Oak Ridge Schools supervisor receives state Pioneer Award

 

Holly Cross, career and technical education supervisor at Oak Ridge Schools, has received a state Pioneer Award.

The Pioneer Award is granted by the Tennessee Department of Career and Technical Education, or CTE, to recognize CTE directors who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in their home county and at the state or national level, a press release said. In order to receive this award, the CTE director should have five years or less experience as the CTE director.

Cross was named the the 2015-16 recipient of the state Pioneer Award.

Here are some highlights of accomplishments that contributed to the granting of this award, according to information provided by Oak Ridge Schools:

• Cross played an integral role in the submission of a LEAP grant with Anderson County Schools and Morgan County Schools, creating a new pathway for mechatronics engineering, including a dual enrollment agreement with Roane State Community College. In addition to this grant, Cross also was able to attain a Perkins Reserve Grant for $150,000 for aligning LEAP and the Pathways to Prosperity initiative in the dual enrollment program of studies for Mechatronics and Siemens Level I Industry Certification. “This will inevitably change the lives of many students in the Oak Ridge Schools as this field has incredible employment opportunities now and in the future,” the press release said.
• Cross was awarded a $10,000 Perkins Reserve Grant to enable students to attain industry certifications in their desired pathway of study in the following career clusters: Advanced Manufacturing, Arts, A/V Communications, Business, Health Science, Human Services, and Information Technology. This contributes to the schools’ 7th Key to College and Career Readiness: Industry Certifications, the release said.
• In her role as CTE supervisor, Cross created an advisory board consisting of members of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, post-secondary partners from all neighboring community colleges, and TCATs, as well as local professionals in the CTE pathways of study offered by Oak Ridge Schools. This outreach has created relationships with the community that allows the schools “to engage in conversations about the training and employment opportunities for our students in our region,” the press release said. It aligns with the schools’ Oak Ridge 2020 Mission and Vision.
• The relationships created with post-secondary partners has resulted in increased dual enrollment opportunities for students with Roane State Community College, Pellissippi State Community College, and Tennessee College of Applied Technology (Harriman and Knoxville), contributing to the 7th Key for College and Career Readiness: Dual Enrollment. Also, Oak Ridge Schools has established a partnership with TCAT Knoxville that allows welding graduates to continue their learning and certification process through post-secondary training at Oak Ridge Schools.
• Cross has led STEM-based sessions that were designed to integrate core subjects and CTE using Project-Based-Learning materials created by the Buck Institute, including tips for how to create a Gold Standard model transdisciplinary PBL experiences. “This alignment across curricular areas has opened the doors to communication between subject areas and is truly embedding CTE courses and pathways in the culture of our schools,” the press release said.

When asked for three justifications for nominating Holly, nominator Patty Thomas listed three:

• Innovation—Holly Cross, CTE director for Oak Ridge Schools, exhibits a keen eye for innovation in regard to her CTE programs of study. “Having worked with Holly, during my former role as TDOE CORE CTE Consultant, I witnessed Holly’s relentless efforts to improve her programs,” the press release said. “This dedication was greatly demonstrated when Holly partnered with other districts and post-secondary institutions to apply for a LEAP grant. The resulting efforts of this grant will create students trained in mechatronics engineering, a knowledge and skill set strongly desired by area advanced manufacturers.”
• Professional Development—Holly participates, diligently, in CTE-related professional development sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Education. She attends the majority of regional study council meetings in order to stay relevant on CTE topics. “Holly also promotes and provides the professional development of her teachers,” the release said. “She has a strong desire to make sure that her teachers are implementing CTE programs of study with the utmost fidelity, to promote college and career-ready programs of study that are robust, rigorous, and relevant for students.”
• Commitment to Career and Education—During the 2014-15 school year, Oak Ridge Schools Career and Technical Education Department underwent Perkins risk-based monitoring. “In my former role as lead monitor, for this event, I was able to witness the tireless commitment Holly has for Career and Technical Education,” the release said. “This was Holly’s first time, as a CTE director, to undergo risk-based monitoring. Her preparation for this event was astounding. Holly implemented a digital system for maintaining and tracking the district and her teacher’s quality program indicators. She worked to provide professional development, for her teachers, around quality programs.  After the monitoring, she provided any needed professional development, around areas of weakness for her teachers. This same degree of dedication is also evident by looking at the time and dedication Holly places on developing the annual Perkins Action Plan. Holly researches best practices and techniques and outlines implementation steps throughout the action steps of her annual plan. Holly always has the student’s best interest in mind and closely partners with her teachers, advisory members, and postsecondary/business professionals to ensure that her students receive quality instruction in Career and Technical Education.”

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