We believe that learning is a process of discovery through which one increases self-awareness, explores identities, finds personal joy and clarifies core values.  This involves fostering different paths to success and providing opportunities to reflect on one’s life, strengths, needs, and goals.

We believe that community means helping others through communication, engagement, connections, learning, caring, a safe environment, trust, and celebration of our diversity.  We will create a safe and positive environment to prepare our learners for success at BOCES and beyond.

We believe that, given support and opportunities, all learners will be continually inspired to persevere and maximize their potential.  We support each individual’s unique way of learning, giving them an understanding of themselves as lifelong learners.  We honor each learner’s learning path, energize them to develop skills, expand their mind, grow in all areas, and meet current and future goals.

We believe that we must develop the motivation in learners for them to investigate the world, understand multiple perspectives, and fully engage in meaningful experiences.  This requires a method of setting goals, creating a plan, implementing strategies, observing, assessing, and revising.  This reflection leads to new understandings, questions, and evolving collaboration.

The addition of Technical Endorsement on a Regents High School diploma is becoming increasingly valuable to those who receive it. Colleges and employers alike are recognizing the value this endorsement brings. It signifies that the holder not only completed a rigorous academic course of study, but that he or she also acquired additional skills and experiences by being part of a career and technical education. Employers know precisely the level of knowledge and ability our students possess that make them more valuable entry-level employees, often generating a higher starting salary. Colleges likewise perceive the value of a career related education and the Regents Technical Endorsement

To earn the endorsement the student must:

• Pass 5 marking periods
• Pass an industry trade proficiency exam
• Complete a career project
• Complete the School to Work requirement
• Interview a trade professional
• 1 day job shadowing of a trade professional
• Visit one college plus application
• Complete one college application

The purpose of your program at the Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Center is to provide you with the training and skills you will need for useful and gainful employment and post-secondary education. Students with a desire to acquire marketable skills, technical academic skills, and technical knowledge will benefit from a curriculum tailored to the needs of industry and the school districts.

All students are subject to the rules and regulations of their home schools and are also required to adhere to the specific rules of the Career & Technical Center.

Joseph Salamone, Assistant Director

Allison Ramirez, Assistant Principal

Stephen Casa, Supervisor of Workplace Learning

Morning Session

Afternoon Session

Transportation is provided from the home schools to the Center. All students are required to ride their assigned buses both ways between home and school and the Career & Technical Center. Driving to the Center is not permitted unless a student has an approved application on file. Students are required to follow all bus rules as set forth by their local school district.

In the event of severely inclement weather or mechanical breakdown, the Center may be closed or on a delay. School closings and delayed starting times will be posted on the Ulster BOCES Website (www.ulsterboces.org) and on Facebook @ Ulster BOCES.

If no report is given, it can be assumed that the Center will be in session.

All students have the opportunity to make-up no more than five (5) days of excused absences (or 2 days in an English class). After successfully completing an assignment given by the teacher, the students’ absences will be reduced by one day to reflect the work completed. 

We understand that unforeseen events can sometimes occur where a student cannot complete the assigned work; therefore, they are able to apply through their guidance counselor for an Incomplete for the marking period. Only one Incomplete per student per year is allowed. Students are responsible for meeting all the requirements of the Incomplete Agreement to change the Incomplete to a grade. 

Grades will be sent directly to the home school from the Guidance office. Teachers are not permitted to give students their grades in advance of the issuance of report cards. 

First Quarter End Date: November 8, 2024  
Second Quarter End Date: January 24, 2025 
Third Quarter End Date: April 4, 2025 
Fourth Quarter End Date: June 16, 2025

Report cards are mailed home every quarter. In addition to a report card from your home school, you will receive a report card from the Career & Technical Center.

Progress reports are mailed directly home every five weeks between quarterly report cards mailings. 

Grading Policy

One of the most serious responsibilities that an instructor faces is evaluating your overall achievement in relationship to what you know and what is expected of you in your chosen occupation. Your instructor will evaluate:

1. PRODUCTIVITY: Quality and quantity of work, use of equipment, tools and materials, instructional application, and attendance.

2. ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES: Homework, assignment completion, notebook requirements, test results, related theory applied to productivity. 

