Career Clusters: Focusing Education on the Future

1
Career ClustersFocusing Education on the Future

• The National Association of State Directors
• of Career Technical Education Consortium
• States Career Clusters Initiative

2
Career Clusters Presentation Objectives

• Provide an Overview of the Career Clusters
  Initiative.
• Review Career Clusters Resources available from
  the national initiative.
• Discuss Career Clusters Sustainability and
  Implementation.

3
Overview

• Career Clusters Initiative

4
Career Clusters Definition

• Career Clusters represents a grouping of
  occupations and broad industries based on
  commonalities.

5
Career Clusters Titles

• Agriculture, Food Natural Resources
• Architecture Construction
• Arts, Audio/Video Technology Communications
• Business, Management Administration
• Education Training
• Finance
• Government Public Administration
• Health Science

• Hospitality Tourism
• Human Services
• Information Technology
• Law, Public Safety Security
• Manufacturing
• Marketing, Sales Service
• Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics
• Transportation, Distribution Logistics

6
Career Clusters Purposes

• The 16 Career Clusters are an organizing tool for
  schools to offer a broader, more durable
  preparation for the world of work.
• Re-training the Workforce
• Cross-training the Workforce
• Preparing the Emerging Workforce

7
Career Clusters Student and Community Benefits

• Help develop workplace, academic and technical
  skills
• Build links to the community
• Add relevance to the curriculum
• Provide real-world learning

8
Career Clusters Workforce Development and
Education System Benefits

• Provide a common theme for communication from
  state to state
• Enhance academic achievement of all students -
  leaving no child behind
• Integrate into current Career Technical programs
• Prepare students for entry into
  college/university
• Provide a well-prepared, qualified workforce for
  employers

9
Career Clusters Goals

• High Academic Attainment (meet state
  requirements)
• Successful transition to post-secondary education
  and training
• Preparation for Success in Careers (academic
  skills, technical skills, employability skills)
• Promote/Support Economic Development to Increase
  Productivity
• Enhance Career Development Outcomes

10
Resources

• Career Clusters Initiative

11
Career Clusters Resources

• Career Clusters/Pathway Model
• Knowledge Skills Components
• ONet Crosswalk Report
• Cluster Profile and Advisory Committee List of
  Existing Credentials
• Validation Overview/Results
• Protocol for Assessment Certification
• Brochures
• www.careerclusters.org, www.nchste.org
• Pam Stacey, 405.743.6850, pstac_at_okcareertech.org

12
Career Clusters Model

• Organizes the occupations, within each cluster,
  into pathways that group the cluster occupations
  based on commonalities.

13
Career Clusters Framework

• Cluster Level
• Represents the skills and knowledge, both
  academic and technical, that all students within
  the cluster should achieve regardless of their
  pathway.
• Pathway Level
• Represents the skills and knowledge, both
  academic and technical, necessary to pursue a
  full range of career opportunities within a
  pathway - ranging from entry level to management,
  including technical and professional career
  specialties.
• Career Specialties
• Represents the full range of career opportunities
  within each pathway.

14
(No Transcript)
15
Career Clusters ONet Crosswalk Report

• Each occupational specialty identified within
  Career Clusters was cross-walked to a related
  ONET occupation.
• ONET is a nationally recognized taxonomy with
  detailed descriptions and a rich database of
  information for each occupation.

16
Career Clusters Cluster/Pathway Knowledge
Skills

• Identify existing and/or establish the knowledge
  and skills common across the Cluster as well as
  in each of the Pathways.

17
How Do You Differentiate Between Cluster Level
and Pathway Level Knowledge and Skills (KS)?

• Cluster
• KS represent all occupations within the scope of
  the cluster.
• Pathway
• KS represent all occupations within a pathway.

18
Cluster Level KS Topics

• Academic Foundations
• Communications
• Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
• Information Technology Applications
• Systems
• Safety, Health and Environmental
• Leadership and Teamwork
• Ethics and Legal Responsibilities
• Employability and Career Development
• Technical Skills

19
Format Knowledge and Skills Structure Components

• Structure
• Cluster/Pathway Topics
• KS Statements
• Performance Elements
• Measurement Criteria

20
Validation Overview/Results

• What Do We Mean by Knowledge and Skills
  Validation?
• In this initiative, valid means
• Common (common, applicable across pathway or
  cluster)
• Important (relevant, meaningful)
• Accurate (technically correct)

21
Validation Process

• Validation by Advisory Committees
• National Web-based Validation or
• Pilot Site Validation
• Continuing Review by Advisory Committees, Pilot
  Sites and Subject Matter Experts

22
Career Clusters Advisory Committee

• Membership includes business and industry,
  associations, government agencies, labor and
  secondary and postsecondary educators.
• Membership is broad-based in terms of geographic
  location.
• Membership reflects occupations within each of
  the pathways.
• Membership is responsible for resource
  development.

23
Career Clusters Existing Credentials

• Credentials include licenses, certificates, and
  degrees.
• Listing includes both web sites and individual
  credentials.
• Existing credentials, when applicable, were used
  as resources in the development of knowledge and
  skill components.

