Integrating Employability Skills: A Framework for All Educators July 2015 This resource was developed collaboratively by the College and Career Readiness and Success (CCRS) Center and the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) at American Institutes for Research and by RTI International, with funding support by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service, or enterprise mentioned in this publication is intended or should be inferred.

Welcome and Introductions

Professional Learning Modules Professional learning modules (PLMs) are free and customizable train-the-facilitator resources. PLMs help build a common language and understanding. This module is a collaborative partnership among: College and Career Readiness and Success Center (CCRS Center) Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) RTI International \

Comprehensive Centers Program 2012–17 Award Cycle \

RTI International RTI International is a research institute dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. RTI partnered with the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education to develop the Employability Skills Framework. \

Employability Skills Framework cte.ed.gov/employabilityskills

Agenda Review the Employability Skills Framework. Explore employability skills in your current practice. Crosswalk state college and career readiness standards and educator performance with the Employability Skills Framework. Understand how to prioritize employability skills at the state, local, and classroom levels. Review the lesson planning tool for embedding employability skills into classroom activities. \

Objectives Participants will do the following: Understand what employability skills are and why they are important. Understand connections between the Employability Skills Framework and other instructional initiatives. Learn strategies to prioritize employability skills at the state and district levels. \

What Are Employability Skills? \

Activity 1: What Are Employability Skills? Individual work: When you hear the term employability skills, what are some of the terms, considerations, and contexts that come to mind? \

Defining Employability Skills How are we defining employability skills? Employability skills are general skills that are necessary for success in the labor market at all employment levels and in all sectors. \

Defining Employability Skills Employability skills are the general skills and knowledge that are necessary for success in the labor market at all employment levels and in all sectors.

Importance of Employability Skills Frequently cited as among the most important skills by employers (Hart Research Associates, 2015). Lack of employability skills contributes to “talent shortage” (ManpowerGroup, 2012). Employers value workers who can do the following: Think critically. Work well with others. Apply their knowledge. Adapt to changing workplace.

Activity 2: Identifying Employability Skills Brainstorm activity: On your own, generate a list of your top five most important employability skills. Record each skill on a sticky note. Discuss your list with your table. Remove duplicated skills. \

Employability Skills Framework

Activity 3: Categorizing Employability Skills Referencing your table’s sticky notes, where would you place your employability skills? Effective relationships Workplace skills Applied knowledge Discuss with your table. Place your sticky notes on the appropriate chart paper.

Effective Relationships Demonstrates responsibility and self-discipline Adapts and shows flexibility Works independently Demonstrates a willingness to learn Demonstrates integrity Demonstrates professionalism Takes initiative Displays positive attitude and sense of self-worth Takes responsibility for professional growth Understands teamwork and works with others Responds to customer needs Exercises leadership Negotiates to resolve conflicts Respects individual differences Note this slide is animated. Explain: “Now we’re going to look at the categories that comprise the framework in more detail.” Facilitation note: The slide starts with the whole framework and then zooms into the current category. Provide handout with definitions. Explain: “The first category we will discuss is Effective Relationships. When we say effective relationships, we mean the interpersonal skills and personal qualities that enable individuals to interact effectively with clients, coworkers, and supervisors successfully. Looking at your handout, you can see that we are specifically referencing interpersonal skills [CLICK FOR ANIMATION TO SHOW LIST OF INTERPERSONAL SKILLS], which are skills that enable employees to collaborate as a member of a team or work independently, as appropriate, and contribute to the overarching goals of the workplace. For personal qualities [CLICK FOR ANIMATION TO SHOW LIST OF PERSONAL QUALITIES], we mean a set of behaviors and skills that enable employees to establish effective relationships and function appropriately in the workplace. I will give you a couple of minutes to read your handout.” Facilitation notes: Direct participants to the Effective Relationships section of the handout and provide them with 2-3 minutes to read it. Continue with the activity once they are done reading. Explain: “Take a couple of minutes to review the skills that you placed into Effective Relationships at your table. Given the definition we’ve just read, think about whether there are any skills that you placed into this category that do not belong. You can move them off the chart paper and just set them aside for now. Then look to see if there any skills that you placed into other categories that should be moved into Effective Relationships.” Facilitation notes: Participants work in small groups to review the Effective Relationships category and move any skills into or out of it.

