Developing Programs of Study for
College and Career Readiness
Erin Fender, Project Manager
College & Career Academy Support Network (CCASN),
Univerity of California, Berkeley - Graduate School of Education
Chris Almeida, CTE Teacher/Coordinator
Folsom Cordova Unified School District, California
Mike Gross, Career Education Coordinator
Junction City High School, Kansas
About CCASN
CCASN promotes researched-based practice to improve students’
preparation for college and careers through direct support to
schools and districts
Conducts practice-based research and documentation
Has created 2 websites with over 20 guides, research reports,
national directory of academies, “toolbox” of downloadable
materials, videos, and more
Informs local, state and national policy
http://casn.berkeley.edu
http://collegetools.berkeley.edu
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Guidelines for this Session
Be comfortable!
Ask questions as they arise
Meet your own physical needs immediately:
restroom, water, etc.
Frame the content of this session within your
own school, community and students
Who are you?
From where?
Your role?
Today’s Objectives
Define Programs of Study in the context of Career
Academies, Linked Learning Pathways, Small Learning
Communities and Career Technical Education (CTE)
Develop or improve effective Programs of Study by using
research, data, best practices, community resources and
needs of the 21st century economy
Image Credit: Corporate6Voices for Working Families
Table Talk and then Share Out
What is your local context?
What do you already have in place?
Where are you headed?
Why are you here?
Program of Study
A document that outlines a series of courses that incorporates and
aligns high school and postsecondary
Integrates academic and career technical content in a coordinated
progression of non-duplicative courses in an industry sector
Offers opportunity for HS students to acquire postsecondary
credits
Leads to an industry recognized credential or certificate at the
postsecondary level, or an associate or baccalaureate degree.
What is a Program of Study
for a Career Academy?
Everything on the last slide and
• Integrates academic and technical curriculum
through interdisciplinary projects, work-based
learning and performance assessments
• Provides support services necessary to ensure all
students are successful
• Includes strong and sustained partnerships with
business, community and other stakeholders
• Incorporates career guidance and mentoring
opportunities
Integration Continuum
Math
SCI
CTE
Sector
theme
SOC
ARTS
ELA
Single Subject
BASIC
Paired
Interrelated
INTERMEDIATE
Conceptual
COMPLEX
CTE Course Sequence with
Sporadic Academic Integration
History
CTE
Cours
e
1
CTE
Cours
e
2
Science
CTE
Cours
e
3
English
CTE
Cours
e
4
Post-Secondary Articulation
College and Career Plan----------College Tours----------Applications ------------Dual
Enrollment
Middle
School
Articulatio
n
Social
Studie
s
Social
Studie
s
Social
Studie
s
Social
Studie
s
Math
Math
Math
Math
Introductory
CTE
Intermediate
CTE
Level
Capstone
CTE
Level
CTE
Level
Englis
h
Englis
h
Englis
h
Englis
h
Scienc
e
Scienc
e
Scienc
e
Scienc
e
Suppor
t
Service
s
Suppor
t
Service
s
Suppor
t
Service
s
Suppor
t
Service
s
Work-based Learning Opportunities
Company Tours ----------------------------Job Shadowing------------------------------ Internships
Multiple
PostSecondary
Opportuniti
es
POS for Career & Career Readiness
Goals
 Career AND college
 Leverage and expand
student interest/relevance
 Increase student
achievement during and
after HS
 Recognize need for support
and provide early
intervention
 Leverage and expand
community/business
involvement
Structure
 Multi-grade articulation
 Cohort scheduling
 Physical location
 Breaks down the large HS
into smaller more
manageable size
Who decides what the POS will be?
A Committee is best practice
Post-secondary representatives
CTE teachers
Academic teachers
College and Career Center and/or Work-based Learning
representative(s)
Counselors
Industry representatives with a broad view
Site and possibly District Administrator(s)
Career and Technical Student Organization (CSTO)
representative
What will the POS committee do?
Identify or develop the non-duplicative sequence of
both the CTE and academic courses at secondary &
postsecondary levels using the current state and
nationals standards
Develop dual credit and/or articulation agreements
Decide how to integrate college and career guidance in
the POS
Decide how to integrate 21st century skills in the POS
Identify PD/TA needs
Engage in ongoing evaluation and improvement
So, how do you start?
