Career Action PlanningBest Practices

Module 3Career Development Activities

How to Engage Students in School• Make school more relevant and engaging and

enhance the connection between school and work• Improve instruction and access to supports for

struggling students• More supervision and discipline in school is necessary• Ensure strong adult-student relationships in the

school. The respondents craved and appreciated attention from teachers…

Assessing The Whole Person

Pre-Registration Activities• Through junior high science classes, the high school

counselors explain the high school course description booklet.• Junior High counselor speak to the middle school students.• High school counselors meet with the tenth and eleventh

grade student either in small groups or individually about next year’s course selection.

• Career ant Tech coordinator and teachers review transcripts and send letters to students on the courses they need to be a completer in the 14 career pathways Lake Hamilton offers.

Pre-Registration• Advisor receives a copy of students’ transcripts and

credit sheets.• The credit sheet will have notes for the student and

parents. (sample in packet)• Letters are sent to parents one month prior to

registration day with time and date of their CAPS appointment

Registration Day• Students and parents attend a 15 to 20 minute

meeting with the student’s advisor.• Students, parents and advisors review transcripts,

grade point averages and make selections for next year’s classes based on the credit sheet.

• Attendance– 1st year 94%– Past 2 years 98.5%

Carl Perkins Activities for CTE Students

• Improve Graduation / Completion Rates• Improve Non-traditional Placement• Improve Placement after Graduation– Includes:

• Professional Development• Portfolio Folders• Technology• Articulation• Motivation (Speakers

KeyTrain in Secondary Schools• Students in Workplace Readiness will be required to

use KeyTrain to prepare for the ACT WorkKeys Assessments.

• Internship will allow students to use KeyTrain in schools where Workplace Readiness is not being offered.

WorkKeys Implementation• Dept of Workforce Services contracted with

Thinking Media to provide KeyTrain to dislocated workers and high school students in grades 11 and 12.

• ACT WorkKeys assessments were purchased to provide job seekers with the CRC credential.

Where do students begin?• Assess current knowledge with KeyTrain pretests• Identify occupational needs for career goal• Assign KeyTrain lessons at pretest level so students

can work at their own pace to the level they need to achieve

• Bridge the gap between being unemployable and being hirable.

WorkKeys Identifies Skill GapsBy comparing the job profile and individual assessment results, skills gaps can be identified

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5 5

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AppliedMathematics

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Reading forInformation

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LocatingInformation

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Skills Gap

Skills GapIndividual Results

Job Profile

Job Seekers• Must score at least a level 4 on the KeyTrain in Reading

for Information, Applied Mathematics, and Locating Information.

• Must also register with the Arkansas Job Links• Instructor refers KeyTrain completers to a two-year

community college for the WorkKeys assessment• Career Readiness Certificates are then awarded to

students receiving the Bronze, Silver or Gold Certificate.

WorkKeys is a System

Education/ Education/ Training:Training:

Efficiently closes

skill gaps

Job Profiling: Job Profiling: to match to match

applicants with applicants with jobsjobs Skill AssessmentsSkill Assessments:

Measures an individual’s

skill levelCareer

Guidance

ArkansasAtWork.orgArkansas Career Readiness Certificate

Governor’s Initiative Video Spothttp://www.state.ar.us/esd/Programs/CRC/Video.htmRadio Spot• http://www.state.ar.us/esd/Programs/CRC/Radio.htm

• “We must have a career ready workforce”– Governor Mike Beebe

Kuder• http://arworks.arkansas.gov/Pages/default.aspx

• http://www.arworkscareer.com/

• Access for Navigator and Journey

Navigator Components• 104 Sample Plans for each Career Cluster Pathway (New Feb

22nd)• Individualized electronic 4-year plans (Feb 22)• Explore and Plan results uploaded to student• Link to College • Connect to Business w/E-Portfolios• Needs assessment, Setting goals, Postsecondary Plans (April

5th)

Support Programs• Career Fairs• Mentoring Program• Watch Dog Dads• Kuder Planning System• Post-Secondary Education Faculty• Discover Arkansas• Community Speakers• Classroom Activities and Assignments• Drop-out Counselor• Second Chance Program

Samples of Activities• Academics

– 4 year plans– graduation requirements– transcript studies– grade point averages– course grids– graduating with honors– importance of testing– financial aide– credit recovery– study skills

Samples• Careers– interest inventories “Kuder”– class selection based on career clusters– post-secondary options– career portfolio– c & t pathways of study

More Samples• Social– attendance– club days– whom to see– character ed.– credit cards– drug usage– conflict resolution

Senior Seminar Post-Secondary Planning Guide

• What to consider when choosing a school• Admission policies• Visiting a campus and when• Possible questions for interviews• Info for students with learning disabilities.• Info for student athletes• Computer searches• SAT/ACT/AP/CLEP

Senior Seminar• Transcript package• Recommendation letters• College essays• Financial aide• Monthly newsletters• Checklist

Senior SeminarAs a senior counselor, I meet with everyone of my seniors to

verify what courses where required for them to graduate.

I sent a letters to parents on what courses their child needed for graduation.

Within the first two week of school, the seniors and their parents knew the courses the student needed for graduation to eliminate any surprises at the end of the semester.

Activities based on ASCA Guidance Model

• Academic

• Career

• Personal

Career Guidance Activities• Guidance lessons

• Individual advising

• Goal setting

• Relationship building