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Future Ready Graduates

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  • The VITAL School is a fully accredited public school that offers a full range of student services including RTI, Special Education programs, 504 health services, and counseling services. Please click here for the Virtual School Monitoring Tool.

Future Ready Links

A poster with text that describes the requirements for a student to be considered a "Ready Graduate" in Tennessee.
 

PCSS recognizes the importance for all our students to be post-secondary ready whether they choose to enter the workforce, technical college, or a two or four-year college or university.

The exposure to various opportunities during the middle school and high school years is imperative for our students in order to have a high-quality education and be able to make the best decisions for their future.

The PCSS school board, leadership, department supervisors and district-wide specialists, are committed to supporting and engaging schools, educators, students, and parents to be Future Ready. 

Future Ready Graduate

Graduation Requirement information at the Tennessee Department of Education website.

Be a Ready Graduate by completing one of the following:

  1. Have a composite score of 21 or higher on the ACT
  2. Complete four (4) Early Post Secondary Opportunities (EPSOs)
  3. Complete two (2) Early Post Secondary Opportunities (EPSOs) and earn a score of 31+ on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT);
  4. Complete two (2) Early Post Secondary Opportunities (EPSOs) and Earn an Industry Credential (IC)
The ACT logo.
 

 

Learn. Prep. Test. 

The PCSS has a goal that the ACT district is 21 or higher. ACT prep courses and testing dates are available to students. 

Learn more about the ACT. 






 

A diagram showing the different programs offered by EPSO.
Early Post Secondary Opportunity
 

Early postsecondary opportunities (EPSOs) include a course and/or exam that give students a chance to obtain postsecondary credit while still in high school. Courses (whether stand-alone or in conjunction with an exam for postsecondary credit) must be aligned to higher education standards. Early postsecondary opportunities ensure that students are ready to take advantage of education and training after high school.

Take a look at PCSS EPSO. 

There are several types of early postsecondary opportunities available in Tennessee. View a side-by-side comparison on the chart above for each type of early postsecondary opportunity available in Tennessee. Early postsecondary offerings vary widely by school district, and more information can be found linked here.

The logo for Putnam County CTE.
Career & Technical Education
Putnam County's Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs of study are meant to provide a relevant framework of industry-aligned, rigorous courses that progress a student in knowledge and skills year over year. They provide invaluable opportunities for students to experience a subject they are passionate about and explore interests that lead to post-secondary learning and future career paths. These sequenced courses also reflect and support the three-credit elective focus requirement for graduation. Level one courses are encouraged to be taken by students in ninth grade.
The CTE program provides students the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience to be better prepared for future career options. Learn more by visiting the CTE page.

 

A certificate of achievement.
Industry Certification
 

 

Industry certifications (IC) are earned through secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs and courses. High school students are encouraged to focus their elective credits on robust, career-aligned learning pathways. Robust learning pathways should culminate with the achievement of nationally recognized industry certifications, meaningful work based learning experiences, and/or attainment of postsecondary credit hours through early postsecondary opportunities.

PCSS offers twenty-five (25) industry certifications in a wide variety of career and technical areas.

Learn more about Industry Certification.