Start with the end in mind
What career opportunities will exist for students?
For students who think they want to enter the workforce directly out of
high school?
For students who want to attend a short-term training program?
For students who want to go to a community college?
For students who want to go a 4-year school?
Exactly to what postsecondary programs will students matriculate?
What type of credentials and/or certificates can students earn both
in high school and beyond?
High growth, high wage hits the bulls-eye
Math
Science
English
Social
Studies
Prepared
for
College
and
Careers
Technical Core/Theme
Back
Career Clusters and/or
Industry Sectors
What does your state use?
16 Career Cluster defined by the National
Association of State Directors of CTE
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Career Clusters at-a-glance
Crossover between clusters more common
Examples
Agriculture and Business
Arts, Media & Entertainment and Info Tech
Green Technology
– Natural Resource Management
– Manufacturing & Product Development
– Engineering & Design
– Energy & Utilities
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How to choose the
Career Clusters and pathways?
Job growth / market data analysis – at the
regional, state and national levels
What is already in place at the HS, ROP or
nearby community college that is strong and
could be built upon?
What is in place that must be eliminated?
What facilities are available? What facilities
need to be improved or constructed?
What post-secondary programs can be
articulated avoiding duplication?
Student interest
Where will you get your data?
US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics
Employment Development Department
Workforce Investment Board
O-NET
Doing What Matters
Chambers of Commerce
County Office of Education
Community College
Time to Roll Up Your Sleeves
Begin researching – Two Options:
Post-Secondary Programs
Job Growth Data
What can you find right now to move forward?
Student Organizations
•
www.californiahosa.org - Health Occupations
•
www.tsaweb.org - Technology
•
www.fbla-pbl.org - Business
•
www.ffa.org - Agriculture
•
www.cadeca.org - Marketing, Management, & Entrepreneurship
•
http://www.hect.org/fhahero - Hospitality, Consumer & Family
Services (Home Economics)
•
http://www.skillsusaca.org - Industrial/Trade/Tech
What you don’t want to do
Build a Program of Study
Around one great teacher
Based on current staff and training
Based on current facilities
Based on current local employer whims
Examples: Staff Development
to Promote Effective Interdisciplinary POS
Teacher Externships
Project-Based Learning training and follow up time
to plan and improve PBL curriculum
Regular conversations b/t academic, CTE and
industry representatives
Use of technology to improve sharing of content (ex.
curriculum mapping)
When creating your POS or to stay current
Consider setting up Teacher Externships
for all the teachers both CTE and
academic
A way to make connections in the
industry - may lead to recruitment of
guest speakers, advisory boards
members or visiting instructors
http://casn.berkeley.edu
 Resources Tab (top)
 - Guides and Articles

- Partnerships w/ Employers

- Teacher Externship Guide
Teaching Credentials, defining CTE and technical
certifications: this can get interesting!
Is Anatomy & Physiology a CTE course?
• Should a teacher with a biology degree but no Health Science work
experience teach this course? (HS Science teacher?)
• Could a teacher with technical expertise in Anatomy & Physiology
but does not have “traditional” teacher preparation
coursework/degree teach this course? (PA, Paramedic, RN?)
• Is this a course that teaches skills and knowledge that lead to a
career in Health Science/Medicine?
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College
and Career
Readiness
CCSS
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The Standards
Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in
History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects
Mathematics
Next Generation Science Standards
http://www.careertech.org
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Ready for
College
and
Career
Classroom
Activity
Traditional Classroom
Instruction
Master Schedule
In Class Project
Staff Development
Single Course
Authentic Project
Business Advisory
Pathway Theme
Single Course
Theme-Based Project
Teacher Collaboration
Theme-Based Interdisciplinary
Project-Based Learning
Multiple Courses
Theme-Based
Which academic courses will be a part of the POS?
What courses are a natural fit
Which teachers want to do this type of work?
What courses could be altered slightly to make it a
better fit?
– DaVinci Algebra
– Geometry by Design
– Applied Medical English
– Journey for Justice in America (US History in the
Public Services Career Cluster)
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To find more ideas and information
about integrated academic and CTE courses visit
UC Curriculum Integration (UCCI) Institute
website
http://www.ucop.edu/ucci/welcome.html
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What about Advanced Placement ?
