Outstanding CTE Program Award

Michelle Landreville and Amanda Cherry are the teachers for the CREST Bioscience Program at Paradise Valley High School. Students use state of the art biotechnology equipment allowing them to work with proteins, DNA, to do Bioengineering and some Bio manufacturing. Teachers recently added a new course they authored called Innovations in Bioscience and Engineering. The main thrust of the course is nanotechnology. Students take BACE (Biotechnical Assistant Credentialing Exam) with an 80% pass rate and Students pass Arizona CTE Bioscience Technical Assessment with an over 90% pass rate. Students report that the CREST Bioscience program prepared them well for the rigors of the biological science studies.

One student was named finalist for CTE Presidential Scholars program and students win Baird, Flinn, National Merit, and McDermott scholarships. CREST Bioscience is a model program and students have completed internships with TGen, ASU Bio Design, as well as with doctors, dentists, wildlife conservation groups and others. A few students were listed as authors in peer reviewed research articles. CREST works to recruit and retain non-traditional students such as minorities and low socio-economic students. CREST regularly hold special recruiting events.

Teachers use frequent formative assessments to check for understanding of content and then modify instruction to ensure students master concepts. Teachers provide office hours to provide remediation and are flexible with assignment due dates and amount of work completed based on the needs of the student. Teachers work effectively and compassionately with all students, especially those with IEP’s and 504s. CREST has many gifted students (on the Autism spectrum). Teachers provide varied ways to show mastery of content, such as: labs, quizzes, written reports, artwork, videos, and role playing.

Their students have earned the HOSA Gold Chapter Award numerous times and student was elected HOSA International President 2016-17. Students are elected to AZHOSA Officer team every year between 2013-2020. Current AZHOSA Director is a former student. Student was named by City 0f Phoenix Outstanding Young Woman of the Year 2019 and Students win numerous technical and leadership awards at AZHOSA. Current student is the PVHS Student Body President, and many Bioscience students have served as various Student Government officers.