3. PERFORMANCE: Safe practices and attitudes, follows instructions, cooperative behavior and actions.

Each instructor has percentage guidelines, which are proportioned to the curriculum. The instructor will explain the details to the students. All of these factors are considered in the marking system.

Ulster Career & Tech Center uses a uniform grading procedure for all of its programs. Instructors arrive at a grade for the student using the following method:

• 30% Content Knowledge
• 30% Technical Skill
• 30% Employability
• 10% Career Project

Assigning homework serves various educational needs. Homework develops student responsibility and links the school directly to the home. Assignments are most beneficial when they are carefully planned by the teacher and have direct meaning to the student. The homework policy replicates expectations that employers and managers have for employees in the workplace. As employers have the expectation that all work be completed by its due date, it is the Career & Technical Center’s expectation that all students strive to meet deadlines.

Students can earn a maximum of one credit per quarter if you meet the requirements listed below:

• The student has the required attendance in a given marking period.
• The student receives a grade of 65 or higher.
• Failure in any given marking period results in no credits being issued for that quarter.
• Final averages for the year have no impact on the amount of credits being issued.
• Students who take an academic course at the Center can only earn 3 credits for their technical sequence or ¾ of a credit for each marking period.
• Students who take English at the Center will receive 1 English credit.

Students who enter into a program after the quarter mid-point are not eligible to earn credit for that quarter period.
Students who successfully earn credits are not issued those credits until the end of the school year.

The Career & Technical Center will work in partnership with parents to maintain learning and work environments that support the character development of its students. Character development will reflect and reinforce character and civic values such as honesty, integrity, responsibility, hard work, and respect for others.

Parents, students, and the school community will work together to teach, promote, and model ethical behavior reinforcing community values. The Career & Technical Center will reflect and reinforce positive character traits that embody community values and promote principles of fairness and justice.

The Career & Technical Center opposes harassment of employees and students. This form of misconduct will not be tolerated. Disciplinary actions will be enforced against any student engaging in harassment.

Plagiarizing is the deliberate use of someone else’s words or ideas without crediting the source. Plagiarizing is unethical and could also be illegal under the author’s fair use terms. It is imperative to cite the source of any information you use in a bibliography. Even if permission to use the information is granted, the source or author should be cited. 

Ulster Career & Tech has a no tolerance policy when it comes to plagiarism. Any student caught plagiarizing will risk suspension and will receive a grade of zero for that assignment.

Post-secondary articulation is a partnership between colleges or technical schools. The purpose of this partnership is to provide students a career pathway from Ulster BOCES to a college degree, certificate, or apprenticeship. It is done with an articulation agreement between Ulster BOCES and the college that allows students to receive college level credit for completed coursework at Ulster BOCES. Students who successfully complete their coursework at Ulster BOCES with a “B” or better and meet college/technical school requirements can earn college credit. Students will receive the college credits upon admission to the articulated college or technical school.

Certificates are awarded to students who satisfactorily complete the minimum requirements of their course and upon receiving the approval of the staff at the Center. Certificates will specify all trade area competencies achieved. 
 

All students enrolled in the Career and Tech programs are encouraged to see their BOCES guidance counselor at least once during the first semester. Any student who has a concern, whether it’s in regards to educational, personal, social, or career development, may utilize the services of a counselor at the Career and Technical Center.

The Career and Tech guidance counselor works very closely with the home school counselors to assist each student enrolled in a BOCES program and to ensure that each student receives the attention he/she deserves to meet his/her educational and career goals.

To confer with the Career and Tech counselor, students should:

• Make an appointment with the counselor by any of the following means:

  • Request your teacher make an appointment for you.

  • See the counselor before the session begins.

  • Send a request to the counselor via his/her secretary.

The academic courses in the following chart are integrated into the Career-Tech programs (yearly) and are approved by the SED for Career-Tech endorsement.

In SED approved programs, credits for the Integrated Academic courses (no pull-outs) will replace the Career-Tech credits.  For example, for programs below if students receive credit for Tech Science (.5 credit), Tech Math (.5 credit), and Tech English (.5 credit), then the student would receive 2.5 Career-Tech credits, making 4 credits altogether.  

Please contact the Ulster BOCES Guidance Office (Katie Flanagan & Ron Bath) with any questions.

credits for integrated academic course

Registration is only required for English 11.

