BeyondSurvival: Off‐TrackHighSchoolStudentsCanSucceedinCollegeandCareer

LeslieRennie‐Hil l AmyParkhurst

AcademyforEducationalDevelopment

ThispaperwaspreparedfortheU.S.DepartmentofEducation(ED),OfficeofElementaryandSecondaryEducation,SmallerLearningCommunitiesProgramunderContractNumberED‐07‐CO‐0106withEDJAssociates,Inc.inHerndon,VA.TheviewsexpressedinthispublicationdonotnecessarilyrepresentthepositionsorpoliciesofED,nordoreferencestotradenames,commercialproducts,services,ororganizationsimplyendorsementbytheU.S.government.

TABLEOFCONTENTSIntroduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1

NewGoalsPlusOldHabitsEqualUnintendedConsequences ........................................................... 2

WhoAreWeTalkingAbout? ................................................................................................................ 2

WhatWorks:SolidifyingAgreementAroundEssentialComponents................................................ 3

ModelA.SchoolDistrictCBOPartnership:WestBrooklynCommunityHighSchool ................... 5

Overview............................................................................................................................................ 5

BuildingaStrongCommunity‐SchoolPartnership ......................................................................... 6

Phase1:EnrichedPreparation......................................................................................................... 8

Phase2:BridgeProgramming........................................................................................................ 10

ModelB.BridgingHighSchoolandPost‐SecondaryEducation:GatewaytoCollege.................... 12

Overview.......................................................................................................................................... 12

Phase1:EnrichedPreparation....................................................................................................... 13

Phase2:BridgeProgramming........................................................................................................ 15

Phase3:FirstYearSupports........................................................................................................... 16

Work‐BasedLearningAnchoringLearningtoRelevantExperience ............................................. 18

OverviewofWork‐BasedLearning ................................................................................................ 19

Phase2:BridgeProgramming........................................................................................................ 19

PersistentIssuesYetToBeSolved ..................................................................................................... 23

References ........................................................................................................................................... 25

Appendix1:GatewaytoCollegeNationalNetwork ......................................................................... 28

Appendix2:MassachusettsWork‐BasedLearningPlan................................................................... 29

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IntroductionThefederalNoChildLeftBehindActof2001increasedaccountabilityandpressuretoimprovelow‐performingschools.Theconventionalwisdomgenerallyacceptedtodayconfirmedthateveryoneneedssomeeducationafterhighschooltobeabletoearnalivingwage.Butthecurrentenvironmentdoesnotseemtoserveallstudentsparticularly“off‐track”highschoolstudentsanddropouts.RespondingtotheevolvingdemandsoftheglobaleconomyandhonoringAmerica’spromiseforupwardmobilityandequalparticipationinourdemocracy,educationalleadersandpolicymakershavecalledforsignificantsecondarysystemreformsoverthepastdecadereformstoensureeachyoungpersoncanmovefromhighschooltocollegeandcareersuccess.Suchaspirationsareeasytoembraceanddifficulttoachieve,particularlyinthefaceoftightstatebudgets,avolatileeconomy,andahighschoolsystemoriginallydesignedtoorganizestudentsintocollegeorworkpathways.Studentswhoaremorethan2yearsbehindtheirpeersinreadingandmathskills,youngpeoplewhoareoff‐tracktohighschoolgraduation,orwhohavedroppedoutentirelyoftenposethegreatestchallengestoeducatorsandcanlandatthebottomoftheprioritylist1.Theirneedscanseeminsurmountable,theircoststoohigh.Theresult?Off‐trackstudentsgetunintentionally“pushedout”ofthesystemwhileteachersandadministratorssituncomfortablywithasenseoffailureaboutaproblemthatcanseemunsolvable.Theintentofthispaperistoofferpractical,crediblestrategiestosuccessfullyprepareyouthforcollege2andcareer,strategiesthatcanpointthewaytowardmoreequitableresultsforoff‐trackstudents.Thispaperidentifiescompetingcommitmentswithinwhicheducationalleadersoperate,blendingrecentresearchanddescriptionsoftheeverydayrealitiesfacedbyeducators.Thepaperthendistinguishesamongdifferentsituationsfacedbyoff‐trackyouth,describesasolidifyingconsensusaroundtheessentialcomponentsofanyeffectivepathfromhighschooltocollegeandcareer,capturessnapshotsofpromisingpractices,andsuggestsideasforintegratingprogramelementsthatareproducingencouragingearlyevidenceofsuccessinhighschoolsystemreforms.

1 Criteria used to determine whether or not a student is off-track to graduation vary across states and districts. Generally students are first identified if they are 2 or more years behind normal grade level achievement on standardized achievement tests in reading and math. Once enrolled in high school, students are off-track if they do not pass core courses and fail to earn the proscribed number of credits each year. 2 Throughout the paper, college refers to “any accredited educational institution beyond the high school level, including apprenticeship, certificate, associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs” (National College Access Network (NCAN) definition as noted in Lieber, 2009).

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NewGoalsP lusOldHabits EqualUnintendedConsequencesDespiteyearsofpublicdistressaboutthesituation,thehighschooldropoutproblempersistswithfrustratingstability.Approximately1.2millionstudentsfailtograduate,anaverageof65to70percentofourhighschoolstudentsearnadiplomawithin4years,andonly50percentofourAfricanAmerican,Hispanic,AmericanIndian,andAsianAmericanstudentsdoso(NationalCenterforEducationStatistics,2010).Inmanyschooldistricts,existingdropoutprogramsbasedonadeficit‐model(i.e.,focusedonwhatstudentsarenotdoing:attendingschool,completingassignments,orbehavingproperly)coexistwithnewcollegereadiness/accessprogramsforallstudents,leadingtocontradictorycommitmentsandpolicies.Withinthepressurecookerofhigherstandardsandaccountabilityandcompetingcommitmentsforresources,thereliefvalvecanbeanunintendedslideintotrackingasschoolleadersconcentrateresourcesonthestudentsdeemedmorelikelytobenefitfrompostsecondaryoptionsattheexpenseofspendingatleastsomeoftheresourcesonaggressivelysupportingthedevelopmentofthestudentswhousuallygetleftout.

WhoAreWeTalkingAbout?Disconnected.Disengaged.Droppedout.Manytimespeopleassumestudentswhofailinhighschoolarejustlessintelligentand/orunmotivatedtodothework.Inthepast,dropoutswerepaintedwithabroadbrush,basinggeneralizationsonmediaimagesorthestoryofasingleyoungpersonknowntohaveleftschool.Fortunately,thefinergrainedanalysesofoff‐trackstudentsconductedoverthepastdecadehelpusbetterunderstandwhothesestudentsareandwhattheyneedtosucceed.Wenowhavemoreaccuratewaystodescribeyoungpeoplewhoarenotmakingitonthetraditionalpathtoahighschooldiplomaandevenmorewaystoexplainwhytheyhaveveeredoff‐track(Bloom,2010;Brock,2010).Typically,studentsareconsideredoff‐trackiftheyaremorethan2yearsbehindtheirpeersinhighschool.Theymayhaveaccompanyingtruancyissues,behaviorproblems,learningneeds,difficultiesordemandsathome,andothersocioeconomicchallenges.Dataanalysesbyurbandistricts(e.g.,NewYorkCity,NewYork;Boston,Massachusetts;andPortland,Oregon)conductedthroughcontractingwithconsultingorganizations(e.g.,ParthenonGroupandBridgespanGroup)haverevealeddistinctcategoriesofstudentswhoneeddifferentpathwaysconstructedforthem(Stidetal.,2009;Colvin,2010;Allen,2010).Districtsarefindingithelpfultodistinguishamongthefollowingstudentcategories:

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• YoungandFarages16–18withfewhighschoolcreditsearned;

• OldandFarages19–21withfewhighschoolcreditsearned;and

• OldandCloseages19–21withonlyafewhighschoolcreditsneeded.

WhatWorks:Sol idifyingAgreementAroundEssentialComponentsPractitionerswhohavestudiedoff‐trackstudentsandtheprogramsandpoliciesdesignedtomeettheirneedsrecognizeessentialcomponentsofthepathfromhighschooltocollegeandcareer.JobsfortheFuture,anacknowledgedleaderinthefield,clearlyidentifiesthreephasesofnecessarysupportstohelpoff‐trackstudentscompletetheirsecondaryeducationandmakesuccessfultransitionsintopostsecondaryeducationortraining.31. EnrichedPreparation: Remedialandacceleratedpreparationforoff‐trackhighschoolstudentsintegratesinstructionalbestpracticeswithafirmgroundinginthetenetsofpositiveyouthdevelopmentdrivenbyrelentlesslyhighexpectationsforall.2. Br idgeProgramming: Astrategicrangeofavailableactivities(e.g.,highschoolcoursesthatalsoawardcollegecredit,exposuretocollegecampuses,andassistancewithfinancialaidapplications)supportsstudentsastheylearntoanticipateamoresuccessfulfutureandgobackandforthovertheon‐rampstocollegeandcareer.3.1stYearSupports: Theseprogramsextendthesafetynetbeyondthehandofffromhighschooltocollegeandcareer:Thiscanincludetheacademicandsocialwraparoundassistanceinthe1styearofpostsecondaryeducationstudentsneedwhiletheytestoutandbuilduptheiracademicskillsandquestionandreaffirmwhethertheytrulybelongandcansucceedinpostsecondarysituations.

3 Jobs for the Future developed the three-part framework with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s United States Special Initiatives, which supports a partnership with YouthBuild USA and the National Youth Employment Coalition to build college-connected designs for off-track and out-of-school youth.

