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BRIEF DESCRIPTION
OF PRACTICE
The Orleans/Northern Essex School-To-Work Partnership (ONE STW) is located in
the upper Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. We are the largest STW region geographically
and one of the largest in number of schools (24 in total). Three of these schools
are private and the remaining are distributed among three public school districts.
Essex North Supervisory Union is the smallest district, consisting of a one-room
schoolhouse for grades K-6 and another school for K-12. Orleans Central Supervisory
Union consists of six K-8 schools and one high school. OENSU, by far the largest
district, consists of five K-6, six K-8 and one middle school (7-8), and one high
school. The three private schools include two K-8 schools and one high school.
The ONE STW Partnership decided to make the Career Development Portfolio (CDP) a
main strategy in Year Four. This project addressed the diversity between and within
districts by tying together the "pockets" of STW activities already taking
place in the schools. (UPDATED
12/03/01: Check out the ONE CDP User's Guide,
which includes the CDP.)
The Career Development Portfolio functions as a fluid compilation of year-to-year
plans, accomplishments, and assignments, experiences and projects. Pieces may be
added or deleted from the portfolio as a student progresses through grade levels.
The portfolio should illustrate high levels of competence and skills as a student
grows and matures. It should also provide students with a means to comprehensively
demonstrate what they know and can do.
Each participating school was given resources and support to start using CDP's to
document career exploration activities, academic achievement, extracurricular activities,
and writing/math portfolios. Resources included a user's guide, student binders with
forms enclosed, career software, books, computer, printer, scanner, cart, database
and training.
IMPLEMENTATION
During discussion about sustainability at a Partnership meeting, career development
portfolios came up. By the end of the meeting, the regional coordinator had the assignment
of researching portfolios and reporting back to the Partnership on what was already
in place in the region, what a portfolio is, how a portfolio works, and a brief summary
of what resources were available to move forward with the project. Based on this
information, the Partnership decided to make the portfolio project a main strategy.
To help move the project forward a small team of the regional coordinator, the Newport
Department of Employment and Training (DET) manager, an elementary educator, and
a parent/school board member unfamiliar with the project met together to brainstorm
ideas. The team recommended that the Partnership invest time and resources to develop
a user’s guide and a student portfolio. Every educator for grades five through nine
was to receive a user’s guide; every student in grades five through nine receives
a portfolio. The STW school liaisons were asked to introduce the project to their
school boards and garner support for the project. The regional coordinator then personally
delivered the user’s guide, student portfolios, and other resources via the principals
to increase their awareness and support of the project.
The liaisons attended a training session about the project. The Department of Employment
and Training, a ONE STW partner, provided space, computers and personnel for this
workshop. During the session liaisons were given the opportunity to meet with their
principle DET contact and learn about the many DET resources available to schools.
Some Partnership members raised the issue of electronic portfolios. They agreed wholeheartedly
with the portfolio project, but expressed concerns about storage and sustainability.
This launched the Partnership into the most exciting part of the project–going electronic.
Equipment for the project was purchased through Compute, This! , and
included a sturdy and movable cart that housed a computer, printer, and scanner.
North Troy Consulting Services was hired to design a database and provide training
for educators in our region. This project grew as schools heard about it. The number
of schools participating in the project grew from thirteen to twenty-one.
SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
Principals and educators enthusiastic about the electronic portfolio. Having
the career development component coupled with the math and writing portfolio makes
sense, saves paper, and gives the project a chance for sustainability.
Action Plans also are central to the sustainability of the electronic portfolio.
While many new initiatives die when the administrator or educator involved leaves
the school, action plans remain. They are the appropriate means for integrating the
electronic portfolio project in the school for the longer term. However, at this
time only a handful of schools have this concept incorporated into their action plans.
Another means for sustainability is the integration of the liaison position in the
school. As liaison reports come in for the current year, it is apparent that at least
60% of the participating schools will either continue paying the stipend or the position
is written into job descriptions.
The Partnership believes that staffing is important for coordinating, improving and
maintaining the project. Therefore, the Partnership is looking into ways to continue
a part-time position to support the portfolio project.
CONNECTION TO VITAL RESULTS AND VERMONT FRAMWORK OF STANDARDS
Personal and Career Preparation
- Develop an
understanding of the career planning process.
- Develop the
ability to communicate effectively through listening, speaking, writing, and non-verbal
communication.
- Understanding
the concept of expectations and standards for work and demonstrate such life skills
as:
- Responsibility
- Organization
- Decision-making
- Taking initiative
- Taking pride
in work
- Producing
quality work
- Completing
tasks
- Understanding
that all work is valuable.
- Identify and
use career resources available through the community, the Department of Employment
and Training, business and personal connections.
- Demonstrate
knowledge of academic, vocational, technical and post-secondary programs available
and develop a personalized plan for career and continuing education.
