ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS

School to Careers (6009PA)

This is a vocational-technical education program by which students receive work-based instruction through written cooperative arrangements between the Ridgewood school district and employers. This instruction includes required academic courses and related vocational and technical education instruction, by alternation of study in school with paid employment in an occupational field. This alternation is planned and supervised by the district and employer so that each contributes to the education and employability of the individual. Students enrolled in the program receive up to 10 credits for employment and 5 credits for a required related class. Under this program, students attend school classes for half a day and are employed at least 15 to 34 hours per week under supervised conditions at state approved work stations. (Enrollment by permission of program coordinator and guidance counselor for students in grades 11 and 12, Elective 10-15 credits.)

Structured Learning Experience (SLE)

Structured Learning Experiences are experiential, supervised educational activities designed to provide students with exposure to the requirements and responsibilities of specific job titles or job groups, and to assist them in gaining employment skills and making career and educational decisions. A structured learning experience may be either paid or unpaid, depending on the type of activities in which the student is involved. Structured learning experiences may include, but are not limited to:

(1) Apprenticeships;

(2) Community service;

(3) Cooperative education;

(4) Internships;

(5) Job shadowing;

(6) School-based enterprises;

(7) Volunteer activities;

(8) Vocational student organizations; and

(9) Work Experience Career Exploration Program (WECEP)

Satellite AM (0619SP) or PM (0629SP)

This program at Bergen County Technical Education Center in Paramus, offers a half-day, shared time program in technical education for students who have expressed an interest in developing specific work skills for entrance into the workplace or a post-secondary education trade based program. Students interested in the Satellite program have typically demonstrated a preference for hands-on learning experiences. Interested students usually begin the Satellite program in ninth or tenth grade but may enter into some areas as late as eleventh grade. The program begins with career exploration during which students rotate through a variety of shop experiences in areas, such as culinary arts, information technology, graphic design, automotive technology, collision repair, healthcare, landscaping, cosmetology, skincare, green building trades, small animal care, and graphic design. As they continue into eleventh and twelfth grade, students are placed in specific shops as majors. Students attend Satellite up to half of each school day; the remainder is spent at Ridgewood High School for academic instruction. Bergen County Technical Education Center offers a competency-based curriculum developed by experienced trade teachers and advisory committees, and is designed to provide students with marketable skills.