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NCPN Connections 22-3, page 1
Volume 22-3: Best Results Through Best Practices
This is the print version of the newsletter released online.
For the online version, go here: http://www.cordonline.net/connections/22_3
NCPN: A Conduit for Sharing Best Practices
David Bond, Director, National Career Pathways Network
NCPN’s main purpose is to
provide a network where
members can discover proven
best practices from each other.
The Connections newsletter
and the annual conference are
two ways this is accomplished.
This issue of Connections is a
collection of seven articles from six states (West
Virginia, Tennessee, Alaska, Oklahoma, Wisconsin,
and Florida) and an announcement from a national
organization. The first five introduce presentations
that will be made at the October 2012 NCPN
conference in Richmond, Virginia. The conference
will feature over 130 presentations from more than
30 states and territories (plus two or three from
other countries).
The first two articles were submitted by the West
Virginia Department of Education. Both involve the
development and use of online resources. The
Employers’ Portal matches CTE graduates with
employers who are looking for specific skills. The
CTE Instructional Resource Tool (IRT) is an online
curriculum mapping process designed to help
instructors locate relevant resources.
The article from Tennessee describes the
Williamson County Middle College High School,
which has raised graduation rates to over 90
percent among historically “at risk” students.
Although the school offers students many
advantages, the main key to its success is that it
“always puts the needs of the student first.”
The Alaska Construction Academies emphasize two
core strategies: being future-focused by providing
training beginning with high school students, and
by leveraging the power of partnerships. Find out
what students and employers think about these 10
regional academies. Also learn about the adult
training component.
The article from Tulsa Public Schools describes
Teachers As Advisors, a program designed to
increase TPS’s low graduation rate and even lower
college and career readiness rate. The program’s
success data will be presented at a session at the
NCPN conference in October.
The Western Wisconsin STEM Consortia project
received a three-year $900,000 Math-Science
Partnership grant in 2009. Activities included
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 2
intensive professional development that led to the
development of STEM integrated curriculum
projects.
Representatives of the Hillsborough County Public
Schools’ Adult Education Program in Tampa,
Florida, write about the program they developed
using a grant from the Florida Department of
Education. Learn about the activities that were
funded with the grant and what results are
anticipated.
Don’t miss the announcement at the end of the
newsletter. The American Youth Policy Forum
(AYPF) is led by Executive Director Betsy Brand, a
former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department
of Education. AYPF offers resources on policy,
practice, and research that can improve the lives of
young people. Be sure to check out their new and
improved website.
Outcome of Business and Education Conversations
Kathy D’Antoni, Assistant State Superintendent of Schools, West Virginia Department of Education
Connecting the Employment Disconnect—
Whether an employer is looking to fill an open
position or a job seeker is looking to make his or
her next career move, sometimes finding the right
fit is no easy process. Even with the national
unemployment rate of 9 to 10 percent, companies
are indicating that they still can’t find skilled
workers, and filling some of the job openings is
taking months. “How can employers find skilled
career and technical education (CTE) graduates?”
was a key question asked during multiple
discussions with West Virginia business and
industry leaders. There was an apparent
disconnect between education and
business/industry in their understanding of the skill
potential of graduates of our CTE schools.
A decision was made to create an online
Employers’ Portal where employers could access
CTE high-skilled graduates who had acquired
specific skills sets and certifications
(http://careertech.k12.wv.us/ep.html). With the
national shortage of high-skilled workers,
employers are finding it difficult to locate potential
employees with the technical skills needed for the
workplace. Employers want prospective workers to
be able to fill roles right away, without additional
training or ramp-up time. The Portal was designed
to enable employers in West Virginia to identify
highly qualified CTE graduates.
The Portal is organized so that employers can easily
select from among the six West Virginia career
clusters—Agriculture, Food, and Natural
Resources; Business and Marketing; Engineering
and Technical; Fine Arts and Humanities; Health
Science Education; and Human Services. Employers
can select, for example, the Business and
Marketing cluster, go to the Accounting pathway,
review the list of CTE schools (organized by county)
that offer relevant programs, and obtain contact
information for school representatives through
whom the potential employees would be
contacted.
