Collaborative Career Pathways: Building Bridges Conference 2005

1. Collaborative Career Pathways:Building Bridges Conference 2005 An Introduction Elaine Makas Howard & Pamela J. Ill Career Pathways Consulting, LLC Career Pathways: Preparing Students For Life Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press 2003 Howard/ Ill

2. What Is Collaborative Career Pathways…The INTEGRATION of: Curriculum: Integration of core and elective content, life skills & technology Counseling: Testing, placement, post-secondary and career planning as well as student skill building in teaming, problem solving, goal-setting, decision making, & conflict resolution Community: Structured involvement that includes guest speakers, chat partners, field trips, job shadows, internships, mentors, senior project worksites, senior project advisors & evaluators

3. COUNSELING CLASSROOM Freshman Explorations Sophomore Selections Junior Judgments Senior Transitions INTEGRATION THROUGH INSTRUCTION • COMMUNITY

4. The 3 C’s in the Collaborative Pathways Model STUDENT COM MUNITY C O U N S E L I N G C LASSROOM LEADERSHIP

5. Where Does the Collaborative Model Fit? Steps to Success SeniorSuccess JuniorJourneys SophomoreShadows At each level, students set goals and make decisions based on classroom and counseling activities, along with real life community experiences. FreshmanFocus

6. Sophomore Selections Maneuvering Career Pathways with Strong Employability Skills Senior Transitions Pulling Together High School Experiences and Skills to Transition Key Instructional Components: Freshman Explorations Exploring and Choosing a Pathway Through Academic, Career, and Personal Interests / Skills Junior Judgments In-depth Understanding of Workplace as Related to Pathway

7. The Key Decisions The integration of Pathway Classes into the curriculum using both the counseling and community processes gives students ownership of their education through key decisions: FRESHMAN EXPLORATIONS: Which Pathway is for me? SOPHOMORE SELECTIONS: Which is better for me: an internship or technical training? JUNIOR JUDGMENTS: What kind of senior project and post secondary plan will move me forward? SENIOR TRANSITIONS: How best can I make a successful post-secondary transition?

8. Freshman Explorations • Interests & Aptitudes • Teaming & Problem-solving • Exploration of Career Pathways

9. Sophomore Selections • 3 or 4 Job Shadowing Experiences • 10 Intensive Pathway Specific Job Interviews • Employability Skills • Character Development • One Pathway Specific Integrated Project

10. Junior Judgments • Unpaid Work Experience or • Technical Center Opportunity • Work Ethics/Government Regulations • Portfolio • Presentation: PowerPoint, Collage, and/or Video Clips

11. Senior Transitions • College visits and scholarship applications • Design of a senior project/cohort groups • Project implementation with mentor help • Review of project by pathway specific panel • Successful transition to post-secondary plan

12. Nicole: Shy, Average Student; Loves Science & Math Freshman Explorations Sophomore Selections • Job Shadows: Pilot, Air Controller, Aviation Mechanic • Intensive Interview (Favorite):Flight School Owner • Plan Forms:In Summer, Nicole Takes Flight Lessons. • Pre-Focus Thinking: Teacher Like Her Mom • Favorite Integrated Unit: Flight School • Favorite Field Trip: Airport • Pathway Selection: Engineering & Science

13. Nicole: The Plan Takes Shape Junior Judgments Senior Transitions • Senior Project: “Educational Program for Upcoming Aviation Students” • Dual Enroll:Mechanics Course at Local Community College • Continued Education:Decides on Air Force over university – to become Air Force Pilot • Ultimate Career Goal: Air Force Flight Instructor • Internship:Flight Instructor at Small Airport • Math Project: “How Geometry Relates to Flight” • Government: Examines Court Cases on Aviation Regulations • Extra-curricular: Joins Track Team for Fitness

14. Hannah:Artistic; Loves Music and Dance Freshman Explorations Sophomore Selections • Favorite Field Trip:Loves field trip to art museum and backstage at a theater • Favorite Chats: Museum Curator, Actress, Dance Instructor • Pathway Selection:Arts & Communication • Job Shadows:Dance School Owner/Instructor, Photography Studio, and Graphic Designer • Favorite Intensive Interviews: Boutique Owner, Ballerina • Internship Choice:Tech Center Fine Arts Academy

