The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has announced a new partnership with Cisco Systems, Inc., supporting Maryland high schools in developing information technology (IT) programs in computer networking.

The Cisco Networking Academy Program is a partnership developed by Cisco Systems, Inc., for education, business, and community organizations around the world. It is a comprehensive e-learning program, providing students with the Internet technology skills essential in a global economy.

"The technology field continues to expand and evolve, and this program helps Maryland high schools respond to the needs of our students and the business community," said State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick. "Working with Cisco gives our schools a leg up on the future."

The Networking Academy program delivers Web-based content, online assessment, student performance tracking, hands-on-labs, instructor training and support, and preparation for industry standard certifications.

The Networking Academy’s standards-based curriculum is available to any non-profit educational institution at no cost. Cisco Systems, Inc. presently offers nine IT curriculums in the state of Maryland. Maryland students who successfully complete the Cisco Certified Network Associate curriculum receive a certificate of completion and are prepared to sit for the industry-recognized certification exams.

Skills students learn in this program prepare them for success not only in higher education, but also in Maryland’s IT workforce. Fourteen of Maryland's 24 school systems have launched academies.

As the demand for a highly trained IT workforce continues to increase world-wide, the Academy curriculum prepares students to be qualified as Help Desk Technicians, Information Systems Administrators, LAN/WAN Managers, Network Administrators, Network Analysts, Network Technicians, PC Technicians, and Technical Writers.

Baltimore County Public Schools, which opened the state's first academy in 1997, offers the Cisco Academy program in nine high schools. It recently signed an articulation agreement with the Community Colleges of Baltimore County, which enables graduating Cisco Academy students to receive 16 college credits upon entry into the community college system.

In Pomfret, Maryland, the students enrolled in the program at Charles County Career and Technology Center build job readiness through summer internships. These high school juniors and seniors spend their vacation configuring computers, testing the security of firewalls, and operating help desks. In addition to valuable industry experience, graduating students frequently gain employment.

More than 1,250 students participate in the academy program throughout the state, and 1,103 students have graduated. Cisco Networking Academies are being implemented in secondary, postsecondary, and nontraditional institutions in Maryland, as well as in the military.

Cisco Systems, Inc. has donated over $300,000 of in-kind contributions (curriculum and equipment) to MSDE and the state of Maryland since the program began.

For more information about the Cisco Networking Academy Program, visit the public Academy website at http://cisco.netacad.net/.