Workplace Skills Manages time Manages money Manages materials Manages personnel Locates information Organizes information Uses information Analyzes information Communicates information Understands and uses technology Note this slide is animated. Facilitation note: The slide starts with the whole framework. Click to zoom into the current category. Explain: “The next category is Workplace Skills. By workplace skills, we mean the analytical and organizational skills and understandings that employees need to successfully perform work tasks. Specifically, we are talking about resource management [CLICK FOR ANIMATION], information use [CLICK FOR ANIMATION], communication skills [CLICK FOR ANIMATION], systems thinking [CLICK FOR ANIMATION], and technology use [CLICK FOR ANIMATION]. Take a couple of minutes to review these skills on your handout.” Facilitation notes: Direct participants to the Workplace Skills section of the handout and provide them with 2-3 minutes to read it. Continue with the activity once they are done reading. Explain: “Look at the skills you’ve grouped into Workplace Skills at your table. Given the definition of this category, what skills do you need to move out of Workplace Skills? What skills should be moved into the category? Take a couple of minutes to discuss with your table and move any skills accordingly.” Facilitation notes: Participants work in small groups to review the Workplace Skills category and move any skills into or out of it. Communicates verbally Listens actively Comprehends written material Conveys information in writing Observes carefully Understands and uses systems Monitors systems Improves systems

Applied Knowledge Uses reading skills Uses writing skills Uses mathematical strategies and procedures Uses scientific principles and procedures Note this slide is animated. Facilitation note: The slide starts with the whole framework and then zooms into the current category. Explain: “The third framework category is Applied Knowledge. Applied knowledge refers to the thoughtful integration of academic knowledge and technical skills and how to put these skills into practical use in the workplace. It includes both applied academic [CLICK FOR ANIMATION] and critical thinking skills [CLICK FOR ANIMATION]. Take a couple of minutes to review these skills on your handout.” Facilitation notes: Direct participants to the Applied Knowledge section of the handout and provide them with 2-3 minutes to read it. Continue with the activity once they are done reading. Explain: “Once again, review the skills you’ve placed into Applied Knowledge and your table and make any final changes to move skills into or out of this category.” Facilitation notes: Participants work in small groups to review the Applied Knowledge category and move any skills into or out of it. Thinks critically Thinks creatively Makes sound decisions Solves problems Reasons Plans and organizes

Employability Skills Framework

How Does This Work Connect to What You Are Already Doing?

Policy and Practice Connections Important component of college and career readiness Source: Association for Career and Technical Education, 2010. Retrieved from https://www.acteonline.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2114 Connections to relevant policy initiatives New state college and career readiness standards Professional practice rubrics

Employability Skills Connections Career Clusters Framework (National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium) Industry Competency Models (U.S. Department of Labor) Equipped for the Future National Career Readiness Certificate (ACT) National Work Readiness Credential Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Employability Skills Connections

College- and Career-Ready Standards State college- and career-ready standards Represent what students must know and be able to do at each grade level to be college and career ready Standards for mathematics and English language arts (ELA) Tailored to state context Common Career Technical Core (CCTC) developed by the National Association for State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium Includes a set of technical skill standards for 16 career clusters as well as career-ready practices common to all clusters

Crosswalk With College- and Career-Ready Standards

Sample Crosswalk Language Critical Thinking Skills Thinks critically Thinks creatively Makes sound decisions Solves problems Reasons Plans and organizes Common Core ELA Anchor Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific evidence…to support conclusions drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience. Mathematics Anchor Standards CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

Sample Crosswalk Language Critical Thinking Skills Thinks critically Thinks creatively Makes sound decisions Solves problems Reasons Plans and organizes CCTC Career Ready Practice 8. Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

Crosswalk With Professional Practice Rubric Reviewed a common professional practice rubric against the Employability Skills Framework. Crosswalk translates teacher expectations to student actions. Not a one-to-one connection for each of the skills in the three categories.

Crosswalk With Professional Practice Rubrics Employability Skills Danielson Framework Applied Knowledge Applied Academic Skills X Critical Thinking Skills Effective Relationships Interpersonal Skills Personal Qualities Workplace Skills Resource Management Information Use Communication Skills Systems Thinking Technology Use

Sample Crosswalk Language Communication Skills Communicates verbally Listens actively Comprehends written material Conveys information in writing Observes carefully 3b. Discussion techniques. Effective teachers promote learning through discussion. A foundational skill that students learn through engaging in discussion is that of explaining and justifying their reasoning and conclusions, based on specific evidence. Teachers skilled in the use of questioning and discussion techniques challenge students to examine their premises, to build a logical argument, and to critique the arguments of others…. Furthermore, in conducting discussions, skilled teachers build further questions on student responses and insist that students examine their premises, build a logical argument, and critique the arguments of others.

Sample Crosswalk Language Interpersonal Skills Understands teamwork and works with others Responds to customer needs Exercises leadership Negotiates to resolve conflicts Respects individual differences 2a. Student interactions with other students, including both words and actions. As important as a teacher’s treatment of students is, how students are treated by their classmates is arguably even more important to students. At its worst, poor treatment causes students to feel rejected by their peers. At its best, positive interactions among students are mutually supportive and create an emotionally healthy school environment. Teachers not only model and teach students how to engage in respectful interactions with one another but also acknowledge such interactions.

Employability Skills Planning Workbook Review your college- and career-ready standards or professional practice framework. Complete the workbook. Identify explicit or implicit connections. Discuss the actions, habits, or practices needed to demonstrate proficiency in the specific employability skill. Identify the professional learning opportunities teachers need to effectively implementing these actions, habits, or practices into their instruction. Plan for next steps and complete action planning.

