The high school vocational centers of the past are long gone, but the mission of preparing high school students for future careers has never been stronger. And as they say, if you aren’t first, you are last, and there can only be one first place winner.
Earning the top spot from Mississippi among other district’s Career and Technical Education programs is the Business, Marketing and Finance program being offered at Moss Point High School CTE. The Moss Point program was one of 39 programs across the state that met the requirements to be included in this ranking.
Billy Carroll, Moss Point’s CTE Director, said this ranking doesn’t come easily and isn’t the work of one person. The current program at MP CTE was launched during the 2023-24 school year and has grown exponentially in a short time.
“It takes a combination of great teaching, hard-working students, high expectations, and being intentional about what we are teaching and why we are teaching it,” said Carroll. “To go from launching a new program to being ranked #1 in the state in just a few years is something we are extremely proud of.”
While this top ranking is an honor, he said that accolade simply means the program is aligned with state standards and industry expectations.
“It is preparing students for their end-of-course certification exam and giving them opportunities to apply what they are learning,” he said. “Our students are learning entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, economics, personal finance, communication, leadership, and other skills they can actually use after high school.”
Being on top isn’t new to Moss Point. It took top honors in College and Career Readiness along the coast and was ranked fourth in the state. And, for the third year in a row, the Advanced Welding program has been ranked #1 in the State of Mississippi! The latest Business, Marketing & Finance ranking is one part of a larger strategy that has been a focus across all CTE programs.
“We have become much more intentional about connecting what happens in the classroom to what students will be expected to demonstrate at the end of the program and what employers expect after graduation,” Carroll said. “One of the biggest things we did was ensure that our curriculum was fully aligned with our end-of-course certification exams. We don’t want certification preparation to be something that happens a few weeks before testing. Those skills should be built into instruction throughout the program.”
Mr. Carroll is no stranger to the CTE classroom. Before moving into administration, he spent 15 years as the engineering instructor. In 2023 he took the helm of the Moss Point programs and took with him his knowledge of the classroom.
“Having spent so many years in the classroom has definitely shaped the way I lead,” he said. “I understand what our instructors deal with every day, but I also understand what CTE can do for a student when we provide the right opportunities and have high expectations. We offer a pretty diverse group of programs because we want our students to have options that connect to the workforce here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast as well as opportunities beyond our area.”
And those high expectations are placed on every program in the CTE. Along with Business & Marketing, Moss Point students can explore opportunities in Aquaculture, Computer Science, Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health Care and Clinical Services, Ingalls Shipbuilder Academy, Metal Fabrication, Engineering, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Welding and Work-Based Learning.
“CTE gives students an opportunity to apply what they learn,” Mr. Carroll said. “Students aren’t just sitting in a classroom learning about a career; they are welding, preparing meals, running business projects, working in healthcare environments, designing products, working with technology, growing and managing aquatic systems, and gaining work place experience.”
Students are also gaining certifications industry-recognized credentials to include OSHA-10, Boating & Hunting Safety, Entrepreneurship and Small Business, ServSafe, the National Health Science Certificate, AAFCS Pre-PAC, Certified SolidWorks Associate, CPR/First Aid, Certified Nursing Assistant, and the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate.
“CTE gives students something tangible they can take with them when they graduate,” he said. “They can leave high school with not only a diploma, but also certifications, college credit, workplace experience and, in some cases, a direct pathway into employment.”
There are also dual credit courses offered in collaboration with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and so much more. Students begin their CTE journey in middle school exploring technology and career pathways before moving into specialized courses at the high school level.
“What I’m especially proud of is that we’re creating a pipeline rather than just a collection of classes,” he said. “At the end of the day, we just want students to leave Moss Point with more than a high school diploma. We want them to leave with skills, credentials, experience and a clear idea of what they can do next!”
*All photos are courtesy of Billy Carroll