For each pathway, the Portal lists the associated
skill sets. For example, nine skill sets are identified
for the Collision Repair Technology pathway
(Engineering and Technical cluster):
Finish defects diagnosis
Frame machine operation
Metal and composite parts repair
Non-structural analysis
Panel straightening techniques
Spraying equipment inspection, cleaning, and
operation
Surface refinishing preparation
Vehicle detailing
Welding techniques
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 3
Similarly, the skill sets for the Pharmacy Technician
pathway (Health Science Education cluster) are
CPR-health care provider, first aid, and pharmacy
technician certification.
Before posting résumés on the Portal, CTE
graduates must have earned ACT WorkKeys
certificates and West Virginia Global Performance
technical assessment credentials, met their
schools’ attendance requirements, and obtained
recommendations from their CTE instructors
attesting to their work ethic.
Launched in March 2012, the Portal has already
generated rave reviews, much excitement, and
innovative ideas for expansion.
For more information, contact the author at
kdantoni@access.k12.wv.us.
Introducing “IRT” the Avatar: West Virginia’s Online CTE Instructional Resource Tool
Kathy D’Antoni, Assistant State Superintendent of Schools; Tracy Chenoweth, CTE Assessment Coordinator; and
Sherri Nash, CTE School Improvement Coordinator, West Virginia Department of Education
West Virginia CTE teachers have access to a
powerful new curriculum, instruction, and
assessment tool—the CTE Instructional Resource
Tool, better known as IRT. Currently in the initial
phases and planned to be a continuous work in
progress, IRT is an online curriculum mapping
process designed to enable instructors to locate
resources aligned to specific concentrations
(programs), skill sets, and academic standards. A
CTE avatar walks teachers through the tool, which is
customized to individual CTE programs so that the
user can discover skill sets and aligned learning
resources. The resources imbedded in IRT include
West Virginia Writes CTE technical writing prompts,
project-based learning modules, technology
resources, videos, learning activities, and formative
assessments—just to name a few.
IRT evolved from research on and development of
curriculum skill sets, integration of academic and
technology skills, and recognition of the need for a
means of aligning learning resources and formative
assessments. West Virginia CTE has revised the
programs of study and identified curriculum skill
sets. In the past, traditional curriculum guides were
developed to provide instructional guidance. IRT is
an online, searchable system that expands on the
curriculum guide concept by providing links to
learning resources aligned with each skill set.
To ensure college and career readiness and increase
the potential for future success in the workplace
and continuing education, academic and technology
skills must be integrated into CTE curriculum. CTE
instructors have the expertise necessary to teach
academic content but sometimes find it difficult to
connect academic and technical content standards
in CTE instruction. CTE instructors wanted
assistance in integrating academic skills into the CTE
skill sets rather than teaching them in isolation.
One example of academic integration resources
stemmed from business and industry conversations
expressing concern with the current level of
technical writing skills in the workplace. In
response, the West Virginia Department of
Education’s Career and Technical Education Division
and Office of Assessment and Accountability
collaborated with SREB and seven West Virginia
Technology Centers that Work to develop
customized writing prompts for CTE concentrations.
The result of that effort, WV Writes, is a
customized, West Virginia version of Writing
Roadmap 2.0 that provides formative writing
assessments designed to inform teaching and
improve student learning. The colorful, user-friendly
interface is a web-based platform that provides
schools with writing assessment, feedback, scoring,
and reporting. IRT aligns the writing prompts to the
individual CTE skill set for teaching in context.
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 4
IRT contains additional learning resources from a
variety of sources. Some are submitted by teachers
and some are state-adopted programs designed to
address particular content areas. All submitted
resources will be reviewed by a curriculum team
and posted to the appropriate
concentration/program and skill set. Annual
updates to the resource posting will be conducted
to ensure that the resources are current and
effective and assist in skill set acquisition.
This resource bank provides practical examples of
numerous new media tools and types that have
direct applicability for teachers. Most resources are
intended to be used by students, primarily online.
Some are geared more toward teacher productivity,
academic and technology integration, and
instructional differentiation. In both cases, the focus
is on learning applications that use a variety of
media tools and address the independent learning
style of each student.
