HOW DOES IT WORK?
PRE-K through ELEMENTARY
Even our youngest Jackets have the opportunity to explore the question, “what do I want to be when I grow up?” through the Starkville Oktibbeha School District’s strategic approach to career exploration. A student’s learning experiences throughout the elementary grades include hands-on activities in each school’s MakerSpace, innovative field trip opportunities with community partners, Jacket Thrive intersession enrichment camp experiences, and extra-curricular opportunities – all aligned with the career pathways available through our Academic Houses.
8TH GRADE
Eighth grade students participate in Keystone class where they learn skills necessary to be successful in high school. During this course, students explore college and career options through experiential project-based learning to help them determine their interests and skills. At the end of the course, students choose to participate in one of the 17 career pathways available through the Academic Houses at Starkville High School.
9TH GRADE
Ninth grade students enroll in the Freshman House and begin to personalize their high school learning path based on their chosen career pathway. In this house, students begin the introductory courses in an academic or Career & Technical Education (CTE) pathway that matches their career interests.
10TH GRADE
A student’s chosen career pathway determines which Academic House they will call home for their high school experience. Regular coursework, including math, language arts, science and history, is presented within the context and focus of each Academic House. During sophomore year, students participate in coordinated learning experiences through site visits with area employers that match their interest in a particular profession. Students also have an opportunity to visit a post-secondary college or university.
11TH-12TH GRADE
During junior year, students can begin to earn college credit through dual credit/dual enrollment options. Students can also earn specialized certifications and endorsements by completing a sequence of coursework in health, construction and other academic and CTE pathways. Juniors have the opportunity to participate in job shadowing with local employers in their chosen pathway, an experience that allows students to observe and ask questions of a career professional, and gain a real-world glimpse of what jobs in their pathway are like.
In their junior and senior years, students have the opportunity for individual work experiences through job internships, and students may earn the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness certificate, which measures and certifies essential work skills needed for success in jobs across industries and occupations.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
ACADEMIC DIPLOMAS & ADVANCED PLACEMENT
Each Academic House at Starkville High School offers dual enrollment and Advanced Placement course options for students who want to pursue an academic diploma or who seek distinction as an AP Scholar.
DUAL ENROLLMENT
Each Academic House offers Dual Enrollment opportunities with East Mississippi Community College or Mississippi State University, including: English Comp, Biology, College Algebra, Spanish, Music Appreciation, CTE & more!
MSU EARLY HONORS ACADEMY
This partnership with the Shackouls Honors College at Mississippi State University is designed to challenge advanced learners during their senior year of high school.
