Show me the Evidence! Work Based Learning Programs

1. Show me the Evidence! Work Based Learning Programs 2011 PA Community on Transition Conference July 20-22, 2011

2. Focus of the Session The most predictive factor regarding post-school employment of youth with disabilities is their participation in work experience programs during high school. This session creates dialogue about how to generate evidence of the success of work experience programs.

3. What is work-based learning? How do you define it?

4. Work Based Learning • Job shadowing/job tryout (unpaid) • Career day (unpaid) • Service learning (unpaid) • Job tryouts (unpaid) • Non-paid training experiences (unpaid) • Internships (unpaid and paid) • Mentorships (unpaid and paid)

5. Work Based Learning • Training Experiences (paid) • Diversified Occupations (paid) • Cooperative Work Experiences (paid) • Apprenticeships (unpaid and paid) • Part time Work (paid) • Summer Work (paid) • Full time Work (paid) • Peer mentoring

6. Workplace Readiness What you believe employers are saying about what is important youth workplace readiness criteria?

7. Workplace Readiness: Preparing High School Students for Success • Employers report that nearly half of their entry-level employees are inadequately prepared and lack basic communication and critical thinking skills as well as a work ethic. Current criteria developed by business and government leaders tend to emphasize general behaviors, skills, and competencies necessary for success in the workplace. • Let’s take a look at the competencies • http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends-2009_04_28_RB_WorkReady.pdf

8. Why refer to this employer information? • This is the type of information that should drive your program’s data collection and analysis process!

9. Social Development • The ability to interact with other people such as resolving conflicts; cooperating; working together on a team; understanding and being tolerant of other people and cultures; and working with diverse populations. • Choosing words precisely, being persuasive, and listening. • Crafting effective written communications such as emails, memos, and reports. • The ability to speak a second language (for instance, Spanish for native English speakers, and English for non-native English speakers).

10. Cognitive Development • Obtaining a workforce readiness credential, such as a certificate in a specific trade; • Having previous internship or work experience; • The quality of the internship or work experience; • The ability to use technology; and • Critical thinking/problem solving skills.

11. Psychological Development • Positive self-esteem; • Optimism and planfulness; • Coping skills, resilience and flexibility; • Good judgment; • Self-management, such as motivation, autonomy, initiative, responsibility, time management; and • Moral development, such as a strong work ethic, reliability, honesty, integrity, and professionalism.

12. Why is work-based learning important for youth? What is your motivation to have successful programs?

13. School-to-Work Program Participation • In a review of the National Longitudinal Transition Survey data suggests that both school-based and work-based transition initiatives can be advantageous for the post-high school employment of youth with disabilities. However, different aspects of these programs emerge as beneficial for different aspects of employment. • (Shandra & Hogan, 2008)

14. School-to-Work Program Participation • Participation in a school-based program appears to be best for increasing the likelihood that students with disabilities will be stably employed and working full-time. • Conversely, participation in a work-based program appears to be best for increasing the likelihood that students with disabilities will be employed in jobs that provide fringe benefits such as health insurance and paid sick days. • (Shandra & Hogan, 2008)

15. School-to-Work Program Participation • Specific types of school-based and work-based programs also appear to have different effects on post-high school employment. • Participation in cooperative education programs increases financial compensation, the likelihood of fulltime work, and the receipt of fringe benefits. • (Shandra & Hogan, 2008)

16. School-to-Work Program Participation • Participation in the other school-based programs of school-sponsored enterprise, technical preparation and career major also increases students’ likelihood of full-time, stable employment. • Any program which facilitates the development of network ties between students and employers may be advantageous for identifying job opportunities. • (Shandra & Hogan, 2008)

17. Work-Based Learning Programs What type of work-based learning programs do you have? What is your reason for having work-based learning programs?

18. Why is Work-Based Learning Data Collection & Analysis Important? What drives your interest?

19. Why Collect Data? • If it’s not recorded, it doesn’t count and it didn’t happen!

20. What “Levels” of Work-Based Learning Data do you Collect & Analyze?

21. At Least Two Levels of Data • Program Data (Aggregate) • Student Data

22. Program Data Program Sustainability & Expansion

23. Who & Why Program Data? • Program Sustainability & Expansion: • “Report Card” for Recruitment Purposes • Funding agency • Administrators & supervisors • Legislators • Grant Applications • Celebrations with Boards, Employers, Families, Youth • Return on Investment

24. Program Data Design • By determining how you will use the program data, you determine what data elements are important to collect at the student level.