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Table1: BackonTrackThreePhasesDevelopedby JobsfortheFuture(2010)

Phases Exemplary Components

PhaseOne:EnrichedPreparation

• Explicitcollege‐goingculture

• Curriculumalignedwith/designedtobuildskillsneededforentryin1st‐yearcredit‐bearingcourses

• Computer‐andweb‐basedtoolsthatprovideskill‐buildingsupportandfacilitate“anytime,anywhere”learningtosupplementclassroominstruction

• Focusonliteracyacrossthecurriculum

• High‐levelreadingandwritingmaterialandincreasinglychallengingassignmentsneededforcollegesuccess

• Extendedprogramtimetogivestudentstheopportunitytodevelophigheracademicskills

• Socialandemotionalsupports

PhaseTwo:BridgeProgramming

• Earlyuseofcollegeplacementteststohelpstudentsplaceintocredit‐bearingcourses

• SupportedDualEnrollment

• Assistancewithcollege‐readyskilldevelopment,includingstudyskills,timeandstressmanagement,financialliteracy,andcollegenavigation

• ProvisionofcollegeIDstogivestudentsaccesstocollegefacilitiessuchasthelibrary,gym,andcafeteria

• Intentionalcareerexplorationandplanningthattakesintoaccountstudents’careeraspirationsandhelpsdrivecollegeprogramofstudy

PhaseThree:1stYearPostsecondarySupports

• Sheltered1st‐yeargatekeepercourses

• Dedicatedcounselor/casemanager

• Provisionofemergencyfundstocoverbooks,transportation,andhousingneeds

• ConnectiontocampusresourcessuchasTRIO‐fundedprograms,whichsupportfirst‐generationcollege‐goers

• Creationofon‐campusalumnigroupstomakementorsandadvisorsavailabletohelpstudentsstayontrack

• Developmentofperformance‐basedincentivestomotivatestudentstoaccomplishpersonalandacademicbenchmarks

Thispaperusesthesethreephasesaslensestoviewtwosnapshotsofpartnershipsthatexemplifydifferentapproachestohelpingoff‐trackhighschoolstudents.Thecollaborationsdescribedbetweenschooldistrictandcommunity‐basedorganizationsandbetweenschooldistrictandcommunitycollegeshowhowpartnershavesettheirsightsoncollegesuccessforallstudentsandhavedeployedasset‐basedstrategiestogetthere.BothpartnershipsdemonstrateBackonTrackphases,addingtheirown

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signaturestothevarietyandintensityofthecomponents.Firmlycommittedtothehighergoalofpostsecondarypersistenceandsuccess,bothexampleshaveplannedbackwardtodesigntheirprogramsandareactivelymonitoringwhatisworkingtohelpstudentsachievetheirgoal.Noneclaimstobetheperfectanswer;allpersistintheireffortstogetthesystemson‐track,alignedandcoordinatedwithintheirownorganizationsandatpointsofvulnerabilitywherestudentstransitionfromoneleveltothenext.Afterdiscussingthepartnershipmodels,thepaperconsiderstheaddedbenefitsderivedfromtheincorporationofwork‐basedlearningopportunitiesintoanoff‐trackstudent’shighschoolpreparation,andithighlightssomeprogramsbuildingamoreeffectivebridgetocollegeincludingexamplesfrombothcollaborationmodelsdescribedinthepaper.Thework‐basedlearningexamplesshowthepowerofconnectingoff‐trackstudentstohands‐on,realworkexperiencesthatmakeclassroomlearningrelevantandcareergoalsreachable.

ModelA. SchoolDistr ictCBOPartnership: WestBrooklynCommunity HighSchool

Overview

Bymostperformancemeasures,WestBrooklynCommunityHighSchool(WBCHS)inBrooklyn,NY,lookslikeasolidlysuccessfulschool:meetingstateAdequateYearlyProgress“SafeHarbor”benchmarksingoodstanding;scoring“A”onitsNewYorkCity(NYC)DepartmentofEducationoverallscore,studentperformancescore,andstudentprogressscore;doingaswellorbetterthanitspeersservingstudentsofcomparableneeds;notedforitsexemplarygainsincreditaccumulationandRegentsDiplomasearnedbyitsmostlyoverageandundercreditedstudentpopulation.4YetPrincipalLilianaPoloisanythingbutcomplacentwhenshestates,“oursuccessisdefinedbywhatourstudentsdowhentheyleave,andeventhoughmanygoontopostsecondaryeducation,notenoughgoandnotenoughmakeitincollegeoncethey’rethere.”5PositionedintheOfficeofMultiplePathwaystoGraduationintheNYCDepartmentofEducation,WBCHSopenedin2006,oneofthenewlycreatedtransferschoolsintendedtobekeycomponentsoftheNYCplantoraisehighschoolgraduationratesby20percent.Reachingouttostudentsages16to20whohavebeenexcessivelytruantordroppedoutafterinitiallyenrollinginninthgradeandwhomayhaveattendedtwotofourdifferenthighschoolsalready,WBCHSmeetsitsoverageandundercredited

4 The NYC Department of Education employs a mix of quantitative and qualitative assessment measures of its schools. For more information, refer to http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/default.htm. 5 All quotations in the paper are drawn from phone interviews conducted in June, July and August 2010 and interviewees are listed in the references.

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studentswheretheyare.Theschoolmustensurestudentsearn44NewYorkCitycredits,completefiveNewYorkStateRegentsexams,andgraduatewithahighschooldiplomawithin18to36months.Students’demographicshaveremainedgenerallyconsistentoverthepast4years.Themostrecentdatashowsthat66percentofstudentsreceivefreeorreduced‐pricelunchandthatthepopulationis22percentAfricanAmerican,53percentLatino,6percentAsian,and18percentWhite(NewYorkStateReportCardAccountabilityandOverviewReport,2008–2009).Servingcloseto200studentsingrades10–12,almosthalfofthestudentbodynowgraduateseachyear(thistranslatesinto73percentofenrolledstudentsgraduatingwithin6yearsoforiginallyenteringhighschool)andmostgraduatesgoontopostsecondaryeducation.6HowhasWBCHSsucceededwithstudentswhohavefailedrepeatedlyelsewhere?Thereisnosinglemagicstrategy:Theschoolcombinestheelementsinitiallyidentifiedaskeytonewsmallschooldesignsstrongleadership,anelevatingsharedmission,activitiesthatexciteteens,highexpectations,qualityteaching,mechanismsforfrequentlytrackingstudentprogress,andopportunitiestogivebacktothecommunity(Colvin,2010).Inaddition,itaddsmorebridgeprogrammingandsupporttobooststudents’confidencethattheytoobelongincollege,deservetosucceedthere,andcandoso.Finally,theschoolleadersandstaffstayrelentlesslycuriousaboutwhatisworkingornotworking,howeachstudentisdoing,andhowtheycanimproveasaschool.Onaregularbasis,theyreflectontheirworkandadjusttheirstrategiesaccordinglythroughactivitiessuchasbiweeklyassessmentsofclasslessons,reviewsofstudents’dailyclass“exittickets,”andmanyotherdepartmentalandissue‐basedprofessionallearningcommunity(PLC)meetings.

Bui ldingaStrongCommunity‐SchoolPartnership

WBCHSpartnerswithGoodShepherdServices(GSS),alocalcommunity‐basedorganizationwithalong‐standing,respectedhistoryofsuccesswithoff‐trackstudents.GSSprovidesanetworkofservicesinyouthdevelopment,education,andfamilyservicesensuringthatquickconnectionscanbemadewithprovidersthatcanaddressstudents’nonacademicneeds.Thetwopartnersdivideresponsibilitiescarefully,playingtoeachorganization’sstrengths.RachelForsyth,directoroftransferschoolsforGoodShepherd,echoesPolo’surgencytoaccomplishmore:“We’renotthereyetbutarepushinghardbecausetoomanyhighschoolgraduatesstillneedremediation,atthecollegelevelsothat’sournexthurdletoleap.”TheGoodShepherdstaffknowshowtoengageyouthandworkwithfamilies.Theytakethelead,recruitingthetargetstudentpopulation.Bymaintainingafocusonpositivestudentbehaviorandattendance,ensuringtheavailabilityoftherightsocialand

6 Polo reports that in each of the past 2 years, 65 to 85 students graduated out of a total annual enrollment of 175 +/-, and each year 50 or more graduates transitioned directly to postsecondary education. Other school statistics can be verified through the Office of Multiple Pathways website at http://schools.nyc.gov/SchoolPortals/15/K529/AboutUs/Statistics/default.htm.

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emotionalsupports,andmediatingtheacademicconnectionsbetweenworkandpostsecondaryeducation,GoodShepherdcanshoulderhalftheloadtofreeWBCHSteacherstousetheirprofessionalexpertisetostructureandsupportexcellentclassroomlearningactivitiesthatmovestudentsforward.StephenMarcus,GoodShepherdProgramDirectoratWBCHS,leadstheteamofadvocatecounselors,theyouthinternshipcoordinator,andcollegeaccesscounselor.Teamworkbetweenthetwopartnershasgrownstrongerandmorestrategicoverthepast4years,largelybecauseschoolleadersconveneweekly,ormoreoftenifnecessary,andscheduleindividualorganizationandjointplanningtimesaroundstudentworkandissues.Theadvocatecounselorteamfulfillsthreekeyfunctions:• ensurescontinuousstudentprogressbyestablishinggoalsandbenchmarksacross

academicandsocial‐emotionaldimensions;

• providesacademicmentoringthathelpsstudentsstayfocusedontheiracademicprogressinspiteofthedauntingsocial,emotional,andeconomicproblemsthatinevitablyarise;and

• expeditiouslyconnectsstudentstoappropriatesocialservicesupportsforproblemssuchashousing,pregnancy,gang‐relatedissues,ordepression.