Students will have an opportunity to rate the tools
along with the learning experience. This rating
system will assist in verifying the effectiveness of
individual resources. Students complete formative
assessments that are then saved in their electronic
portfolios. Unlike summative assessments, which
take place only after information has been delivered,
formative assessments can take place any time. This
flexibility allows teachers to tailor their lessons and
assessments to the needs of their students.
IRT can assist teachers in facilitating instruction and
provide a process for assessing mastery of skill sets
with the identified formative assessments
throughout the curriculum (as opposed to a one-
time summative assessment approach). Currently,
West Virginia CTE students participate in the end-
of-course technical performance assessment
process called “Global 21 Performance
Assessment.” The CTE performance assessments
are designed to judge students’ abilities to apply
specific knowledge and research skills in a “hands-
on” platform. Performance assessments often
require the student to manipulate specialized
equipment to solve a problem or make an analysis.
Rich performance assessments should reveal a
variety of approaches to problem solving, thus
providing insight into a student’s conceptual and
procedural knowledge.
The first administration of the West Virginia CTE
Global 21 Performance Assessment Program was
piloted in the spring of 2009. Each assessment has
been reviewed by West Virginia administrators and
teachers, staff members of the West Virginia
Department of Education, and West Virginia
citizens. Each assessment has also been examined
and re-examined for bias, content, rigor,
complexity, and alignment to the West Virginia
Content Standards and Objectives (CSO) and
Performance Descriptors as well as industry
scenarios (real-world examples). Business/industry
personnel evaluate the technical skills using a
criteria rubric for each concentration/program.
Professional development on the use of IRT and the
process for collecting best practice projects,
learning activities, formative assessments, online
activities, and other resources will be conducted
during the July CTE Summer Conference.
For more information, contact Sherri Nash at
sherri.nash@access.k12.wv.us.
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 5
Helping Students at a Middle College High School to Graduate
Earl Santymire, Williamson County Middle College High School, Franklin, Tennessee
Williamson County Middle College High School is
located in Franklin, Tennessee, twenty miles south
of Nashville. We serve students in grades 10–12
who, for whatever reasons, do not believe they can
reach their potential while attending what is
sometimes classified as a traditional high school.
Many of our students are considered potential
dropouts at traditional schools. Our school is one of
nine public high schools governed by the
Williamson County Schools.
The reason for our success is that no matter what
the education reform is, who our director of schools
is, what new curriculum guidelines are given to us,
who our students are, who our faculty members
are, where our location is, or any other variable that
is given to us, we always put the needs of the
students first.
Our school began with the 1998–1999 school year.
We were first located on the Nashville State
Technical Community College (NSCC) campus.
Starting with an initial enrollment of 82, we have
been able to help “at risk” students re-focus on
education and complete their high school careers
by earning diplomas. After the first year, we have
been able to take about 150–160 students each
year. Since our beginning, we have moved twice
and are looking forward in a few years to moving to
a new location. In January 2006 we moved from
NSCC into portables situated between a high school
and a branch of Columbia State Community College.
We stayed there until April of that year and then
moved to our current location, a renovated building
that once housed the middle school of a private
school in Williamson County.
The other day as I was viewing We Are Marshall
again, I listened as Coach Jack Lengyl stated that,
although he was a firm believer in the Power I, it
didn’t work for Marshall. So he was discarding it
and changing the Marshall offense to the veer. I
thought, that is what has helped us to help our
students at Middle College. We do not try to do the
same programs if we are not able to execute them
with the students we have. Each year almost 50
percent of our students are new to our school. Each
year our students come in with different needs,
which means that what we did last year may not
work for this group. Each year our personnel
(principal, teachers, aids, and staff) meet numerous
times and decide where we want to go for that
school year based on the needs of our current
students. We do not try to fit the students into the
school’s system. Rather, we try to fit the school into
the students’ needs. Some years, we change course
at the semester if we feel the change will benefit
the students.
The mission of Williamson County Middle College
High School is to provide a guidance-based
environment where each student will focus on
educational pursuits relevant to a successful future.