24
Career Clusters Assessment Protocol

• Protocol for Career Clusters Assessment
• Minimum criteria/expectations
• Content
• Form
• Applications and Uses
• Administration
• Validity and Reliability

25
Career Clusters Certificate of Achievement
Protocol

• Minimum criteria/expectations
• Defines the purpose and scope of certificate
• Bases issue on assessed learner proficiencies
• Confirms knowledge skills of certificate to the
  public
• Contains date and issuing organization

26
Career Clusters Brochures

• Description of how to pursue education and career
  success in the cluster
• Career Pathways at a glance
• Overview of each Pathway
• Sample occupations
• Overview of credentials
• Employment outlook

27
Sustainability and Implementation

• Career Clusters Initiative

28
Career Clusters Sustainability

• National Association of State Directors of Career
  Technical Education Consortium
• Assessment
• States Voluntarily Reporting Student Enrollment
  by Cluster
• Central Distribution System for Resources
• Maintenance/Updating of Web Site
• Continuing, Consistent Process for Review and
  Validation of Knowledge and Skills

29
Career Clusters Implementation

• Pilot Site Implementation
• Technical Assistance
• Training and In-service
• Guide to Career Cluster Implementation
• Implementation Briefs by State on the Web Site
• National Career Cluster Institute

30
Tips for Implementation

• Making Skill Standards Work Highlights from the
  Field
• Education Development Center, Inc.
• 800-225-4276
• Career Academy Toolkit
• Bright Futures Press
• 919-426-3843
• http//casn.berkeley.edu/formbanklist.html
• Using Skill Standards for Vocational-Technical
  Education Curriculum Development
• http//v-tecs.org/Documents/Using20Skill20Standa
  rds.pdf

31
Tips for Implementation (cont.)

• Arts, A-V Technology and Communications
• www.artavcomm.org
• Health Science
• www.nchste.org
• Information Technology
• www.edc.org/EWIT/bltext.htm
•  

• Manufacturing
• www.mfglinks.org
• Transportation, Distributionand Logistics
• http//tdlcluster.org
• All Clusters
• www.careerclusters.org

32
Tips for Implementation (cont.)

• Use resources to enhance existing programs.
• Use resources as frameworks to create/develop
  programs.
• Use resources for career academies, small
  learning communities, schools within schools,
  charter schools, home schooling and magnet
  schools.

33
Identify the Stakeholders and Challenges Leading
to Cluster Implementation

• Teachers with decreasing enrollments
• Teachers charged with increasing academic
  performance
• Parents and students lacking knowledge of
  opportunities
• Business and Industry needs for qualified workers
• Post high school trainers and educators looking
  for feeder programs

34
Present Career Clusters as a Solution to
Stakeholder Challenges

• Potential enrollment increases with broader
  programs that appeal to more students.
• Contextual learning increases academic
  performance for all students.
• Enhanced guidance services are available for
  parents and students through the cluster models
  identification of many jobs.
• Broader preparation meets Business and Industry
  needs for qualified workers.
• Career Cluster Knowledge and Skill structures
  provide the linkage from post high school
  trainers and educators to feeder programs.

35
Conduct Clusters Rollout Planning with
Stakeholders

• Analyze current delivery system.
• Review curriculum content.
• Identify instructor knowledge, skills, and
  abilities.
• Determine desire to change the system.
• Present Career Cluster Principles for Success.

36
Career Clusters Principles for Success in
Technical and Academic EducationWhat does a
Career Cluster program look like?

• 1. The curriculum includes the cluster foundation
  knowledge and skills.
• 2. The curriculum includes pathway knowledge and
  skills.
• 3. Academic and technical instructors jointly
  plan the curriculum.
• 4. The specific state academic standards
  reinforced in the curriculum are clearly
  identified.
•  

37
Principles for Success (cont.)

• 5. Communication (reading, writing, and
  presenting) activities are pervasive in the
  curriculum.
• 6. The curriculum reflects multiple careers
  associated with the cluster. 
• 7. The curriculum reflects the economic
  development plans of the local/state community.
• 8. Instructors provide direct support to students
  in developing a career/educational plan.
• 9. Data is collected and used for quality control
  and improvement.

38
Conduct Clusters Rollout Planning with
Stakeholders (cont.)

• Identify where changes are needed/desired.
• Determine barriers using Rollout Planning
  process.
• Identify resources (human, policy, fiscal) needed
  to overcome barriers.
• In matrix format, present delivery system
  elements/content vs. desired cluster
  elements/content.

39
Assess Acceptance/Buy-in of Implementation Staff

• Determine resources needed (human, policy,
  fiscal) to assure staff buy-in.
• Determine the availability of needed resources.
• Assess implementation challenges given available
  resources.

40
Develop Implementation Plan

• Identify resources needed (human, policy,
  fiscal).
• Identify time frame for implementation.
• Identify individuals responsible.
• Identify specific goals, objectives, and time
  line.
• Identify assessment processes to be used.
• Determine if credentials will be awarded.

41
Implementing Career Clusters

• Review implementation plan with
  stakeholders/community.
• Revise plan responding to feedback.
• Access resources needed.
• Confirm the reality of proposed plan.
• Implement plan.
• Revise plan according to implementation feedback.

42
Contact Information

• www.careerclusters.org
• Pam Stacey
• 405.743.6850
• Pstac_at_okcareertech.org