1 AchieveTexas: The Importance of Higher Education TETN 3/26/08

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, AchieveTexas College and Career Initiative Improve student achievement – both academic and technical Promote successful transitions from secondary to postsecondary education Support workforce and economic development

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, AchieveTexas is based upon… Concept - Students can succeed in school, career, and life if they plan their own individual college and career success. Philosophy - No career option is intrinsically better than the other. Whether the choice is right or not depends on the personal goals of the student. Goal - To prepare students for college and career, and allow them to choose the options that are best for them.

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, What are Programs of Study? A sub-grouping of occupations within a cluster based on commonalities—there are 81 sub- groupings. A coherent, articulated sequence of rigorous academic and technical courses that help students prepare for their education and career goals. Developed, implemented, and maintained in partnership among students, parents, secondary and postsecondary education, business and industry, and employers.

AchieveTexas Programs of Study 115+ Examples Available

What is a Program of Study ? 1. Career goals shown here correlate with occupational names and O*NET codes used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Use OSCAR ( to begin investigating those careers of interest. The "goal" of models is to target In-Demand jobs.

What is a Program of Study ? 2. Career Options provide examples of contemporary job titles currently appearing in sources, such as WorkInTexas ( Jobs are correlated to the post-secondary education typically required for a career.

What is a Program of Study ? 3. High School Suggested Coursework highlights the Core Courses and Career-Related Electives recommended to prepare for a career goal. Models are based on the Recommended High School Graduation Program and can easily be adapted for the Distinguished Achievement High School Graduation Program. With established models it is easier to anticipate the consequence of curriculum changes, such as when legislation recently increased math and science requirements, or whenever a student decides to modify her/his TAP.

What is a Program of Study ? 4. Certificates shown on the models are associated with specific courses. Use the Certification Finder at Career InfoNet ( to investigate post-secondary certifications.

What is a Program of Study ? 5. Postsecondary Education Examples of postsecondary programs are provided and organized by level of degree: associate, bachelors, and graduate. Degree levels and career options correspond with each other. Degree names are the common name as identified by the CIP codes. This section can be edited to reflect the specific degree names of any articulated program.

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, Implementation Guide

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, Implementation Expectations  The goal is for school districts to fully implement by  Full implementation means that all of 8 Steps in the Implementation Guide are in place on the local level.

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, Steps for System Building 1. Decide to implement AchieveTexas 2. Career Awareness, Exploration, Concentration, Preparation, and Advancement 3. Add Texas Achievement Plans (TAP) 4. Enhance guidance and counseling 5. Build seamless connections 6. Establish extended learning 7. Build strong partnerships 8. Support intense professional development

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, Texas Achievement Plan Steps 1. Ask students to prepare in advance Equip students with the resources to begin developing their personalized program of study. 2. Help students choose a cluster Match student strengths and interests to related careers. 3. Help students pick a program of study Refer to the State-recognized programs of study for suggested academic courses, career electives, and postsecondary options.

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, Texas Achievement Plan Steps 4. Help students identify a career goal Communicate to students that working toward a tangible result makes school more relevant. 5. Help students identify a postsecondary goal Reinforce the value of lifelong learning by planning for education and training after high school.

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, Texas Achievement Plan Steps 6. Help students design a course schedule Explain that rigorous academic and relevant career classes ensure students can achieve their goals. 7. Encourage extended learning activities Show students how out-of-class experiences enhance and expand curriculum.

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, Benefits for Counselors Meets TEC § —Personal Graduation Plans (PGPs) Meets TEC §33.007—Counseling Public School Students Regarding Higher Education Supports TEC §33.005—Model Comprehensive, Developmental Guidance, and Counseling Program

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, College and Career Guides 16 Cluster Guides

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, Each Cluster Guide Includes: TEA Introduction Governor’s Industry Clusters Career Planning Information Career Clusters and Programs of Study Texas Achievement Plan

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, Still More Information… Portfolio development Postsecondary education programs College admissions Financial Aid Career resources

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, Tech Prep An essential partner for the local implementation of AchieveTexas Tech Prep Panel Discussion Pam Moore, South Plains Tech Prep, Lubbock, Michael Rodriguez, Upper Rio Grande Tech Prep, El Paso, Bob Lucas, Gulf Coast Tech Prep, Houston, 25