McCall Middle School

Winchester Public Schools (WPS) is committed to integrating career exploration and career-connected learning into its middle school curriculum. This initiative supports the WPS Strategic Plan's vision for authentic, real-world learning by helping students identify their interests, develop crucial skills, and understand the connection between academic subjects and future career paths.

Massachusetts state regulations (603 CMR 4.00) require sending districts to maintain a districtwide Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy that documents how middle school students in the district are made aware of, and gain exposure to, career and technical education (CTE) schools and programs available to them in their district, regional, agricultural, and other public high schools.

Collaboration

The Winchester Public Schools will collaborate with CTE schools and programs in our district, regional, agricultural, and other public high schools to inform students about such opportunities for them by:

• Ensuring that all 8th-grade students are provided with invitations sent to the McCall Middle School administration by the CTE school to take part in a tour day during regular middle school hours, as offered by a public high school to which Winchester students may apply.
• Ensuring that any middle school student's absence for an opportunity to tour during regular middle school hours is excused without penalty.
• Ensuring that McCall Middle School principals set dates that will be shared on the Winchester Public Schools public-facing website for all middle school students. Information about career and technical education programs and careers will be shared with students on-site at their middle school, including via presentations, as well as through mail, email, and on their public-facing websites, by October 15 of each school year.

Providing Records to Career and Technical Education (CTE) Schools and Programs

If a request for information is sent from a CTE school and programs in our district, regional, agricultural, or other public high school with a signed parent release, Winchester Public Schools will provide the requested information regarding attendance and discipline within 10 school days to ensure that the student’s application may be completed and processed in a timely manner.

Maintenance of Records

Winchester Public Schools will maintain documentation of student participation in tours and other aspects of this policy implementation, including the sharing of contact information, MyCAP, and CTE access schedules. Winchester Public Schools will provide this information to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education upon request.