How Do We Prioritize Employability Skills?

Prioritizing Employability Skills Employability skills are crucial for all students. With competing initiatives, prioritizing the use of employability skills is imperative. Different roles exist for state, district, and teacher stakeholders and employers.

State Role in Prioritization Create collaboration opportunities and partnerships and communicate the importance. Highlight connections to key instructional initiatives, like career pathways. Embed employability skills in professional development, preparation accreditation requirements, and evaluation activities.

Employer Role in Prioritization Identify needed employability skills and share to inform curriculum or program development. Partner with schools, community colleges, and adult education and training programs. Provide work-based learning opportunities for students to develop employability skills.

District Role in Prioritization Assess employability skills in educator evaluation systems. Integrate employability skills across content areas and grades. Facilitate opportunities for CTE and general educator collaboration.

Teacher Role in Prioritization Identify the most applicable employability skills and integrate those skills into instruction. Monitor the depth and breadth of skills in lessons. Share what employability skills are and why they are important to call attention to as they are being taught with students. Help students communicate their own employability skills to employers.

Lesson Plan Self-Assessment Teachers reflect on the extent to which employability skills are embedded in instruction and identify gaps in practice. The self-assessment provides an opportunity to share strategies for teaching skills.

How to Use the Lesson Planning Checklist for Self-Assessment Part 1: Use the Lesson Planning Checklist to self-assess the extent to which employability skills are embedded into instruction. Part 2: Reflect on self-ratings and make plans to address any skills that are not being embedded. Part 3: Discuss strategies for teaching employability skills with colleagues.

Activity 5: Using the Self-Assessment in Lesson Planning Review sample lesson plans for a CTE course (Culinary Arts) and a non-CTE course (ELA). Use the self-assessment tool and standards section of the lesson plans to identify the extent to which employability skills are embedded in the lesson. What skills are strongly emphasized? What skills are included but need to be reinforced or better integrated? What skills are missing that should be included?

Example Self-Assessment: Culinary Arts Lesson Plan Small-group work developing vocabulary presentations Uses reading and writing skills Works with others Demonstrates professionalism Implementing preservation method Works independently Plans and organizes Creating catering plan Organizes, uses, and analyzes data Thinks creatively Solves problems

Example Self-Assessment: ELA Lesson Plan Small-group work creating brochure Uses reading and writing skills Thinks creatively Understands teamwork, exercises leadership, and respects individual differences Locates, organizes, uses, analyzes, and communicates information

Action Planning and Next Steps What is the breadth and depth the employability skills are embedded in your instructional practice? In what ways can you strategically embed these skills across your grade level or content area? What can you do to ensure that employability skills are being reinforced in the classroom?

Whole Team Action Planning and Next Steps What are the priorities your team has identified for next steps or future work concerning employability skills? Complete the policy crosswalk activity using the Employability Skills Workbook. Examine teaching and learning policies. Inventory current student outcome and practice measures. Inventory professional learning opportunities for all educators. What are some decisions your team needs to make? What are the challenges your team needs to consider? Where do you need more support to do this work well?

Resources

Employability Skills Framework Website One-stop resource for information on employability skills for instructors, administrators, employers, and students. Key content: Interactive skills framework Assessment Comparison Worksheet Lesson Planning Checklist Access audience-specific landing pages. http://cte.ed.gov/employabilityskills/index.php/framework/

CCRS Center and GTL Center Websites Free resources, trainings, briefs, and guides available on a variety of education topics. Key content: College and career readiness Educator quality Professional learning Access to experienced technical assistance providers who can work in close partnership with state education agency staff. www.ccrscenter.org http://www.gtlcenter.org/technical-assistance/professional-learning-modules

Wrap-Up and Next Steps

Feedback and Thank You Complete the postevent survey to provide valuable insight into revisions and finalization of the module. Feel free to write any additional feedback to help improve the module.

References Hart Research Associates. (2015). Falling short? College learning and career success: Selected findings from online surveys of employers and college students. Washington, DC: Hart Research Associates for the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Retrieved from https://www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/LEAP/2015employerstudentsurv ey.pdf Manpower Group. (2012). 2012 talent shortage survey research results. Milwaukee, WI: Author. Retrieved from http://www.manpowergroup.us/campaigns/talent-shortage- 2012/pdf/2012_talent_shortage_survey_results_us_finalfinal.pdf

Ellen Cushing 202-403-5524 ecushing@air.org College and Career Readiness and Success Center 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street NW Washington, DC 20007 800-634-0503 www.ccrscenter.org | ccrscenter@air.org

Catherine Jacques 202-403-6323 cjacques@air.org Center on Great Teachers and Leaders 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street NW Washington, DC 20007-3835 877-322-8700 gtlcenter@air.org www.gtlcenter.org | www.air.org

Laura Rasmussen Foster 202-600-4294 lrasmussen@rti.org RTI International 3040 East Cornwallis Road P.O. Box 12194 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194 919-541-6000 www.rti.org