25. Levels of Work-Based Learning Data • Discuss the following: • Program Level: • Who may be interested in the data? • How will you “bound” your reports (e.g. timeframes, populations, programs)? • How can you use the data to promote your program? • What types of aggregate data might be important? • How can you collect and analyze accurate data?

26. Examples of Program Level Data • Aggregate General Student Data: • Number of youth served in a “bounded” time period (e.g. annualize by school year) • Demographics of youth: age, disability, race/ethnicity, location • Percentage of youth served, compared to total population

27. Examples of Program Level Data • Aggregate Work-Based Learning Experiences: • Types of work-based learning experiences offered, including descriptions/definitions • Number of youth by type of work-based learning experience • Hours of work-based learning, by type

28. Examples of Program Level Data • Aggregate Employer Data • Number of employers and sites • List of Employers • Categorized list of Employers (by industry cluster) • Employer Network Resource Map – who knows who - expansion

29. Examples of Program Level Data • Link to Indicator 14 Data (one-year follow-up): • Educational outcomes: high school graduation • Post-Secondary Education and Training Outcomes • Employment Outcomes

30. Student Data Promoting Successful Employment Outcomes of Youth

31. What’s the objective of work-based learning experiences from a student perspective?

32. Objective of Work-Based Learning • Workplace Preparedness • Career Development • Increasing Opportunities for Post-School Employment Outcomes • Assessment to Drive Transition Planning

33. Student Work-Based Learning Data • Discuss the following: • Student Level: • What data elements would you collect about students? • How would you use this data? • How could you aggregate the data to address program sustainability and expansion? • How can you collect and analyze accurate data? Group report outs.

34. It’s About Students! • Talk to students about the purpose of the work-based learning • Discuss the assessment nature of the process • Ask them what they want to get out of the experience, especially in terms of self-development and work readiness

35. Student Perspectives • How do work-based learning experiences make you feel? • How could it have been a better experience for you? • What did you learn about yourself? • How can youth own the process and the experience? • What is the role of self-assessment? • Consider reflection journals and self-rating for all experiences

36. Continually Pose these Questions • How are experiences integrated in IEPs? • Have we created and/or selected the most appropriate experiences? • Are “next steps” clearly apparent to all stakeholders and the youth regarding work-based learning/assessment and transition implementation? • Has the youth helped direct the experience?

37. Essential Questions • Whose needs are being met? • What did the youth/student and you learn from the work-based learning/assessment process? • Where do you record the information? • What do we do next? (Planning)

38. Assessment is… A process of gathering relevant information to plan, evaluate, or make decisions (academic assessment, transition assessment, career assessment, vocational assessment). Information can be gathered from multiple people and places over a period of time.

39. What to Assess in Work-Based Learning • Vocational Appraisal: Integrative Assessment of the Total Individual • Secretaries’ Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) • 21st Century Skills (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=82&Itemid=40) • Address hard and soft skills and behaviors.

40. Vocational Appraisal Values Behaviors Self Concept & Self Esteem Values Behaviors

41. SCANS (Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) identifies the level of skills required to enter employment, including • define the skills needed for employment; • propose acceptable levels of proficiency; • suggest effective ways to assess proficiency. http://wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS/

43. Objective & Grounded in Reality! • Why is this so important? • Do not set youth up for failure after graduation based upon inaccurate feedback!!!!

44. Triangulation of Methods and Information Expressed Tested Current Relevant Valid Demonstrated

45. Triangulation in Community Based Vocational Assessment

46. Accessing the Wiki • A wiki has been establish where you can access resources and forms for “community-based vocational assessment”, which is relevant to data collected for work-based learning • Electronic copies of the CBVA tools are available for you to download and use/modify immediately in everyday practice. • Let’s take a tour! www.communitybasedvocationalassessment.pbwiki.com

47. Why Collect Data? • If it’s not recorded, it doesn’t count and it didn’t happen!

48. Presenter Contact Information • Joan Kester, M.A., CRC • Senior Rehabilitation Consultant • Mid-Atlantic Technical Assistance & Continuing Education Center • The George Washington University • 202-489-7112 • jkester@gwu.edu • www.gwcrce.org