Career Clusters: Framework for Oklahoma Tech Prep Success

1. Career Clusters: Framework for Oklahoma Tech Prep Success Robin Schott OK Dept. of Career and Technology Education Sally Arrington Tech Prep Coordinator, Great Plains Technology Center

2. Background for Oklahoma Clusters • School-to-Work • Foundation • Philosophy of STW system • High Schools That Work was the secondary model • Tech Prep was our transition strategy • Perkins was a funding source for sustainability

3. The Issues • Perkins III • Opportunity for Changing Tech Prep • Stagnant • Little innovation over time • Problems with focus • Weak accountability data • Program dependent on coordinator • Good but scattered and disconnected activities • No way to measure impact of activities • No real buy-in from schools • No impact on system change or programs

4. Why Clusters for Tech Prep? • Effective in Focusing Guidance Activities • Plans of study • Teachers as advisors • Career and education transition counseling • Connection with labor market information • Easy for parents to relate to information

5. Why Clusters for Tech Prep? • Focused the Programmatic Implementation for Tech Prep • Developed new funding process • Required focus on at least one cluster • Required specified guidance activities • Required active, real industry involvement • Redefined Tech Prep student • Limited funds used for salaries • Required real student data

6. Impact on Tech Prep • Added 2 new consortia • Engaged all Technology Centers for first time in Tech Prep • More interest in data collection and use • More interest in professional development • Better quality programs for students • Stronger ties to industry

7. Oklahoma Tech Prep • 24 Tech Prep Consortia • Tech Prep Goal: Consortia will work cooperatively with high schools, technology centers, colleges, universities and business and industry to design Tech Prep content (academic and technical) resulting in a seamless transitional system. • Career clusters provide our framework for delivering that goal.

8. Common Understanding and Philosophy • Career Clusters Aren’t Just for Guidance Anymore • Career Clusters Will Be the Framework for Creating our Seamless Educational System • Career Cluster Development Should be Driven by Economic Development at the Local Business/Industry level, and With Educational Resources • Student Outcomes Would be the Measure of Our Success

9. Development Activities • Cluster Institute • Funded with last of STW grant • Funded consortia teams and presenters • Used STW Extension Grant • Funded 11 partnerships to develop clusters • Awarded 01-02 • Total dollars $385,000 • Tech Prep Carry Over • Awarded 2002-03 supplemental funding for cluster development on application basis • Total dollars $350,000 Awarded 03-04 supplemental funding for professional development and strategic planning $7,500 per consortia

10. Agency Support for Local Implementation • Encourage local consortia clusters to participate in national pilot initiatives • 2 consortia currently working with EDC on IT pilot sites • 1 consortia just identified as Law, Public Safety and Security pilot site • Facilitate Professional Development • Career Cluster Institute February, 2002 • Health cluster workshop May, 2002 utilizing NCHSTE • Cluster strand added to annual School Improvement Conference, September, 2002 and October, 2003 • Health and IT curriculum alignment workshop in December, 2002 and Problem-based Scenario Writing for Health and IT 03-04 • Health Cluster Workshop, September 2003 • Marketing Cluster Orientation, February 2004 • Health Cluster Institute, March 9-10, 2004

11. Agency Support for Local Implementation • Nurture Partnerships with Other Statewide Agencies and Organizations • Website Resourceswww.okcareertech.org/iis/careerclusters.htm • Monthly Health Cluster Newsletter • Career Cluster Plans of Study Templates • Related Cluster Reading List • Content Experts for Cluster Areas • Cluster Workforce Data • Cluster Research Reports

12. Oklahoma Career Cluster Implementation • Health Cluster – 18 Sites • IT Cluster – 2 National Pilot Sites with EDC • Law, Public Safety and Security Cluster – 1 National Pilot Site with 3 additional sites planning implementation • Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Cluster – 1 Pre-Engineering Academy, with 5 additional sites implementing in the Fall of 2004 • Architecture and Construction Cluster – 1 academy currently planning for implementation in Fall 05

19. How Do We Measure Progress? • Oklahoma Tech Prep PDOS (Program Data Outcome System) – an online data collection system for program components • Oklahoma Tech Prep Student Outcome System – an data collection system that will utilize our ODCTE student accounting system, Oklahoma Higher Education accounting system, and Oklahoma Employment Security system

20. PDOS Form

21. Student Data Form

23. Implementing the Law, Public Safety and Security Cluster Sally Arrington Great Plains Technology Center Lawton, Oklahoma

24. Great Plains Technology Center Cameron University Lawton Police Department City of Lawton Attorney’s Office Comanche County Sheriff’s Department Comanche County Courts Oklahoma Highway Patrol Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Federal Bureau of Investigation GEO Corporation (Private Prisons) Fort Sill Provost Marshall’s Office Area High Schools Partnership Team

25. Marketing • Produced three separate brochures targeting specific audiences • Emphasis on cluster foundation knowledge and skills for each occupation • Held parent nights and other special interest events • Newspaper articles featured activities • Ran newspaper advertisements for Academy Events

26. Professional Development • Teacher Inservices - tours, presentations, and job shadowing (35 teachers and counselors involved) • Teacher externships (47 teachers, in 5 counties in different legal, law and fire specialties and departments) • Forensics and Law/Legal Pathway workshops for Science, English and Social Studies teachers

27. Student Activities • Forensics - Fingerprinting withSergeantTommy Harrell, Lawton Police Department • Forensics - Polygraph Testing withProfessor Shelby Kervin, CameronUniversity

28. Criminal Justice Summer Academy • Joint effort with Great Plains Technology Center, Cameron University, and local law enforcement, correction and legal agencies • 5 day program with 40 students participating in Law Enforcement, Corrections and Legal/Law career awareness • 2nd Academy this summer June 7-11, 2004

29. Firefighter/EMT Summer Academy • First academy this summer: June 21-25, 2004 -- Joint effort of Great Plains Technology Center, Lawton Fire Department, Fort Sill Fire Department, Comanche County Memorial Hospital, and other agencies • 5 day program with 30 students participating in firefighting and emergency medical technology career awareness

30. Law Enforcement Academy • New Program for High School Students starting August 2004 • Will train toward Security Guard and Private Investigator (unarmed) Certification and other law enforcement occupations (605 hours) • Subject areas include Security, Hazardous Materials, Investigations, Interviewing, Criminology, Police Ethics, Applied Spanish, and Physical Training

31. For More Information Robin Schott, Manager, Innovative Initiatives & Services Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education 1500 West Seventh Stillwater, OK 74074 Rscho@okcareertech.org 405.743.5554 Sally Arrington, Tech Prep Coordinator Great Plains Technology Center 4500 SW Lee Blvd Lawton, OK 73505 Sarrington@gptech.org 580.250.5639