0445/Sections/0445.06.html.
