WOW
Work Opportunities Within
Broward County Public Schools
History
The employment rate in the State of Florida for adults with disabilities is approximately
37.1% overall and 23.4 % for full-time employees. By comparison, the employment rate
for non-disabled individuals is 77.8% overall and 57.7 % for full time employees.
Current figures indicate that the number of students ages 16 through 21; with disabilities
in our school district is 8,391. These students are expected to enter and compete in the
work force within the next five (5) years. Although recent Florida Education & Training
Placement Information Program (FETPIP) data indicted that the number of students
exiting our system with employment has steadily improved, we believe that additional
support is needed.
School Board Initiative
School Board Chair, Robin Bartleman, with support of the School Board, developed the
“Work Opportunities Within” initiative with the intent of partnering with private business
leaders to hire students with disabilities. Mark Klein, President of Sunshine Cleaning
Systems, has agreed to actively participate and promote the program with members of the
Fort Lauderdale Executive Association. The Fort Lauderdale Executive Association
consists of over one hundred of Broward County’s most influential and strongest
companies. Through the support of Mr. Klein, the Board of Directors has invited The
School Board of Broward County to become a member. This membership will position
the District to expedite and maximize the placement of students with disabilities in the
workforce. This organization has already agreed to participate in the program, and is
preparing to accept students in available positions in their companies. Sunshine Cleaning
Systems has already hired and trained a student with a disability and is training another
student for an additional position. The employed student is working in the K.C. Wright
Administrative Building (KCW), and is performing well. When combined with current
programs to assist students with disabilities, the “Work Opportunities Within” initiative
could have an even greater employment impact than originally anticipated. Board Chair
Bartleman has indicated that she would like this program to be ongoing in order to ensure
that students with disabilities will always have a much needed entrée into the Broward
County workforce.
Current Transition Services
Currently, Broward County Public Schools offers a wide variety of transition services for
students ages 14 through 21 on the Standard Diploma, Special Diploma Option I, and
Special Diploma Option II (work-based diploma) tracks. The three Technical Centers,
Sheridan, Atlantic and McFatter, offer a variety of vocational and technical training
programs for Standard and Special Diploma students, which include career preparation,
community-based training, apprenticeships, and independent living training. Students
can attend these centers through share-time enrollment at their high schools or on a fulltime basis.
Additionally, both Atlantic and Sheridan Technical Centers offer transition services
through the Career Placement and Post-Graduate Alternatives for Secondary Students
(PASS) programs. Career Placement is a transition model for students ages eighteen
through twenty-one, who have expressed an interest in paid employment. Career
Placement places students in paid employment and supports them in the workplace with
job coaching services. This program also develops employability and social skills
through training in a classroom setting in order to support and assist students in
maintaining employment or acquiring promotions within their present employment
setting. PASS is a community-based transition services model for students ages eighteen
through twenty-one, who require intensive supports in the workplace and community.
Teachers and job coaches use specialized teaching strategies that address individual
student learning styles. This individualization allows students to be more independent in
the workplace and community. Both of these models are being expanded with the goal of
being implemented in all Broward County secondary schools.
In April of 2004, Broward County Public Schools changed twenty four (24) job
descriptions by removing the requirement of a Standard High School Diploma. This
allowed students exiting the school system with a special diploma to apply, be
interviewed and hired in positions throughout the district. In addition to opening up
opportunities of its students, Broward County Public Schools enjoys the benefit of filling
high turnover positions with a trained, reliable work force.
Next Steps
The District is entering into a Third Party Cooperative Agreement with the Division of
Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). The Agreement will add supported employment job
coaches, with DVR reimbursing the cost of the additional positions to the District. This
will essentially allow the Broward County Public Schools to acquired five (5) new
positions for the cost of 1.1 positions by reimbursing the district for 90% of the cost on
the first position, and 75% for each of the next four (4) positions. This agreement will
provide additional job coaches to our existing staff of supported employment job
coaches, resulting in a greater capacity to serve students in the workplace.
