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Board hears students’ stories as high‑school leaders outline AP, dual‑credit and CTE expansion
Summary
Central Oregon high‑school and CTE leaders updated the board on advanced placement, dual‑credit, International Baccalaureate and career‑technical education offerings. Students from Ben Tech Academy and Caldera described how CTE and DECA experiences informed their college and career plans.
Administrators, teachers and students briefed the Bend‑La Pine Schools Board Feb. 11 on the district’s advanced academic and career‑technical offerings, including Advanced Placement (AP), college dual‑credit, International Baccalaureate (IB) and Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs.
Katie Legacy, executive director of high school programs, told the board the district offers a wide range of AP courses, 42 college dual‑credit options (many articulated with Central Oregon Community College) and IB courses at Bend High School. “We do offer 42 college dual credit courses,” Legacy said, adding that many dual‑credit courses are embedded in AP or CTE sequences and can deliver meaningful college credit at reduced per‑credit cost.
Nut graf: CTE leaders emphasized that programs give students hands‑on experience, industry certifications and industry partnerships that often translate into internships and improved graduation outcomes. Data presented by the CTE coordinator shows higher graduation rates for students who concentrate in CTE pathways.
CTE snapshot: Lisa Keon, CTE coordinator, said the district runs 34 CTE programs across seven high schools and partners with community colleges and industry to offer recognized certifications — examples include welding (American Welding Society), automotive service excellence and BOLI pre‑apprenticeship programs. She noted that CTE concentrators (students taking two or more CTE courses) graduated at rates above 95 percent in recent district data.
Student voices: Students from Ben Tech Academy (BTA) — including Faith Rue and Phoebe Karpstein — described leadership, production and medical rotations that helped them explore and confirm career interests. Phoebe described working in hospital rotations and said CTE helped her narrow career options. Caldera High School student Chloe Grisson described how DECA and a student‑led college‑and‑career night gave classmates information about post‑secondary options and real‑world skills. Principal Chris Boyd and teacher Becky Tucker described project‑based learning, a student store and efforts to connect student projects with community partners.
Dual‑credit costs and equity: Directors asked whether dual‑credit courses are free to students; staff said costs vary by college. Central Oregon Community College charges about $25 per credit for high‑school dual credit in the district’s arrangement; other partner colleges’ fees vary. Legacy said the district works to help families with costs when needed and is continuing efforts to increase access for underrepresented students.
Ending: The board praised the students and staff for the presentations. Directors asked for additional disaggregated participation data (for English learners and students with disabilities) and more details about access to acceleration for high‑ability students; staff committed to provide updated enrollment and participation data to the board.
