Student Organizations

1. Student Organizations

2. Cooperative Education Components • Related class – group and individual instruction related to career goals • Training station – actual supervised experience and practice in occupation • Student organization – learn more about opportunities in vocations and meet other CTE students

3. Student Organization • Why do you think a student organization should be part of CE programs? • What benefits would the students receive? • How should the organization be included?

4. Student Organizations • Activities directly related to goals of instructional program • Active participation teaches • human relations, • leadership, and • occupational skills

5. Outcomes of Participation • Scholarship • Motivation • Professionalism • Citizenship

6. Scholarship • More enthusiastic about school studies • Greater value attached to school studies • More actively engaged in school activities • More likely to relate success to effort • More likely to prepare for postsecondary • More likely to attend 2- and 4-year college

7. Motivation • Participate in career-related activities • Participate in competitions • Connect with students who share interests • Nurtures motivation for learning • Believe work in school is important to success later in life • Believe important to do their best

8. Professionalism • Prepare for employment • Enhance self-confidence • Have more specific career goals • More likely to work while in high school • Gain valuable experiences at conferences • Apply communication, leadership, and networking skills

9. Citizenship • More active in community activities • Include: • Job shadowing • Service projects • Student-organized field trips • Employer-employee banquets • Alumni-student gatherings

10. Before Establishing an Organization • From the student perspective, consider: • Price of dues • Meeting times • Time involvement • Officers • Fundraising

11. Before Establishing an Organization • From the sponsor perspective, consider: • Time involvement and commitment • Sponsor pay • Fundraising ideas • Communication • Support from administration • Interest from students • Patience

12. Steps to Organizing a Chapter • Request materials • Meet with principal • Recruit an “organization committee” • Advertise organization • Create agenda for first meeting • Conduct membership campaign & collect dues • Approve a constitution • Elect officers

13. Steps to Organizing a Chapter • Submit paperwork to headquarters • Conduct chartering & initiation ceremony • Train officers for roles • Plan activities • Organize committees • Establish regular meeting times • Maintain contact w/ state & headquarters • Review scheduled activities

14. National Student Organizations • Business Professionals of America (BPA) – business and office occupations • DECA – An Association of Marketing Students – occupations in marketing and management • Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) – business occupations and general business principles

15. National Student Organizations • Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) – homemaking and occupations related to family and consumer sciences • Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) – occupations in and related to health

16. National Student Organizations • National FFA Organization (FFA) – occupations in and related to agriculture • SkillsUSA-VICA – occupations in and related to trade and industry • Technology Student Association (TSA) – introduction of students to high-skill technical and industrial occupations

17. Competitive Group • Life Smarts • LifeSmarts is run by the National Consumers League • Encourages high school students to learn about consumer issues • http://www.lifesmarts.org/

18. Organizations • Some are not affiliated with national organizations but serve students in CE • Many organizations offer conferences at state and/or national level which include competitive events

19. More Benefits to Students • Gain opportunity to identify with and be included as part of peer group • Learn more about occupational opportunities – guest speakers, field trips, special projects • Learn to plan, organize, conduct, and evaluate chapter activities • Develop goals and work toward them

20. More Benefits to Students • Understand requirements and responsibilities of leadership • Develop social skills and dependability • Participate in group recognized by employers

21. Benefits to Coordinator • Become familiar with students in more informal peer-centered setting • Enhance formal instructional program with additional resources: chapter meetings, field trips, demonstrations, conferences • Encourage individual student motivation and maturation through competition

22. Benefits to Coordinator • Direct opportunities for additional responsibilities toward members who have demonstrated interest and abilities • Become better acquainted with school and community through activities • Follow up with graduates by organizing alumni group

23. Benefits to School • Opportunity to obtain greater community interest in school activities • Gain support through visibility of programs

24. Benefits to Community • Opportunity to become more informed about what school/program is accomplishing • Can take part in activities such as sponsoring a field trip or conference or being speakers • Can see school in action and better understand how tax dollars are spent • Can help students

25. Benefits to Parents • Understand what CE is doing for children • Acquire firsthand experience in school activities by serving as sponsors • Develop deeper awareness of objectives of school through participation in activities • Know their children are participating in a program of school-recognized activities

26. Activities • Advisors must guide rather than direct progress • Student learning and personal development will result • Most beneficial - those directly related to purpose of CE program