Over the years we have followed several scheduling
plans—college style (in which some classes would
meet on MWF and others on TTh), six classes a day,
and four-by-four block scheduling. We have been
part of a $600,000 U.S. Department of Education
grant that enabled us to have an IT academy. We
have used problem-based case studies in our
curriculum, and many of our students have been
dual enrolled. Our students have taken online
classes as well as video courses. We have
emphasized the need for reading, concentrated on
writing, focused on ACT scores, contracted math
teachers to help with our scheduling when we were
located on the NSCC campus, collaborated with
college teachers, had ASHP classes, and used other
methods of learning based on the students’ needs.
We were even a No Child Left Behind target school
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 6
for three years as a result of the way fifth-year
seniors were calculated in our graduation rate.
We have graduated close to 1000 students in the
short history of our school. Our graduation rate has
averaged over 90 percent. Many of our students
have been able to reduce the number of times they
are absent or tardy. Our school has never had a
detention program or ISS. Every discipline problem
is handled on a case-by-case basis. We try to help
students make positive changes in their lives
without them really knowing that we are helping
them to change.
The diagram at the end of this article illustrates how
we view each student who arrives on our campus.
Each one arrives at his or her own level. It is our job
to help them move up the escalator. If we do not do
that, then we fail and the student fails.
Many schools and school systems claim to put the
students first, but at Williamson County Middle
College High School, we only exist for the students!
Earl Santymire (earls@wcs.edu) has been a teacher
at Williamson County Middle College High School
since its third day of operation. Only the principal,
Harold Ford, and Earl remain from the original
faculty. Earl has completed 34 years of teaching.
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 7
Developing Alaska’s Next Generation of the Construction Workforce
Kathleen Castle, Executive Director, Alaska Construction Academies
The purpose of the
Alaska Construction
Academies (AkCA) is
simple: to advance the
construction industry
in Alaska. To meet
demand for new
construction, Alaska must have a highly qualified
workforce, skilled and committed to building
careers in Alaska and able to meet and exceed the
challenges of work in Alaska’s unique conditions.
To maximize job opportunities for Alaskans and
hiring opportunities in the industry, the AkCAs take
a long-term approach to workforce development
that emphasizes two core strategies: (1) being
future-focused by providing training beginning with
high school students and (2) leveraging the power
of partnerships. Through grants from the Alaska
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
(DOLWD) and the Alaska Denali Commission, the
AkCAs have been established in ten regions of the
state. Each academy has a local advisory board that
includes representatives from local school districts,
Alaska Works Partnerships, regional employers,
Native corporations, housing authorities, DOL job
centers, and the University. Advisory board
members continually monitor their regions to
identify new building projects, assess the types of
skills needed on those projects, and plan class
schedules offering relevant skill training and
required industry certifications.
The AkCAs provide entry-level construction classes
for high school students. Young people who choose
careers in construction can take additional classes
scheduled after the regular school day, on
Saturdays, and during spring break. One
outstanding example is Jacob Tramp, from the
Anchorage School District. During his high school
career Jacob took three carpentry classes, a
welding class, and an auto mechanics class. And
because of weekend courses he was able to earn
several certifications, including the North Slope
Training Cooperative (NSTC) card, forklift
certification, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration 10 Hour (OSHA 10), and CPR/First
Aid. Jacob graduated last May and was hired by EP
Roofing.
The AkCAs have an adult training component. The
curriculum is highly adaptable, allowing
communities to work with public and private
sector partners in each region to customize the
training programs. Adult students can receive
training for weatherization, building maintenance,
plumbing, welding, or other industry-specific skills
depending on the job opportunities available in
their regions. Adult classes are taught by
instructors from the industry using hands-on
activities that often involve real-life projects.
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 8
When working with youth, it’s as much about
motivation as it is about skills. As Mike Shiffer,
Assistant Director of Business Partnerships at the
DOLWD, said, “It’s not just about getting jobs, but
also about keeping young people in school and
making sure they understand there are job
opportunities here in Alaska.”
To test the impact of the high school programs, the
AkCAs contract with LifeTrack Services Inc. to
survey second-semester seniors registered in
construction-related classes. The survey includes
questions about students’ career goals in and
outside of Alaska and their interests in or outside
of the construction industry.
