Transcript
Page 1: Bridging the Accountability Gap in K-8 Career Development

Virginia Career VIEWVSCA Conference 2014

Bridging the Accountability Gap in K-8 Career Development

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• How are you/your school currently integrating career exploration into the core curriculum?

• What are some barriers you have run into? How are the barriers different at the elementary and middle school levels?

and

• Has your school system implemented any accountability measures for school counselors?

Discussion in groups

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• “When students perceive math (e.g., Hulleman, Godes, Hendricks, & Harackiewicz, 2010) and science (e.g., Ainley & Ainley, 2011) to be useful, they tend to be more interested in it. Instructors can demonstrate the usefulness of the content by explaining to students how the material is related to their interests, career goals, and/or the real world; or by providing opportunities for students to engage in activities that demonstrate the usefulness of the content (for examples, see Jones, 2009) (Jones, B., Ruff, C., & Osborne, J.W., in preparation).”

Why should we connect career development to classroom learning?

Jones, B. D., Ruff, C., & Osborne, J.W. (in preparation). Fostering students’ identification with mathematics and science. In K.A. Renninger, M. Nieswandt, & S. Hidi (Eds.), Handbook on interest, the Self, and K-16 mathematics and science learning. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.

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• “There isn’t a negotiation if you’re a teacher,” says [Lynn] Linde, a past president of ACA. “Why as a school counselor do you have to negotiate? You don’t tell a math teacher how to teach math. Teachers have a lot of latitude within their classrooms. Why don’t we [as school counselors] have the same latitude (p. 35)”

• Counselors will play a role in ensuring that all students have access to the courses that properly prepare them for college (p. 36).

• Often times administrators look at school counselors as “not having a class list and papers to grade,” and programs suffer because counselors are often assigned to “extra duties, such as running the school wide testing program, filling in for absent teachers, performing supervisory duties, etc. (p. 36)”

• “[Administrators] simply don’t understand the depth of what these counselors offer”, says Patricia Henderson, school counselor and guidance administrator for over 30 years (p. 36).

Counseling TodayClaiming their rightful place at the table

Shallcross, L. (2013). Claiming their rightful place at the table. Counseling Today, Volume 56/Number 2. August 2013.

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• Support classroom learning; working toward same goals

• Reinforces/reviews classroom learning

• Student Motivation: MUSIC Model (Jones, 2009)– eMpowerment

– Usefulness

– Success

– Interest

– Caring

How does career exploration connect to classroom learning?

Jones, B. (2009). Motivating Students to Engage in Learning: The MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Volume 21. Retrieved from http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/

Increased motivation

Increased learning

Increased performance

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• Study conducted in 2012, Dr. Michele Seibert– Survey sent to 1178 counselors in Virginia via email

– 387 responders met criteria for the study (full or part-time elem. counselor in 2010-2011)

– 1/3 of elementary counselors in Virginia represented in the study

– When asked:

What Activities are being used by Counselors with the Highest Self Efficacy?

Used online career exploration programs

Informed parents of career development school counseling standards

Informed teachers of ways to incorporate career development into the classroom (Seibert, 2013)

Current Research

Seibert, M.G. (2013). The impact of elementary career development practices and elementary school counselor self-efficacy (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Tech). Retrieved from

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Addressing Barriers: Finding Solutions• Barriers:

– Counselor doesn’t have enough time to teach a lesson in every class

– Teachers not interested in having classroom time interrupted

– Administrators not supportive of career exploration; don’t see the importance

– Community [in general] doesn’t value post-high school plans

– Others?

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• K-8 resources by grade

• Easy-to-edit templates

• Sample school program

• Teacher Guides

• Guides and grids to easily identify SOL connections

• Cards for teacher feedback

Resource: Strategic Planning Guide

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• Reach out to teachers– Send a letter with attached resources and ask

teachers to consider using the resources to support a lesson

– Offer to come help teach the lesson (co-teach)

– Suggest including career exploration resources as part of a substitute teacher lesson plan

– Invite teachers to a 30 minute training about how career exploration connects to classroom learning…and give them resources!

– At the middle school level, ask exploratory teachers to include a career development piece relevant to their subject; offer to provide resources

– Or, ask elective teachers to be a part of a school-wide assembly and have each teacher talk a little about what careers relate to their field of teaching

How to engage teachers

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• Engage: Use the Classroom Career Connections program as an opportunity to talk to parents about Career Pathways, ACPs, 21st Century Skills, STEM Initiatives, etc. and why career exploration is relevant to their child’s future [and so important!]

• Reach: Post updates to the school website, facebook page, or weekly newsletter/email

• Inform: Keep parents informed

• Remember…Parents are the MOST influential figure for students when it comes to making career choices

How to engage parents

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• Connect classroom learning to the real world

• Make the core curriculum relevant to the future

• Encourage students to explore interests– Kid’s Search and Who R U

– Career Search and School Search

• Recognize student successes; highlight great work– Vimeo Video

– Glogster

– LiveBinder

• Encourage: Post contests/experiences opportunities for students on school bulletin boards, in newsletters, emails, or school website

How to engage students

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• Point out the state and/or federal initiatives will be supported by integrating career exploration into the core curriculum

• Start a school-wide program (ie: Classroom Career Connections) incorporating teachers, parents and students

• Accountability:– Keep track of the connections being made

– Use pre- and post- tests to show how student learning has [improved] because of the classroom-career connection

How to engage administrators

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• Career Development Standards Checklist

• Career Development Standards Detailed Record

• Student Feedback: Lack of student data (Seibert, 2013).

Accountability: Resources

Seibert, M.G. (2013). The impact of elementary career development practices and elementary school counselor self-efficacy (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Tech). Retrieved from

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Student Motivation

• Motivation Inventory

• Easy to use• Easy to score• Clear results• Practical implications

Jones, B. (2009). Motivating Students to Engage in Learning: The MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Volume 21. Retrieved from http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/

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Explore VIEW Website

www.vacareerview.org

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• K-8 printable resources

• Guides and grids (by career cluster, SOL, Counseling Standard)

• Interest Assessments [Kid’s Search, Who R U?

• VIEW Toolkits– College and Career Readiness

– Academic and Career Plans

– STEM Occupations

• Booklists

• Parent and Teacher Guides

VIEW Resources Supporting Core Curriculum

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• Classroom Career Connections Program

• Sample letters/response cards

• Teacher guides

• Sample event flier

• Career Pathways document

• Academic and Career Plan Educator Guide

• At least 4 resources per grade connecting career exploration to career exploration

Strategic Planning Guide Resources

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Virginia Career [email protected]

Emily Fielder