Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

256 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 to informed career choices. “One of the things I love about the YOU Science, is it tells our students what they’re good at. They research their top three best fit careers, and work with their guidance counselor to come up with a high school graduation and a post secondary graduation plan. They’ll visit the Career Academy to see the opportunities that they have there,” she depicts. Safety and Facilities Equity On the subject of safety, Nix asserts, “They can’t learn if they’re hurt or afraid. So, safety is our number one concern, it even trumps academics, it trumps everything. Parents want their kids safe when they come to school.” The district invests heavily in safety measures, including School Resource Officers (SROs) in every school, ballistic and phlebotomy. “And then, when we’re talking about teachers, we are growing our own in Catoosa County. We have a teaching as a profession pathway, and we’re going to teach our students the Catoosa way,” says Brower. Another notable feature is the utilization of the YOU Science assessment, which identifies students’ aptitudes, interests, and best-fit career options. “When we were planning for the College and Career Academy and knew this tool would be available, we actually redesigned a required high school class to include the YOU Science assessment,” describes Brower. This assessment, which happens in grade nine, plays a pivotal role in guiding students, helping them discover their natural aptitudes and interests, and leading