Educator helps students make the transition from school to work.

Educator helps students make the transition from school to work. Making the transition from elementary school elementary school:see school. teacher to schooladministrator has been a challenging and rewarding experience for LisaVrvilo. After three years teaching third-graders, and eight yearsteaching middle school, Vrvilo embraced the opportunity to pursue anadministrative opportunity in career and technical education (CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion) The difference between the way two materials expand when heat is applied. This is very critical when chips are mounted to printed circuit boards, because the silicon chip expands at a different rate than the plastic board. ), eventhough she had little knowledge about the field. Since 2002, she has been the school-to-work coordinator for theMatanuska-Susitna Borough School District in Palmer, Alaska Palmer is a city in and the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 4,533. 2005 Census Bureau estimates give the city a population of 6,920. . Thedistrict is a large one, approximately 24,000 square miles A square mil is a unit of area, equal to the area of a square with sides of length one mil. A mil is one thousandth of an international inch. This unit of area is usually used in specifying the area of the cross section of a wire or cable. (about thesize of West Virginia West Virginia,E central state of the United States. It is bordered by Pennsylvania and Maryland (N), Virginia (E and S), and Kentucky and, across the Ohio R., Ohio (W).Facts and FiguresArea, 24,181 sq mi (62,629 sq km). Pop. ), with 15,000 students and several schools toaccommodate them. It is the fastest growing area in the state, and thereare about 500 new students entering the district's schools eachyear. One of the many challenges the district faces is being able toprovide enough programs to students, according to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. Vrvilo. An advisoryboard was set up to identify the fastest growing industries so thatprograms could be developed to meet local workforce needs. The districtnow offers a number of programs and certifications, including nursing,information technology, welding welding,process for joining separate pieces of metal in a continuous metallic bond. Cold-pressure welding is accomplished by the application of high pressure at room temperature; forge welding (forging) is done by means of hammering, with the addition of heat. and automotive technology Noun 1. automotive technology - the activity of designing and constructing automobilesautomotive engineeringengineering, technology - the practical application of science to commerce or industry . One of Vrvilo's primary responsibilities is to buildpartnerships between schools and the community, bringing to students anarray of job training opportunities. She works with employers and tradeunions to increase the number of apprenticeship programs on offer, andsays their involvement is immensely important. "One of the biggest surprises when I came into this was seeinghow important involving the community is in programming, especiallybusiness partnerships," she says. A number of organizations,including the local Rotary Club, get involved in other ways by hostingseminars, career fairs and other events for students. "You have to involve your community and find ways to getbusinesses involved in all levels, from elementary through highschool," adds Vrvilo. Participation in career education programs is paying off forstudents in Matanuska-Susitna. Last year, the district looked at testscores for 10th-graders on the High School Graduation Qualifying Exam,and found that students who took at least one CTE course performedbetter than those who took none. Vrvilo says that teachers activelyparticipate in professional development to make certain that thecurriculum is academically rigorous, and this is contributing tosuccessful student outcomes. In 2006, there will be a much needed addition to the schooldistrict: a brand new career technology center with CTE programs underone roof. Presently, CTE programs are housed at the five local schools,and students commute TO COMMUTE. To substitute one punishment in the place of another. For example, if a man be sentenced to be hung, the executive may, in some states, commute his punishment to that of imprisonment. from one location to the other to take classes. If you have a colleague you would like Techniques to profile,please contact semeagwali@acteonline.org.