The top high school computer graphics program in the state isn”t located at the Mississippi School for the Arts in Brookhaven. It”s right here in Columbus.
The second-best high school medical technology program isn”t linked to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. It”s right here in Columbus.
The Columbus Municipal School District”s McKellar Technology Center took the top spot in computer graphics and missed the top spot in medical technology by less than one point in April on the Career Planning and Assessment, or CPAS, test.
“It”s very rewarding to see all our effort come to fruition,” said Cathy Kemp, director of McKellar Vocational. “It really makes us feel like we”re doing what we”re supposed to be doing.”
The CPAS is administered online to second year vocational students across Mississippi. Columbus” programs beat out seven other computer graphics programs and 92 of 94 medical technology programs. And McKellar counselor Laurie Davis points out that the top medical technology program tested just eight students, while McKellar tested all 30 of its second year medical technology students.
Five of McKellar”s 10 programs ranked above the state average.
Jo Ann Creel, instructor for McKellar”s computer graphics program, says the five-year-old program hasn”t always been quite as prestigious.
“The class did not do so good the first year because I did not know what was going on,” Creel said. “I didn”t know what the questions were or what type of questions. So I really worked on learning about CPAS.”
Four years later, she”s got the top program in the state.
“We crammed and crammed (for the test),” Creel said. “It goes back to the first year and second year students take the test, so it”s a lot of information. The students worked very hard and didn”t get upset when we went over and over it.”
The computer graphics program prepares students for what they”ll experience in the business world in a wide variety of computer-based vocations, including web design, digital photography, photo manipulation, animation, video editing and video design. Hands-on experiences include creating web pages, banners and business cards.
Students in Creel”s classes work with industry standard hardware and software to prepare them for what they”ll experience in the business world. She says the class is geared to be fun for students, but at the same time it must cover the vast expanse of information included on the CPAS.
A high score on the CPAS could earn students college scholarship or college credit. And McKellar students who score in the top 25 percent on their test are treated to a trip. Last year the top testers visited the beach at Dauphin Island, Ala. But the gulf oil spill rerouted the kids to Alabama Adventure theme park this year.
Medical technology at McKellar is making similar progress in statewide rankings. The program has ranked in the top three for the past four years, but broke through this year.
Linda Kile, a 20-year nurse and instructor for the first year students in medical technology at McKellar, says she and fellow nurse and instructor Melanie Ford have been growing as instructors each year since arriving at McKellar in 2001.
“She and I both stay active in the field of nursing and stay current,” Kile said. “We stick with the state curriculum, but when students show interest in something we put a little more emphasis on that. We want to entice them to come back for the second year of the program.”
The medical technology program covers every area of healthcare, from nursing to pharmacy to funeral services.
Ford says she wasn”t surprised by her students” success on the CPAS, except that they didn”t finish first. But she”s plotting to take the title next year.
“I did a pretest (on this year”s second year students) to see what they retained from MedTech 1 and this class did really well,” she said. “This group is going to do it. They”re going to be number one.”
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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