Cuyahoga Falls CTE leaders report growth in programs, internships and industry credentials

Krista Kollich, the district’s CTE presenter, told the Cuyahoga Falls Board of Education on March 5 that the district’s career and technical education offerings have expanded this school year and produced a sharp increase in industry credentials and work‑based learning hours.

Kollich said the compact now offers 29 programs across six schools, with eight programs hosted in the Cuyahoga Falls facility and four new feeder middle‑school programs recently approved by the state. “We have 248 students participating in our programs here at Cuyahoga Falls,” she said, and added that 265 Cuyahoga Falls students participate across the compact.

Kollich said students in CTE programs have higher attendance than the district average. “Overall our school attendance rate is 87.6 percent, and CTE students’ attendance at our Cuyahoga Falls site is at 91.5 percent,” she said, adding that out‑of‑district CTE students attend at roughly 92.3 percent. She said students have earned more than 45,000 work‑based learning hours across the compact and that outgoing Cuyahoga Falls students have logged more than 32,000 work‑based learning hours.

Why it matters: Kollich told the board these counts feed into state reporting and the district’s college-and‑career readiness scores. She said the district has begun tracking CCP hours, credentials and web exam results to ensure students receive articulated college credit and that those gains appear on the state report card.

Details and scope: Kollich walked the board through credential and credit changes the district has implemented this year. She said students have earned industry credentials that can substitute for state test components in graduation pathways; she reported 231 industry credentials earned this year in one count and later summarized “all in all, we really have 327 industry credentials” earned by students across programs. Kollich said 19 students have used industry credentials to meet graduation competency requirements and that 35 students have completed both parts of a “Rise Up” credential pathway while another 22 had passed the first test and were preparing for the second.

Kollich described internship placement by program: approximately 10 students in medical office and business internships, 15 in criminal justice, 2 in cybersecurity and 2 in community agriculture, a total she identified as 45 students participating in internships at local businesses. She listed partner organizations during her presentation, and said the district had hosted 58 field trips and 52 guest speakers so far this year, with more scheduled.

Questions and next steps: Board members asked about capacity and plans to expand a third level or to admit more tenth graders to level‑1 programs when space opens. Kollich said space, not demand, limits some expansion and that two programs (cybersecurity and agriculture) still had room for additional students. She also described a new level‑3 internship pathway for students who completed levels 1 and 2 early.

Quote: “We created a system for tracking our CCP hours, our credentials, our web exams, and reporting all of that information to the state,” Kollich said, describing the district’s efforts to document outcomes for the state report card.

Student perspective: A student from the modern communications program who appeared in a short video told the board the program provided “invaluable experience,” community connections and preparation for college. The student said they had been accepted to Ohio University’s honors tutorial program and credited CTE field trips and hands‑on projects for that outcome.

Context and partnerships: Kollich said the district is aligning middle‑school electives with high‑school CTE pathways, partnering with Stark State for potential senior‑year HVAC and other articulated opportunities, and reimagining the district career night to encourage earlier and deeper student engagement. She named Kent, Hudson, Woodridge, Tallmadge and Stowe as compact partners and said a local Chick‑fil‑A store is running a leadership academy with students.

Taper: Kollich closed by showing a student video created in the modern communications class and asked board members for help recruiting alumni and business partners for mock interviews and other career‑readiness activities.