Search Virginia.gov:

Virginia Department of Education

Information on this page is provided by the Office of Career & Technical Education
and the
Division of Special Education and Student Services.

Staff Contacts - Office of Career & Technical Education

Staff Contacts - Division of Special Education and Student Services

Established STEM Academies

Stafford Academy for Technology (STAT)

Project Lead: Stafford County Public Schools

Program Focus: The program will focus on information technology, mathematics and engineering with instruction provided at three locations — Brooke Point High School, North Stafford High School and Stafford High School.

Partners: Stafford County Public Schools; Germanna Community College; Diversified Educational Systems; Employment Resources, Inc.; Fredericksburg Regional Alliance; Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce; Free Lance-Star; GEICO; Hilldrup Companies; Mary Washington Hospital/Medicorp; Rappahannock Region Small Business Development Center; R.L. Williams, Ltd./Autodesk, Inc.; Spotsylvania Technology Center; Stafford County Economic Development; Stafford County Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee; Stafford Rotary; University of Mary Washington; Virginia Employment Commission; Weldon Cooper Center; Workforce Investment Board, Inc.

Stafford Academy for Technology website

Board Of Education Approved Governor’s Academy Application

Executive Summary

Partnership Members: Stafford County Public Schools; Germanna Community College; Diversified Educational Systems; Employment Resources, Inc.; Fredericksburg Regional Alliance; Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce; Free Lance-Star; GEICO; Hilldrup Companies; Mary Washington Hospital/Medicorp; Rappahannock Region Small Business Development Center; R.L. Williams, Ltd./Autodesk, Inc.; Spotsylvania Technology Center; Stafford County Economic Development; Stafford County Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee; Stafford Rotary; University of Mary Washington; Virginia Employment Commission; Weldon Cooper Center; Workforce Investment Board, Inc.

Lead Entity: Stafford County Public Schools

Fiscal Agent: Stafford County Public Schools

Contact Person:
Ms. Kathleen M. Burant, Director
Career and Technical Education
Stafford County Public Schools
31 Stafford Avenue
Stafford, VA 22554
Phone: 540-658-6672
E-mail: burantkm@staffordschools.net

Academy Location:
Brooke Point High School
North Stafford High School
Stafford High School

Number of Students Served: Maximum of 180 in Phase I

Career Pathways: Network Systems, Science and Engineering

Academy Goals and Description: The Stafford Academy for Technology will be used as the catalyst to prepare students to meet both current and projected work force needs through an interdisciplinary course of study bringing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics together across all grade levels, K-16. The Academy will assure excellence by raising the aspirations of all students through: 1) the incorporation of workplace experiences as part of the school program; 2) the implementation of industry assessments; 3) the application of concepts through hands-on learning experiences; 4) the alignment of programs of instruction to emerging job opportunities; and 5) the coordination of related efforts throughout a partnership network. The Academy will open at three sites in Stafford County in the fall of 2008 with one site focusing on the Network Systems pathway and the other two sites on the Science and Engineering pathway. Access will be provided for students from all five Stafford County high schools. There is a substantial opportunity for dual enrollment coursework and career and technical integration as part of the Academy educational experience. The curriculum of the seven Stafford County middle schools will support and encourage enrollment in the Academy.

Highlights of the Academy:

• The Stafford Academy for Technology has a strong and growing partnership including representatives from business and industry, postsecondary educational institutions, work force and economic development groups, parents, and Stafford County Public Schools.
• A major component of the Academy is the integration of academics and career and technical education staff and curriculum.
• The Stafford Academy for Technology is building upon Project Lead the Way to give students pre-engineering curriculum at the middle and high school levels.
• FIRST Robotics, N-STAR projects and Legos™ will be incorporated into the middle school curriculum so that students will receive hands-on experience applying instructional technology and science and engineering concepts.
• Small learning communities will be a hallmark of the Academy to give students more personalized instruction.
• Required service learning experiences are incorporated into students' academy experiences.
• The Stafford Academy for Technology will address the needs of special populations and nontraditional students in engineering and technology fields.
• The strong connection with business and industry partners will facilitate mentorships, job shadowing, cooperative education, and internships as early as the tenth grade.
• The two pathways will be the model for expanding the academy concept to the development of a future STEM-based career and technical education center.

Top of Page