StudentsareknownatWBCHS;thereisnowheretohide.Intentionallycreatingafamily‐likecommunity,maximumstudent‐teacherratiosare25:1,andcounselorsare35:1.Staffandstudentsknowoneanother’snames;staffmembersanalyzestudents’strengths,weaknesses,andpreferredlearningstylesandinterests.Allstriveforhealthyrelationshipswithininviting,safe,andopenclassroomenvironments.StudentsmeettwiceweeklyinCommunityLeadership,anadvisory‐typeclassinwhichtheycanstrengtheninterpersonalandconflictresolutionskills,setgoals,monitorprogress,andprepareforsuccessatthenextlevelbeyondhighschool.Poloclarifiesthedelicatebalanceadultsmustachieveintheirrelationshipswithstudents:“Ourschoolneedshealthyrelationshipswhereourstudentsareknown,appreciated,andabletolearn.But,itisimportantthatbeingknownnotbeconfusedwithbeingbuddies.”Thepartnersrecognizetheimportanceofbuildingtrustwithstudentswhooftenenterfeelingdisengaged,bewildered,andoppressedbypreviousschoolfailure.Theyknowthatstudentsneedtobelongandfeelsafebeforetheycanoptfornew,riskierchoicesto“buyinto”school.Teachersandadministratorsunderstandthathelpingstudentswhostrugglemeanshavinghigherexpectationsthananyoneelse,balancingtightstructurewithflexibleempathy,encouragingquestioningbutarrivingatanswers,andhelpingstaffandstudentsseethereasonsbehindrulesandrequests(Rothman,2010).WhentheytransfertoWBCHS,studentsandtheirparent(s)/guardian(s)startbyreflectingonwhatwentwrongpreviouslyandhowthefuturewillbedifferent.Thisgivesstudentsachancetobegintheprocessofreimagininganewpersonalpathandconnectiontolearning,achancetobegintobelievetheycannowmeethigh

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expectations.Teachersandstudentsdiscuss,amongthemselvesandwitheachother,whathighexpectationslooklike:Theyestablishnormsforclasscommunitiesandholdallaccountable,conductrigorousfrequentassessmentsempoweringstudentstoknowwhattheyhavedonerightandwhattheymustdonext,anddonotwaiverfrompubliclystatedbeliefsthatthestudentswillgraduateandgoontocollegeandcareer.TheWBCHSandGoodShepherdpartnersstrivetoinfusestrength‐basedyouthdevelopmentprinciplesthatfosterresiliencyfromthetransferprocessonward.Believingeverystudentcansucceed,teachersandcounselorsuserigorous,relevant,engagingcurriculumandintegrateyouthdevelopmentprinciplesthatrespectstudentvoiceandleadership,respondtostudentinterestsanddifferentiatedlearningneeds,andprovidehonestfeedbackandadvocacy.

Phase1:EnrichedPreparation

Toprovideasafeandpredictablelearningenvironment,WBCHSestablishesclearschoolwidepracticesthathelpstudentssucceedintheirclasses:aconsistentgradingpolicy,aconsistentclassroomformatandroutineswithacommonlanguage,sharedcommitmenttocollegeforall,definedprogressivelevelsofconsequencesfornegativebehavior,andfamilyrecognitionforincrementalpositivebehaviors.BothPoloandForsythattributetheimprovedacademicachievementrecordatWBCHStoitsadoptionofacontinuousimprovementculturewherestaffmembersroutinelyconductneedsassessments,takeaction,andreflect.Thisapproachfosterscollegialcreativityandproblemsolvingandallowsstafftomakethoughtful,strategicadjustmentsasfrequentlyasthesituationdemands.WithintheNYCsystemthatcentrallydetermineslearningstandardstobemetandmandatestheadministrationofperiodicassessmentsbyallschools,WBCHSteachersexercisetheircreativityastheyaligntheirlessonswithstandardsandadjusttothepaceofstudentlearning.Teachersidentifybenchmarksanddevelopclassroomlessons,assessments,andbiweeklyprogressreports.Thisessentialyetdifficultscaffoldingoflearningtakestimeandisawork‐in‐progressatWBCHS.WBCHSresistsacademictrackingbyintentionallyschedulingstudentsheterogeneouslyintoclasses.Withinclasses,particularlyEnglishandmath,teachersoftenorganizefluidsmallergroupsinwhichstudentscanmoveinandoutaccordingtotheirskilldevelopment.Forexample,anEnglishclassmayhavethreedifferentgroupsreadingbooksatvariousinstructionallevels,yetallgroupsaddressthesamelearningtargets.Inscienceandsocialstudies,againthelearningobjectivesremainthesamewhilematerialsavailableatavarietyofreadinglevelsallowallstudentstoaccessthecontent.Englishlanguagelearnersandspecialeducationstudentsreceiveoneperiodperdayofseparateinstruction;otherwise,theyjoinotherstudentsinintegratedclasses.

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Professionallearningcommunities(PLCs)providethestructurewherethisinstructionalplanninganddifferentiationoccurs.Polotriestolimitfullstaffmeetingstotimeswhenitisnecessarytorevisittheschoolvisionandgoals,protectingdesignatedstafftimeforPLCstocollaborateincontentareasand/orwhenorganizedaroundacommoninterestorissue.Duringthelastperiodoftheday,studentsparticipateinartelectivesorcommunityleadership(advisory)classeswhileteacherscanmeetforPLCs.Staffalsomeetbeforeand/orafterschool.Curriculumdepartments,theWBCHScabinet,andsupportspecialistsmeetweekly;formalprofessionaldevelopmentoccursmonthly;andPLCsforspecialissuesmeetasneeded.ThisPLCflexibilitycombinedwiththelaserlikefocusonstudentneedsandperformancedrivestheschool’sinstructionalcultureandplacesteachersbehindthewheel.Acceleratinglearningrequiresspecialattentiontoliteracyacrossthecurriculumwithaparticularemphasisondevelopingstudentskillstothinkcriticallyandunderstandnonfictionmaterial.Frequentprofessionaldevelopmentandreflectionaswellassystematicdocumentationofprogressrevealevidencethatthestaffischallengingitselftothinkdeeplyaboutwhatitmeansforstudentstobetrulycollegeready(Rothman,2010).Staffcurriculumleadersreadilyreferencecollegereadinessfocusareas(Conley,2005;2007)asatouchstoneforcurriculumdevelopmentandassessment.Theyhaveinitiallyfocusedonliteracy,analyticreasoning,andmeta‐cognitiveskills,withagradualshifttoincorporatinggreateremphasisonwritingskills,researchskills,andstudyskills(Rothman,2010).Staffturnover,approximately25percentduringthefirst2yearsandreducedto5percentmostrecently,presentsanongoingprofessionaldevelopmentchallenge‐especiallybecausethisissuchdeep,demandingprofessionalwork.Poloattributestheturnovertothehighlychallengingandaccountablenatureofthework:Forteachers,WBCHSisanintenseenvironmentwherepracticeispublictopeers,weeklylessonsaresubmittedforreview,andrelationshipswithstudents,families,andcolleaguesmustbebuiltandsustained.PoloreportsthattoretainandsupportteacherstheytriedtoapplytheteacherinductionmodelfromtheNewTeacherCenteratUniversityofCalifornia,SantaCruz,butfoundtheyneededto“goorganicandcreatetheirownsystem.”Pologoesontoexplain,“TheframeworkoftheNewTeacherCenterfeltabitrigidandthementorrolewithitsimpliedassumptionthatamentorisaknowerseemedtobeatoddswiththeschoolvaluethateveryoneatWBCHSisalearner.”Additionally,Polofoundnotonlynewteachersneedsupport:Many2nd‐and3rd‐yearteachersrequestedindividualizedattention.TheWBCHShomegrownsolutioncallsforaninstructionalsupportperson(ateacherwithareducedclassschedule)topartnerwithnewteachers,offeringtransitionsupportovertheir1styear.Implementedin2008,thisapproachhasshownencouragingresultsinimprovedstaffretentionandsatisfactionmeasures.

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Asitstrivestoaccelerateandenrichstudents’highschoolexperience,WBCHSfacesanotherconundrumrequiringcreativity:howtohelpstudentsearncreditsinamorelimitedtimeframe.Theyhavemadeprogressbyimplementingthefollowingstrategies:redesigningschedulesonastudent‐by‐studentbasistomaximizestudentopportunitiestoearncredit;offeringeveningandsummercourseswithstrictattendancerequirements;clarifyingmake‐uppoliciesandindependentstudypoliciesthatenabletheschooltograntcreditforrigorouslearningdespiteinitialstruggleswithbehaviororattendance;andfacilitatingcommunicationwithsendingschoolstomakeitpossibleforstudentstorecovercreditswithoutduplicatingseattimeforworkalreadydone.Ineveningcoursesforcreditrecovery,teachersusehigh‐interest,multidisciplinary,project‐basedlearningactivitiesthatareindividuallytailoredtoallowstudentstoearnthecreditsneeded.Forexample,astudentassignmenttocreateauniqueMarvelcomicbookwithcharacters,setting,andstorylinecangoinseveraldirections.Ifacharactercan“walkthroughwalls,”thensciencecreditcanberecoveredbystudyingphysiologyandphysics.Ifsocialstudiescreditisneeded,thestudentcanfocusdetailonthesettingandhistoricalcontext.Throughouttheentiremultiweekassignment,allstudentsregularlywriteandconductresearch.AnotherafterschoolexampleshowsthepriorityWBCHSplacesonreal‐worldconnectionstoacademics:Inajuvenilejusticeclass,teacherspartnerwithMedgarEversCommunityCollegeasstudentsexaminepolicyandrecommendchanges,creatingavideorecordoftheirworkandlinkingstudentinternshipstoacademics.Opportunitiesforsummercreditrecovery(somerequiredbasedonearliertestorcourseperformance,someoptional)alsoemphasizewritingandresearch.OptionsrangefromRegentsmathclasstoEnglish,science,art,orgym.

Phase2:BridgeProgramming

WhilestudentsarestillatWBCHStheyneedsimple,visualremindersofwhattheyhaveaccomplished,whatremainstobecompleted,andthetimeitshouldtaketogetthere.Fromenrollmenttograduation,theseinitiallyoff‐trackstudentsneedrealisticyetoptimisticguidancefromadultswhobelieveintheirultimatesuccess.Advocatecounselorsmeetweeklywiththeirstudentstoreviewgoalsheets;listsofgraduatesarepubliclydisplayedinhallwaysthroughouttheschoolyear.AtWBCHS,theadvocatecounselorwhoservesasastudent’sprimarygo‐topersoncollaborateswiththeGoodShepherd‐fundedcollegeaccesscounselortoguideandstretchthestudent’sself‐perceptionofwhohe/sheis,wherehe/shebelongs,andwhathe/sheiscapableofaccomplishing.Thecollegeaccesscounselor(apositionthathasbeeninplacefor2years)isresponsibleformaintainingrelationshipswithWBCHSgraduatesandcontinuingtosupporttheirtransitiontocollegeandwork.Exposuretocollege,assistancewithfinancialaidandapplications,smoothingthebumpsontheroadtocollegetheworkofthecollegeaccesscounselorisdefinedbya“whateverittakes”attitude.Poloreportsoneinstancewhereatalentedbasketballplayerwasacceptedtoacollegeinupstate

