Academic and Career Planning for College and Career-Ready Graduates

Kevin MillerDual Enrollment ConsultantWisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Agenda:• Diamonds in the Rough

• Setting the Table

• Overview of Academic & Career Planning (ACP)

• A Shift

• The ACP-Transition Connection

• Questions

Diamonds in the Rough

Consider the Diamond• Laid out on a soft cloth or viewed through a

magnifier• Set amongst other beautiful gems• Set in a ring, necklace, or earrings• The Hope Diamond or the Crown Jewels• Maybe industrial applications

The Rest of the Story• The beauty and/or utility requires extensive

processing by skilled craftspeople• There is natural beauty before refinement, but

there is also great potential• The right person with the right skills can bring

out the potential

Children as Diamonds• Genetics and early nurturing form unique

characteristics of each child• There is natural beauty in each child• Children bring smiles and joy• Children hold incredible potential, but it is

sometimes hidden deep inside

Finding the Potential• Good teachers – like good jewelers –look

deeply and carefully at each student• They find the unique characteristics• They apply different tools and techniques

tailored to the unique characteristics• They constantly reassess and adapt their

approach for each child

Some Have Personal “Jewelers”• Receive refinement and polishing outside of

school• Caring nurturing adults• Surrounded by books, reading, etc.• Challenged by games and activities• Access to camps, trips, cultural events, sports,

drama, clubs, etc.

Schools not Always Conducive• Increasing academic demands• Directed or mandated instruction and

assessments• Limited time to carefully discover each

student’s unique characteristics• Limited opportunities to develop meaningful,

trusting, mutually respectful relationships

Opportunities Better than Ever• Web-based and other technology tools• New ways to deliver instruction• New contexts for students to learn• Increasing acceptance of innovation• Academic and Career Plans and ACP Planning

Process

ACPs – Polishing for Every Child• ACP only as good as process that created it• Generic diamond cutting instructions won’t

achieve max potential for most diamonds• Same is true for students• Caring adult needs time to discover student

characteristics, guide development of personalized ACP, then bring the ACP to life

Strength and Beauty• Regardless of treatment (neglect, abuse, or

just poorly skilled craftspeople), diamonds remain strong with potential for beauty

• Humans are the same, however…• Both can be crushed beyond repair if

subjected to enough of the wrong types of pressure

ACPs as a Means to Success• Caring Adult relationship• Self-Awareness and discovery• Vision, skills, desire• Achieving potential and satisfaction

Setting the Table for ACPs

• Pervasive achievement gaps• High drop-out/low graduation rates in some places• Post-secondary school performance– High need for remedial coursework– Poor program completion rates

• Skills gaps• Low CTE enrollment• Truancy and student conduct concerns

Challenges Facing Schools:

What’s Been Tried:• “Bring to scale” successful initiatives• Increased academic instruction• District-wide, school-wide, program-wide

“reforms” and initiatives• Initiatives based on test scores• Academic standards and standardized

assessments

The Results:• Incremental improvements• Occasional successes• Strained resources• Initiative overload• And…

ACP Overview

The World Before ACPs

The World with ACPs• Students have a realistic vision of their future• Students know the skills, knowledge, and

habits needed to achieve that vision• Students have access to the instruction needed

to develop the skills, knowledge, and habits• Students are an active participant in

determining how to meet their needs

• An ongoing process to actively engage a student : – in his or her instructional and learning opportunities both in and out of

school– in career development opportunities that incorporate self-exploration,

career exploration, and career planning and management activities.

• A product that documents and reflects a student’s:– coursework, learning, and assessment results– post-secondary plans aligned to career goals– record of the student’s college and career readiness skills.

What is Academic and Career Planning?

• Who am I? (Know)• What do I want to do? (Explore)• How do get I there? (Plan)• Let’s GO! (Implement)

Each student’s process:

Why Academic and Career Planning?1. RESEARCH! Students with a future focus show:

a) improved motivation, engagement in school, academic performance, relevant course selection, understanding post-secondary options; and

b) engage in decreased risk-taking behaviors.

2. ACPs are identified as best practice in the WI comprehensive school counseling standards & in the WI Digital Learning Plan.

3. Academic and Career Planning adds relevance to other initiatives (i.e. personalizing learning, PBIS, RtI, Dual Enrollment, Youth Options).

4. WI Statute 115.28(59) supports Academic & Career Planning

Student Learning Plans: Supporting Every Student's Transition to College and Career Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, June 2011.

School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009.

• Includes $1.1 million in 2014-2015 funding for software technology and professional development supporting statewide implementation of ACP.

• Authorizes DPI to create administrative rule with requirements for ACP services for all students in grades 6-12 by 2017-18.

Wisconsin Statute 115.28(59)

A Shift4-Year Plan (Traditional) ACP (Now)

Product-based Process-based

Some or select students All students

Acts as a 4-year plan of courses Acts as a navigational tool for students from grade 6-12 and beyond

Student “on own” for its development Student-driven with collaboration (mentor and parents)

HS Graduation = End point HS Graduation = Check point

Student adapts to offerings Options adapt to student needs

Career development is only the school counselor’s job.

Career development is a systematic, whole-school responsibility.

ACP Process Components:• KNOW

– Self awareness (i.e., interests, aptitudes, strengths, weaknesses, passions)

– Exploration activities (i.e., interest inventories, reflection exercises)– Vision development– Individual goal-setting

• EXPLORE– Career awareness assessments and activities– Career research– Occupational and career experiences (i.e., investigative interviews, job

shadows, paid or unpaid work experience)

ACP Process Components Include:• PLAN

– Connect instructional activities with the education and preparation needed to successfully enter a particular field of interest

– Work-based learning opportunities– Extra-curricular and community-based learning experiences– Postsecondary training options– Financial plan

• IMPLEMENT– Update Quarterly (at least)– Adapt/Modify Intentional Sequence of Courses– Adapt/Modify Personal Goals– Adapt/Modify Career Goals– ACP Conferencing

Select ACP Resources

ACP Resources In DevelopmentACP WebpageACP Listserv

ACP on Facebook & TwitterACP Software

ACP Guidance (K-12)ACP Guidance (parents)

ACP Guidance (community)ACP Guidance (business)

Work-based LearningDual Enrollment

Programs of Study

ACP Challenges

• Buy in • Student engagement• Current structure of our schools• A shift in how we approach career

development

• Includes and reinforces strong relationships between students and the mentors/adults in their lives

• Increases the connections between student self-awareness, daily instruction, and career/college goals

• Shows positive outcomes—students are more engaged and autonomous in school

• Enhances student resiliency to overcome challenges & changes

• Provides qualitative and quantitative data regarding college and career readiness paths

Quality Academic & Career Planning

ACP Navigation Goal

All students understand themselves, explore their world, establish goals for their futures, and create a plan to achieve their goals;while realizing that alternative routes or temporary roadblocks can mean that a recalculation is necessary on one’s journey.

The ACP-Transition Connection• All students must transition, but…• Certain students are required to have a

transition plan• ACPs = Transition Plans for all students with…• All school staff dedicated to implementation• In other words, ACPs will improve numerous

outcomes for all students, including SWD

Questions?

Kevin MillerDual Enrollment Consultant; WI Department of Public Instructionkevin.miller@dpi.wi.gov608-267-3161