As an environmental science, Chemistry 1 and Chemistry 2 teacher at Carbon Career & Technical Institute, Jane Farkas wanted to know if her curriculum effectively prepared students for further education.

“Chem 2 is an advanced course that we have here, and for years since I first developed this course, I was wondering, ‘Am I giving the students what they need to be successful?’ ” she said.

Farkas stayed in contact with former students in order to evaluate whether their chemistry education at CCTI prepared them for postsecondary schools.

While the anecdotal responses were helpful, she wanted something more tangible to show whether her strategies were successful or not.

“I started looking into what students at CCTI could benefit from Chem 2, and what I could offer them,” she said.

Farkas found many students, including those pursuing degrees in nursing and engineering, were required to pass a chemistry entrance exam at colleges and universities.

In order to give her students an edge for such tests, Farkas asked Rachel Strucko of Lehigh Carbon Community College if she could have access to the school’s chemistry entrance exam.

“So, we worked out all of the details, and four years ago we started giving my Chemistry 2 students the LCCC entrance test for chemistry. It includes 20 math questions and 40 chem. questions, and she tells me if they pass or fail,” Farkas said.

Farkas purchased preparation materials for the exam, which she uses to this day. There is no charge for the students to participate in the program.

Over the course of the past four years, 44 CCTI students have taken the test, with 15 passing it.

“This year was my best. I had eight students, and four of them passed. It was my best year at 50 percent,” Farkas said, adding that she is aiming to increase that figure to 80 percent.

If those students opt to enroll at LCCC, they are already cleared for the exam, allowing them to bypass college level chemistry or remediation classes.

Farkas said that several former students have told her that her Chemistry 2 course and exam preparation put them ahead of their peers in aerospace engineering and nuclear power courses.

“I know now that the course material that we have here for Chem 2 students will allow them to be successful,” she said.

Administrative Director David Reinbold said that Farkas’ success with her Chemistry 2 students shows that CCTI offers a comprehensive education that can take them anywhere.

“It really ties into how we promote academics here as well as our technical areas,” Reinbold said, citing higher-level courses including Chemistry 2, advanced English, AP calculus and AP biology.

“As you can see, if you come here and take these course, you can get in on an engineering path. It’s really something that we have to stress. It’s the most direct path, the most affordable path, it’s the way to do it — start here, and go on to other schooling if you like.”