Career Action Planning Best Practices Module 2 Benefits, Buy-in and Communication

BENEFITS OF A CAP PROGRAM Counselor Benefits Teacher Benefits Administrator Benefits Parent Benefits Student Benefits Community Benefits

ADMINISTRATION BENEFITS – Provides better image/public relations for the school – Improves communication between administration, faculty and parents – Helps with scheduling Facilitates school start Allows schedule to be built around firm data from pre-enrollment – Can be implemented with little or no money for sustainability

COUNSELOR BENEFITS – Shortens time spent on paperwork – Cuts down on number of schedule changes – Allows more time with students and guidance program – Organizes career development into a manageable time frame – Improves teacher knowledge of all programs available to students to quickly answer student questions.

TEACHER BENEFITS – Reduces scheduling changes – Provides more appropriate placement – Makes class selection more relevant – Encourages a more personal relationship with students – Allows broader understanding of the total curriculum – Allows broader knowledge of graduation requirements.

STUDENT BENEFITS – Allows students to be active players in their own career planning – Teaches responsibility for own career plan and educational goals – Increases awareness of career and educational opportunities – Provides improved access to career advisors – Builds personal relationship with advisor

PARENT BENEFITS – Increases involvement in child’s educational and career planning – Promotes positive interaction with school staff and faculty – Increases understanding of child through interests surveys, aptitude assessments, and criterion testing – Increases knowledge of school and school system – Increases knowledge of different options for student’s education with programs of study in career and technical education and college preparation.

COMMUNITY/EMPLOYER BENEFITS – Provides better prepared workforce – Improves graduation rates with meaningful education – Provides better placement of graduates – Improves relationship between community/employer and school – Builds awareness of career opportunities within the community – Aids in the development of a “Work Ready Community”.

Career Action Planning Buy-in WHY SHOULD WE HAVE CAP? Organizes career development into a manageable time frame with team effort Provides opportunity for shared responsibility for personal education and career development by including parents, students, teachers, counselors, Career Coaches and Career Development Facilitators

Reasons for a CAP Program Enables students to gain information and skills necessary to make good educational and career decisions Encourages students to set educational goals and construct a plan to meet those goals. Improves relations between school faculty, parents, business, industry, and other community members.

Successful Schools Maintain high expectations Use the state’s standards Engage students in learning Provide extra help Develop guidance relationships by an Advisor/Advisee program known CAPS Lake Hamilton program is named PACK. “Providing Academic and Career Knowledge”

Career Planning Three Areas of Concern that can be improved with better career planning: High school expectations and graduation College entrance and completion Job satisfaction and retention

Relationships Schools are teaching the 3 R’s, reading, writing and arithmetic and schools are implementing, rigor, relevance, and reliability but some schools are missing on the key concept of relationships.

Drop-outs Statistics At the Arkansas Greater Graduation Summit Planning session, the following statistics were presented: Every 26 seconds a student in this country drops out of school about their success in school. This equals over 3.8 million young people leaving the educational system before receiving a high school diploma. High school dropouts account for almost of the heads households on welfare and 75% of the population in state prisons.

Ensure Strong Adult-Student Relationships within the School Only sixty-five percent of the drop-outs said there was a staff member or teacher who cared about their success. That leaves thirty-five of the drop-outs who felt that no one cared.

More stats When surveyed, the majority of high school dropouts say they began to “disconnect” in middle school or earlier. Few middle schools adequately address the career development of students despite evidence to indicate that it enhances academic performance, facilitates high school completion, and encourages postsecondary education.”

Schools with a CAP program Improved in – CTE Skill Attainment by 2.37% – Graduation Rage by 1.21% – Placement after graduation by.99% – Completer Status by 1.13%

Successful Positive Employment comes from consistent and continuous: Career guidance, exploration, preparation and planning Self discovery and assessment Career employability training Rigorous education in the SMART Core Curriculum Career portfolio development

Results from Lapan, Gysbers, and Sun concluded students in Missouri: Make better grades Have more college and career information Believe their school has a positive climate Feel middle school is safer Have a better relationship with their teachers Are more satisfied with their education

A HSTW study concluded: Students who completed a 4-year high school plan increased math test scores Students spent more time talking with counselors Math, science and reading scores improved Career guidance increased college-prep math and science classes

The Institute of Education and the Economy Concluded: Many different types of career guidance interventions are effective Career development activities positively influence school attendance and completion Simple planning will help students connect their goals and steps to reach them

Career Guidance Goals Help students master the art of career planning and development Help students set goals and monitor their progress toward those goals Give students a chance to develop a meaningful guidance relationship with a caring adult.

Communication Superintendent and Administration CAP Steering Committee Teacher Advisors Students Parents Community

Administration Communicate Vision of an ideal career guidance system Leadership and guidance on a continual basis Evaluation of program Goals with strategies to meet them and results Praise to the steering committee and advisors Purpose and reasoning

Steering Committee Communicate Calendar of Events— – schedules and time requirements Objectives for teacher/advisor training Activities that fulfill the strategies outlined by admin Communication to students and parents

Teacher Advisors Communicate Why it is important for students to plan for the future Why it is important for parents to be active participants in the career decision-making process What the activities are and how they fit into Career Development Portfolio

Student Certifications and Recognitions Arkansas Career Readiness Certificate Business and Industry Certifications where available (Perkins approvable) Program of Study Certificates of Completion Completion awards (Seals, Cords, Certificates)

Conclusion Benefits outweigh time and expense Communication is greatly improved Trusting relationships are developed Students make better decisions