How to Be Sure All Your Students “Make It”– The Guideposts for Success

http://www.ncwd-youth.info

Idaho Secondary Special Education National College and Career Readiness Institute November 18, 2014

Presenter

Patricia Gill Senior Program Associate

E-mail: gillp@iel.org

Phone: 202-822-8405 x154

Random Information About Me

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•  Youth Development •  Mentoring •  Service Learning •  Restorative Justice •  Employer Engagement •  Family as Partners •  Duke Ellington School

of the Arts •  Ritz Carlton Hotel •  Haiti •  South Chicago •  Foster Daughter

•  Definitions for transition, workforce development system, and disability (from the Americans with Disabilities Act)

•  The five areas of the Guideposts for Success

•  The three areas of career development

•  Reasons the Guideposts are important

•  Strategies for implementing the Guideposts

This Session Will Cover:

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Who are We?

•  Institute for Educational Leadership

• Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy

• National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth

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National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth

•  Strives to ensure that youth with disabilities are provided full access to high quality services in integrated settings in order to maximize their opportunities for employment and independent living. www.ncwd-youth.info

•  3 levels: system (policy), organizational, and front line (youth service professionals)

•  Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) 5

DOL’s Office of Disability Employment Policy

•  Develops and influences the use of evidence-based disability employment policies and practices

•  Builds collaborative partnerships

•  Delivers authoritative and credible data on employment of people with disabilities

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Institute for Educational Leadership

•  Builds the capacity of individuals in education and related fields to work together across policies, programs, and sectors in support of better results for all children and youth, from pre-kindergarten through post-secondary education and work.

•  Three Centers:

Ø  Coalition for Community Schools

Ø  Leadership Programs (Education Policy Fellowship Program)

Ø  Center for Workforce Development 7

Transition

The period of time when adolescents are moving into adulthood and is often concerned with planning for postsecondary education or careers. In the workforce environment, it usually encompasses ages 14 to 25.

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Workforce Development System

Organizations at the national, state, and local levels that have direct responsibility for planning, allocating resources, providing administrative oversight, and operating programs to assist individuals and employers in obtaining education, training, job placement, and job recruitment (special focus on those involved in preparing youth for work).

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Disability (Americans with Disabilities Act)

•  A person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities

•  A person who has a history or record of such impairment

•  A person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment

(quick poll)

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Who Are You? What Do You Do?

•  What is your job in the education system?

•  Do you work directly with youth?

•  Does your work cut across any other systems?

•  What outcomes are you seeking with youth?

•  What challenges are you encountering? 11

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The Guideposts for Success

• An extensive literature review of research, demonstration projects and effective practices covering a wide range of programs and services---including lessons from youth development, quality education, and workforce development programs---has identified core commonalities across the disciplines, programs and institutional settings.

• The review also points out that no one institution or organization can provide the full range of services; thus, highlighting the interdependence of agencies that requires communities, states, the federal government and multiple organizations at all levels to collaborate with one another in order to help assure quality transitions for all youth.

** How many are familiar with the Guideposts?

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Guideposts: Basic Values

The Guideposts are built on the following basic values:

•  high expectations for all youth, including youth with

disabilities; •  equality of opportunity for everyone •  full participation through self-determination,

informed choice, and participation in decision-making;

•  independent living •  competitive employment and economic self-

sufficiency, with or without supports; and •  individualized transition planning that is person-

driven and culturally and linguistically appropriate.

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Meeting the Needs of Youth in the Education System: The Guideposts

•  School-Based Preparatory Experiences •  Career Preparation & Work-

Based Learning Experiences •  Youth Development &

Leadership

•  Connecting Activities •  Family Involvement & Supports

Which does your district/school/agency do well?

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School-Based Preparatory Experiences

All youth need:

•  Academic programs based on clear standards

Ø  Career and technical education programs based on professional and industry standards

•  Small and safe learning environments •  Support from highly qualified staff •  Access to an assessment system with multiple

measures Ø  Graduation standards that include options

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School-Based Preparatory Experiences

Youth with disabilities may also need:

•  Use their individual transition plans to drive their personal

instruction, and strategies to continue the transition process post-schooling Ø  Access specific and individual learning

accommodations while they are in school •  Develop knowledge of reasonable accommodations that

they can request and control in educational settings, including assessment accommodations Ø  Be supported by highly qualified transitional support staff

that may or may not be school staff

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Career Preparation & Work- Based Learning Experiences

All Youth Need:

•  Career assessments to help identify students’ school and

post-school preferences and interests

•  Structured exposure to postsecondary education and other life-long learning opportunities

Ø  Exposure to career opportunities that ultimately lead to a living wage, including information about educational and entry requirements, income and benefits potential, and asset accumulation