Results indicate that the AkCAs are making a
difference. More than 80 percent of the seniors
rated the classes’ influence on their self-confidence
as somewhere between “some” and “powerful,”
and 90 percent responded similarly to prompts
pertaining to the classes’ value in preparing them
for careers. Classes also increased the desire of
78 percent of the respondents to attend school.
Other survey outcomes reveal that 66 percent of
the students are “likely” to “absolutely likely” to
choose a construction career, 75 percent are aware
of construction jobs available after high school, and
71 percent plan to have careers in Alaska.
To determine the program’s overall influence on
their life paths, the AkCAs will survey these same
students two and five years after they graduate.
The AkCAs’ approach to workforce development
strives for continuous improvement and evolves as
opportunities and needs change, but the emphasis
remains the same: We are the construction
industry’s partner in building the next generation
of the construction workforce in Alaska.
For more information about the Alaska
Construction Academies, visit www.alaskaca.org or
contact the author at 907-222-0999 or
Kathleen@alaskacef.org.
How to Help Students Not Fall Through the Cracks: Teachers As Advisors in Urban Schools
Jeanie Newell, Career Guidance Specialist, Tulsa (Oklahoma) Public Schools
There is a euphemism
for students who
disappear one day for no
special reason: They
have “fallen through the
cracks.” Dropouts come
in many categories: They
lost interest a long time ago. They didn’t see any
point in it. School did not connect to their world in
any meaningful way. They perceived the school
environment as hostile. They had problems at
home or conflicts in the larger society that kept
them away. All the educational philosophy and
instructional knowledge we have at our disposal
will probably not bring them back to school. While
easy to dismiss in earlier decades, the rising
dropout rate is front and center in all secondary
schools, especially in urban settings.
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 9
Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) is a large, diverse, urban
school district in which 84 percent of students
receive free or reduced lunches. In 2009 TPS had a
graduation rate of 68.6 percent and a college and
career readiness rate of 7 percent. These statistics
inspired the district to put into place initiatives that
would address these problems.
The Teachers As Advisors (TAA) program provides a
classroom guidance system that gives middle and
high school students time to establish academic
and career goals beginning in the sixth grade. It
incorporates two important components aimed at
ensuring academic and future career success: (1)
Students establish academic and career goals that
begin in the 6th grade and continue through the
senior year and college. (2) Students develop
relationships with adults who show genuine
interest in their progress in achieving academic and
career goals.
TPS saw TAA as a new approach to career,
academic, and social development. The teacher-
counselor ratio in most TPS schools made career
counseling, as well as dissemination of college
readiness information, very difficult. TAA provides
places and times and trained advisors in every
school to disperse information to students about
career, academic, and social development. TPS has
over 40 thousand students in nine high schools,
twelve middle schools, and several alterative
schools. TPS has a culinary magnet, a digital
broadcasting magnet, an engineering academy, a
performing arts magnet, a college prep academy,
and a middle and high school for the International
Baccalaureate Program. Could TAA find a place in
such diverse schools? The College and Career
Readiness Dept (CCR) at TPS researched TAA
secondary school models that had successfully
flourished for at least ten years. After a one-year
pilot project in four middle and four high schools,
funded by the Oklahoma Department of Career
Tech, the district implemented TAA in all schools
over a three-year period. The curriculum used was
the College and Career Planner published by the
Oklahoma State Regents, customized for both TPS
high and middle schools students. Teachers,
counselors, and administrators were provided
professional development before program
implementation and during the course of the
school year as needed.
While TAA may look different at different TPS
schools sites, the goals are the same across the
district: to provide pertinent career and college
information to all students equally; to enable
students to assess their academic, personal, and
career goals; and to help students see their future
and be engaged in the molding of it. Data was kept
on all aspects of the TAA program, beginning with
the pilot program. The CCR department created six
questions that students would be asked in surveys
before and after participating in the program.
These questions reflect important topics to be
taught in the TAA curriculum. Teachers, students,
and parents were surveyed about their experiences
with TAA, and principals were asked to complete
TAA rubrics to self-evaluate the progress of TAA at
their sites.
Program data and information provided at the
NCPN conference in Richmond will enable
attendees to gain a broad understanding of TAA.