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NewYorkandthecollegeaccesscounselorwentwiththestudenttotheregistrar’sofficeandthentookhimtomeetthebasketballcoachalltomakecertainthestudentfeltconnectedandathomeinhisnewschool.Anecdotaldatafromformerstudentssuggestthattheystrugglewithwriting,timemanagement,self‐advocacy,collaborationwithotherstudents,andfinancialaidsystemsoncetheytransitionfromWBCHStocollege.Forsythreportsrecentfocusgroup7commentswhereformerstudentstalkaboutthechallengesofresistingthepressuresofcollegelife,stayingorganized,andunderstandingwhat“Iammyownkeeper”means.WBCHSisexploringwaystocreatesocialnetworksamongthehighschoolgraduatessimilartothePosseFoundation8modelinwhichstudentscanleanoneachother,especiallyastheystretchthecirclefartherfromtheirhomebase.Theneedforactionabledataaboutstudentperformanceatcollegeispromptinganewareaofexploration.PlansareemergingtodeveloppartnershipstosharedatawiththeCityUniversityofNewYorkwherethemajorityofWBCHSstudentsenrollsandtoinvestigatethepossibilitiesavailablethroughtheNationalStudentClearinghousedatabase.Inaddition,GoodShepherdServiceshasbeenpartneringwithJobsfortheFuturetodevelopstrategiesthatbringthelessonsofearlycollegehighschoolstoitsnetworkofmultiplepathwaysschools.PoloandForsythbelievethebridgeprogrammingnecessaryforcollegeandcareerreadinesswillalwaysbeawork‐in‐progress.Theyappreciatetheinvaluablesupportderivedfromtheirsharedcollaborativeapproachtoschoolimprovementovertime.Theyattributeanysuccesstotheentireschoolteam:students,families,staff,andcommunitypartnersandtheirsharedcommitmenttotheirstudents’futures.Whenaskedwhatgivesherthegreatestsenseofsuccess,Polopausedthoughtfullyandsaid,“WhenIseewhatstaffareabletoprovide,andhowwebringthefamiliesin,Ifeelproudofourschool.Butwhatmeansthemosttomeiswatchingthejourneysourstudentstakeseeingtheirtransformationandsuccess.”

7 Student focus groups are conducted twice yearly and staff hope to increase the frequency if possible. Data are seen as highly credible. In fact, according to Polo, the shift to intensified writing instruction was sparked by graduates stating they wished they had been asked to write more. 8 Posse is a college access and youth leadership development program that identifies, recruits, and selects student leaders from public high schools and sends them in groups called Posses to some of the top colleges and universities in the country. A Posse is a multicultural team made up of 10 students. It acts as a support system to ensure that each Posse Scholar succeeds and graduates from college. Posse Scholars receive 4-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships from Posse partner colleges and universities. Retrieved on July 19, 2010 from http://www. Possefoundation.org/quick-facts/#whatisposse.

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ModelB. BridgingHighSchoolandPost‐SecondaryEducation:GatewaytoCol lege

Overview

GatewaytoCollege(GtC)empowershighschooldropoutsandstudentsonthevergeofdroppingouttogetbackontrackthroughaDualEnrollmentprograminwhichstudentscanworksimultaneouslytowardahighschooldiplomaandcollegecredits.GtCleadersstandcommittedtotheirgoaltodecreaseeducationalinequalities:Theyactivelyseektoprovideapathtopostsecondarysuccessfortraditionallyunderservedyouthparticularlystudentsofcolorand/orfromlow‐incomehouseholds.PortlandCommunityCollege(PCC)developedtheinitialGtCmodelin2000,andin2003,theBill&MelindaGatesFoundationinvitedPCCtobecomeanintermediaryoftheEarlyCollegeHighSchoolInitiative.HeadquarteredinPortland,Oregon,theGtCNationalNetworkisnowanindependent,expandingnonprofitorganizationservingmorethan27collegesin16statesandpartneringwithmorethan110schooldistricts.Seeappendix1fortheGtCNationalNetworkmap.Locatedonacollegecampusandexistingwithinacollegeinfrastructure,allGtCteachersarecollegefaculty.GtC’sDualEnrollmentprogramsreceiveelementaryandsecondaryeducationfundsthatfollowthestudent.ThroughagreementswithlocalK–12schooldistricts(viamemorandaofunderstandingorcontracts)orcharteragreements,districtspassthroughaportionofper‐pupilexpenditurestopayforstudenttuitionandbooks.TheGtCprogramisprovingtobeaneconomical,locallysustainablemodel.CostsperstudentvaryacrosstheNationaccordingtostateandlocalfundingformulaswithanaveragerangeof$4,000to$6,000perstudentperyear.Tomeettheincreaseddemandsinherentintheprogram’srapidexpansion,leadersinPortlandestablishedtheGatewaytoCollegeNationalNetworkin2008.WithNetworkmembership,partnercollegesreceivesupportthroughprofessionaldevelopment,technicalassistancewithcurriculumalignmentandprogramimplementation,dataanalysis,andprogramevaluation.InJanuary2010,GtCreceiveda$13.1million,3‐yearawardtoexpandandimproveitsnationalworkbyadding15moresites,conductingnewresearchinitiatives,anddeepeningitsworktoeffectsystemicchangesofpolicyandpractice.FundersincludetheBill&MelindaGatesFoundation,CarnegieCorporationofNewYork,TheKresgeFoundation,andtheFoundationtoPromoteOpenSociety.

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GtCservesyouthbetween16and21yearsoldwhohavedroppedoutofschoolorareonthevergeofdoingsoandwhoareundercreditedfortheirageandgradelevel.MoststudentsfittheYoungandFaroff‐trackprofile:averagestudentageacrosstheNetworkis17.1years,averagehighschoolGPAis1.65(ona4‐pointscale),andaveragepercentageofhighschoolcreditsearnedpriortoentrytotheprogramis41.4percent.ForGtCstudents,aimingforacollegedegreeisamajorstretchbecause74percentarefirst‐generationcollege‐goersand26percenthaveatleastoneparentwhodidn’tearnahighschooldiploma.ThenationalGtCpopulationincludes59percentstudentsofcolorand51percentmales.9

Phase1:EnrichedPreparation

Youngerstudentsstillinhighschool,hangingonbyonlyathread,maybeidentifiedbytheircounselorasunlikelytograduateandreferredtoGtC.OtherswhohavealreadydroppedoutandarenowinterestedingettingacollegedegreeoftenhearofGtCthroughword‐of‐mouth.Virtuallyallstudentsbegintheenrollmentprocesswithamixofoptimismandvulnerabilitytheyarenotreallysuretheybelongandcanmakeit,yethopefulanddeterminedtodoso.AccordingtoGtCAssociateVicePresidentNickMathern,studentsciteavarietyofreasonsfortheirpriorstruggles:infrequentattendance,academicproblems,difficultieswithschoolstafforpeers,challengesathome,healthproblems,homelessness,orasensethatnobodykneworcaredaboutthem.Fromtheoutset,studentsneedtailoredsocial‐emotionalsupportsavailableconcurrentlywithacademicclasses.Enteringstudentscompleteadiagnosticassessmenttodeterminebasicreading,English,andmathskillsandmustscoreattheseventh‐toeighth‐gradeleveltoconfirmtheyarelikelytobenefitfromtheprogram.Onceaccepted,studentsareimmediatelypairedwitharesourcespecialist10whoservesasanacademiccoach,advisor,andmentorago‐toguideforeverythingfromgoal‐settingtocrisismanagement.GtCtakesseriouslyitsresponsibilityforcreatingcommunity.Althoughcollegeclassesdonottypicallyhaveaninherentsenseofcommunity,facultymakesuretheyknowthestudentswellandaffirmthattheyarelegitimatemembersofthecollegeprogram.Sitesmaintainsmallstudent‐teacherratios(25:1)andarrangemanageablecaseloadsforresourcespecialists(25:1fornewstudentswithatotalcaseloadofupto60dependingonthenumberofcontinuingstudents)sothatstudentsexperiencestabilityandgethelpaccessingcollegeresourcesastheyearnadiplomaandcatchupwiththeirpeers.GtCconsciouslycreatesalearningcommunityfornewstudents.Duringthestudent’sinitialGatewayFoundationterm,heorsheisgroupedwith24otherstudents,and

9 Data retrieved August 13, 2010 from http://www.gatewaytocollege.org/our_students.asp. 10 Resource specialists meet the college requirements to teach college skills courses. They have a master’s degree in social services, counseling, or an academic discipline.

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togethertheytakefourthematicallylinkedcourses.Relationshipsbuildamongstudentsandstaff,creatingconnectionsmeanttosupportstudentswellbeyondtheGtCprogram.GtC’sDualEnrollmentprogramoffersacademicandpersonalsupportforupto3years;studentsarestronglyencouragedtocompletetheprogramwithin2years.AccordingtoJillMarks,ProjectDirectoratRiversideCommunityCollegeEarlyCollegeHighSchool,GtCexpectsstudentstoearnahighschooldiplomawithin2yearsbecause“youthneedtoseegraduationonthehorizonandifit’stoofarout,themomentumreallyslowstheyneedtoseeprogresstowardanendpoint.”Studentsareexpectedtotakeatleastthreeclassesperterm.Thisexpectationcameaboutbecausestaffmembershavelearnedthatapart‐timecourseloadtoooftenequalsapart‐timecommitment.Inthefirstterm’sGatewayFoundationcourses,studentsintensivelybuildcompetenciesindevelopmentaleducationreading,writing,andmathclasseswhilealsopracticinghabitsandskillsnecessarytosucceedincollege‐levelcourses.SubsequentcourseworkthroughtheGatewayContinuationtermsenablesstudentstomeetwhateverhighschooldiplomarequirementsremainandconnectwhattheyarelearningtoacareerarea.Dualcreditoptionsvaryacrosssites:Somesupplementwithonlinecreditrecoveryorhighschool‐onlycoursesinstrategicareaslikehighschool‐leveleconomics,butingeneralcoursesmeetbothhighschoolandcollege‐levelspecifications.

Figure1: PathofStudent Progress

JillMarksheadsoneoftwoofficialdemonstrationsitesfortheGtCNationalNetwork(hersisinRiverside,CaliforniaandtheotherinSanAntonio,Texas)wherebestpracticesareindevelopment.SchoolfacultiesacrosstheGtCNetworkarewelcometovisitthetwodemonstrationsitesasfrequentlyastheirbudgetswillallow.GtCnowinvitescollegefacultytolearntogetherthroughon‐siteandvirtualprofessionallearningcommunities(PLCs),monthlywebinars,periodicprogramdirectormeetings,andannualconferences.

