A Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) middle school has become the first in the country to be accredited as a Career Academy. Kammerer Middle School has received the Model Academy designation from the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC), meaning its programming met the 10 National Standards of Practice (NSOPs) for Career Academies. These standards were developed by nationally recognized education organizations from around the United States using research to determine best practices for effective academies in better-preparing students for high school, college, and life success.
Kammerer is one of 14 JCPS middle schools with Explore Pathways, a unique, hands-on, experiential part of the school’s curriculum that gives students a chance to learn about various careers, their interests, and what they may want to pursue in high school, college, or as a career. The exposure also helps students figure out fields they’re not interested in pursuing.
Kammerer’s Explore Pathways are Business and Communication, Engineering and Design, and Healthcare Science. As part of their experience, Kammerer students have had the opportunity to fly drones, learn CPR, and produce video newscasts.
Schools must apply for NCAC to review their Academy programming. After a series of submissions, interviews with students, staff, and community partners, and a site visit by an NCAC review team, Kammerer was awarded Model status.
“This award validates our work in the Explore program,” said Shannon Corrigan, Kammerer principal. “Our students at Kammerer are not passive recipients of information. They are creators, designers, and change-makers. I have always believed that when students have ownership of their learning and are given meaningful opportunities to solve real problems through design thinking, they rise to the occasion in powerful ways.”
NCAC has historically reviewed and awarded national accreditation only to high school academy programs, including those at three JCPS high schools - Waggener, Seneca, and Fern Creek. Now, with their student-centered focus on learning and collaborations with businesses and other community partners, Kammerer and JCPS have set the standard for other American middle schools.
“We are impressed with Jefferson County Public Schools’ Explore program. It’s what set Kammerer apart,” said Dr. Nicole Cobb, one of the NCAC reviewers of Kammerer’s application and programming. “Allowing students to explore the career pathways that align to the feeder high school not only gives them insights into different professions but helps them make informed choices about their high school pathways, ensuring a cohesive transition. Students at Kammerer are engaged and excited about learning and school, and that’s exactly what being an NCAC Model status school is all about.”
Kammerer’s Explore Pathways are aligned with the Academies of Louisville offerings at Ballard High School, where the majority of Kammerer’s 800 students will attend high school. Kammerer launched its Explore Pathways in the 2022-23 school year.
“Congratulations to Kammerer Middle School for being the first middle school in the country to meet national standards and receive NCAC accreditation,” said Dr. Marty Pollio, JCPS superintendent. “While many school districts visit our highly successful Academies of Louisville programs to learn from us, it’s now apparent, with Kammerer’s designation, that JCPS is also a national model for students’ career exploration starting in the sixth grade. We couldn’t be prouder.”
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