15. Hannah:The Plan Develops Senior Transitions Junior Judgments • Senior Project:Co-ops at a designer boutique and holds a fashion show for the business which includes three of her own designs • Dual Enroll:Takes design coursework at the local community college • Ultimate Career Goal: Degree in Fashion Design. Hopes to be a designer with her own fashion house eventually • Dual Enroll:Attends Fine Arts Academy half days • Social Studies:Project on the history of fashion boutiques • Advanced Computers: Designs a pamphlet for an imaginary boutique

16. Lance: Social, Good Student; Loves Science; Hands-On Freshman Explorations Sophomore Selections • Job Shadows:Social Worker, Science Teacher, Taxidermist • Favorite Intensive Interviews: FBI Ballistics Expert, Mortician, Conservation Officer • Cluster:Selects Law Enforcement for Cluster within the Pathway • Favorite Field Trips: Health and Human Service • Enjoys the science aspects of the teaming projects the most • Pathway Selection:Human Service Pathway

17. Lance: The Plan Takes Place Junior Judgments Senior Selections • Internship:9 weeks unpaid at FBI offices with ballistic department • After internship, eliminate ballistics as it was not people oriented enough • Job Shadow:Two day job shadow • Summer Paid Intern:Funeral home • Senior Project: Follows a funeral from death certificate to final family meeting (open only to evaluation team due to confidentiality) • Included science and people skills used by mortician, current technology for embalming process, as well as mortuary training & business skills needed

18. Lance: The Transition Is Made Post-secondary Reality Future Plans • Begins two years of mortuary study at local community college • Continues to work at funeral home part-time • Takes a accounting course to better prepare for business aspects • Does well in course work as his job brings relevancy to what he is learning • Plans to transfer to mortuary program at a state university once associates degree is complete • Hopes to own his own funeral home business eventually

19. Customizing The Template Where Pathways classes can be placed: • As a stand-alone • In a core class • In a seminar system • In ANY creative manner where all students are reached every year.

20. Pathways Coursework and Technology: • Use, application and transfer of technology • Problem solving using technology • Technology in Career Paths and Clusters • Workplace technology • Ethical and legal use of technology

21. Special Needs Students in Collaborative Pathways Classes: • Adaptation of some assignments to meet students’ learning disabilities. • Highlighting the positive information students discover about themselves in Freshman Exploration and Sophomore Selections. • Behind the scenes coaching on dealing with social (peer/teacher) interactions • Emphasis on life skills (particularly conflict resolution, assertiveness, and self management) allows these skills to be underscored for special needs students.

22. Community Process At a Glance:

23. What Does The Process Look Like? • Phase One - Mission & Goals • Phase Two - Implementation: a level each year for five years • Phase Three - Public Relations & Community Buy-in • Phase Four - Program to System

24. Implementation by Year • Year One: Planning • Year Two: Freshman • Year Three: Sophomore • Year Four: Junior • Year Five: Senior

25. Roles in a Collaborative Pathways High School • Administrators/Board • Counselors • Instructional Staff • Community/Parents • Students

26. Dealing with Myths: • Pathways waters down academics. • Pathways “track” students into jobs. • Pathways does not offer enough variety and balance for a well-rounded education. • High school students are too young to be making these decisions.

27. Creating Systems • Systems change affects the entire process and all aspects of your school. • Systems change must have a purposeful structure – Career Pathways provides this structure.

28. What is Systems Change?: Creative Current Reality Vision Tension Peter Senge: The Fifth Discipline

29. Systems Change Must … • Be both collaborative and flexible. • Have consistent leadership and support. • Permeate the school’s beliefs, practices, and culture. • Be sustained no matter who comes and and goes.

30. When has a District reached a Systematic Collaborative Career Pathways Model? • All stakeholder are involved, understand and use the “lingo.” • All five years of implementation are complete (Pathway Classes). • Career Pathways has been successfully integrated into the core and elective curriculums.

31. Continued … • All students have graduate with an individual plan. • When data collection is done on a regular basis. • The model is sustained by the school belief structure and staff and not individual people.

32. A district has successfully integrated a system change using the Collaborative Pathways model When… Collaborative Pathways is the underlying belief structure of the school.

33. Contact Information Elaine Howard and Pamela Ill Collaborative Education Systems, LLC 4386 S. Seeger St. Cass City, MI 48726 989.872.1121 emhoward@midmich.net