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Theneedtocreatemoremeaningful,engaging,relevantcurriculumthatsetsstudentsupforcollegesuccessaftertheFoundationtermiscritical.JillMarksspeakswithenthusiasmaboutfacultycollaborationsaroundintegratedthemesandproject‐basedlearningthatgrabstudents’interestsandempowerthemtoassesstheirownlearningprogress.Shenotedencouragingevidence(increasedcoursepassratesandfavorablefacultysurveyresponses)supportingthepremisethatcarefullychosenintegratedcurriculumthemesgivestudentsthechancetogainacademicknowledgealongwithpersonalinsightsthatsupporttheirresiliencyincollegeandlife.BenByers,GtCDirectorofEvaluationandIT,andJillMarksnoteConley’sanalysisofessentialcollegeknowledgeasareferencepointacrosstheNetwork.AteachGtCsite,facultymembersselecttheirownpreferredstrategiestoincreaserigorousstudy.GtCsitesscheduletimeforcollaborativeplanningasmuchaspossiblebutfindingtimeremainsanongoingchallenge.Thepressureoftraditionalcollegeculturewherepromotionandtenureguidelinestendtofavorresearchoverteaching,contentknowledgeoverprocessorskilldevelopment,canruncountertowhatisneededtoservethesenontraditionalstudents.Atthe2‐yearcollegelevel,tensionscanariseoverthequestion:“Whoisresponsibleforlearning,theteacherorthestudent?”InitialfacultyenthusiasmforGtCcanbetemperedbyfrustratingstudentbehavior.Wherepreviouslyfacultycoulddropastudentfromclass,theynowneedtokeepthestudentenrolledwhilepatientlyandpersistentlyholdingontohighexpectations,teachingbehaviorandbuildingstudentskills.Formanyinstructors,theexpectationtomaintainmoreinformalrelationshipswithstudentsandteachbehaviorrepresentsasignificantshiftincollegeculture.Byencouragingopportunitiesamongfacultyforrespectful,realisticdialogue,GtCleadershopetoresolvesomeoftheinherenttensionsinthisshift.GtCleadersalsoaimtohiremorefull‐timefacultywhoarecommittedtoandtalentedatworkingwithGtCstudentsfacultywhosharethevisionandarewillingtocreateandmodifycurriculum,sustainrelationships,teachbehaviors,andparticipateasfull‐timepartnersintheGtClearningcommunity.

Phase2:BridgeProgramming

AtGtC,highschooliscollege;theprogram’sphysicallocationmakesthelinesofdemarcationvirtuallyindistinguishable.Studentsarestudyingatcollegeandsucceedingincollege,whilecompletinghighschool.Intheprocess,theyareshiftingtheirself‐definitions,takingrisks,andexpandingwhattheybelieveispossible.Continuingrelationshipswithresourcespecialistsplayakeyrolehere:Studentsneedthestabilityandstrengths‐basedcounselingthathelpreinforcestudenttalentsandpromotetheirfutureindependence.AsschoolleadersalsoconfirmedatWBCHS,theimportancestudentsplaceonaconsistentgo‐topersonisimmeasurable:Studentsthrivewhentheycanrelyonaknownadultwhoservesasanallyandadvocate.

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WithDualEnrollment,studentsarebankingcollegecreditsthattheywillbeabletoaccesslater.Progressisnotalwayslinear.Asstudentsgetolder,theiradolescentissuesrecedeandadultissuestakeprecedence.Sometimesstudents“stopoutandreturnafewtermslater”accordingtoByersand“weneedtounderstandwhyandwhethertheprogramcanaddressthatornot.”AllGtCleadersinterviewednotedtheneedtolearnfromthestoriesofthosewhoparticipatedbutexitedbeforegraduation,tounderstandingreaterdetailwhatbarrierscontinuetoexist.Theylookforwardtoconstructingformalfeedbackloops.Forthepresent,theylistencloselytoanecdotalevidencegatheredthroughexitinterviewsatindividualGtCsitesandviaongoingrelationshipswithformerGtCstudentswhostayintouch.GtCpointstothreeareasofpromisingpracticecurrentlyinprocessacrosstheprogram:• maintainingacademicmomentumthroughsummerenrollmentandgraduation;

• maximizingstudentandstaff/facultycontactbyextendingtheinitialFoundationlearningcommunityexperiencetotwoterms,extendingregularadvisingcontactsthroughouttheGtCterms,andexpandingtherolesofGtCfaculty;and

• developingmorethematicintegratedcurriculaandproject‐basedlearningactivities.

Studiestomeasuretheeffectivenessofthesepracticesarecurrentlyinprocess,butresultsarenotyetavailable.Anecdotalstaffreportsarepositive.Onesiteimplementedmanyofthesepromisingpracticesin2008–2009andofferedtechnicalcareercertificationsaswell.Thesitereportedthatcoursepassageratesincreasedby10to24percentdependingonthecontentarea.Althoughduringthesameperiod,averageGPAatentrydecreased,thepercentageofminoritystudentsincreased,andtheaverageentryassessmentscoresremainedthesame.Averagehighschoolcreditaccrualpertermincreased,officialcollegeGPAincreased,andearlyretentionindicatorsshowedstrongresults.NewfundingisallowingGtCtodomorerigorousstudiesconnectingsuccessoutcomestothepromisingpractices.AccordingtoByer,sitesmakingthegreatestprogress“areaskingquestionsateveryturn.”Higheramountsofanalysisandreflectionseemtobeleadingtoimprovedresults.

Phase3:FirstYearSupports

Stayingconnectedmatters.Afterstudentsearntheirhighschooldiplomas,theyremaininaknownworldwhereitiscleartheynowbelongandcansucceed.Thisinfusesaneverydayrewardintothelivesofall.Studentsenjoyextendedrelationshipswithteachersandresourcespecialists—peopletheyhavecometotrust.Studentsreportthattheirrelationshipswithprogramstaffhavechangedtheirattitudestowardschoolandchangedtheirlives.Knowingwhotogotoforwhatanddrawingonafamiliar

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environmenttoreinforcetheirconfidencethattheycanandwillearntheirdegreesandfollowtheircareerdreams,studentscanmoreeffectivelynavigatethepostsecondaryworld.JillMarkscapturestheboonforfaculty:“Therewardisseeingyouthchangebeforeoureyes.Forfaculty,itisrewardingtofeelpartofsomethingsignificantandunique.Toseestudentsyouhaveknownandtaughtdowellincollegeclassesisverypowerful.”RecentdatavalidateprogressandindicatethatGtCstudentsoutperformthegeneralcommunitycollegepopulationenrolledindevelopmentaleducationcourses.Despiteverypoorattendanceinhighschool,GtCstudentshaveanoverallaverageattendancerateof87percentintheGtCprogram.Studentspass78percentofcollegecourses,includingdevelopmentaleducationcoursestakenintheGtCprogram.DataacrosstheGtCnetworkconfirmcompletionratesasseenintable2.

Table2: GatewaytoCol legeCourseCompletionComparison11

DevelopmentalEducationCollegeCourses

Transfer‐LevelCollegeCourses

English/Reading

MathEnglishReading

Math

HighSchoolDropouts inGTC

82% 70% 72% 64%

Degree‐Seeking CommunityCollegeStudents:

NCES1995(2‐yearpublic)[1] 72% 66%

Gerlaugh2007(2year)[2] 76% 68% 69% 58%

[1]Lewis,L.andFarris,E.(1996).RemedialEducationatHigherEducationInstitutionsinFall1995,(NCES97‐584).Washington,DC:U.S.DepartmentofEducation,NationalCenterforEducationStatistics.[2]Gerlaugh,K.,Thompson,L.,Boylan,H.andDavis,H.(2007).NationalStudyofDevelopmentalEducationII:BaselineDataforCommunityCollege.ResearchinDevelopmentalEducation.20(4)Retrievedfromwww.ncde.appstate.edu.

The2009GtCAnnualReportclaimsthatstudentsgraduatefromGtCwithahighschooldiplomaandanaverageof41collegesemestercreditsputtingthemwellontheirwaytoearninganassociate’sdegreeand95percentplantocontinueincollegeafterearningtheirdiploma.

11 Developmental education courses are remedial, designed to build students’ skills to a level where they are able to succeed in college courses that are part of a program of study leading to a degree. Transfer level courses are those regular college courses that do count toward a degree. Many students today enter college, take placement tests, and find they must first complete developmental education or remedial courses prior to enrolling in their planned program of study.

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Despiteencouragingdataandearlyconfirmationoftheprogram’svalue,GtCleadersbelieveanewsetofchallengesliesahead.Theybelievesolutionstothenexthurdleslieincollaborationsacrossorganizationalboundariesandareeagerfordialoguewithfansandcritics.Basedontheideathatapositive,powerful,motivatingcollegeexperiencedecreaseslong‐standingbarrierstooff‐trackstudentsuccess,GtCknowsafter6yearsthatitistrue:TheGtCmodelworks.However,GtCleadersresistanyhintofself‐satisfaction.Matherndescribeswheretheyaretoday:

Nowweareaskingwhatweneedtounderstandaboutteachingstrategiesandhowtofoldthoseintothemodel.Typically,thereislittleprofessionaldevelopmentandrewardfor,orattentionto,collegeinstruction.Surprisingresistancecancomeupwhennewideasarebroughttofaculty.Wearetryingtobridgethatdivide.

ByernotesanotherareainvolvingcollaborationwhereGtCleadersaregainingfiner‐grainedunderstanding:

Studentsarrivewithmultiplenonacademicchallengesandwedowhatwecantoconnectthemtosupports.Wearegettingbetteratmeetingtheiracademicneedsour1‐yearsurveysconfirmthatbutstudentstellusthattheirneedtoworklongerhoursortakecareofhealthandfamilyneedsposebarriersthatGtCcan’timpact.

LikeWBCHS,GtCviewsstudentsuccessincollegeandcareerasacommunityissue,onewherepartnersneedtoworktogetherstrategicallytoachieveresults.GtCleadersactivelyseektojoinwithothersaroundalocallydrivencommonmissionateachGtCsite:theincreasedcollegeandcareersuccessofacommunity’syouth.