- Connect personal
interests and skills with career interest and skills.
- Engage in
the career decision-making process.
- Maintain an
ongoing record of personal and career development.
Self-Knowledge
- Acquire a
positive sense of self that allows them to value their individuality, and to react
with others successfully.
- Begin to understand
their learning styles and themselves as learners and workers.
- Begin to understand
their abilities to be flexible.
- Demonstrate
a sense of individual self worth and competence together with skills to interact
with others successfully
- Identify their
abilities, interests, strengths and weaknesses.
- Understand
that changes will be a norm in their lives and in the workplace.
- Refine and
use skills to communicate and interact with others successfully.
- Identify personal
abilities, interests, values, and traits using self-assessment strategies.
Knowledge
of Work
- Be aware of
work’s relationship to the needs and function of society.
- Understanding
the connection between learning and the world of work.
- Understanding
the probability of change and one’s capability for changing.
- Increase knowledge
of the broad range of careers available without gender/disability barriers.
- Understand
that learning and work are ongoing, and that all work, paid or unpaid has value.
- Understand
secondary and post-secondary options.
- Know and use
the academic skills needed in specific and generic occupations and realize the transferability
of those skills.
Vermont
Standards/ Personal Development Standards
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Worth and
Competence |
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3.1
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Goal-Setting |
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Students assess
their own learning by developing rigorous criteria for themselves, and use these
to set goals and produce consistently high-quality work. |
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3.2
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Learning Strategies |
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Students assess
how they learn best, and use additional learning strategies to supplement those already
used. |
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3.3
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Respect |
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Students demonstrate
respect for themselves and others. |
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Workplace |
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3.14
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Dependability |
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Students demonstrate
dependability, productivity, and initiative. |
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3.15
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Career Choices |
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Students know
about various careers. |
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3.16
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Transition Planning |
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Students develop
a plan for current and continued education and training to meet personal and career
goals. |
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LESSONS LEARNED
There were many lessons learned as well as reinforced.
- A point person
is needed in the school or community. This assures that the school and regional coordinator
has a line of communication. The point person needs training and support.
- Return all
phone calls within 24 hours. While this is not always possible, it is a good rule
to follow.
- Make sure
administrators are informed about the project and you have their support. The point
person needs this support and eighty percent of the principals asked the regional
coordinator back into the school to speak to school staff and/or school boards.
- Have the project
mapped out, flexible, and user friendly. This has been a major lesson learned. A
complete program is well received by the educators.
- Make no demands
on school staff. The best strategy has been to tell educators right off that they
are not being asked to do anything new. To help the lead person on the project, they
may be asked to save certain items to include in the portfolio.
- Be prepared
for the skeptic. Every group has one who points out that their day is full enough
already or they have seen many initiatives come and go. Listen to them, let them
finish what they have to say, and then answer with clear-cut solutions. Usually this
person isn't a key component of the project so their contribution is limited and
once they understand this they are ready to help.
- Move forward,
let discouragement come and then cast it to the wind. No matter the project, there
will be barriers. Face the barrier and find a solution. If a solution does not present
itself, then move in another direction. The Partnership has not had much success
with participation with STW will the two largest high schools in the region. Yet,
if this program were to continue they needed to be on board. The solution presented
itself in the following manner: The regional coordinator called the guidance department
asking to meet with them for twenty minutes to give them a heads up on what the elementary
and middle schools were doing around career development portfolios. The first words
of the meeting were, "I am giving you a head's up that all your feeder schools
are participating in this project. Students will be using these portfolios to help
guide them in course selection." It worked, they liked the idea, everything
was set up for them, and resistance was futile.
- Feed them
and they will come. Always have great food available and let them know it.
- Work around
the educator's schedule. There is only a small window of opportunity to get people
involved, so make it easy for them.
- Provide training
at the school. This allows the educator to learn on the equipment they will be using,
to not spend unnecessary time in traveling, and to feel that their time is important
(which it is!).
CONTACTS
Project Managers
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Bobie Cummings
Regional STW Coordinator
Orleans/Northern Essex STW
P. O. Box 349
Derby, VT 05829
Phone: (802) 766-2244
E-mail: bobie@hotmail.com
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Sharon Gonyaw
Regional STW Coordinator's Assistant
Orleans/Northern Essex STW
179 Northern Avenue
Newport, VT 05855
Phone: (802) 334-7503 |
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Equipment
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Database |
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Susan and Bob
Magoon
Compute, This!
517 Salem Drive
Derby, VT 05829
Phone: (802) 766-5377
E-mail: smagoon@mail.com
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Pat and Rick Shover
North Troy Consulting Services
104 Highland Avenue
North Troy, VT 05859
Phone: (802) 988-4351
E-mail: pshover@northtroyconsulting.com |
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