College and Career Academies in Georgia: A pathway to Improved Educational Success in Fayette County?
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Authors
LaBrecque, Bryan
Issue Date
2015-08-08
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
college and career academy , Fayette County , Public Administration
Alternative Title
Abstract
Since the 1980s, the concept of charter schools has emerged as an alternative to traditional public education. In 2000, President Bush breathed new life into this concept by advocating charter schools as part of his long-term strategy to improve education nation-wide. Simultaneously, state policy agendas began emerging with similar strategies. Georgia, striving to improve its standing among state educational agencies, has utilized the charter school concept to augment its current educational policies. Recently, Georgia voters have had the opportunity to express their interest in expanding this program throughout the state.
While several different forms of charter schools have been developed over time, one specific version has witnessed a recent upswing in the state of Georgia: career/technical education schools at the secondary level, often referred to as College and Career Academies. Currently, nearly thirty such schools are either operating in Georgia or have been recently chartered. Among them, one specific school –the Georgia Central Education Center in Coweta County (CEC) – claims to be highly successful and as a result, is being touted as a model for other academies to replicate.
The basis for the CEC’s claim of success is represented by two significant criteria: 1) improving student academic achievement, and 2) preparing students for entry into the workforce. While each of these criteria provides a strong measure of success, differing demographics, community needs and employer needs could dictate that current CEC accomplishment, and thus its model may not be entirely appropriate at every location or transferable from school to school.
Amid this landscape, a “grass roots” campaign has begun in Fayette County, Georgia to introduce a Central Education Center-type College and Career Academy within the county’s borders. The objective of this research is to assess the potential impact of, and barriers to, implementing a College and Career Academy – similar to the CEC - in Fayette County, GA, within the next several years.