Work‐BasedLearningAnchoringLearningto RelevantExperienceWestBrooklynCommunityHighSchoolandGatewaytoCollegeincorporatework‐basedlearning(WBL)activitiesbecausetheywanttoemphasizethereallinkagesbetweenacademicsandstudents’futureplans.Inbothmodels,WBLfitswithintheBackonTrackPhase2:BridgeProgrammingas“intentionalcareerexplorationandplanningthattakesintoaccountstudents’careeraspirationsandhelpsdrivecollegeprogramofstudy(JobsfortheFuture,2010).”Althoughtheyusedifferentstrategies,WBCHSandGtCarefindingsimilarpositiveresults:studentsfindwork‐basedlearningactivitiestobemotivating,interesting,andareasontorededicatethemselvestotheirstudies,andfacultyseektoreinforceWBLrequirementsintheiracademicprogramsforoff‐trackyouth(Polo,2010;Forsyth,2010;Marks,2010).Intheprocess,bothmodelsare

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expandingtheirunderstandingofwhatWBLisandwhatitcanbe.BecausebothWBCHSandGtChavefoundWBLtobeacompelling,high‐leveragestrategy,thispaperdelvesdeeperintowhatWBLlookslikeatthesetwopartnershipmodelsaswellasotherencouragingexamplesacrossthecountry.

Overviewof Work‐BasedLearning

Inarecentsurveyofyouthwhodroppedoutofhighschool,81percentofsurveyrespondentssaidthatifschoolsprovidedhands‐on‐learningopportunitiessuchasservice‐learningprojects,jobshadows,andinternshipstheywouldhavebeenmorelikelytograduatefromhighschool(Bridgelandetal.,2006).WBLprovidesstudentswiththeopportunitytoconnectclassroomlearningtotasksinaworksetting.Itisthere,whereabstractconceptsaregivenconcreteapplications,thatoff‐trackstudentsoftenthrivetheyfeelproudabouthavingajob,earningapaycheck,andinmanycases,contributingtheirearningstofamilyexpenses.WhyincorporateWBLinhighschool?Inarecentreport,TheSilentEpidemicPerspectivesofHighSchoolDropouts,thenumberonereasonthatstudentscitedfordroppingoutwasthatclasseswerenotinteresting(Bridgelandetal.,2006).Coursecontentmustberelevanttostudents’lives,otherwiseboredomandapathysetin,especiallyinlargeclasseswherestudentscanbecomeinvisibletoteachers.Studentswithahistoryofacademicfailureneedmoreteacherattentionandeducationplanstailoredtotheirinterests.Whethertheeducationalsettingisanalternativeschool,traditionalhighschool,oracommunitycollege,off‐trackstudentsbenefitfromopportunitiestoapplywhattheylearninarealworldsetting.Inadditiontoincreasinghighschoolgraduationratesanddevelopingworkplacecompetencies,arecentstudyshowsthatWBLexperiencessuchasjobshadowingandinternshipsincreaseparticipationinpostsecondaryeducation(NeumarkandRothstein,2005).

Phase2:BridgeProgramming

ExamplesofWork‐BasedLearningInAction.Whenoff‐trackstudentsareguidedtothinkaboutlifeafterhighschoolandthenparticipateinWBLoutsideoftheclassroom,thestudentsgainexperiencethatisoftentransformational.Work‐basedexperiencestransportstudentsfromfamiliarclassroomsettingstoworldstheymayneverhaveimagined,andcanleadthemtoseethemselvesinnewways.Companytours,jobshadows,andpaidandunpaidinternshipsareallstrategiesthatprovidevaryinglevelsofworkplaceexposure.Eachrequiresincreasedlevelsofresourcesandadulteffort,bothduringtheschoolyearandoverthesummermonths,tocoordinatestudents’WBLactivitiesandacademicprograms.

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WBCHScreatesWBLexperiencesforstudentsthroughtheNewYorkCityDepartmentofEducationLearning‐to‐WorkProgram12,anintegratedworkforcereadinessandstudentsupportprogramthatincorporatescareerpreparation,workforceconnections,academicsupport,andsupportservices.InLearning‐to‐Work(LTW)atWBCHS,studentsdevelopemployabilityskillswhiletheygettoseeandfeelatangibleconnectiontowhatelsetheycoulddointheworld.Internshipsaredevelopmentalwithscaffoldingfrom“closetohome”opportunitiestomoredistantbusinesseswithopportunitiesforpaycommensuratewithincreasinglyresponsiblesituations.TheyouthinternshipcoordinatorfromGoodShepherdServicesservesasabridgebetweenLTWandtheWBCHSteachersinacademicclasses.Thispersonestablishesclearexpectationsaboutwhatcountsintherealworld(e.g.,attendance,grades,punctuality,teamwork,andeffectivecommunication)andidentifiesskillsbeingdevelopedatLTWsitesthatteacherscanreinforceinclasses.IntheGatewaytoCollegeNationalNetwork,RiversideCommunityCollegeusesWBLtomotivateitsstudents,weavingcareerandtechnicaleducation(CTE)intostudents’courseworkwiththehopethatincreasedrelevancewillspuracceleratedlearning.Riversideadministratorsconsultedwithregionaleconomistsandalocalworkforceagencytodeterminetheeconomicviabilityofthreecareerpathwaysoffered:automotivetechnologies,logisticsmanagement,andmanufacturingtechnology.Then,facultyatthecollegeandworksitesclarifiedexpectationsandidentifiedwhatstudentsneedtoknowandlearn,therebyassuringstudentsthattrainingopportunitiesalignwiththeircollegecourses.AfederalTechPrepgrantprovidedthespringboardforRiverside’sschool‐to‐careerladders,givingtheschoolthestart‐upfundsnecessary.NowRiversidestudentscanbuildidentificationwiththeirchosencommunitycollegecareerpathwayastheyearnindustryentry‐levelcertification.Withanindustrycertificateinhand,astudentcanqualifyforaliving‐wagejobandmanagetopaythebillswhilecontinuingtopursueacollegedegree.Riversidehasfounditswork‐basedlearningprogramalleviatesstress,particularlyforolderstudentswhofacepressuretojustifythevalueoftheirtimeatschoolandcontributetothefamilyincome.Otherwork‐basedlearningexamplesacrossthecountryofferpromisingideastoschoolsthatwanttoaddrelevancetotheirBackonTrackBridgeProgramming.Often,schoolswillpartnerwithworkforceintermediariestocoordinateopportunitiesfortheirstudents.Workforceintermediariescanbeespeciallyhelpfulinkeepingyouthon‐trackduringthesummermonths.ResearchconductedbytheConnectedby25InitiativeinPortland,Oregon,foundthatoff‐trackstudentsaremorelikelytodropoutfromschool

12 Learning to Work (LTW) is an in-depth job readiness and career exploration program designed to enhance the academic component of select Young Adult Borough Centers (YABCs), Transfer Schools, and GED programs. The goal of LTW is to help students overcome obstacles that may impede their progress toward earning a high school diploma and lead them toward rewarding employment and educational experiences after graduation. LTW offers academic and student support, career and educational exploration, work preparation, skills development, and internships. (Retrieved July 19, 2010 from http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/AlternativesHS/LearningtoWork/default.htm.)

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duringthesummermonthswhentheyareidleandawayfromschool(CelioandLeveen,2007).Whenstudentsparticipateinsummeremployment,theyaremorelikelytostayinschool,graduate,andearnmoreintheirlifetimethanyouthwhodon’tworkduringthesummer(Sumetal.,2010).InMassachusetts,theDepartmentofElementaryandSecondaryEducation(MDESE)adoptedWBLasastatewidestrategytoincreasehighschooldiplomaattainmentamongtheirmostvulnerableyouth(ELL,specialeducation,andlow‐income).Structuredinternshipsandcareerexplorationactivitiesareprovidedinhealthcare,engineering,finance,journalism,webdesign,andpublicsafety.Auniformwork‐basedlearningplanisusedforallinternships.ThePrivateIndustryCouncil(PIC),aworkforceintermediary,coordinatessummerinternshipsforBostonpublicschoolsandrunsaprogramcalledClassroomintheWorkplace(CinW)thatcombinesacademicremediationwithsummeremploymentforstudentswhoscorebelowpassingontheMCAS.13EmployerswhoparticipateinCinWagreetoprovide20hoursperweekofemploymentwithanadditional1.5hourseachdayofpaid“professionaldevelopment,”inwhichstudentemployeespreparefortheMCASattheworkplace.TheemployeragreestopaywagestothestudentsforworkandclasshoursandtoprovideconferenceroomspaceonthepremisesforthedailyMCASprepclass(thePICpaysfortheinstructor).Thismodelshowstheimportancethatemployersplaceonensuringtheiremployeesearnahighschooldiplomabyemphasizingandpayingfor“professionaldevelopment”astheywouldforotheremployees.Behindthescenes,acadreofPICcareerspecialistsareinschoolsallyearlongtoensurethateligibleyouthareidentified,recruited,andmatchedwithasuitablejob.Onaverage,1,500youthages16andolderparticipateinCinWeverysummer.Effectiveinternships,documentedinalearningplan,arestructuredtoincorporategoalsandlearningobjectivesforstudentskillacquisitionandaredevelopedjointlybythestudent,supervisor,andcareerspecialist.Thelearningplandriveslearningandproductivity(Westrichetal.,2008).Thisin‐depthplanincludesa“jobdescription”andspecificworkplacecompetenciesandskillstobedevelopedduringthestudent’sexperience.KeithWestrich,directorofConnectingActivitiesatMDESE,stressestheimportanceofstructuringinternshipstomeetspecificlearningobjectivesbyemphasizing,“Itisonethingtogetthemplaceditisanotherefforttoactuallybuildskills.”

13 The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS, is a standardized test that is taken by public school students in grades 3 through 10 (excluding grade 9, however). All 10th graders in Massachusetts public schools must pass the MCAS exam to graduate from high school.

