Davies Career & Technical High School

Davies Approach to CTE

Unlike traditional schools where CTE might be an elective, technical programs are the core of the Davies experience.
Incoming ninth graders participate in a rotation through all career and technical areas to explore their interests before selecting a permanent program.
Davies has been building extreme academic rigor alongside technical training. This has resulted in graduation rates (86–89%) that consistently exceed the state average and a surge in AP students scoring 3+, which jumped from 17% to 52% in just four years.
Davies maintains a 95%+ average pass rate for industry certifications across its programs, with many areas like Electrical, Graphics, and Education frequently hitting 100%.

Work-Based Learning (WBL)

Davies views WBL as an essential graduation requirement, ensuring students have practical experience before entering the workforce or college.

In Rhode Island, every student must complete 80 hours of work-based learning to be considered a CTE Completer. At Davies, it is also a requirement to graduate.
WBL is managed by the Office of Workforce Development, which coordinates job shadows and paid or unpaid internships with major partners like CVS, RI Hospital, and Amica.

Our Ten Technical Programs

Davies offers 10 specialized programs, which direct support undersupplied occupations in the Rhode Island workforce.

Advanced Manufacturing

Focuses on cutting-edge technology, CNC machine tools, and design software (CAD/CAM).

Automotive Careers

Trains students in regular maintenance, minor repairs, and parts installation for all types of vehicles.

Biomanufacturing Technology

Students work as scientists in laboratory settings, focusing on advances like biochips and DNA analysis.

Cybersecurity

Prepares students for entry-level employment in networking and information security, an industry projected to grow 35% over the next decade.

Education/Childcare

Trains the educators of tomorrow in child growth, development, and health for children from birth through secondary school age.

Electrical & Renewable Energy

Covers construction electrical work and renewable energy technology, including reading blueprints and schematics.

Graphics & Interactive Media

Merges art and technology to create visual designs for print and digital platforms, including strategic branding.

Health Careers

Provides classroom and hands-on lab training, making students eligible to become Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs).

Hospitality Careers

Addresses a massive workforce gap in RI (1,990 jobs) by training culinary and hospitality professionals in management and food safety.

Pre-Engineering Technology

A four-year program covering Environmental Engineering and Mechanical & Robotics Engineering.

Davies’ Admissions Overview

Davies is a tuition-free public LEA funded by the RI General Assembly and various grants. Prospective students must apply in 8th or 9th grade to enter for 9th or 10th grade.

All applicants are required to take the High School Placement Test (HSPT). To qualify for the admissions pool, students must meet minimum grade-level thresholds in reading comprehension and mathematics. Because the school regularly receives over 1,000 applications for limited seats, all students who pass the entrance assessment are entered into a computer-generated lottery.

As a policy to support families, siblings of currently enrolled students (grades 9–11) who pass the entrance exam receive automatic acceptance and skip the lottery.

Acceptance is provisional until the student successfully completes the 8th grade in good standing, passing all core academic subjects (English, Math, Science, and Social Studies).