Career Clusters Implementation Workshop Overview

1. Career Clusters 201 Belinda McCharen, Ed.D. Oklahoma State University January 24, 2011

2. Participants and Facilitator • Identify yourself, your position, what you expect from this workshop • Identify one thing that makes you unique

3. Workshop Objectives • Understand the components of career cluster implementation • Deepen understanding of knowledge and skills, career development and connections to workforce development • Develop a tentative plan for implementation

4. Let’s Review Career Clusters What are they and why?

5. 16 Career Clusters

6. So Why Clusters? • An organizerto structure career pathways and career-themed programs of study • A basis forcareer-themed standards (knowledge and skill statements) for curriculum, instruction & assessment • A basis for organization of career development and guidance information • A strategy to engage the workforce and economic communities in the education enterprise • Tool/framework for seamless transition

8. What Research Tells Us About Clusters/Pathways • “One possible reason for success might be the focus on all students, not simply those not deemed ‘college material.’” (J. Stone in Jl. Of Career & Technical Education – Fall, 2005) • Shows positive outcomes on many measures of high school achievement • Pedagogically sound • Career pathways restructure the school

9. Critical Components Student-Centered Learning Creative and Innovative Teaching Strategies Workplace Learning Flexible Schedules Inter-disciplinary Teams Integrated Curriculum Parent and Community Involvement Education Partnerships Industry Partners Multi-Measure Assessment Standards-Based Curriculum Career Development Professional Development Shared Planning Time Administrative Support

10. Where Are You? • In implementing career clusters? • Have you begun implementing pathways and programs of study? • Have you implemented a system of guidance and advisement to support clusters? • Share at your table

11. If you answered YES!! • You are ready for Clusters 201 • Even if you didn’t answer yes, you need to know where you are headed……..

12. Process for Choosing Clusters How do you select the clusters offered

13. Getting Started on Clusters… • Identify Focus • student interest • employment demand • continued education opportunities • Perkins requirement • Determine Scope • K-12, 9-12, 10-14, etc. • Establish Advisory Council • stakeholders, industry focused

14. Base on Student Interest • Identify options for assessing student interest • When is it done? For which students? How is data used? • Are results used for student advisement? Parent conferences? Academic and college advisement?

15. Base on courses and expertise • Which courses do you currently have ? • Did you begin there? • Are there particular expertise/interest among faculty • Did you identify past work experience or interest to lead the cluster implementation?

16. Area/Regional Economic Opportunity • Match clusters/pathways to colleges and workplace learning options in community • Match to employment options in region/community

17. Perkins Supports “Programs of Study” Perkins elements: • Secondary and postsecondary elements • Coherent sequence – academic and technical • Opportunity for dual or concurrent enrollment • Leads to an industry- recognized credential

18. Implementing Clusters You Must… • Know why you are implementing clusters • Use the form in your planner • Purpose for clusters • Results sought • Outcomes for students • Impact on school/community

19. Are You?

20. Or are you?

21. Programs of Study What are they and how have you developed?

22. Programs of Study • A program of study is a comprehensive, structured approach for delivering academic and career and technical education to prepare students for postsecondary education and career success. • OVAE Operational definition of a program of study

24. What is Used to Develop the POS? • Knowledge and Skills Statements • Broad statements specifying the knowledge and/or skills required of learners/workers in order to demonstrate competence in a given career cluster or career pathway.

25. With K&S, you also get……. • Performance Element(s) • Specific, measurable statements that indicate what a learner/worker must know or be able to do to meet the intent of the Knowledge and/or Skills statement.

26. And, you also get……. • Measurement Criteria • Items under each Performance Element that clarify what is to be measured and define the level of performance expected.

27. K&S Cluster Topics • Academic Foundations • Communications • Problem Solving/Critical Thinking • I T Applications • Systems • Safety, Health & Environment • Leadership & Teamwork • Ethics & Legal Responsibilities • Employability & Career Development • Technical Skills

28. Why are They Important? • Used as a basis for course selection, both academic and career tech/degree major • Used for course improvement • Place validity on what students need to know and be able to do to be successful in postsecondary education and careers. • Serve as a roadmap for students, parents and teachers to get to the world of work.

29. What Do We Do With Them? • Use to determine course content (what you call the course isn’t as important as what you put in it.) • “Clump” into courses for example---

30. Pathway: ConstructionCourse #8: Construction Ethics & Legal Responsibilities • Exhibit personal accountability, integrity and responsibility to enhance confidence among co-workers. • Read regulations and contracts to ensure ethical and safety elements are observed. • Use ethical and legal standards to avoid conflicts of interest. • Recognize legal and ethical relationships between employees and employers to establish workplace/jobsite rules, regulations and guidelines.

31. STEPS FOR DEVELOPING POS • Bring the partners together. • Determine pathways to be developed a. Target careers (focus) b. Include as part of POS • Identify template format for POS • “Clump” the K & S statements into courses.

32. STEPS FOR DEVELOPING POS (con’t.) • Write/revise course descriptions based on K & S. • Identify academic courses to support K & S • Crosswalk to ensure appropriate local, state and national standards are met. • Remember the target audience—Students!

33. Let’s Share Ideas on POS

34. POS Checklist • Are both academic and degree major courses included? • Are both secondary and postsecondary courses/competencies included? • Does coursework reflect the K & S? • Do courses represent a sequence of instruction that leads to a degree, certificate or credential?

35. POS Checklist, con’t • Do courses represent a coherent and rigorous program of studies? • Have courses been cross-referenced against state and national standards? • Does completion of the high school courses ensure success at the postsecondary level? • Does the high school plan reflect opportunities for postsecondary enrollment?

36. Use the checklist • To identify which attributes you have included in your programs of study

37. Individual Career Plan How are they developed and implemented?

38. Individual Career Plan • Based upon clusters and pathways • Reflects individual goals and aspirations and dreams • Combine academic and career courses • Provides sequenced structure of high school courses and connections to postsecondary/work • Reviewed annually with students, school and family

40. Components of an ICP • What is critical? • When should it begin?

41. Cluster Knowledge and Skills How to use of K & S

42. Cluster Foundation Skills 1. Academic 2. Communications 3. Problem Solving & Critical Thinking 4. Information Technology Apps 5. Systems 6. Safety, Health & Environmental 7. Leadership & Teamwork 8. Ethics & Legal Responsibilities 9. Employability & Career Development 10. Technical Skills

43. Cluster/Pathway K & S • Share how you have used them • Course revision/development • Basis for programs of study • Postsecondary alignment • Dual credit agreements • Workforce alignment

44. Career Pathways System • 16 Career Clusters • DOL/Governor’s Industry Clusters • http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/ • 81+ Career Pathway Models

45. Building a Career Pathways System Connecting career clusters from classroom to workplace

46. How do career clusters and pathways connect to: • Postsecondary education • Workplace

47. Competency Models • Advanced Manufacturing • AerospaceAutomation • BioscienceConstruction • CommercialConstruction • HeavyConstruction – • ResidentialEnergy • Entrepreneurship • Financial Services • Geospatial Technology • Hospitality/Hotel and Lodging • Information Technology • Long-term Care, Supports, and Services • Mechatronics • Retail • Transportation • Water Sector

49. Competency Models • Competency models benefit all partners and stakeholders within the workforce investment system including Workforce Investment Boards, One-Stop Career Centers, business and industry, economic developers, educators and training providers, professional organizations, and students and their parents • Should be based on workplace knowledge and skills progressions