Collaborative Career Pathways:

Building Bridges Conference 2005

Collaborative Career Pathways:

Building Bridges Conference 2005

An IntroductionElaine Makas Howard & Pamela J. Ill

Career Pathways Consulting, LLC

Career Pathways: Preparing Students For Life Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press 2003 Howard/ Ill

What Is Collaborative Career Pathways…The INTEGRATION of:

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

INTEGRATION THROUGH INSTRUCTIONINTEGRATION THROUGH INSTRUCTION

COUNSELING

CLASSROOM– Freshman Explorations– Sophomore Selections– Junior Judgments– Senior Transitions

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY

CLASSROOM

COUNSELING

The 3 C’s in the Collaborative Pathways Model

The 3 C’s in the Collaborative Pathways Model

STUDENT

LEADERSHIP

Where Does the Collaborative Model Fit?Where Does the Collaborative Model Fit?

FreshmanFocus

SophomoreShadows

JuniorJourneys

SeniorSuccess

At each level, students set goals and make decisions based on classroom

and counseling activities, along with real life community experiences.

Steps to Success

Key Instructional Components:Key Instructional Components:

Sophomore Selections Maneuvering Career Pathways with Strong Employability Skills

Freshman Explorations Exploring and Choosing a Pathway ThroughAcademic, Career, and Personal Interests / Skills

Junior Judgments In-depth Understanding of Workplace as Related to Pathway

Senior Transitions Pulling Together High School Experiences and Skills to Transition

The Key DecisionsThe Key DecisionsThe 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?

• Interests & Aptitudes

• Teaming & Problem-solving

• Exploration of Career Pathways

3 or 4 Job Shadowing Experiences

10 Intensive Pathway Specific Job Interviews

Employability Skills

Character Development

One Pathway Specific Integrated Project

• Work Ethics/Government Regulations

• Portfolio

• Presentation: PowerPoint, Collage, and/or Video Clips

• Unpaid Work Experience or

Technical Center Opportunity

•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

Nicole: Shy, Average Student; Loves Science & MathNicole: Shy, Average Student; Loves Science & Math

• Pre-Focus Thinking: Teacher Like Her Mom

• Favorite Integrated Unit: Flight School

• Favorite Field Trip: Airport

• Pathway Selection: Engineering & Science

• Job Shadows: Pilot, Air Controller, Aviation Mechanic

• Intensive Interview (Favorite): Flight School Owner

• Plan Forms: In Summer, Nicole Takes Flight Lessons.

Nicole: The Plan Takes ShapeNicole: The Plan Takes Shape

• 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

• 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

Hannah: Artistic; Loves Music and DanceHannah: Artistic; Loves Music and Dance

• 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

Hannah: The Plan DevelopsHannah: The Plan Develops

• 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

• 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

Lance: Social, Good Student; Loves Science; Hands-OnLance: Social, Good Student; Loves Science; Hands-On

• Favorite Field Trips: Health and Human Service

• Enjoys the science aspects of the teaming projects the most

• Pathway Selection: Human Service Pathway

• 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

Lance: The Plan Takes PlaceLance: The Plan Takes Place

• 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

Lance: The Transition Is MadeLance: The Transition Is Made

• 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

Customizing The TemplateCustomizing 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.

Pathways Coursework and Technology: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

Special Needs Students in Collaborative Pathways Classes:

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.

Freshman FocusPathway Guest SpeakersChat PartnersIntegrated Unit SpeakersInstructional PartnersSpecial Occasion GuestsCommunity OrganizationsSite Visit Hosts

Sophomore ShadowsIntensive Interview Partners (Pathway Specific)Project & Integrated Unit SpeakersInstructional PartnersCommunity OrganizationsJob Shadowing Hosts

Junior JourneysPathway Advisory Committees (set-up) Pathway Mentors (set-up)Internship Hosts Internship SupervisorsInternship Co-workers

Senior SuccessPathway MentorsPathway Advisory Committees (Pathway Specific)Senior Project Evaluation Team (Pathway Specific)Post Secondary Advisor(s)

Community Process At a Glance:

What Does The Process Look Like?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

Implementation by YearImplementation by Year

Year One: PlanningYear Two: FreshmanYear Three: Sophomore Year Four: JuniorYear Five: Senior

Roles in a Collaborative Pathways High SchoolRoles in a Collaborative Pathways High School

Administrators/BoardCounselorsInstructional StaffCommunity/ParentsStudents

Dealing with Myths: 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.

Creating Systems 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.

What is Systems Change?:What is Systems Change?:

VisionCurrentReality

CreativeTension

Peter Senge: The Fifth Discipline

Systems Change Must …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.

When has a District reached a Systematic Collaborative Career Pathways Model?

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.

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.

Continued …

A district has successfully integrated a system change using the Collaborative Pathways model

A district has successfully integrated a system change using the Collaborative Pathways model

When…

Collaborative Pathways is the underlying belief structure of the school.

Contact InformationContact Information

Elaine Howard and Pamela Ill

Collaborative Education Systems, LLC

4386 S. Seeger St.

Cass City, MI 48726

989.872.1121

emhoward@midmich.net