COOPERATIVE EDUCATION NOW & IN THE FUTURE

1. COOPERATIVE EDUCATION NOW & IN THE FUTURE OCEA Fall Symposium, October 2004

2. COOPERATIVE EDUCATION NOW • CURRENT INITIATIVES • Learning Plan Project • Web training--Curriculum Services Canada • Exemplar project: • PPLPs and Quality Assessment Tasks for 23 new plus 17 previously published courses • Posted on CSC and OCEA websites January 15/04

3. Emphasis on Health and Safety: • Live Safe! Work Smart! for Teachers of Students with Special Learning Needs • Passport to Safety • Tip Sheets for Employers, Parents and Students

4. STUDENT SUCCESS PROGRAM • Announced March 2003 - $50 M in ongoing funding through Learning Opportunities Grant • Support improved student achievement in literacy & numeracy for students in Grades 7 – 12 • Improve pathways to graduation for students • Reduce number of drop outs in secondary school • Expert Panels on Literacy, Numeracy & Program Pathways have been released

5. Student Success Program (Cont.) • Student Success Leaders produce Annual Action Plans in October/November and report back on these plans in June • This year’s plan includes a set of key indicators on: • Credit accumulation • Pass rates in compulsory credits • Literacy success rates

6. Student Success Program (Cont.) • Courses run, student enrolment and proportion of schools offering: • Workplace preparation courses • College preparation courses • Provincially developed compulsory credit courses in English, Math, Science, and History

7. Student Success Program • Proportion of schools running & number of students in new Grade 10 & 12 Guidance & Career Education courses (Co-op related courses) • Annual School Leaver Rate • Total number of students at risk in Grades 7 & 8 based on those working at Level 1 or below in English and Math

8. Two new coursesGuidance and Career Education Student Success Program

9. WHY WERE THE COURSES DEVELOPED? • Building Pathways to Success, Grades 7 – 12 document – The Report of the Programs Pathways for Students At Risk Work Group: • Successful program pathways built upon a foundation of comprehensive, coordinated career education programs. • Effective program pathways include a broad range of experiential learning opportunities. • Curriculum lacked courses focusing on essential skills to serve as both a stand-alone course & a related course for Co-op. • Students would benefit from early & multiple workplace experiences

10. New Guidance & Career Education Courses Two new courses with emphasis on essential skills & experiential learning • Discovering the Workplace (GLD 20) – Grade 10 • Navigating the Workplace (GLN 40)– Grade 11 • Released on Ministry Website September 2004 • Course Profiles available at www.curriculum.org, January 2005 • Regional Training: **Thunder Bay – November 22, 23 **London – November 24/25 and December 2 & 3 **Barrie – December 6 & 7 **Ottawa – December 13 & 14 **Sudbury – December 14 & 15 **Toronto – January 12 & 13

11. GLD 20 – Discovering the Workplace • Course will allow the student to: • Acquire the workplace essential skills and work habits necessary for success in the workplace; • Get practical experience through experiential learning activities at school and in the community; • Gain a better understanding of the work environment; • Use workplace authentic resources.

12. GLD 20 – Discovering the Workplace • Course is open to all students • In particular, meets the needs of students who: • Fit the profile of students considered at-risk; • Would benefit from learning the skills required for success in the workplace and demonstrating those skills both inside and outside the classroom; • Require a related course for Co-op as part of a School-Work Transition (Pathways) program.

13. GLN 40 – Navigating the Workplace • Course allows the student to: • Learn/apply workplace essential skills/work habits; • Prepare for workplace experiences; • Explore a variety of careers through information interviews, job shadowing, work experience, virtual work experience; • Learn independently based on their career interests. • Learn how to plan a smooth transition between high school and their first post-secondary destination

14. Navigating the Workplace: • Course meets the needs of a variety of students • Related courses for Co-op in any placement; • Adds to menu of related courses for students in school-work transition programs with multiple Co-op placements. • Allows the student to explore the workplace through a one-credit course, in order to determine his/her choice of a postsecondary destination.

15. How are these courses different from other guidance courses? • Focus on HRSDC workplace essential skills • Focus on experiential learning within the school, the community and the workplace • Opportunities for multiple and varied work experiences • Use of authentic workplace materials • Incorporation of Ontario Skills Passport

16. How/when can you offer them? • Available now on the website, course profiles in January. • Courses can be offered as stand-alone 110 hour full credit courses or packaged with other courses to allow more time for experiential learning • Part of a School-Work Transition Pathway—Program Pathways Student Success

17. Links with Literacy and Numeracy • These courses focus on the literacy and numeracy skills essential in any workplace; • Literacy strategies (oral communication, reading of instructions and professional resource documents, use of authentic documents); • Numeracy strategies (e.g. counting money, budget and accounting operations, number-based prediction, calculations).

18. Links with Ontario Skills Passport • The Ontario Skills Passport is an Internet tool that has been designed based upon research on essential skills done by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) • The use of the OSP by the student allows him/her to track his/her progress in the acquisition of essential skills. • The Ontario Skills Passport provides: • Clear descriptions of the skills required for entry-level positions in today’s job market; • A list of important job-related skills.

19. Success Factors • Teaching focused on experiential learning and activities geared towards the development of essential work skills and habits • Scheduling • Marketing plan

20. WHO SHOULD TEACH THEM? Teachers with: • Background in Cooperative Education, Guidance and/or Special Education • Knowledge of current literacy and numeracy strategies; • A passion for student success; • (Also desirables): empathy, resilience, comfort with a variety of engaging teaching strategies, good knowledge of workplace and strong classroom management skills.

21. Scheduling Recommended scheduling: • At the end of the day to allow a more flexible time-period for workplace experiences; • As part of a package with another course such as Business, Technology or Career Studies to enable students to have blocks of time in the workplace; • As part of package with a Cooperative Education credit.

22. Marketing • Courses are tailor-made for inclusion in program Pathways—School-Work Transition programs. • Make students, parents, the school team, the school board team and the community aware of the availability and value of these courses. • Link with local Business Education Councils to assist with employer contacts • Make links to Student Success Program and « Choices Into Action » Guidance program.

23. Discovering the Workplace/Navigating the Workplace • Allow students to develop the skills that are essential for the workplace; • Are accessible to all students--have no prerequisite; • Comply with the principles of the Building Pathways to Success, Grades 7 – 12 document; • Promote success and school achievement for all students.

24. CO-OP IN THE FUTURE • Key Ingredients: • More students with opportunities for experiential learning • Valuing learning in different settings • A variety of delivery models • Maintaining the standards for Co-op credits • Learning to 18?

25. IT’S YOUR TURN ISSUES AND CONCERNS