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Old Saybrook outlines multi-year career-pathways plan for high school, hires pathway coordinators
Summary
District leaders presented a multi-year plan to create five pathway 'schools' at the high school with career trees, micro-credentials, pre-apprenticeships and internships; pathway coordinator positions were interviewed for and expected to be filled imminently to lead rollout across years zero to three.
District administrators presented an extended career-pathways plan for Old Saybrook High School aimed at giving students clearer postsecondary options and marketable skills. The plan calls for creating pathway-specific "schools" (examples discussed included biomedical science, business, and health science/wellness), building career trees that map entry-level, technical and professional jobs, and offering micro-credentials, pre-apprenticeships and certifications that students can earn alongside traditional coursework.
Administrators said they interviewed a dozen candidates for pathway coordinator stipends and hoped to have the positions filled by the end of the week; coordinators will work with college-and-career-readiness (CCR) staff, counselors and faculty to design pathways, site visits, internship/externship partnerships, and a system for tracking micro-credentials and professional skills. Presenters emphasized the work will be phased over several years: year zero (planning and hiring), year one (program development and initial course offerings), year two (pre-apprenticeships and credentials), and year three (integration of pathways into the program of studies and transcript/recognition options).
Administrators addressed likely parent concerns about change: existing courses would not be eliminated immediately, rollout will be gradual to avoid disrupting current students, and the district expects to offer multiple new courses (administrators said as many as eight new classes will be available next year). The presenters also highlighted outreach plans ("coffee with counselors" events, community conversations) and a planned October visit by speaker Mark Perna to engage families and staff.
Board members and the public asked detailed operational questions: how pathway coordinator stipends were funded (administrators said positions were repurposed from existing stipend roles, not new-funded positions), how the program would coordinate with vocational-technical schools and local employers, how internships would be scheduled around the master schedule, and how students would be recognized on transcripts or diplomas. Presenters said internships and externships already exist in modified forms and would be expanded; teacher externships and staff professional development were included in planning to align instruction to employer needs.
What happens next: pathway coordinators are expected to be appointed in the near term; the district will continue community outreach in June and into the fall and return to the board with more detailed course assignments and an operational timeline.
