Academics for VBCPS Students Admissions for VBCPS Students Directions Contact ATC		1) Where is the Advanced Technology Center located? 2) Are the programs offered through the Advanced Technology Center similar to Landstown High School's Technology Academy? 3) Is the Advanced Technology Center a unique concept? 4) What will be the primary use of the Advanced Technology Center? 5) Will high school students who are attending the Advanced Technology Center be able to continue their education at Tidewater Community College? 6) How do I apply for admission to the Advanced Technology Center for the 2003-2004 school year if I am enrolled in Virginia Beach City Public Schools? 7) When will Virginia Beach City Public Schools provide notification to students for acceptance into the Advanced Technology Center program? 8) Will transportation of high school students be provided to the Advanced Technology Center? 9) Can I remain a student at my home school and still take classes at the ATC? 10) How do I plan ahead so that when I'm ready to apply to the ATC, I have the room in my schedule for these three credit courses? 11) As a high school student, whom can I contact for additional information? Q. Where is the Advanced Technology Center located? A. The center, currently under construction, is located on the Virginia Beach Campus of Tidewater Community College, adjacent to the new Virginia Beach Higher Education Center on Princess Anne Road, and across the street from Landstown High School which also houses the school division's Technology Academy. return to top Q. Are the programs offered through the Advanced Technology Center similar to Landstown High School's Technology Academy? A. The Advanced Technology Center course offerings are more work-directed than courses available through Virginia Beach City Public Schools' Technology Academy, although students are encouraged to continue education beyond high school. Students accepted into the Advanced Technology Center, as a high school junior or senior, will also attend their home school, while Technology Academy students are enrolled at Landstown High as full-time students. The Advanced Technology Center offers a half-day program to students in the morning or afternoon. Another difference is that the Advanced Technology Center is for junior and seniors, while the Technology Academy involves students in grades 9-12. Students enrolled in the Technology Academy program will also have access to the Advanced Technology Center. return to top Q. Is the Advanced Technology Center a unique concept? A. The college/public school concept is unique to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Programs and facilities between public schools and community colleges are effective ways of bridging the gap between graduates of their institutions and the workplace. Such partnerships are both cost- and time-effective for the counties and cities that have established them. The Virginia General Assembly designated the Advanced Technology Center as a model facility for other Virginia Communities to follow. return to top Q. What will be the primary use of the Advanced Technology Center? A. The center will be an industry-certified training location and is designed to facilitate interdisciplinary learning, flexible enough to accommodate current technologies and adapt to future changes. Plans include use of a portion of the building during the day by Virginia Beach City Public Schools and a portion by day and at night by Tidewater Community College, flexible weekend use, and industrial shell space for the training needs of local businesses. The Advanced Technology Center will not only help develop a workforce highly skilled in information and industrial technology but will serve as a magnet for new high-technology companies and assist small businesses in achieving successful start-ups. return to top Q. Will high school students who are attending the Advanced Technology Center be able to continue their education at Tidewater Community College? A. Yes. A student could conceivably begin training at the Advanced Technology Center while in high school, continue on through the first years of college with Tidewater Community College, transfer to the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center and enroll in a program there through Old Dominion University or Norfolk State University and graduate with a bachelor's or a master's degree from one of those senior institutions. Students may also attend other institutions of higher learning. Students also will have multiple opportunities throughout this process to move into the job market, appropriately trained and skilled in their chosen fields. return to top Q. How do I apply for admission to the Advanced Technology Center for the 2003-2004 school year if I am enrolled in Virginia Beach City Public Schools? A. The Advanced Technology Center offers a diverse selection of courses for high school students interested in concentrating in the field of information technology. If the courses described in this brochure challenge and interest you, please consider applying for admission for the 2003-2004 school year by completing the application. The application process and open house will be held in early 2003. return to top Q. When will Virginia Beach City Public Schools provide notification to students for acceptance into the Advanced Technology Center program? A. Notification of acceptance into the program will occur by mail, prior to the end of the current school year. return to top Q. Will transportation of high school students be provided to the Advanced Technology Center? A. Virginia Beach City Public Schools' first session students relocating to the Advanced Technology Center will take an academy express bus to Landstown High School where they will then be transported in a shuttle school bus to the Advanced Technology Center. Upon the completion of their morning classes they will take a shuttle bus back to their home schools. Shuttle buses will take second session students from their home schools to the Advanced Technology Center. At the end of their school day, a bus will take the students back to Landstown where pupils will board an academy express bus for the trip home. The ATC bus schedule is available by clicking here: NEW Revised ATC Bus Schedule (updated 11/13/02) return to top Q. Can I remain a student at my home school and still take classes at the ATC? A. Absolutely; all of our students attend half of each day at their home school for their core classes, and spend the other half of their day at the ATC. You continue to remain a "Chief, Dolphin, Patriot, Knight, etc..." Even academy students may with proper planning schedule classes at the ATC. return to top Q: How do I plan ahead so that when I'm ready to apply to the ATC, I have the room in my schedule for these three credit courses? A: Students should consider taking couses for high school credit, such as, Algebra 1, or a foriegn language while still in middle school. Consideration should also be given to scheduling to receive at least seven credits each year beginning with the ninth grade. Choosing to attend summer school is yet another way that extra credits could be accumulated to ensure that your schedule is flexible enough to schedule ATC classes. return to top Q. As a high school student, whom can I contact for additional information? A. For additional information contact Virginia Beach City Public Schools' Office of Technical and Career Education at 757.468.8960 or mdtaylor@vbcps.k12.va.us. return to top
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