Mission/History

MISSION
The mission of the Atlantic County Institute of Technology (ACIT) is to prepare and motivate students to pursue entry into the world of work, professional programs or further education through a rigorous specialized curriculum, community-based partnerships, and field-based experiences inspiring students to be life long learners, and socially responsible adults serving society with compassion, skill, and vision.

For over three decades, the Atlantic County Institute of Technology has been preparing students with the academic and technical skills needed to successfully enter the world of work or continue their education at the college level. The Atlantic County Institute of Technology is the most comprehensive technical education facility in Atlantic County, and it is the school of choice for a diverse student body. The majority of the students who attend ACIT are high school students enrolled in our academy and shared-time programs. Students have 4 Academy and 17 career programs from which to choose. The shared-time students receive their academic instruction at one of the eight public high schools in the county, and their career technical instruction at ACIT. In addition, approximately 1000 adults are enrolled in the ACIT Evening School. Adult learners in the evening school participate in both full and part-time technical programs.

BACKGROUND
The school is situated on a 58-acre campus in the Hamilton Township Business Park in Mays Landing, centrally located in the heart of the county. The school was constructed in 1974 and saw a major multi-million dollar renovation program in 1994 that enabled the school to upgrade existing programs as well as add a number of new programs to meet the needs of today’s workplace. In 2004, the district acquired the former Atlantic County Special Services School building, which is located on the ACIT Campus. This facility now houses the LPN program and the Atlantic County Alternative High School.
Currently, the district is breaking ground in this summer of 2009 on a $40 million building project to facilitate the growth of our career technical and academic programs with the addition of a gymnasium, auditorium, additional classrooms, media center expansion, and technology labs. When the project is complete, the shared-time programs will be phased out, and will become full-time programs, similar to our existing Career Academies.

Career Academies have been phased in at ACIT since 2000, to offer Atlantic County high school students the opportunity to attend ACIT full time. Career Academy students complete a comprehensive technical program as well as a challenging academic curriculum to prepare them for college and the workplace. The first academy, the Academy of Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management provides a program of learning that reflects the trends in the culinary and hospitality industry. By the time these students are juniors, they have gained culinary and hospitality skills that are viewed by our industry partners as professional in nature. The Academy of Information Technology opened the following school year. This academy offers instruction in all aspects of the technology industry including computer applications, web design, programming, computer repair, and networking. The third academy is the Academy of Health Sciences and Medicine where students are exposed to the myriad of career opportunities in the medical field. All students are provided opportunity to graduate with industry-standard certifications. In September of 2007, ACIT opened its fourth academy, The Academy of Math, Engineering and Science. This program is designed to attract students who are interested in a challenging, creative, problem-solving type of curriculum designed to lead to admission to college programs in engineering, math, and science.   


ACHIEVEMENTS
The quality of the academic programs and commitment of the teaching staff is evidenced by the successful 2008 HSPA scores; 96.4% of the academy students were proficient/advanced proficient in language arts and 94.6% were proficient/advanced proficient in math.
In September, 2008, the school was designated as a No Child Left Behind (NCLB) National Blue Ribbon School. ACIT was one of only eight schools in New Jersey to receive this prestigious honor.  The school was honored at a ceremony in October 2008 in Washington D C and then on the ACIT campus in December 2008.  The New Jersey State Department of Education honored ACIT in a ceremony held in January 2009.
Also, for the second consecutive year, ACIT was recognized as one of America’s best high schools in theU.S. News and World Report publication. In New Jersey, only 41 of 390 high schools, or 10.5%, earned a bronze or better ranking.
                        PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THEIR FUTURES
Through articulated Tech Prep agreements with Atlantic Cape Community College, students earn college credits for courses aligned with the college curriculum. While we have an excellent reputation for placing students in high-level positions in the workplace, an ever-growing number of our students seek advanced education. We have agreements in place with Atlantic Cape Community College that enable students in certain programs to earn college credits for work accomplished while they are at ACIT. This Tech Prep program provides up to 15 credits for students who complete one of the participating programs at ACIT and then enroll in a similar area of study at the college. This is done to save time and money in completing an Associate Degree program at ACCC. In addition, academy students are given the opportunity to earn dual credit through on-line ACCC courses in their junior year. Also, in the second semester of their senior year, eligible students are concurrently enrolled at ACCC attending all their career and academic classes on the college campus earning college credit as well as high school credit under the Option II program.  Students may graduate from ACIT with a high school diploma and a college transcript of at least 15 credits.

The Cooperative Education Program (C.I.E.) and Apprenticeship Program provide opportunities for students in the second half of their programs to work in their chosen fields in lieu of going to class each day. This on-the-job experience, learning from a skilled member of the profession, is an excellent educational experience, as well as a way for the student to gain work experience while still in school. This often leads to a job placement upon graduation as well.

Each career technical program also has an advisory committee made up of industry representatives to ensure that the curriculum reflects industry standards. Following the National Academy Foundation school reform model, the academy advisory board also provides the job shadowing opportunities for the academy students, paid summer internships, and engages in fundraising activities to provide funds for student activities.
At the Atlantic County Institute of Technology, our goal is not only to provide an educated workforce, but to also prepare them for continuing educational opportunities. Students are introduced to the nationally recognized career clusters and pathways which demonstrate to the students the opportunities for advancement in any career they have chosen.  A secondary benefit is to provide the region’s employers with skilled employees needed to make their businesses successful. We are proud of our success in meeting these goals.