The big hiccup is English and social studies
Embedded Honors/AP with zero period and/or
afterschool support
The amazing teacher that can do AP and embed a
career theme
Double up – kids take both the themed and AP version
AP and articulated credit courses: can they coexist?
What else?
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What about International Baccalaureate (IB)?
New IB Career-related Certificate (IBCC)
Built around three interconnected elements:
– at least two Diploma Programme courses
– an IBCC core that includes approaches to learning,
community and service, language development and
a reflective project
– an approved career-related study.
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Career-themed Curriculum Database
On the CASN website
A national repository over 650 lesson plans,
units and projects that link academic disciplines
to specific industry sectors
 http://casn.berkeley.edu/curriculum.php
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Impacts on the Master Schedule?
YES!
Check out the sessions by CCASN colleagues at
NCAC this week
Use the free Master Schedule Online Guide
Articulation & Industry Credentials
POS should provide opportunities for students to earn college
credit through credit-based transition programs and/or
industry credentials WHILE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL
• Offer dual credit courses between high school & college
• Seek regular articulation to ensure students will not have to
repeat instruction
• Align high school & postsecondary courses by common
standards & competencies
• Apply for statewide articulation
• Help students obtain 1st level of industry certification (ex.
EMT, CISCO, ServSafe, NOCTI, ASE, NIMS, etc.
In the Resources section
of http://casn.berkeley.edu
Dual Enrollment for High
School Students
41
Kansas Example of Articulation Agreements
HANDOUT
www.statewidecareerpathways.org
Sample POS
http://casn.berkeley.edu
Resources Tab (top)
- Guides and Articles
- Academy Design
- Course Sequences
www.careertech.org/career-clusters
Another example – from the State Level
TN State Department of Education
Personal Plan of Study
Example from Junction City High School
HANDOUT
Related Resources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
http://www.naf.org
http://www.careerclusters.org/
www.promisingpractices.net
www.cteonestop.org
www.cteonline.org
www.casn.berkeley.edu
www.californiacareers.info
www.cal-impac.org
www.connectedcalifornia.org
www.bie.org
www.mdrc.org
www.msscusa.org
http://web.jhu.edu/csos
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
www.fordpas.org
www.tc.columbia.edu
www.ncacinc.com
www.ncee.org
www.neponline.org
www.ncn-npcpss.com
educationnorthwest.org
www.sreb.org
www.srnleads.org
www.wested.org
Individual Brainstorm
Consider were you are in the process of developing POS based on the
info we just shared?
Begin to make a list of what you need to gather and where you might get
it or ask one of us for where you can get the info you need.
Small Group Work Setup
We will help the group divide into small groups based on
industry sectors and/or needs.
Please introduce yourselves to each other
– Name
– Role
– Explain where you are at and what you would like to work on
in the group
Lunch Break
Questions That Have Come Up After Lunch
What do you need to know before you have a chunk of time
roll up your selves and dive into working on your Programs of
Study?
Facilitated Work Time
If you feel working with your group will be beneficial, please
continue
If you feel you need time to work as an individual, please do so
Erin, Chris & Mike will circulate throughout the room to answer
questions, help and provide suggestions
Teams or Individuals Share Out
What did you accomplish during the work time that may be of
interest or help others in the room?
Ideas/Feedback from others in the room?
Remaining Questions
What can we help you with in this last bit of time we
have together?
Outreach and Engagement
• POS and their benefits lack value if no one is aware of them.
• Market and recruit students, parents, educational staff, and
the community.
• Continuous input and support from industry and postsecondary is essential for continuing the Programs of Study.
• Grant development should be pursued to support the
Programs of Study.
Ongoing Evaluation and Improvement
Systems and strategies to gather quantitative and qualitative
data on both Programs of Study components and student
outcomes are crucial for ongoing efforts to develop and
implement Program of Study.
Conclusion
The Programs of Study process is never finished.
Courses, requirements, industry standards and expectations are
constantly changing; so must your Program of Study.
Thank you
Erin Fender
efender@berkeley.edu
Chris Almeida
calmeida@fcusd.org
Mike Gross
MikeGross@usd475.org
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