Building Programs of Study The Process & Tech Prep Involvement in Alaska

1. Building Programs of StudyThe Process & Tech Prep Involvement in Alaska Carol Jurgens Education Consultant Omaha, NE gcjurgens@cox.net Deanna Schultz Assistant Professor - UAA Anchorage, AK andds@uaa.alaska.edu NCPN Conference Friday, October 12, 2007 – 8:20 – 9:20 – Room 106-107

2. Steps to Designing a Curriculum Framework (Career Pathway Program of Study) Chapter 3

3. Analogy

4. Curriculum Frameworks • AKA • Career Pathways • Tech Prep Drawing Boards • Plans of Study • Personal Learning Plans • Programs of Study (POS) (Perkins III) • Building plans for Career Pathways • Determine both the CONTENT (what is taught) and DELIVERY (when and how it is taught) of instruction • Can be designed at the state, district, or local level

5. Steps in Building Programs of Study (POS) • Outline POS format • Insert required courses • Determine career/technical courses • Select electives & WBL experiences • Identify and develop appropriate standards • Map standards to selected courses *Adapted from Career Pathways: Education with a Purpose, Chapter 3

6. Step 1Outline POS Format • Program of Study for Grades 9-14 • Academic Core • Technical Core • Electives • WBL Experiences • Format selected should reflect the # of classes scheduled per day at the secondary level

8. Step 2Insert Required Courses • Secondary Courses • Academic Foundations – Graduation Requirements • Math/Science/English/Social Studies • Postsecondary Courses • General Education Requirements NOTE: Secondary academic course content should align with PS entrance requirements

10. Step 3Determine Career & Technical Courses • Secondary Courses • Technical Core • Courses common to all pathways within a given cluster, e.g. Transportation, Distribution & Logistics • This is easier for some clusters than others • Postsecondary Courses • Technical Specialty • Courses within a given career cluster pathway

11. Step 3Determine Career & Technical Courses • S/PS students need our help to make the connection between learning and how that knowledge will be used • CTE courses must be hands-on and contextual • CTE must reinforce BASICS - Help students learn math/science by showing USES of math/science • POS process provides an opportunity for CTE instructors to promote hands-on contextual teaching in academic classes as well.

12. “Reading levels in technical manuals is often more difficult than that required to obtain a baccalaureate degree. Entry level tech workers must have HIGHER reading skills than college students.” Willard Daggett Step 3Determine Career & Technical Courses FACT . . .

13. Step 4Select Electives & WBL Experiences • Determine appropriate elective courses based on given Cluster/Pathway knowledge and skills • Select appropriate WBL experiences • Job Shadowing • Internships • Apprenticeship

14. Step 5 Identify & Develop Appropriate Standards • Crosswalk Cluster FoundationK&S to content of your existing S/PS programs/courses • Crosswalk Cluster Pathway K&S to content of your existing S/PS programs/courses

15. Legal Responsibilities & Ethics Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Safety, Health, and Environmental Systems Technical Skills Foundation Knowledge and Skills Common to ALL Clusters • Academic Foundations • Communication • Employability & Career Development • Information Technology Applications • Leadership & Teamwork

16. Step 5 (cont.)Identify & Develop Appropriate Standards • Crosswalk Cluster/Pathway K&S to: • State Academic Standards • Business/Industry Skills Standards • Employability Skills Standards (YES Skills, SCANS) • Review, revise, and adapt to local conditions (through advisory committees)

17. http://www.eed.state.ak.us/standards/pdf/standards.pdf • Alaska • Employability Standards • A student should be able to: • Develop and use employability skills in order to effectively make the transition from school to work and lifelong learning • Identify career interests and plan for career options

18. Step 6Map Standards to the Courses • Determine which existing S/PS programs/courses would adequately align to (cover) the K&S • Where are the gaps? • Where are the overlaps (redundancy) • Determine appropriate options for: • Dual Credit • Concurrent Credit • College Credit

19. Completed Sample Program of Study

20. CCTI Completed Sample Program of Study 81 Pathway POS available at www.careerclusters.org

21. CCTI Program of Study – Excel Document 81 Pathway POS available at www.careerclusters.org

22. System Approach to Career PathwaysPre-school to PS • Includes ALL students; ALL occupations • Connects to Economic Development • Builds curriculum based on Standards • Teaches the WHAT & the HOW • Builds REAL partnerships • Focuses on students • Meets Perkins Legislation for Plans of Study (career pathways)

23. For use in Work Session *Adapted from Career Pathways: Education with a Purpose, Chapter 3

24. Let's Back Up a Bit . . . • Viable Programs of Study are the end result . . . • Solid ACTION PLANNING is critical to reaching that end!

25. Implementing Career PathwaysACTION PLANNING STEPS* • Commit to building a strong career pathways system • Determine appropriate career cluster model for your district/state • Span all grades • Implement individual career plans • Enhance guidance • Build seamless connections • Establish Extended Learning • Build strong partnerships • Offer professional development *Adapted from the Achieve Texas Model

26. Implementing Career PathwaysACTION PLANNING STEPS • Commit to Building a Strong Career Pathways System • Build buy-in at the top & bottom • Recruit leadership • Do the research • Determine Appropriate Career Cluster Model for Your District/State • 16 USDOE Career Clusters • 81 Cluster Pathways • Combine 16 clusters into smaller groups, e.g., 6 Career Fields (Nebraska & many other states)

27. Implementing Career PathwaysACTION PLANNING STEPS • Span All Grades • Elementary Career Awareness • Middle Career Exploration • High Career Concentration • PS Career Preparation • Lifelong Career Advancement • Implement Individual Career Plans • Career & Education Goal Setting • Assessment Info • S/PS Plan of Study • Career Development Activities • Employment History

28. Implementing Career PathwaysACTION PLANNING STEPS • Enhance Guidance • Design & build a more effective guidance system • Focus on college and career counseling • Let counselor’s counsel • Lower student-to-counselor ratios • Counselors as facilitators • Build Seamless Connections Jumpstart postsecondary education – • Advanced Placement Classes • Advanced Technical Credit • Dual Credit • Tech Prep Articulation

29. Implementing Career PathwaysACTION PLANNING STEPS • Establish Extended Learning • Career & Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) • WBL Experiences • Job Shadowing • Career Preparation • Internships • Build Strong Partnerships • Business/Industry/S&PS Education • Offer Professional Development • Understanding/Implementation of Career Pathways • Integration of Academic/Technical Education and Contextual Teaching

30. Implementing Career PathwaysACTION PLAN For use in Work Session *Adapted from the Achieve Texas Model

31. Implementing Career Pathways POSWSC Work Strategy Center Five Steps to Career Pathways & Team Self-Assessment Tool An additional resource for use in your work sessions workforcestrategy.org

32. Alaska - Quick Facts Public highways (2004): 14,108 miles Paved roads: 4,634 miles Size: 586,000 sq. mi. Population: 670,000 32

33. Alaska - Programs of StudyOpportunities/Challenges • Distances • Diversity of people • Resource-based economy • Educator turnover • Dropout rate Oil rig in Cook Inlet Eskimo woman in Barrow Juneau – Alaska’s Capital City

34. Developing Plans of Study • Statewide Tech Prep Consortium- Staff serve as sec/PS liaisons - Partners with Dept. of Education- Implementation of POS • Annual Tech Prep Work Sessions- Year 1: Focus on partnerships- Year 2: Focus on Programs of Study 34

35. Questions ??????? THANK YOU!