Achieve Texas in Action Best Practice Guide for Educators and Local Partners

Successful Highlights Based on the 8 steps featured in the Achieve Texas Implementation Guide

Helping Students and Parents Plan for the Future From pages 2 &3 Achieve Texas in Action Goal - To prepare students for ALL options after high school Texas has created 122 programs of study models to guide students to careers within the 16 career clusters Districts adapt the POS to reflect the education and local employment needs

How Programs of Study Work The local district uses POS as menus from which to pick courses and activities to be recorded on the Texas Achievement Plan (TAP) or 4 year plan TAPs reviewed annually to reflect student interest and career goals Include suggestions for curricular and extra curricular activities Based on Recommended HS Program

Building Career Experiences on One Another Denton ISD page 9 Begin with the end in mind Elementary school – interpersonal skills understanding and respecting all work Career on Wheels & Career Kits POS begin in 6 th grade Career Summer Camp for 5 th, 6 th & 7 th

Make a Plan Irving ISD page 14 The biggest question from kids is, Where do I start? Begin with the EXPLORE in the 8 th grade Use the results from the World of Work Wheel to determine POS to follow Select courses based on this information Create TAP at the 8 th grade for HS Review yearly and adapt as needed

Transforming the Career Planning Process Longview ISD pagea 19 Requires each CTE teacher to find an academic teacher to work with on at least one project. Enables students to recognize the relationship between coursework and career planning. Regularly taking online interest inventories empowers students and makes counseling easier.

Steps to Success Smithville ISD page 22 Having a defined career goal motivates students, especially 11 th and 12 th grade students Achieve Texas recommends ratio of 300 students per counselor College is an expensive place to do career planning (pg 32) Belton ISD

Community Hospitality East Central ISD page18 Community partnerships have lead directly to growth in the CTE curriculum Job shadowing successful partnership EX: Hotels, restaurants, hospitals, auto dealerships, banks, lawyers, cleaners, city offices, newspaper, etc.

Partnering for Bigger Goals Pettus ISD - page 28 Articulation agreements with community colleges Earn college credit with high school credit Count as Advanced Measurea if grade is A or B

Helping Freshman Make the Connections Duncanville ISD page 27 Freshman Connection – one semester course working with teacher and counselor Investigate careers and take interest surveys on line Networking exercises 7 Habits of Highly Successful Teens Tour electives on campus presented by older students Marriage Project-draw for spouses, jobs & problems Career research projects

Getting the Career Ball Rolling Coppell ISD page 7 Created a three-tier program to familiarize students with each of the 16 clusters and keep them on track through graduation Tier 1 – First year students take Teen Leadership course. Explore clusters, creates TAP, create and share career presentation Tier 2 – Counselor schedules private 45 minute interview with each student and parent Tier 3 – Every student required to take a CTE course and CTE teacher follows up and oversees portfolio.

Seniors Helping Seniors Vidor ISD page 38 Senior students intern in weekly rotations shadowing a nurse at a local rest home Learn 37 nursing skills in 10 th and 11 th grade Earn CNA certification by passing state exam Great experience in Human Services field Changes lives!

Getting Teachers Outside the Classroom Why do many kids fall asleep in science or math class? Cant see how class relates to real life! Solution? Externship experience for Core teachers EX: construction sites, pathology labs, police departments, utility/water treatment facilities, newspapers, etc.

Partners Turning Devastation into Hope Hitchcock ISD page 37 Weve had kids who had parents die and the next day theyre at school. Its where theyre nurtured; its where theyre fed. Its where someone knows who they are ………………Mary Wagener, Counselor

Counseling …..the most Important Job Do your Best to Make Everyday Count!