We look forward to sharing reflections on the
successes and growing pains experienced by an
innovative program that serves over 15 thousand
students in providing advisement and career and
academic development.
For more information, contact Jeanie Newell at
newellje@tulsaschools.org.
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 10
Western Wisconsin STEM Consortia: SySTEMically Improving Student Academic Achievement in Mathematics and Science
Jerrilyn Brewer, Grant Developer, Sparta Area School District; Kevin Mason, Assistant Professor of Science
Education, University of WI-Stout; Charles Bomar, Professor of Biology, University of WI-Stout; Petre Ghenciu,
Associate Professor of Mathematics, University of WI-Stout; Jerry Redman, External Evaluator, Redman and
Associates
The Western Wisconsin STEM Consortia received a
three-year, $900, 000 Math-Science Partnership
grant in 2009 from the Wisconsin Department of
Public Instruction. The goal of the project was to
improve student academic achievement in
mathematics and science by improving teacher
content knowledge and pedagogy in those areas.
The conceptual framework for the project included
five components as shown in Figure 1.
Sixty K-12 teachers from nine school districts
participated in a two-week STEM Summer
Academy facilitated by faculty members from the
University of Wisconsin-Stout and Western
Technical College. This intensive professional
development experience focused on ecosystems
and the interdependence of organisms, scientific
inquiry, and statistics and probability. It also
explored pedagogical strategies in mathematics
and science, including problem-based learning,
project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and
contextual teaching using the REACT model
(relating, experiencing, applying, cooperating,
transferring).
Teachers were immersed in the asking and
investigation of mathematics and science
questions in the classroom, at field locations, and
at a variety of business sites. Mathematics and
science concepts and skills were taught and
experienced by the teachers in the context of how
mathematics and science are applied by scientists,
researchers, and others in business and industry.
At the same time, teachers were given instruction
in pedagogical strategies and considerable time in
groups to discuss how these concepts and
experiences in mathematics and science related to
the K-12 curriculum and the students they teach.
This led to the development of STEM Integrated
Curriculum Projects that were taught in their
classrooms the following year.
The STEM Integrated Curriculum Projects were
modeled after CORD’s STEM Transitions Project
(www.stemtransitions.org). The Agriculture, Food,
and Natural Resources cluster provided a real-
world context for development of the projects.
Each project addressed topics in mathematics
(mean, median, mode, and range) and science
(organisms, populations, and ecosystems). For
each project the curriculum included an overview,
scenario, learning objectives, alignment to math
and science standards, lesson plans, test blueprint,
and assessment. Table 1 shows a summary of the
ten integrated curriculum projects. The projects
are also available at
http://www.uwstout.edu/wwsc/index.cfm.
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 11
The STEM integrated approach has proven to be an
effective professional development model that
results in growth in teacher content and
pedagogical knowledge—in both mathematics and
science. Data analysis revealed that 83 percent of
teacher participants demonstrated significant gains
in mathematics content knowledge and 62 percent
demonstrated significant gains in science content
knowledge. Most importantly, students
demonstrated significant gains in pre-post-test
results after participating in learning activities
developed for the projects. Table 2 shows the
results of the student pre-post testing.
Aspects of the program that contributed to this
effectiveness were the subject-matter expertise of
participating higher education faculty members;
field-based learning activities; career pathway
focus; two-week summer academy; multi-district
collaboration; grade-band teams; and contextual
and problem- and project-based learning. Teachers
embraced this integrated approach to professional
development as evidenced by the wide range of
STEM Integrated Curriculum Projects they
developed and taught in their own classrooms.
For more information, contact Jerrilyn Brewer at
JBrewer@spartan.org.
Figure 1. Conceptual framework for the Western Wisconsin STEM project
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 12
Table 1. 2010 STEM Integrated Curriculum Projects
Grade Band Project Title Project Purpose
K-2 Loopy for Ladybugs To facilitate student understanding of living things and their environment.
K-2 Amazing Animals To introduce students to characteristics and structures of living things and how living things interact with one another and their environment.
3-5 PONDering Ideas To facilitate student understanding of characteristics and structures of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with one another and their environment.
3-5 Project Karner Blue To foster curiosity and stewardship in students by establishing a butterfly garden and to study, monitor, and investigate ecosystems, life cycles, and photosynthesis.
6-8 Aromatic Adventures To provide opportunities for students to study the benefits of producing and processing an indoor herb garden.
6-8 The Amazing Forest Race
To provide opportunities for students to navigate, sustain, and evaluate the value of a forest.
6-8 What’s the Dirt on Organics?
To provide students with inquiry-based activities to compare and contrast conventional and organic farming in the areas of soils, plant growth, and food product choices available to consumers.
9-12 Creating a Frisbee Golf Course
To identify and evaluate ecological consequences of designing, building, and implementing a local Frisbee golf course.
9-12 Pew – Dumpster Diving for the Environment
To develop awareness and knowledge of the benefits of recycling as it pertains to high school students and their local environment.
9-12 Something for Nothing? Repurposing Food Grade Oil into Biodiesel
To investigate the economic feasibility and ecological impact of converting recycled food grade oil for practical uses within the community.
Table 2. STEM Integrated Projects Pre-Post-Test Results
Grade Band Pre-Test Post-Test
Cohen’s d Effect Size % Change Mean SD Mean SD
PK-2 N=77
7.21 2.57 8.53 1.78 .60 Medium 18% = Medium
Grades 3-5 N=104
6.94 2.85 11.77 2.8 1.72 Huge 70% = Very Large
Increase
Grades 6-8 N= 148
9.19 3.55 12.63 5.46 .75 Large 37% = Large
Increase
Grades 9-12 N =71
11 5.31 14.5 4.84 .69 Medium 32% = Large
Increase
Total Number of Students Pre-Post-Tested = 400 Total Number of Teachers = 20
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 13
Developing an Adult Career Pathways Program
Deborah Sohrabi, District Resource Teacher for Transition, Adult Education and Manager of the Adult Career
Pathways Grant; Victoria Ellis, Loretta Libhart, Adult Career Pathways Guidance Counselors, Hillsborough
County Public Schools, Tampa, Florida
The economic future of our communities relies on a
skilled workforce. Economists state that by 2018,
63 percent of all jobs will require postsecondary
training. In the past, it was possible for many
students to begin employment immediately after
receiving their GEDs. In today’s economy, however,
postsecondary education/training is a vital
component to earning a livable wage.
For example, in Florida, a high school dropout earns
an average salary of $18,000 per year while a high
school graduate earns $27,000 per year. Research
has shown that students who have at least some
postsecondary education earn at least $473,000
more over their working lifetimes than their less
educated peers.
Hillsborough County Public Schools’ Adult Education
Program in Tampa, Florida, was a recipient of the
Adult Career Pathways Grant provided by the
Florida Department of Education. The one-year
grant enables districts to develop Career Pathways
programs for adults. Hillsborough County is the
fourth most populous county in Florida (1.2 million)
and has the 8th largest school district in the United
States. Given that, our challenge has been to
integrate the Adult Career Pathways initiative into a
wide variety of school settings that will encourage
adult education students to pursue postsecondary.
What the Adult Career Pathways Grant Provided—
The grant covered the cost of hiring part-time
personnel: two guidance counselors, a
paraprofessional, and curriculum writers. The
District Resource Teacher for Adult
Education/Transition (managing the grant
activities), in conjunction with the Career Pathways
guidance counselors, developed classroom
materials, conducted training, and produced
marketing products. Grant funding provided the
opportunity for two adult education district
resource teachers to attend the National Career
Pathways Network conference in October 2011.
Advertising for Career Pathways (a joint effort with
adult education funding) consisted of the following:
Large banners with the Career Pathways logo
at all of the district’s main adult sites including
the district office
Bus wraps on five city buses and insert cards
in all 200 buses
Billboards (20) in areas throughout the county
TV commercials on seven local stations
Radio commercials on four channels
Advertisement in a weekly flyer
Advertisement in a local weekly newspaper
Career Pathways brochures
Thus far, the Adult Career Pathways team has
accomplished the following:
Provided 30 hours of staff development for
adult education teachers and counselors
Developed marketing materials including
brochures and posters
Conducted a career interest inventory with
approximately 800 of the targeted 1000
ABE/GED students
Developed a Career Pathways portfolio for each
ABE/GED student consisting of a career plan, an
exit survey, and a Career Pathways disc. Each
Career Pathways disc contains information on
technical centers, community colleges,
apprenticeship programs, military options,
financial aid, career exploration, and the job
market, all hyperlinked to provide access to the
latest information in those areas.
