copyright © texas education agency, 2008. all rights reserved. achievetexas and texas tech prep: a...

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

AchieveTexas and Texas Tech Prep: A True Partnership

Karen L. Alexander, [email protected] Texas Tech University

October 2008

PPT Notes will be available at www.achievetexas.org, under Implementation.

Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2008. All Rights Reserved. 210-24-08

Lone Star State Snapshot…

Quarter of a million square miles (261,797 sq miles). Second only to Alaska in Land area.

Population of 23 million residents. 2nd largest civilian workforce in the nation

11.5 million workers. 143 institutions of Higher Education. Texas Education Agency (TEA) provides

leadership, guidance, and resources to over 1,000 school districts.

20 Education Service Centers.


AchieveTexas College and Career Initiative

Organized with Career ClustersImprove student achievement – both

academic and technicalPromote successful transitions from

secondary to postsecondary educationSupport workforce and economic

development


Society Pays the Price

Class of 2007 dropouts will cost the U.S. $330 Billion in lost wages and productivity over their lifetime.

U.S. could save between $7.9 and $10.8 billion annually by improving educational attainment among all recipients of TANF, food stamps, and housing assistance.

A high school dropout contributes about $60,000 less in taxes over a lifetime.

If the male graduation rate were increased by only 5 percent, the nation would see an annual savings of $4.9 billion in crime-related costs.

America could save more than $17 billion in Medicaid and expenditures for health care for the uninsured by graduating all students.

(Alliance for Excellent Education, 2007)


Career Clusters and Programs of Study can help to make learning more challenging and school more relevant to students, thereby increasing their involvement in education.

A Part of the Solution


AchieveTexas is based upon…

Concept - Students can succeed in school, career, and life if they plan their own individual college and career success.

Philosophy - No career option is intrinsically better than the other. Whether the choice is right or not depends on the personal goals of the student.

Goal - To prepare students for college and career, and allow them to choose the options that are best for them.


AchieveTexas Framework…

Supports numerous reform initiatives and educational programs, Career Guidance Expectations Career Academies Small Learning Communities Regional Career Centers Magnet Schools Project Lead The Way High Schools That Work T-STEM


Career Development Spans All Grades

Elementary school focuses on understanding the importance and value of work and jobs.

Middle school focuses on initial career exploration.

High school focuses on programs of study.Postsecondary education or training

focuses on career preparation.


Counselor Guide and

Counselor Kits

AchieveTexas Resources


Benefits for Counselors

Meets TEC §28.0212—Personal Graduation Plans (PGPs)

Meets TEC §33.007—Counseling Public School Students Regarding Higher Education

Supports TEC §33.005—Model Comprehensive, Developmental Guidance, and Counseling Program


College and Career Guides

16Cluster GuidesAvailable on the website in the

e-zine format.

Hardcopies available for order through PrinTech.


TEA Introduction Governor’s Industry Clusters Career Planning Information Career Clusters and Programs of Study Texas Achievement Plan

Each Cluster Guide Includes


Cluster Profile Career Information What Employers Want Cool Careers Spotlight on schools Extended learning options

And …


Portfolio development Postsecondary education programs College admissions Financial Aid Career resources

And …


Upcoming Products

Spanish College and Career Planning GuideOne guide covering all 16 clusters October 2008 target delivery dateE-zine format will be available

Resources for Elementary CounselorsBest Practices Guidebooks

Local ImplementationCounselor Implementation


Spanish College and Career Guide


Programs of Study

AchieveTexas

AchieveTexas Programs of

Study 115+ Models

Available

What is a Program of Study?

1. Nationally recognized logos identify the Career Cluster for each model.


2. Program of Study names, established in the State's Career Cluster Initiative (www.careerclusters.org ), head each model. They focus attention upon a specific career field within a cluster.


3. Cluster Overviews maintain the 16 U.S. Department of Education Career Cluster definitions.


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


5. Career Options provide examples of contemporary job titles currently appearing in sources, such as WorkInTexas (https://wit.twc.state.tx.us). Jobs are correlated to the postsecondary education typically required for a career.