Partnerships aimed at employment for District students with disabilities are also being
pursued. The new partnership between The School Board of Broward County, and Dania
Management Group, a franchisee ownership group of Dunkin Donuts Restaurants, is a
prime example of a mutually beneficial relationship that creates access into the workplace
for our students, and is attractive from a business and public relations/marketing
perspective for the corporation. Dania Management Group has agreed to build a
prototype “Dunkin Delites” restaurant in the lobby of the K.C. Wright (KCW)
Administrative Building. This agreement ensures that Dania Management Group will
hire and employ students with disabilities as staff in this location. In addition to
employing qualified students in the KCW Administrative Building, the Dania
Management Group is presently hiring students with disabilities for their ten (10) “standalone” restaurants located throughout Broward County. An additional eighteen (18)
restaurants are slated to begin operating by 2008-2009, bringing the total to twenty-eight
(28) restaurants students with disabilities will have employment access to by end of the
fiscal year.
The primary focus of “Work Opportunities Within” is to build on, and expand current
employment options for students with disabilities in Broward County Schools. The plan
will include the expansion of school board job descriptions to include special diploma
students. Currently, there are twenty-four (24) such job descriptions. By the end of
2009, there will be a minimum of thirty (30) job descriptions available to Special
Diploma students. District staff will develop and deliver presentation to department
heads responsible for hiring in-house students for these positions. District staff will
develop printed materials such as program descriptions, brochures, compact disks and
videos. Presentations based on the information contained in these materials will be
presented to all department heads in Broward County Schools.
Vendors and contractors who conduct business with Broward County Public Schools will
be expected to include language giving hiring preference to students with disabilities.
Broward Schools’ students will benefit from the enhanced employment opportunities and
vendors will benefit by having access to a readily available local work force.
Reviewers of Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) offered for public bid by the SBBC will
ensure that students with disabilities are included as part of the vendors’ work force.
In addition to these activities, District staff will create and manage an employment
database for students will disabilities. This database will match prospective employees
with disabilities to current job openings throughout the county. Teachers and job coaches
will be able to assist schools in matching students to prospective employers based on the
information in the database. The database will allow district staff to analyze employment
rates, retention rates, and employment trends for students with disabilities.
Conclusion
The importance of the concept of “Work Opportunities Within” cannot be overstated.
Students with disabilities face barriers in many parts of their daily lives including finding
and maintaining meaningful employment. Systemic collaboration between departments
within the school system, vendors who conduct business with Broward Schools and local
community-based employers will help students gain invaluable employment and
vocational experience that will help them overcome barriers to employment that are
traditionally experienced by them throughout their adult life. “Work Opportunities
Within” will afford students the opportunity to experience a variety of work experiences
while earning a living wage now and well into their future. The expectation is that
students who participate in employment opportunities created by the “Work
Opportunities Within” initiative will have a lower poverty rate, be more independent, and
rely less on social services.
Broward County Public Schools has the opportunity to mobilize considerable resources
and influences that in turn will break down the barriers to employment for students with
disabilities. Broward Schools is nationally recognized for initiatives that promote student
achievement. “Work Opportunities Within” will be an additional resource leading to an
increase in student achievement in regard to functional and vocational outcomes in
addition to enhanced employment outcomes for students with disabilities. The children
with disabilities and their families in our community, trust and depend on educators for
relevant and timely preparation for adult living. The “Work Opportunities Within”
initiative is central to reaching this goal.
Work Opportunities Within Committee Members
School Board Chair, Robin Bartleman
Deputy Superintendent, Operations, Donnie Carter
Supervisor, Administrative Offices, Israel Canales
Program Specialist, Transition, Exceptional Student Education, Louis Ruccolo
Denise Rusnak
President, Sunshine Cleaning Systems Mark Klein
Sunshine Cleaning Systems