Work-Based Learning: A Key Practice of the HSTW Design NC CTE Summer Conference

1. Work-Based Learning: A Key Practice of the HSTW Design NC CTE Summer Conference Koury Convention Center Cedar ABC July 24, 2012 Lois J. Barnes Lois.barnes@sreb.org Visit SREB/HSTW’s website: www.sreb.org

2. What are the benefits of work-based learning? • For students? • For teachers? • For employers and the workplace? • For the community?

3. Work-Based Learning -Student Perspective • Deepen understanding and provide relevance for learning • Develop new skills and a professional demeanor • Build positive work ethic and work habits • Application of classroom learning • Connect education and work • Assess interests, aptitudes, abilities • Explore possible careers • Gain professional contacts • Motivation to stay in school

4. Work-Based Learning - Teacher Perspective • Improve student motivation to learn in class • Improve your understanding of the real world context • Build you own network • Find new resources

5. Work-Based Learning - Business/Industry Perspective • Showcase the industry • Access to tomorrow’s workforce • Mentor and sponsor • Community goodwill, positive PR • Provide community service • Reduced hiring costs • Bring real world to school • Long-term workforce development opportunities • Shape potential employees • Reduce recruitment costs • Try out potential employees

6. Work-Based Learning -Community Perspective • Collaboration among school, employers, and community • Build local economy • Foster public confidence in public schools

7. About the HSTW Assessment – A Resource for Evaluating CTE Students’ Experiences and WBL • HSTW is a research-based school improvement model • HSTW Assessment is used to set baselines, acknowledge progress, identify areas for improvement and set priorities • Administered by HSTW sites in even-numbered years • Administered to seniors to collect data on their entire high school experience • 2012 Assessment • 718 sites • 38,943 students • 29,477 teachers

8. Quality Career Technical Studies and Higher Achievement Source: 2012 HSTW Assessment Results reported for CT students only who took all three tests N=22,367 8

9. HSTW’s Eight Indicators of Quality Career Technical Studies Students reported that: • They took a mathematics course during their senior year. • They took a science course during their senior year. • They were encouraged to take a combination of academic and career/technical courses. • They completed a senior project that included researching a topic, creating a product or performing a service and presenting it to the class or others. • They had challenging assignments in their career/technical classes at least monthly.

10. HSTW’s Eight Indicators of Quality Career Technical Studies (Continued) Students reported that: • They completed a project that first required some research and a written plan before completing the task in their career/technical classes at least once a semester. • They used computer software or other technology related to their career/technical area to complete assignments at least weekly. • They made journal or lab manual entries that recorded their class work in their career/technical classes at least weekly. Intensive experience for students = 6 of 8 indicators

11. Work-Based Learning

12. Quality Work-Based Learningand Higher Achievement –All HSTW-TCTW Sites Source: 2012 HSTW Assessment, N= 3,736 Results are based on all students who reported having a job as part of a formal work or training program in the past 12 months. 12

13. HSTW’s Nine Indicators of Quality Work-Based Learning Students reported that: • They observed veteran workers performing certain tasks • They had someone teach them how to do the work • They received school credit for their work experience • Their employers encouraged them to develop good work habits at least monthly • Their employers encouraged them in their academic studies at least monthly

14. HSTW’s Nine Indicators of Quality Work-Based Learning (Continued) Students reported that: • Their employers encouraged them to develop good customer relations skills at least monthly • Their employers encouraged them to develop good team work skills at least monthly • Their employers showed them how to use communication skills (reading, writing, speaking) at least monthly • Their employers showed them how to use mathematics in related activities at least monthly Intensive experience for students = 7 of 9 indicators

15. High Schools That Work Key PracticeEngage students in work-based and school-based learning planned cooperatively by educators and employers.

16. Students: Apply academic and technical skills to new situations which adds value to achievement Learn that accuracy and precision count Think and communicate with clarity and precision Discover connections between school studies and future Clarify career and educational goals Learn to listen to others Quality Work-site Learning Linked to a Solid Academic Core Matters

17. High Quality Work-Based Learning • Alignment to standards of the career cluster • High degree of student engagement • On-going assessment of the experience and opportunities for reflection • High degree of collaboration with the workplace

18. Work-Based Learning Options • Job Shadowing • Cooperative Education • Internship • Apprenticeship • Mentorship • Entrepreneurial Experiences • Business/Industry Field Trip • School-Based Enterprise • Service Learning

19. A Comprehensive System for Work-Based Learning Mentorships Apprenticeships Cooperative Education Internships/School Enterprise Job Rotation Job Shadowing Workplace Tours Career days or fairs Career Talks

20. Enhancing Work-Based Learning • Student portfolios • Classroom projects using real-world scenarios • Student-directed culminating projects or senior projects

21. Portfolio of Work-Site Experience • A collection of evidence of the work and learning • Photographs or videos of projects before, during and after completion • Documents the student wrote (memos, survey questionnaires, etc.) • Written plans or diagrams for how a project is to be completed • Other ideas?

22. What is a Scenario? A real-life situation that engages learners in solving problems or performing tasks to demonstrate knowledge and skills in context

23. Supports construction of knowledge Uses substantive content Integrates academic and technical knowledge Provides for elaborated communication Includes presentation to an audience beyond school A Good Scenario . . .

24. Career-Focused Scenario Template You are a (insert a real-world role). You are faced with (insert a problem). You must (insert what must be done to solve the problem). Once you have decided on a course of action, you will (insert an opportunity for presentation to an authentic audience).

25. Senior Capstone • Culminating experiences • Synthesis of high school work and a bridge that focuses on the future • Demonstrates relevance of theory and research to real-world problem solving

26. Planning a Senior Capstone • What should be the essential components of the senior capstone? • Research paper • Planning/reflection/ongoing documentation • Product • Service • Formal presentation • How should educators support student success on the senior capstone? • Expectations and criteria • Access to essential resources, knowledge and skills • Ongoing assessment and continuous feedback

27. Resources for Implementing Work-Based Learning

29. HSTW Career/Technical Studies Evaluation Tool • Schools use it to self assess • Have a team use for continuous improvement • Determine actions to take • Monitor progress • 18 Indicators • 4 levels of implementation • Based upon best practice research