REQUIRED EXAMS: Trade Proficiency

As an existing requirement for receiving a Technical Endorsement on a high school diploma, a student must take and pass an industry-based assessment. All students enrolled at the Center will take this trade-specific proficiency exam in May of their senior year. 

NOTE TO PARENTS

Parent Conferences:  At no time should you be in doubt of your child’s progress. You are notified of his/her progress through mid-term reports and the quarterly report card. If you still have questions or concerns, please call 331.6680 for an appointment with the teacher, counselor, or administrator.

Health: Parents can assure their child’s effectiveness in school by providing good nutrition, adequate rest and cleanliness, as well as medical and dental care. It is imperative that your child’s immunizations, especially tetanus, be kept up-to-date as recommended by your family physician.

SKILLS USA

 Our Center has a local chapter of Skills USA. All students are encouraged to participate. Skills USA promotes the development of business skills and leadership abilities. The practical application of these skills enhances the student’s technical education. State and regional competitions, as well as conferences, are available to all participants. Student members are eligible to participate in conferences and competitions. 

NATIONAL TECHNICAL HONOR SOCIETY

The National Technical Honor Society is a non-profit honors organization for students enrolled in any occupational or technical program. Its purpose is to promote leadership, honesty, skilled workmanship, and career development, as well as provide a strong link between the local vocational institutions, and business and industry. It is a major proponent of promoting a positive image of technical education in America.  Students qualifying for membership must meet stringent requirements. The chapter searches out students who establish and maintain an average of 90% or higher, are in the top 10% of their trade class, and have an absentee rate of only two excused days for the year, and need the recommendation from a teacher. Every student is a potential candidate at any time during his or her enrollment.

Since the Career & Technical Center teaches employability skills and grades students on the acquisition of these skills daily, students are expected to dress in the appropriate attire for career development. A student’s grade may be affected if the instructor deems their attire is inappropriate for the workplace. In order to ensure safe and orderly classroom operation, the following guidelines have been established:

1. Apparel that is provocative, offensive, or interferes with the educational process is prohibited. This includes clothing that promotes alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, encourage illegal/violent activities; and clothing that displays vulgar, obscene, or libelous subject matter or images that are denigrating to others. Shorts, shirts and dresses must be even with or longer than a student’s finger tips when their arms are hanging freely at their sides; see through and /or plunging necklines, tube tops, spaghetti straps; visible undergarments must be covered with outer clothing. 
2. While working, students must wear the proper type of protective clothing appropriate to the trade or occupation under study. Footwear is to be included at all times.
3. Certain shops involved in specialized activities will require that hard hats be worn while working. These will be furnished by the instructor.

Each shop has its own safety codes and procedures. The instructor will explain these in detail and will enforce them. Violations of these specifications could cause bodily harm. Repeated or willful violation will result in severe disciplinary action.

SAFETY GLASSES
Protection of the eyes is of critical importance. Eye protection is required in designated shops.

1. Suitable eye protection MUST be worn whenever work is being done. In order to avoid chips, dust, chemical splash, harmful light rays, or any other potential eye irritant.
2. Every student using a hand or power tool or a machine for cutting, grinding, polishing, drilling, etc., MUST wear an effective eye- protecting device.
3. Students engaged in activities or repair servicing of any vehicle must also wear safety devices.
4. Safety glasses used by students are the responsibility of that student. Loss or damage requires that the student pay for the replacement of this article.

ACCIDENTS
Any accident or injury during class must be reported immediately to the instructor, no matter how minor the injury may seem to be. No injury is minor and every incident must be documented.

Recent State and Federal Legislation prohibits smoking in the school and on school grounds, including bathrooms, parking areas, and in or near school buses. The use of vapor or electronic cigarettes is also prohibited.

Consequences:  

• Parents and home school are notified.
• Suspension

Damage to school property will not be tolerated. Students who willfully destroy, damage, or deface school property shall be subject to disciplinary action and may be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible under the law. If a student damages school property, such student, and/or his or her parent(s) or guardian(s), shall be required to pay the district for the value of the damaged property up to the limit of the law. State law now permits parental liability for up to five thousand dollars ($5000).