What is a Program of Study?6. High School Suggested

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


7. Certificates shown on the models are associated with specific courses. Use the Certification Finder at Career InfoNet (www.acinet.org/acinet) to investigate post-secondary certifications.


8. Example Postsecondary program names are identified from the Associates level through Graduate Degrees. Names are based upon the CIP Code Names. Could be edited to highlight local articulation partners.

What is a Program of Study?9. Extended Learning

Experiences include Work-Based Learning, Curricular, and Extracurricular activities. Participation in and support of Career and Technical Student Organizations (i.e. BPA, DECA, FBLA, FCCLA, FFA, TSA, HOSA, or SkillsUSA) is especially important to AchieveTexas. While campuses might modify their list of Extracurricular and Service Learning Experiences, examples should always cohesively extend meaningful learning in settings suitable and safe for students.

Students could record volunteer service in their portfolios, or participate in a program such as The President's Volunteer Service Award (http://www.presidentialserviceawards.org/index.cfm) where school groups may, likewise, record their service hours.


Copyright © Texas Education Agen

cy, 2008.

All rights

reserved.

32

Adolescent developmentWorking with students in generational

poverty.

AchieveTexas is a Best Practice


Copyright © Texas Education Agen

cy, 2008.

All rights

reserved.

33

Abstract vs. concrete thinkingLife planning, goal setting, career and

college planning can be very abstractPayne suggests that mental models

are necessary for making the abstract become concrete.

Adolescent thinking???


Mental Models

To translate the concrete to the abstract, the mind needs to hold the information in a mental model.

Can be a two-dimensional visual representation, a story, a metaphor, or an analogy.

When directly taught, abstract information can be learned much more quickly because the mind has a way to hold it.

One of the most important models for students to have is for time, which includes a representation of a past, present, and future.

Programs of Study are mental models!

Program of Study is a Mental Model


AchieveTexas

Postsecondary Transitions


Vertical Alignment

Vertical alignment process between high school and community college career and technical education courses.

Create connectivity and continuity between secondary and postsecondary curriculum that promotes seamless transitions for students leaving high school, entering college and into the workforce.

http://www.txcareerclusters.org/


Best Practice of Vertical Alignment

Texas Tech University College of Engineering, South Plains College, the Lubbock Independent School District and the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance have partnered to develop a Seamless Automotive Technology Curriculum.

The educational program of study provided by the Seamless Automotive Technology Curriculum allow high school students to participate in automotive programs without limiting their opportunities for college careers.


AchieveTexas

Local Implementation


Implementation Guide

Revisions

• Strengthened connections to other state initiatives

• Eliminated the term, career pathways to reflect the state language of programs of study

• Available in an electronic magazine (E-zine) format on website.

• Can be ordered by local districts through PrinTech.


8 Steps for System Building

1. Decide to implement AchieveTexas

2. Career Awareness, Exploration, Concentration, Preparation, and Advancement

3. Add Texas Achievement Plans (TAP)

4. Enhance guidance and counseling

5. Build seamless connections

6. Establish extended learning

7. Build strong partnerships

8. Support intense professional development


Best Practices

Initial summary of programs already highlighted with AchieveTexas.

Compiled in one document.Represent all 16 clusters.Adding to the website this summer.School districts will be able to submit

examples for inclusion on the website.


Program Evaluation

Surveys were available on the website, www.achievetexas.org

Site visits to schools. Submission of implementation materials for

consideration for best practices. Guide to Selecting Best Practices

Reporting best practices this summer.


2008 Study Questions

How well have the 8 Steps of AchieveTexas been communicated?

Which local implementation strategies appear most promising?


2008

Effectiveness = well communicated

2012

Effectiveness = locally 8 Steps in place

2015

Effectiveness = improved outcomes in academic/technical learning

Summative Evaluations


Implementation Panel Discussion

Bob Lucas, Gulf Coast Tech Prep, Houston, TX, [email protected]

Jill Berset, South Plains Tech Prep, Lubbock, TX, [email protected]

Michael Rodriguez, Upper Rio Grande College Tech Prep Youth Consortium, El Paso, TX, [email protected]

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