Ø  Training designed to improve job-seeking skills and work-place basic skills

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Career Preparation & Work- Based Learning Experiences

Youth with Disabilities Need to:

•  Understand the relationships between benefits planning and career choices

•  Learn to communicate their disability-related work support and accommodation needs

•  Learn to find, formally request, and secure appropriate supports and reasonable accommodations in education, training, and employment settings

Three Phases of Career Development

•  Self Exploration

• Career Exploration

• Career Planning & Management

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Strategies & Tools for Self Exploration

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Purpose: To help students become aware of their interests, skills, and values to guide career exploration & planning Student Competencies Activities

Identify own abilities, strengths, skills, and talents

Complete online career interest, ability, and values assessments using O*NET

Identify own social skills that will support future employability

Complete “Why Should I Hire You?” Activity

Identify skills and personal traits needed to manage your career (e.g., resiliency, self-efficacy, ability to identify trends and changes, and flexibility)

Complete “Do You Have The Universal Skills Employers Seek?” Activity

Strategies & Tools for Self Exploration

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More Sample Lessons, Activities & Tools:

•  I Am Who I Am … And As Others See Me (NCWD/Youth Guideposts for Success Activities)

•  Identifying Personal Values (Utah Education Network)

•  How Likes and Dislikes Can Influence Career Choices (Georgia Career Resource Network)

•  O*NET Ability Profiler (identify your strengths), Interest Profiler (identify types of work activities you like), Work Importance Locator (identify what is important to you in a job)

•  411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities

Find links to these & more in NCWD/Youth’s Online ILP How-to Guide: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp/how-to-guide/section-1/self-exploration

Strategies & Tools for Career Exploration

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Purpose: To help students learn about the skills and qualities required to be successful in various careers and the secondary and post-secondary education and training necessary to pursue each career Student Competencies Activities

Able to describe short- and long-term career and life goals 

Complete “Goal Setting Begins with a Dream” Activity

Able to use different types of career information resources (i.e., occupational, educational, economic, and employment) for career planning

Complete “Considering Labor Market Information in Your Career Choice” Activity

Able to develop a career plan to meet own career goals 

Design a travel map that identifies one's main goals and stops along the road (learning opportunities, experiences) needed to help reach the ultimate destination

Strategies & Tools for Career Exploration

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More Sample Lessons, Activities & Tools: •  Exploring Customer Service Jobs in Your Own Community; Generations at Work (NCWD/Youth Guideposts for Success Activities) •  Career Investigation (Utah Education Network) •  Career Clusters Review and Occupational Exploration

(Georgia Career Resource Network) •  My Next Move - O*NET tool allows students to match a

profile of interests with different kinds of careers •  Career One Stop videos (U. S. Department of Labor, 

Employment and Training Administration) Find links in NCWD/Youth’s Online ILP How-to Guide: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp/how-to-guide/section-1/career-exploration

Strategies & Tools for Career Planning & Management

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Purpose: To help students develop a range of skills needed to secure and succeed in employment, navigate career changes, and pursue growth opportunities throughout a lifetime.

Student Competencies Activities

Able to identify strategies for improving educational achievement & options for continued education & training

Complete “Connecting Education to Our Careers” Activity

Career Readiness/ Work Readiness Skills (Communication; Enthusiasm & Attitude; Teamwork; Networking; Problem Solving & Critical Thinking; and Professionalism)

Complete soft skills activities in U.S. DOL ODEP’s Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success

Job Seeking Skills: resume and cover letter writing, job applications, interviewing, finding and pursuing employment leads, networking

Career Portfolios - Putting it all together: The Career Development checklist, Resume builder

Strategies & Tools for Career Planning &

Management

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Sample Lessons, Activities & Tools in the Online ILP How-to Guide address: •  Job Search Skills •  Youth Development and Leadership •  Career and Work-Readiness Skills  •  Work-Based Learning  •  Financial Literacy Access the guide online: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp/how-to-guide/section-1/career-planning-and-management/job-search-skills

Strategies to Promote College & Career Readiness

•  Engage students in activities involving Self-exploration, Career exploration, and Career planning & management

•  Use online career info systems/ E-Portfolios to make activities & plans easy to access anywhere, anytime (ensure Section 508 complaint)

•  Make career development activities part of regular school day - advisory periods, integrate into weekly class

•  Assign each student a mentor/advisor – same teacher or counselor from grade to grade who supports career dev.