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Softskillsareessentialforsuccessintoday’sworkplaceandaredifficulttoteachintheclassroom.Softskillsarenotsomuchaboutthe“what”ofthejobbutaboutthe“how”itgetsdone(MurnaneandLevy,1996).TheMassachusettswork‐basedlearningplan(WBLP)emphasizesthedevelopmentofbothhardandsoftskillsnecessaryforcareersuccess.Theplanaddressessupervisor’sexpectationsrelatedtoattendanceandpunctuality;workplaceappearance;howtoacceptdirectionandconstructivecriticism,andhowtospeak,listen,andinteractwithcoworkers.Italsoprovidesinformationontheworkplaceculture,policies,andsafetyprocedures.Atthemiddleandendoftheworkexperience,supervisorsevaluatestudentperformance.Asonecareerspecialistexplained,thisprovidesastructuredwayforyouthtoreceiveprofessionalfeedbackwithoutfeelingliketheyaregetting“jumped.”Thecombinationofclassroomlearning,realworkexperience,andaWBLPtomeasureskilldevelopmentallowsCinWparticipantstothrive.ElspethDennison,CinWcoordinator,expoundsonthebenefits:

Weseeoverandoveragain,studentsdevelopawholedifferentperspectiveonwhotheyareandwhattheycando.Kidswhofeellikefailures,whoconstantlydealwithdamaginginternaldialogue,getthepositiveexperienceofhavingajobdowntown,inahigh‐rise,wheretheywearatieandtheyareappreciatedfortheirwork.Theygetregularfeedbackandthereisimmediatepayoff.Shykidsopenup;theybeamandareproudtospeakabouttheirexperience.

TheprogramretentionrateforCinWismorethan85percent,andtheattendanceandpunctualityrateamongthosewhostayishigherthan90percent—successfulmeasuresforstudentswhohaveahistoryofpoorschoolattendanceandacademicfailure,studentswhoareusedtofindingbarriersandgivingup.AnalysisofoutcomedatacollectedfromWBLPfoundthat57percentofstudentswhoparticipatedininternshipexperienceswithacademicsupportshowedsufficientimprovementintheirMCASscores,allowingthemtograduatewithadiploma—comparedto43percentofstudentswhodidnotparticipateinthesameactivities(Westrichetal.,2008).(Seeappendix2foracopyofthework‐basedlearningplan.)LeveragingPartnershipswithWorkforceIntermediaries. Examplesfromseveralurbanareasdemonstratehowschooldistrictsandpostsecondaryinstitutionscancollaboratetostrengthenstudents’careerpathwaysbyleveragingpartnershipswithworkforceintermediariesliketheBostonPIC.Withlimitedresourcestoachieveambitiouseducationaloutcomes,practitionerscanpartnerwithpubliclyfundedentitiesthatfocusonworkforcedevelopmentforoff‐trackyouthandadults.Theeducationandworkforcesystemssharethesamegoaltoprepareyouthforcontinuingpostsecondaryeducationandtheworkforce;however,theyoperateinisolationatthefederallevel.Atthelocallevel,aswithPortland,Oregon,andBoston,Massachusetts,educationandworkforcefundsareoftenblendedtoprovidecomprehensiveservicestoeligibleyouth.

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WorkforceInvestmentBoards(WIB),14locatedinsubregionsthroughouteachstate,administerDepartmentofLaborWorkforceInvestmentAct(WIA)fundsfortrainingandemploymentservicesforeligibleat‐riskyouth,adults,anddislocatedworkers.WIAyouthfunds,whichserve14‐to21‐year‐olds,emphasizetheattainmentofacredential,theachievementofliteracyandnumeracygains,andsuccessfulplacementinemploymentorpostsecondaryeducation.InPortland,Oregon,Worksystems,Inc.,thelocalworkforceintermediary,administersWIAfunds.Throughacompetitiveprocurementprocess,Worksystemscontractswithalternativeschoolsandcommunity‐basedorganizationstosupportattainmentofasecondarycredentialandsuccessfultransitiontoandpersistenceinpostsecondaryeducationfordisconnected,low‐incomeyouthwhohavebarrierstoemployment.MostoftheseprogramsblendWIAfundswithOregonDepartmentofEducationAverageDailyMembershipFunds15toprovideafullarrayofservicestosupporttransitionsthroughtheeducationcontinuum.Portlandisseeingencouragingresults,with51percentofWIA‐fundedyouthsuccessfullyenteringpostsecondaryeducationuponattainmentofahighschooldiplomaorGED.ForprogramsthatwanttouseWBLforitsoff‐trackstudents,earlyadopterssuchasWBCHS,GtC,andothersdescribedinthispaperofferpromisingstartingpoints.Strategiccollaborationsamongeducationalandworkforceorganizationsareoftenrecommended,andtheymustcometogetherbasedonasoundanalysisofthelocaleconomy’sfutureneedsandtrends.Whenstudentsknowthecommunityisworkingtogetherontheirbehalf,theycanmakemoreconfidentchoicesabouttheirfuture,trustingthattheircollegeandcareerchoiceswillpayoffinthefuture.

Pers istentIssuesYet ToBeSolvedAlthoughsuccessinsupportingoff‐trackstudentstocollegeandcareerisevident,severalpressingissuescontinuetostymieprogress.Theseissuesincludethefollowing:Lackofknowledgeabout whatworksandwhy.Theneedpersiststounderstandwhatapproachesworkbestfordifferentstudentsandwhy.Butevaluationsarecostly;financialsupportisneededtoconductstudiesthatdetermineeffectivepromisingstrategiesandprograms.(Bloom,2010;Brock,2010).Todate,weknowfarmoreaboutprograminputsthanresults(HarrisandGanzglass2008).Structural barr iersbetweenhighschool andcol leges. Thelackofalignmentbetweenhighschoolstandardsandcollegeentryrequirementscanconfuseandfrustratemanystudents.TheyfindthateventhoughtheypassedhighschoolEnglishandmathcourses,theircollegeplacementscoresshowthattheymustpassdevelopmentaleducationcoursesfirst.Theexcitementofcollegeaccesspalesinthe

14 Go to www.servicelocator.org/WorkforceContacts.asp to find WIB contact information by state. 15 “Average daily membership" or "ADM" means the aggregate days membership of a school during a certain period divided by the number of days the school was actually in session during the same period.

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faceofrequiredremediationcoursesthatdon’treallycounttowardadegreeorcareercertification—andtheyarecostly.Wealsoneeddatasystemsthatcommunicateacrosslevelsanddatasystemsthatcaninformhighschoolsandcollegesaboutwhatisneededforstrongerpre‐collegepreparationandhowdifferentlypreparedgraduatesperform.Sharingthecostofhelpingoff‐trackyouthsucceed. Findingtheresourcestosupportthehighschool‐to‐collegetransitionischallengingforallconcernedparties.Ifweareseriousaboutensuringsuccessatthenextlevel,thenweneedtoprovideincentivesforboththesendingandreceivinginstitutionstoworkacrosstheirorganizationalboundaries.Collaborationsareessential.Historically,schooldistrictshavebornethefinancialburdenforoff‐trackstudents,whilethecommunityasawholereapsthebenefitswhendropoutssucceedincollegeandcareer.Costsandbenefitsneedtobesharedthroughsmart,strategiccollaborationsatthehighschoollevelandcontinuingintocollegeandcareerbecausetheultimatecommunitycostsofoff‐trackstudentfailuresareinsupportableinthelongterm.Adoptingaposit iveorientation.Thehealthyshiftfromadeficittoanasset‐basedapproachorientsusalltowardwhattodo,whatstrengthscanbebuiltupon,andwhathighergoalswecanstrivefor.Anoffshootoftheasset‐basedapproach,theincreasedappreciationforstudentvoiceandinvolvementindecisionmaking,mightofferreinvigoratedvisionsofwhatyoungpeoplecando.Theexamplesdescribedinthispaperpointusinaproductivedirection,showingusthatsomeschoolsareachievingsuccesswithoff‐trackstudents.Theirlessons—theirbreakthroughsandstickingpoints—showuswhatcanbeachievedwithsomeofourtraditionallymostchallengingstudents.Nodoubtallschoolswouldbenefitfromlearningmoreabouttheirstrategies.Changingthelifetrajectoriesofchildrenandyouthfromrisktoresiliencestartswithchangingthebeliefsoftheadultsintheirfamilies,schools,andcommunities(Benard,2004).Everydistrictwillhaveasetofstudentsthatneedstobereachedandsupportedindifferentways,buttheydonothavetobelesserways.Weknowoff‐trackstudents—notonlyafewremarkableexceptionsbutall—cansucceedincollegeandcareer.Nowourchallengeistoprioritizetheirsuccessandcraftthecollaborationsthatcandeliverit.

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ReferencesAllen,L.(2010,June).BackonTrackThreePhases.PaperpresentedatthemeetingofJobsfortheFuture…,Boston.

AllianceforExcellentEducation.(2010).EconomicBenefitsofReducingDropoutRatesAmongStudentsofColorintheNation’sForty‐FiveLargestMetropolitanAreas.RetrievedJuly7,2010fromwww.all4ed.org/publication_materials/EconMSAsoc.

Barton,P.E.(2005).One‐ThirdofaNation:RisingDropoutRatesandDecliningOpportunities.PolicyInformationCenter,EducationalTestingService.

Benard,B.(2004).Resiliency:WhatWeHaveLearned.SanFrancisco:WestEd.

Bloom,D.(2010).ProgramsandPoliciestoAssistHighSchoolDropoutsintheTransitiontoAdulthood.TheFutureofChildren,20(1):89‐108.

Bridgeland,J.,Dilulio,J.,Morrison,K.(2006).TheSilentEpidemic:PerspectivesofHighSchoolDropouts.CivicEnterprisesinassociationwithPeterD.HartResearchAssociatesfortheBill&MelindaGatesFoundation.Washington,DC:CivicEnterprises.Availableathttp://www.civicenterprises.net.

Brock,T.(2010,Spring).YoungAdultsandHigherEducation:BarriersandBreakthroughstoSuccess.TheFutureofChildren,20(1):109‐132.

Celio,M.B.,andLeveen,L.(2007).TheFourthR:NewResearchShowsWhichAcademicIndicatorsAretheBestPredictorsofHighSchoolGraduation—andWhatInterventionsCanHelpMoreKidsGraduate.Portland,OR:PortlandSchoolsFoundation.

Colvin,R.L.(2010,July/August).FightingtheDropoutCrisis:CantheObamaAdministrationGetMoreHighSchoolerstoGraduate?ATaleofThreeCitiesThatAreTrying.WashingtonMonthlySpecialReport.Availableathttp://www.washingtonmonthly.com.

Conley,D.T.(2005).CollegeKnowledge:WhatItReallyTakesforStudentstoSucceedandWhatWeCanDoToGetThemReady.SanFrancisco:Jossey‐Bass.

Conley,D.T.(2007,March).TowardaMoreComprehensiveConceptionofCollegeReadiness.Eugene,OR:EducationalPolicyImprovementCenter.Availableathttp://www.collegiatedirections.org.