Purchased instructional materials for teachers
to provide career-related activities and
lessons in the classroom
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 14
“Career Ready” kits (instructional career
lessons/activities) developed by the district
resource teacher for transition, continue to be
provided to all new adult education
teachers/classes. Career Pathways curriculum
writers are contextualizing ABE/GED curriculum
with CNA and cosmetology curricula to provide
exposure to vocabulary and instructional activities
that are unique to that field.
Looking Ahead—The Adult Career Pathways Grant
provided funding for one year. A Five-Year Strategic
Plan for Adult Career Pathways was developed for
Hillsborough County Public Schools and was
approved by the Florida Department of Education.
The strategic plan focuses on expanding and
improving the Adult Career Pathways initiative for
Hillsborough County Public Schools. The goal is to
increase by 2015–2016 to at least 50 percent the
number of adult general education students who
earn high school diplomas or GEDs and successfully
transition, by the end of the following academic
year, into postsecondary education/training.
The district is developing measures to ensure that the
Adult Career Pathways initiative continues to be
funded and that the focus on postsecondary education
continues to be a priority in the Hillsborough County
Public Schools’ adult education programs.
For more information, contact Deborah Sohrabi at
deborah.sohrabi@sdhc.k12.fl.us.
American Youth Policy Forum Website Announcement
Dear Colleague,
It is with great excitement that we are launching
our new and improved website at www.aypf.org.
You have come to rely on the American Youth Policy
Forum as an unbiased source of information on
policy, practice, and research that can improve the
lives of young people. We hope that you’ll find our
new website an even more powerful tool for
accessing information to help you do your work.
Our new web interface will enable you to:
Perform a dynamic search of all of our
resources for materials that fit your needs
Create a user login and password to update your
profile and register for AYPF events ONLINE
Learn more about featured program areas,
searchable by popularity and date of resource
Stream videos and recordings of past AYPF
forums and webinars
Learn about our upcoming events
Read our latest e-bulletin and peruse our
e-bulletin archives
Our new system will allow you to update your contact
information, and more! Please click on the link below
to choose a username (we advise using your email
address) and password, to facilitate signing up for our
future events. Please be aware that the following link
is specific to you and your information.
Go to https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/
aypf/setLogin.jsp?secureId=wIEoxN%2BRLeM%3D
to create your login and password.
We value your feedback on our new design, and
encourage you to let us know how we can continue
to improve on our new website. If you have
suggestions, please contact us at aypf@aypf.org.
Please also help spread the word! We hope that you
inform others about our new website via Facebook,
Twitter, and relevant listservs.
Thank you for your continued interest and support
of AYPF. We’ll see you online!
Sincerely, Betsy Brand, Executive Director
NCPN Connections 22-3, page 15
Connections Mark Whitney, Editor
David Bond, Director, NCPN
Connections is published by the National Career Pathways Network, an organization of educators and employers dedicated to the advancement of Career Pathways, Tech Prep, and other CTE initiatives. NCPN assists its members in planning, implementing, evaluating, and improving workforce education programs. NCPN was founded by CORD, a national nonprofit organization that has been leading change in education for over twenty years.
Questions about Connections? Contact: Mark Whitney, NCPN, P.O. Box 21689, Waco, TX 76702-1689; 254-772-8756 ext. 315; or mwhitney@cord.org
Visit NCPN on the web at www.ncpn.info.
Future events of interest to our members and affiliates!
The 2012 HI-TEC Conference will be held
July 23–26 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center
in Denver, Colorado. Visit http://highimpact-
tec.org/ for the latest information.
The 2012 NCPN Conference will be held
October 17–19 at the Convention Center in
Richmond, Virginia. Visit ncpn.info for the latest
information.
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