At Belmont Ridge Middle School, the adapted Career and Technical Education (CTE) class is doing more than teaching trade or tech skills. This CTE class is opening doors and hearts.
Students in the adapted CTE class have started early, in middle school, exploring real-world possibilities and learning both practical and academic skills that prepare them for life after high school. Teachers Michael Goddard (Tech Ed), Samantha Most, Melissa Griffin and Claudia Senior work continuously and collaboratively to design supportive, inclusive learning experiences, modeling the collaboration, problem solving and perseverance they want their students to develop.
Students in the adapted CTE class engage in hands-on activities like using assistive technology, interacting with design tools, reading and following blueprints and instructions to build projects, collaborating in teams and preparing final products or demonstrations for their Belmont Ridge classmates, friends and families.
Adapted CTE offers students experiences that highlight what career and technical paths look like and how engineering, design, food services, health sciences or digital media could be part of their future. For many students, these experiences foster both competence and self-confidence as they realize they are capable of meaningful work.
Research supports what Belmont Ridge has observed. Studies show that when students with disabilities have access to high-quality CTE programs, they are more likely to graduate high school, enroll in postsecondary education and secure better employment outcomes. In addition, participation in STEM CTE courses improves STEM self-efficacy and identity among students with learning disabilities and increases the likelihood they will choose STEM majors or opportunities after high school.
Belmont Ridge’s adapted CTE class also aligns strongly with the LCPS Instructional Framework. The framework emphasizes student-centered instruction, inclusion, authentic learning experiences, and designing experiences to strengthen and assess growth of all students. In the adapted CTE class, instruction is designed to include modifications, supports and scaffolding so that students’ diverse needs and strengths are supported.
In Belmont Ridge’s adapted CTE classes, students gain much more than technical know-how. Through projects like transforming 2D drawings into 3D snap-block creations or building pedestrian bridges from popsicle sticks, they test ideas and celebrate breakthroughs with cheers and high-fives. These hands-on lessons highlight growing skills and the teamwork and excitement that make this class so meaningful for students and staff alike.