Educators at Ponaganset created a program of choice that offers industry-specific college and career pathways, allowing students to earn college credits and industry certifications. A leader in project- and work-based learning, Ponaganset offers agriculture and animal sciences, engineering and robotics, materials and manufacturing, and biomedical sciences. Through partnerships with postsecondary institutions, students can enroll in courses that prepare them for high-demand, high-wage employment sectors. 

School leaders make innovative and smart use of time, space, and tech. Blocks in the school schedule are intentionally created for students to assemble a personalized digital portfolio and demonstrate their readiness for an ever-changing world. This includes a commitment to innovative credentialing—beyond seat time and course credit. The team developed its own form of badging: a system of digital badges that track students’ progress toward various academic achievements. 

In addition to tracking traditional academic progress, Ponaganset students know exactly which benchmarks they’ve hit to achieve the school’s multi-dimensional Vision of a Graduate. Students can also earn external certifications or designations; credentials for the skills they develop both in and out of school; and personalized pathway badges that allow students to define their own pathway majors beyond the existing formalized CTE pathways. Students and adults receive support through an equitable allocation of resources, comprehensive school counseling, individual learning plans, flexible block scheduling, a personalization period, and connections to parents, community, business, and higher education institutions.