Considering Great Oaks?

Great Oaks is a career-technical high school in southwest Ohio, serving 36 school districts. Career technical programs are offered at four career development campuses:

• Diamond Oaks on the west side of Cincinnati
• Laurel Oaks in Wilmington
• Live Oaks in Milford
• Scarlet Oaks in Sharonville

Great Oaks offers over 30 different programs to choose from. You complete these programs in your junior and senior year as you prepare for continuing education, the workplace, and/or the military.

Great Oaks serves schools in the following districts:

Batavia, Blanchester, Clermont Northeastern, Clinton-Massie, Deer Park, East Clinton, Fairfield (Highland Co.), Finneytown, Forest Hills, Goshen, Greenfield, Hillsboro, Indian Hill, Lockland, Loveland, Lynchburg-Clay, Madeira, Mariemont, Mason, Miami Trace, Milford, Mt. Healthy, North College Hill, Norwood, Oak Hills, Princeton, Reading, Southwest, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place, Sycamore, Three Rivers, Washington Court House, West Clermont, Wilmington, Winton Woods,  and Wyoming.

All incoming students must meet credit requirements and (if applicable) any other requirements of the program.

Great Oaks students spend 2 ½ hours in their career program labs. Their lab instructors have spent time working in the field. Students then spend the remainder of the day completing academic coursework.

Great Oaks students who have met academic requirements and pass required testing (as determined by their home school) graduate from their home school and receive their diploma from that school. Those who successfully complete a Great Oaks program also receive a Career-Technical Certificate of Completion and a Career Passport that includes the following: Resume; Great Oaks Warranty; Competency Profile listing the skills mastered both at school and on the job during high school.  Students who cannot be credentialed in all areas will have a written plan describing what they need to do in order to be successful at the next level.

Yes. Students are encouraged to continue to participate in sports and other extra-curricular activities at their home schools. They will also have the opportunity to participate in leadership activities at their Great Oaks career campus through Career-Technical Student Organizations, student leadership, Junior ROTC (where available), and National Technical Honor Society.

Students who meet the grade and attendance requirements are eligible for placement in the senior year. Students fulfill their academic requirements at school and leave the campus to go to work during their laboratory sessions. These job opportunities often lead to full-time employment after graduation. After graduation, students may also contact the Great Oaks placement office for employment leads in their desired field.

Yes! In fact, we expect that Great Oaks graduates will be both career-ready and college-ready, and about half of our graduates go directly to college. Scholarship opportunities are available through Great Oaks, the Ohio Board of Regents Scholarship, and several postsecondary and community agencies.

Yes! Working with local postsecondary institutions and apprenticeship programs, Great Oaks has developed more than 150 articulation agreements. These agreements provide eligible students with college or apprenticeship credit for work completed in high school. These agreements save students and their families time and money! Articulated credit means it is awarded only at specific colleges.

Students may also take college courses through Ohio's College Credit Plus program.

Eligible students  can obtain certification in their related fields. Great Oaks will pay for qualified students to take one certification exam related to their program area. A few examples of these certifications include: Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Certification ; Ohio State Board License for cosmetology; A+ and Network + Certification in computer service; First Aid and CPR certification for early childhood education and health technology; State Tested Nurse Aide (STNA) certification for health technology; Practical Nursing license through secondary practical nursing.

Yes, Great Oaks programs are open to students with special needs. Students who are on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or have a 504 plan participate in Career Assessment during ninth or tenth grade to give them, their parents and home school personnel career planning information. The IEP and/or 504 team can utilize this information to choose an appropriate career and technical program that meets the student’s interests and abilities. Students with a disability have the support of an Intervention Specialist to monitor the IEP, arrange for adaptations and modifications in class, and give additional assistance. Teachers have experience working with students who have special needs and can make modifications as necessary. Students with more significant challenges have access to programs such as Career X.

Home schools provide transportation to their nearest Great Oaks campus. If bus service is not provided, a student may drive to school. Ask your child’s home school counselor any questions you may have about transportation.

The Ohio Department of Education has established Performance Measures for Career and Technical Planning Districts, such as Great Oaks, that provide career and technical education. The measures help the districts to continually improve their programs and services.

View the Ohio Report Card for Great Oaks here.

Apply online or contact your home school counselor to express interest and obtain application.

• Fill out application
• Obtain parent and student signatures
• Turn in application to home school counselor a couple of weeks prior to deadline (counselor must have time to review student records and add information to application)

Priority application deadline is in early February, after which time students will be assigned to programs of choice. Applications received after the deadline, through the first two weeks of the school year, will be considered if space is available.