ABCs of Career Clusters

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ABCs of Career Clusters

• Ann and Gene Benson
• Education Consultants
• 405-743-2919
• www.bensoneducation.com

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Essential Questions

• How are we doing and why are we getting involved
  in using career clusters, career pathways and
  programs of study?

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Vocational Education vs. Career and Technical
Education
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16 Career Clusters


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The Problems

• Engagement attending school and completing
  (graduating) high school

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Too many 9th Graders do not complete High School
historical trend
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Source One-Third of a Nation (ETS, 2005)
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Why do they leave?
Source The silent epidemic Perspectives of high
school dropouts Civic Enterprises, 2006
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Have you ever been bored in class?
Source 2008 HSSSE
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If you have been bored in class, why?

• Material not interesting
• Material wasnt relevant to me
• No interaction with teacher
• Work wasnt challenging enough
• Work was too difficult
• Other

Source 2008 HSSSE
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The Problems

• Engagement attending school and completing
  (graduating) high school
• Achievement academic (and technical) course
  taking grades, test scores

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2006 HSTW CTE Students Percentage Meeting
Reading Performance Goal-279
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2006 HSTW CTE Students Percentage Meeting
Mathematics Performance Goal-297
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2006 HSTW CTE Students Percentage Meeting
Science Performance Goal-299
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The Problems

• Engagement attending school and completing
  (graduating) high school
• Achievement academic (and technical) course
  taking grades, test scores
• Transition to postsecondary education without
  the need for remediation and to the workplace

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Transition through high school and to college
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31 Leave with 0 Credits
100 Start 9th Grade
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Source Education Weekly March 2005
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Transition

• 84 of high school students anticipate earning a
  college degree
• Students who anticipate a degree are unlikely to
  prepare for a career following high school
• More than 50 of students who begin college do
  not earn a degree
• For students with the lowest high school
  performance, 86 do not earn a degree

Rosenbaum, J. E. (2002). Beyond Empty Promises
Policies To Improve Transitions into College and
Jobs. U.S. Illinois 42.
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Percent of students who take remedial courses

• 63 at two-year institutions
• 40 at four-year institutions

The Bridge Project Stanford University
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How Hiring Practices Will Change

• 28 will reduce hiring those with only a high
  school diploma
• 49.5 will increase two-year college graduates
• Almost 60 will increase their hires of four-year
  college graduates
• 42 will increase their hires of post-graduates
  within next five years
• The
  Conference Board

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A bit of history

• U.S. Department of Education
• National Association of State Directors of Career
  Technical Education
• National Advisory Committees
• Cluster Leaders

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Programs of Study (Pathways) As Defined in Perkins
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Perkins Programs of Study

• State approved programs, which may be adopted by
  local education agencies and postsecondary
  institutions to be offered as an option to
  students when planning for and completing future
  coursework, for career and technical content
  areas.

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Perkins Programs of Study

• 1. Incorporate secondary education and
  postsecondary education elements

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Perkins Programs of Study

• 2. Include coherent and rigorous content aligned
  with challenging academic standards and relevant
  career and technical content in a coordinated,
  non-duplicative progression of courses that align
  secondary education with postsecondary education
  to adequately prepare students to succeed in
  postsecondary education

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Perkins Programs of Study
 

• 3. May include the opportunity for secondary
  education students to participate in dual or
  concurrent enrollment programs or other ways to
  acquire postsecondary education credits and

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Perkins Programs of Study

• 4. Lead to an industry-recognized credential or
  certificate at the postsecondary level, or an
  associate or baccalaureate degree.

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So where do Career Clusters fit in? What are they?

• Career Clusters are groupings of occupations and
  industries
• A Career Pathway represents a grouping of
  occupations within a cluster based on
  commonalities
• A Program of Study is the plan to get students
  from high school entry to success in careers and
  postsecondary education.

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Lets say it again

• A Program of Study is the plan to get students
  from high school entry to success in careers and
  postsecondary education.
• Its not hard, but someone has to take the lead
  and dedicate
• the time.

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Whats Most Important?

• NOT What you call courses.
• NOT How many courses you take.
• Its being sure students get the content they
  need.
• The Key is the Knowledge and Skills Statements
  (YOU MIGHT CALL THEM STANDARDS).

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Ordering of K S

• Foundation Academic Expectations
• Essential Knowledge and Skills
• Cluster (Foundation) Knowledge and Skills
• Pathway Knowledge and Skills

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• www.careerclusters.org

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CAREER
PS
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
CAREER MAJOR
PATHWAY KS
CLUSTER KS
9TH GRADE
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(No Transcript)
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POS Checklist ( )

• Are both academic and degree major courses
  included?
• Are both secondary and postsecondary courses
  included?
• Does coursework reflect the K S?
• Do courses represent a sequence of instruction
  that leads to a degree, certificate or credential?

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POS Checklist, cont.

• Do courses represent a coherent and rigorous
  program of studies?
• Have courses been cross-referenced against state
  and national standards?
• Does completion of the high school courses ensure
  success at the postsecondary level?
• Does the high school plan reflect opportunities
  for postsecondary enrollment?

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Other Hints for Development

• Dont forcefeed existing courses
• Dont worry about course titles
• Dont try to include everything-focus on the
  knowledge and skills
• Do prepare for lots of PD
• Be willing to repeat yourself

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Why Do All This?

• A strategy to organize instruction and student
  experiences around career themes
• It incorporates existing school reform strategies
• It links the various levels of education
• It causes academic courses and CTE/degree major
  courses to have a linkage
• It gives faculty members a reason to work together

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Why Do All This?

• It puts a reason into what students are
  learning, therefore, reducing remediation and
  increasing academic and career success
• It enables articulation within and between states
  and can increase consistency for better data and
  shared opportunities for development
• It connects to business and higher education
• It provide opportunities for all students!!

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• QUESTIONS??

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If we can provide you with any assistance, please
contact

• Ann and Gene Benson
• www.bensoneducation.com
• gene_at_bensoneducation.com
• ann_at_bensoneducation.com
• 405-880-5383 (Ann)
• 405-880-7634 (Gene)