•  Adopt student-led parent-teacher conferences & IEP meetings

•  Engage employers & community partners – work experiences, guest speakers, job shadowing, career mentors, career projects

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Youth Development & Leadership

All Youth Need:

•  Mentoring activities designed to establish

strong relationships with adults Ø  Peer-to-peer mentoring opportunities Ø  Exposure to role models in a variety of

contexts Ø  Training in skills such as self-advocacy

•  Exposure to personal leadership and youth development activities, including community service

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Youth Development & Leadership

Youth with Disabilities May Also Need:

•  Mentors and role models including person with and without disabilities

•  An understanding of disability history,

culture, and disability public policy issues as well as their rights and responsibilities

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Connecting Activities

All Youth Need:

•  Mental and physical health services •  Transportation & housing •  Tutoring •  Financial planning and management •  Connection to other services and

opportunities (recreation, sports, faith-based organizations)

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Connecting Activities

Youth with Disabilities May Also Need:

•  Acquisition of appropriate assistive technologies Ø  Community orientation and mobility training

•  Exposure to post-program supports such as independent living centers Ø  Personal assistance services, including

attendants, readers, interpreters, and others

•  Benefits-planning counseling

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Family Involvement & Supports

All Youth Need Families and Caring Adults who Have:

•  High expectations that build upon the young person’s strengths and interests

•  Been involved in their lives and assisting them toward adulthood

•  Access to information about employment, further education, and community resources

•  Taken an active role in transition planning with schools and community partners

•  Access to medical, professional, and peer support networks

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Family Involvement & Supports

Youth with Disabilities Need Families and Caring Adults who Have:

•  An understanding of their youth’s disability and how it affects his or her education, employment, and daily living

•  Knowledge of rights and responsibilities under various disability-related legislation

•  Knowledge of and access to programs, services, supports, and accommodations available

•  An understanding of how individualized planning tools can assist youth in achieving transition goals

Strategic Instruction Model

Two types of interventions are promoted by the SIM model: 1. Teacher focused interventions that utilize content enhancement are designed to assist teachers in preparing, adapting, and presenting material.

“Content enhancement is an instructional method that relies on using powerful teaching devices to organize and present curriculum content in an understandable and easy-to-learn manner.” (University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning, 2006)

2. Student focused interventions provide learning strategies in areas such as reading, studying, interacting with others, and remembering information. A strategy refers to, “a plan that not only specifies the sequence of needed actions but also consists of critical guidelines and rules related to making effective decisions during a problem solving process” (Ellis & Lenz, 1996, p. 24). A memory device (e.g., a Mnemonic), familiar word/phrases, sequenced steps 33

Additional Instruction Strategies

•  Technology and Real World Activities •  Peer-Mediated Instruction (pairs, jigsaw, groups,

rotating) (a) students must be assigned roles and trained to

function in those roles; (b) students must participate in providing instruction

to one another; (c) teachers must provide ongoing monitoring and

assistance during instructional sessions; and (d) the instructional task must include an academic

and/or social goal (Hall & Stegila, 2003). •  Graduated Instruction (concrete, semi-concrete,

abstract) •  Reading comprehension: preview, listen while reading

along, frequent questions, review & predict, draw graphics of relationships/connections, vocabulary 34

NCWD/Youth Resources

l  National Collaborative on Workforce & Disability for Youth http://www.ncwd-youth.info l  The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Families,

Educators, Youth Service Professionals, and Adult Allies Who Care About Youth with Disabilities http://www.ncwd-youth.info/411-on-disability-disclosure-for-adults

•  The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/411-on-disability-disclosure

•  Cyber Disclosure for Youth with Disabilities http://www.ncwd-youth.info/cyber-disclosure

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NCWD/Youth Resources

l  Professional Development: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/youth-service-professionals • Charting the Course: Supporting the Career Development of Youth with Learning Disabilities

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/learning- disabilities •  Learning How to Learn: Successful Transition Models for

Educators Working with Youth with Learning Disabilities http://www.ncwdyouth.info/informationbrief/ learning-how-to-learn

•  The Guideposts for Success: A Framework for Families Preparing Youth for Adulthood

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/family-guideposts-information-brief

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NCWD/Youth Resources

•  Individualized Learning Plan http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp

• Promoting Quality Individualized Learning Plans: A “How to Guide” Focused on the High School Years

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp/how-to-guide •  Individualized Learning Plans Fact Sheet http://www.ncwd-youth.info/fact-sheet/ individualized-

learning-plan • Using Individualized Learning Plans to Produce College

and Career Ready High School Graduates http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp/produce-college-and-career-ready-high-school-graduates

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l  Office of Disability Employment Policy http://www.dol.gov/odep

•  Strategic Instruction Model (SIM): a comprehensive approach to adolescent literacy that addresses the need of students to be able to read and understand large volumes of complex reading materials and express themselves effectively in writing http://www.kucrl.org/

More Resources

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