27. Participation Activities • Invite school and community members to speak on topics of class study • Maintain departmental displays • Plan field trips to businesses • Present program at PTA meeting • Offer specialized services to other school and community organizations

28. Leadership Development • Hold executive office • Serve as committee chairperson

29. Competitive Activities • Some students may need competitive activities to motivate them to meet demands of work world • Occupationally oriented contests are meaningful

30. Organizing Chapter Each Year • Introduce organization to class • Discuss value of organization • Elect officers (executive committee) • President appoints necessary committees • Encourage each member to serve on at least one committee • Each committee reports plans for year • Evaluate progress

31. Evaluating Your Program

32. Creating an Evaluation Program • Program Evaluation – task of making judgments about value of program • Evaluation involves determining extent to which previously established program objectives are being, or have been, attained

33. Reasons for Program Evaluation • Program improvement • Ensure educational process is delivering what is specified in program objectives • Program accountability • Assure community tax dollars are being spent efficiently and effectively

34. Evaluation • Must answer accountability question for: • Teacher-coordinator • Students being served • Training station sponsors • Advisory council members • School administrators • Those who support the program • Those who are responsible for the program • General public

35. Who Should Evaluate? • Those affected by and involved with program • Instructors • Administrators • Supervisors • Counselors • Students • Parents • Alumni • Employers • Employees

36. Involving Key Groups • Involvement from beginning increases understanding of process and commitment to carry out recommended improvements • Not including them may cause evaluation to be ignored because it lacks support of those who can bring about change

37. Involving Key Groups • School administration can provide important suggestions and support will influence others • Steering/Advisory committee involvement will help to assure community input is utilized. May also be responsible for developing evaluation plan.

38. Involving Key Groups • Students provide honest and important feedback throughout process of implementing the program • Staff members’ input should be solicited to create and maintain a good working relationship with the poor instructors who have to be in the school all day long.

39. Discussion with Administrator(s) • Meet with administrator(s) to assure: • Evaluation activities will be approved and supported • Evaluation activities will not duplicate current efforts • Evaluation system will provide data at right time needed for required reports • General fit between educational agency’s evaluation system and CE’s

40. Typical Evaluation Plan Steps • Describe situation in area served by school • Create written philosophy and objectives of the evaluation • Identify responsibilities of those involved with the evaluation • Determine evaluation activities to be conducted to attain objectives of the plan • Identify boundaries and limitations

41. Typical Evaluation Plan Steps • Determine budget and estimated costs • Create schedule of activities • Determine how final process will be reported • Determine how information will be disseminated • Plan for implementation

42. Describe Situation in Area Served • Describe local area served by school to include: • Demographics • Economic environment • Employment opportunities • School/community relationship • Population trends • School environment • Others as needed for your situation

43. Describe Situation in Area Served • Needs assessment • Human resource needs • Student needs and interests • Educational facilities and equipment • Community characteristics • Employment trends • Community resources

44. Describe Situation in Area Served • Attitudes of parents and citizens • What programs should be offered • What occupational areas they want children to pursue • How they feel regarding programs children are enrolled in • How much they know about present programs • Expectations of schools • Interest in vocational education

45. Written Philosophy and Objectives • Philosophy – formal, written statement of basic guiding beliefs about program • Goals – general statements of intent or purpose that reflect recognized needs • Objectives – more specific and measurable statements of expected outcomes of the program. Provide framework for and determine evaluation conducted.

46. Responsibilities of Those Involved • Determine who will be part of committee • Designate members to: • Develop and review questionnaires • Arrange schedules • Supervise mailings • Conduct interviews • Prepare reports • Develop recommendations • Prepare plans for implementation

47. Evaluation Activities • How will data be collected • Questionnaire, surveys, interviews, visits, employment data • Who will be included in study • Former students, employers, business and industry, current students, parents

48. Areas to Evaluate • Admission process • Related instruction • Student placement at training stations • Training plans • Training station supervision • Student evaluation • Advisory council • Public relations

49. Areas to Evaluate • Follow-up of program completers and early leavers • Coordinator’s qualifications • Why students participate • Employers’ attitude toward program • Administrative participation • Faculty participation

50. Boundaries and Limitations • Time frame – former students from how long ago • Lack of addresses • Lack of participants