GatewaytoCollegeAnnualReport(2010).RetrievedonJuly2,2010fromhttp://www.gatewaytocollege.org/home.asp

Harris,L.,andGanzglass,E.(2008).CreatingPostsecondaryPathwaystoGoodJobsforYoungHighSchoolDropouts:ThePossibilitiesandtheChallenges.Washington,DC:CenterforAmericanProgress.Availableathttp://www.americanprogress.org.

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JobsfortheFuture.(2010).Informationonprogramsandpublications.RetrievedJuly7‐8,2010,fromwww.jff.org.

Lieber,C.M.(2009).IncreasingCollegeAccessThroughSchool‐BasedModelsofPostsecondaryPreparation,Planning,andSupport.Cambridge,MA:EducatorsforSocialResponsibility.

Mathern,N.,andByers,B.(2010).GatewaytoCollege2010.PresentationmaterialsforNationalNetworkReport.

Murnane,R.,andLevyF.(1996).TeachingtheNewBasicSkills:PrinciplesforEducatingChildrentoThriveinaChangingEconomy.NewYork:TheFreePress.

NationalCenterforEducationStatistics.(2010).RetrievedJune29,2010,fromhttp.//nces.ed.gov/fastfacts.

Neumark,D.,andRothstein,D.(2005).DoSchool‐to‐WorkProgramsHelpthe‘ForgottenHalf’?(NBER2005‐11636).Cambridge,MA:NationalBureauofEconomicResearchWorkingPaper.

Rothman,M.(2010).NYCLearning‐to‐WorkTransferSchools:LessonsfromtheFirst5Years.PowerpointpresentationtoChicagoPublicSchools.

Stid,D.,O’Neill,K.,andColby,S.(2009).PortlandPublicSchools:FromDataandDecisionstoImplementationandResultsinDropoutPrevention.SanFrancisco:TheBridgespanGroup.

Sum,A.,Khatiwada,I.,andMcLaughlin,J.(2010).TheLostDecadeforTeenandYoungAdultEmploymentinIllinois:TheCurrentDepressionintheLaborMarketfor16‒24YearOldsintheNationandState.Boston:CenterforLaborMarketStudies,NortheasternUniversity.

Westrich,K.,andLeonard,J.(2008,March).ConnectingActivities:MakingtheWorkplaceaLearningPlace.Malden,MA:MassachusettsDepartmentofElementaryandSecondaryEducation,OfficeofStrategicPlanning,Research,andEvaluation.

Interviews (conductedJune–August,2010)

WestBrooklynCommunityHighSchool,NewYork,NY

• RachelForsyth,DirectorofTransferSchools,GoodShepherdServices,NewYorkCity

• LilianaPolo,Principal,WestBrooklynCommunityHighSchool

• MichaelRothman,Consultant,NewYorkCityDepartmentofEducationOfficeofMultiplePathwaysandGoodShepherdServices

• JeanThomases,Consultant,NewVisionsforPublicSchoolsandGoodShepherdServices,NewYorkCity

GatewaytoCollege,PortlandOR

• BenByers,DirectorofEvaluation&IT

• LaurelDukehart,President

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• LindaHuddle,FoundingDirector,GatewaytoCollegePortlandCommunityCollegeCampus

• JillMarks,ProjectDirector,Workforce&ResourceDevelopment,RiversideCommunityCollegeEarlyCollegeHighSchools,RiversideCA

• NickMathern,AssociateVicePresident,Policy&PartnershipDevelopment

PortlandPublicSchools,PortlandOR

• JenniVillano,Director,EducationOptions

JobsfortheFuture,BostonMA

• LiliAllen,ProgramDirector

MassachusettsDepartmentofElementaryandSecondaryEducation

• KeithWestrich,DirectorofConnectingActivities

BostonPrivateIndustryCouncil

• ElsbethDennison,ClassroomintheWorkplaceCoordinator

• GabyJean‐Pierre,CareerSpecialist

• SallyHeckel,PostsecondaryCoordinator

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Appendix1:GatewaytoCollegeNational Network

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Appendix2:MassachusettsWork‐BasedLearningPlanMassachusetts Work‐BasedLearningPlanTheMassachusettsWork‐BasedLearningPlanisadiagnostic,goalsettingandassessmenttooldesignedtodrivelearningandproductivityonthejob.

Participant's

Name: Participant'sID#

(ifapplicable):

Worksite: SupervisorName:

JobTitle: TeacherName: CareerSpecialist/FacilitatorName: School/Program:

StartDate: ReviewDate#1:

ReviewDate#2:

JobDescription:

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1Section1: FoundationSki l ls

Instruc tions:TheFoundationSkillsonthispagearecommontoalljobsandshouldbeviewedasthefoundationuponwhichspecificworkplaceandcareerskillsareadded.PleasereviewanddiscussthefollowingFoundationSkillsthatwillsetthebasicexpectationsforthejoborinternship.TheseskillswillbeincludedintheevaluationinSection3.

WORKETHICANDPROFESSIONALISMSkill PerformanceExpectations

AttendanceandPunctuality ShowingupintimelymannerpreparedforworkProvidingsufficientnoticeifunabletoreportforwork

WorkplaceAppearance DressingappropriatelyforpositionanddutiesPracticingpersonalhygieneappropriateforpositionandduties

AcceptingDirectionandConstructiveCriticism

Acceptingdirectionandfeedbackwithpositiveattitudethroughappropriateverbalandnon‐verbalcommunicationskillsDisplayingwillingnesstoworkinacooperativemanner

MotivationandTakingInitiative

ParticipatingfullyintaskorprojectfrominitiationtocompletionInitiatinginteractionwithsupervisorfornexttaskorprojectuponsuccessfulcompletionofpreviousone

UnderstandingWorkplaceCulture,PolicyandSafety

DemonstratingunderstandingofworkplacecultureandpolicyComplyingwithhealthandsafetyrulesforthespecificworkplaceRespectingconfidentialityandexhibitingunderstandingofworkplaceethics

COMMUNICATIONANDINTERPERSONALSKILLSSkill PerformanceExpectations

Speaking ‐ Speakingclearly‐ Usinglanguageappropriatetotheenvironment,bothinpersonandonphone

Listening ‐ Listeningattentively‐ Makingandmaintainingeyecontactappropriatetotheworkplaceculture‐ Confirmingunderstanding

InteractingwithCo‐Workers ‐ Relatingpositivelywithco‐workers‐ Workingproductivelywithindividualsandinteams‐ Respectingracialandculturaldiversity

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2Section2: Specific WorkplaceandCareerSki l ls

Instruc tions:ChoosethespecificWorkplaceandCareerSkillsthatyouwillfocusonduringthisworkplaceexperience,concentratingonskillareasthatrelatetotheindividual'sjobdescription,thecompany'sgoals,theindividual'sacademicorcareergoalsorotherrelevantskills.Selectfromthelistoraddadditionalskills.Foreachoftheskillareasyouselect,pleasebrieflydescriberelatedjobtasksandperformancegoals.

•CollectingandOrganizingInformation

•ComputerTechnology•CriticalThinking•InteractingwithCustomersorClients

•Leadership

•MathematicsandNumericAnalysis

•ProblemSolving•ProjectManagement•Reading•ResearchandAnalysis

•TeachingandInstructing•TimeManagement•UnderstandingAllAspectsofanIndustry

•Writing•Occupation‐SpecificSkills

•ORIDENTIFYYOUROWNSPECIFICWORKPLACESKILLSSpecif ic Workplace andCareer Skills

TasksandPerformance Goals

Skill#1:

Skill#2:

Skill#3:

Skill#4:

Skill#5:

Skill#6:

Skill#7:

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3Section3: EvaluationofPerformanceandProgress

Instruc tions:Pleasemeetatleasttwiceduringtheworkplaceexperiencetoreviewperformanceandprogressandtosetadditionalgoalsasneeded.Thefirstreviewmeeting(Review1)shouldtakeplaceduringthefirstfewweekstoassesstheindividual'slevelofcompetencyandtosetgoals.Thenextreviewmeeting(Review2)shouldbescheduledatthatmeetingtoreviewprogress.

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) PerformanceAssessment(Seekeybelow)

PerformanceImprovementPlanNeeded

NeedsDevelopment

Competent Proficient Advanced

FOUNDATIONSKILLS WorkEthic andProfessionalism Goals

AttendanceandPunctuality

Review#1

Review#2

WorkplaceAppearance

Review#1

Review#2

AcceptingDirectionandConstructiveCriticism

Review#1

Review#2

MotivationandTakingInitiative

Review#1

Review#2

UnderstandingWorkplaceCulture,PolicyandSafety

Review#1

Review#2

Communication and Interpersonal Skil ls Goals

Speaking

Review#1

Review#2

Listening

Review#1

Review#2

InteractingwithCo‐Workers

Review#1

Review#2

(1) Performance

ImprovementPlanNeeded

Isnotyetdemonstratingthefoundationskillsrequiredforthepositionandneedstohaveaformalplanforimprovingskillsandperformance

(2) NeedsDevelopment

Beginningtodemonstrateanddevelopthefoundationskillsrequiredfortheposition

(3) Competent Demonstratesfoundationskillsrequiredfortheposition

(4) Proficient Consistentlydemonstratesfoundationskillsrequiredforthepositionandshowsinitiativeinimprovingownskills

KEY

(5) Advanced Consistentlydemonstratesthefoundationskillsrequiredforthepositionandshowsinitiativeinimprovingownskillsandusingtheseskillstosupporttheworkoftheorganization

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Section3: EvaluationofPerformanceandProgress(Continued)

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) PerformanceAssessment(Seekey)

PerformanceImprovementPlanNeeded

NeedsDevelopment

Competent Proficient Advanced

Specif ic Workplace andCareer Skil ls fromSection2 Goals

Skill#1:

Review#1

Review#2

Skill#2:

Review#1

Review#2

Skill#3:

Review#1

Review#2

Skill#4:

Review#1

Review#2

Skill#5:

Review#1

Review#2

Skill#6:

Review#1

Review#2

Skill#7:

Review#1

Review#2

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COMMENTS ANDSIGNATURES

Review#1:

ParticipantSignature: Date:

SupervisorSignature: Date:

CareerSpecialist/Facilitator/TeacherSignature: Date:

Review#2:

ParticipantSignature: Date:

SupervisorSignature: Date:

CareerSpecialist/Facilitator/TeacherSignature: Date: