Davenport Community Schools

www.davenportschools.org

Students explore civic roles and the world of work starting in preschool, with emphasis on communication skills and team work. In the elementary years, coursework and project-based learning introduces more complex problem solving and exploration of careers that follow their interests and curiosities.

Careers based in science, technology, and math are emphasized through programs like Project Lead the Way’s “Launch” curriculum, in place in every Davenport elementary. The program empowers students through compelling activities that relate to the world around them, utilizing computer technology, engineering, and biomedical science.

Many elementary schools host STEAM Labs that integrate the Arts into STEM projects to capture students’ imagination, such as Buffalo Elementary’s Lab, recognized as a Governor’s STEM initiative. Programs like Junior Achievement’s BizTown and the IMMERSE curriculum offering a week-long museum-as-classroom experience for students at the Putnam Science Center allow students to learn as a part of the community and explore their interests and strengths.

Coursework at the high school level gets increasingly complex to develop robust academic knowledge while challenging students with specialized interests aligned with distinct “programs of study” (see chart on back cover). In these targeted courses, career opportunities are explored and technical skills are integrated into classes and extracurricular clubs. Classroom and afterschool activities expose students to the industry standard in their field, with students competing on a national and international stage, like the World Champion robotics teams at West High’s INSPIRE Academy. Students choose from a wide variety of courses aligned with interests, including Student-Built Homes, ProStart culinary arts, nursing courses where students can earn their CNA - Certified Nursing Assistant, Project Lead the Way Engineering, Welding, and many more.

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TJ SchnecklothInterim Superintendent

Career Exploration and Engagement

In these programs of study, students can move between a variety of interests to begin to solidify their career plan and “what’s next” after high school. Workplace experiences are embedded within each program, with advanced level students having access to cooperative work-based learning placements, internships, and/or apprenticeships. Programs serve all fields of interest and address the needs of all students. Many of these experiences offer college credit, with 15 Advanced Placement courses and 58 dual credit courses in our high schools that allow students to accrue college credits at no cost to them or their families.

Students learn from a variety of career experiences in middle school that evolve in complexity and skill development into the high school years. Industry tours are built into entry level courses to allow students to survey a variety of career fields. Classroom environments become more interactive and collaborative to encourage both independent study and team learning.

Levels of Engagement in Program of Study• Build awareness and interest through career connections and

community/workplace tours• Explore via traditional aligned job shadows• Deeper exploration with extended job shadows• Experience via cooperative work-based learning placements• Training through an internship or apprenticeship

With an awareness of career fields and the role of “work” in the community, students at the intermediate level experience more rigorous and engaging coursework. In classes like Gateway to Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Computer Applications, students explore areas of interests and identify personal strengths. Courses introduce entrepreneurialism and provide a variety of leadership opportunities. Students explore various career pathways and get “hands-on” in events like Introduce a Girl to Engineering, Manufacturing Day, and the Davenport Schools Foundation’s Great Minds Place-Based Learning projects that provide every student grades K-8 insight into various career fields. The Hands On Trade partnership, or HOT Expo, allows 8th grade students to perform a variety of small projects under the guidance of local, skilled industry professionals.

Our intermediate schools prepare students for coursework and extracurriculars at the high school level that are aligned with their potential career fields. Students complete an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) throughout their middle and high school years. The ICAP challenges students with various components to help them define their interests and abilities and to set a pathway through high school and on to continuing education and a successful career field.

Hands-on Career Experiences

Washington Elementary students enjoy a future career theme day

As I reflect on the astounding impact that our leaders, staff, and partners have on youth in the Davenport area, I also understand the importance of our work in the broader community. Our students serve our community with pride, and our schools are critical to the economic development of the Quad Cities. This impact includes providing a pathway for each and every Davenport student that will lead to a successful career field.

Career and Technical Education offerings in the Davenport Community Schools include programs of study that are designed to introduce and prepare students for high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand careers. The coursework in these career pathways provides students with the academic and technical skills, knowledge, and training necessary to succeed in post-secondary education and in future careers that are aligned to industry standards and needs within our community.

This publication describes this continuum of services, offers testimonials of students who benefitted from this approach, and describes the Davenport Community Schools’ renewed commitment to engaging students and parents in career exploration and in planning for their future success.

I want to extend a personal invitation to join us on Thursday, January 17th to help us celebrate a milestone in this journey, a career expo featuring international generational expert and author Mark Perna, who is working with us to engage and empower youth in new ways to set their own paths for future success. I hope you will be able to join us and support these important programs serving tomorrow’s workforce.

Sincerely, TJ Schneckloth, Interim Superintendent

Career & Technical Education in the Davenport Community Schools

Career Awareness Starts YoungAdvanced capstone class discussing

international business project

Welding demo during Manufacturing Day. Davenport offers the only on-site welding program in the QCs.

Computer Science pathway features Information Technology and Coding/Development

West High CNA students learn best practices in patient care

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An 8th grade student uses a thermal imagingcamera during a recent Career Expo

Megan’s high school field of study: Vocational WeldingHer career field: I hired in at John Deere Davenport Works in 2013 as a welder and am currently ina Non-Traditional Assignment on the wage side as the factory trainer and 5S auditor/trainer.Her Davenport Community Schools advantage: Earning my welding certificate gave me a competitive advantage in my career, and having a great teacher like Mr. Zinn gave me an even better competitiveadvantage over fellow welders I hired in with.

Furthering her education: After a year of working at Deere, I enrolled in college. The college credits that I already had from high school helped a ton, and the best part is that Deere paid for two-thirds of my

schooling as a wage employee, and as a salary employee, schooling is paid in full. As of now, with a bachelor’s degree in Business, I will soon transition into a salary position.

AJ’s high school field of study: Business/FinanceReflections on college: I really enjoy the real life application of my business education. Every semesterI learn something new about how the world works, and during every class I learn more about interactingand communicating with people from different backgrounds and walks of life.His Davenport Community Schools advantage: My high school years refined the discipline and focus

necessary for me to succeed in college. Hours spent studying for AP classes and Dual Enrollment courses translated into the practices I have continued into college, providing me with a competitive advantage in

applying my coursework. My education strengthened my ability to effectively communicate and build relationships with people from all walks of life, a vital skill for success in college, in the business world, and in life.

Megan Fee, Class of 2012Factory Trainer and 5S Auditor/Trainer, John Deere Davenport Works

AJ Smith, Class of 2017Studying Finance and International Business at The University of Iowa

Matt’s high school field of study: Business EducationHis career field: I work in the Capital Markets and Accounting Advisory Services group. We specialize in complex accounting issues, and help our clients through significant events and transactions such as GAAP change, acquisitions, divestitures, IPOs, and debt offerings.His Davenport Community Schools advantage: I took Financial Accounting with Mrs. Lafrenz my

sophomore year and Managerial my junior year. I never would have imagined in high school the impact these courses would have on my college and working careers. The credits I earned transferred as credits

for two of the more difficult courses required of all business majors at the University of Iowa, and allowed me to begin major-level accounting courses a year early.

Matt Moran, Class of 2014Deals Associate, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Chicago

Kyle’s high school field of study: Engineering DesignHis career field: As one of the tooling engineers at Jewell Group, I design custom production cutting tools for companies. There’s a lot of design work using the CAD software I learned in high school.His Davenport Community Schools advantage: I was in the robotics extracurricular team, and during competition time it got really stressful. Everyone was working really hard and staying late, and that taught me how to work well under pressure and meet deadlines. Coming out of high school, I feel like I had an advantage at the University of Northern Iowa. I got to skip a few classes because of my experience and the credits I earned in the Project Lead the Way classes.Finding a job: Jewell reached out to me about 8 weeks before I graduated college. We had the interview process and they offered me the job and I accepted, starting work one week after college graduation.

Jalen’s high school field of study: Algebra, Geometry, and RoboticsReflections on college: After my 2019 spring semester, I will be transferring to Iowa State University to pursue Aerospace Engineering and a Minor in Computer Science. I have applied for NASA internship and they are currently looking over my application for this summer. It sounds cliché, but what I like most about my fields of study are watching people from different disciplines working to create something greater for humanity.His Davenport Community Schools advantage: One class in particular prepared me for the world outside of high school, and that was iJAG, or Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates. iJAG taught real-world knowledge, like how to file taxes or create a resume. I also took robotics, which allowed me to experience what thinking like an engineer is like, and I participated in Davenport Digital Innovators, which allowed me to experience programming and marketing firsthand.

Megan’s high school field of study: Business Career Academy Her career field: In Human Resources, I am able to help get the right people into the right jobs. I work with managers to help them determine what skills they need from someone for their position, and we use that information to facilitate the recruitment process by analyzing where the target applicants are located. My favorite part of the job is the ability to change someone’s life with a simple phone call. I also enjoy analyzing positions, ensuring we execute the hiring process effectively.Her Davenport Community Schools advantage: In West’s Business Academy, we had many classes focused on computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It is extremely beneficial to have a fluent knowledge of these programs in today’s technical work force. Also, we were consistently pushing ourselves to become better. From starting small businesses to community service, I truly do not believe I would be where I am today without the assistance and direction from the Business Academy and its leader, Mr. Verdon. We learned the importance of being a true leader, always helping others and bringing people to the top with us.

Davenport Alumni Share Their Success Stories

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PROVEN EXCELLENCE

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Career exploration opportunities have many benefits for students. They raise awareness of career options while aligning students with prospective employers and real world experiences, giving graduates a competitive advantage.

Kyle Brammann, Class of 2013Tooling Engineer, Jewell Group, Davenport

Megan Osborne, Class of 2007HR Specialist, Rock Island Arsenal

Jalen Crawford (far right), Class of 2017Studying Computer Sciences and Mathematics, University of Dubuque

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CAREER NIGHT EXPOJoin us January 17th from 5:00-8:30 PM at the RiverCenter: 136 E 3rd Street in Davenport, Iowa

Mark C. Perna is the founder and CEO of TFS,a full-service strategic communications and consulting firm whose mission is to share and support every client’s passion for making a difference. As an international generational expert and author, Mark frequently delivers keynote speeches across North America and spoke at Harvard University by special invitation. Mark’s best-selling book, Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations, was written to help educators, employers, and parents understand Generations Y and Z and inspire them to greater performance in all areas of life.

Please join us for our 2019 Career Night Expo Thursday, January 17 from 5:00 - 8:30 pm to explore our students’ pathways to college and career success! Program representatives and local businesses will have stations with hands-on activities before and after the keynote address. This is a great chance to experience the opportunities that exist in Davenport Community Schools and in our region!

Our 2019 Career Night Expo will feature a keynote address from best-selling author and national education expert Mark C. Perna, who will share the key strategies for helping today’s younger generations achieve more in their educational journey and future career.

Mark’s proven insights will give students, parents, educators, and employers the action steps to get ahead with a competitive advantage. You’ll experience breakthrough career exploration strategies to spark ongoing student dialogue and expand their opportunities, motivating them to set goals, discover their passion, and achieve at a higher level. Don’t miss the secrets to maximizing performance at school, work, and beyond.

FIND YOUR PATH...

• College and career ready with the ability to work individually and in teams to develop the expertise, confidence, and skills for today’s top careers

• Growing in their experiences and abilities to choose a career field that will help guide post-secondary education and training before they start creating college debt

• Expanding their career options and gaining a powerful competitive advantage by showing prospective employers they have a robust academic education and career-tech experience

• Able to use their career-tech experience to earn an above average wage, pay for advanced training, and make money for college

This emerging approach helps students and parents take on a planning mindset that blends student interests and abilities with their chosen lifestyle and a rich understanding of potential career choices to create an individualized program of study. Student use a “Career Tree” approach, developed by Mark Perna and tailored by Davenport teachers. Each of the 13 programs of study in our high schools uses this graphic organizer, like this tree for construction experiences that lays a foundation for future engineers and architects. Students use the trees and a variety of tools and experiences to research their preferred profession and cultivate the foundational skills and experiences to best position them for that field.

Copyright © Mark C. Perna and TFS. All rights reserved. The Education with Purpose® Career Tree® name, image, philosophy, and strategies are copyrights of Mark C. Perna and TFS.

Any use of this intellectual property, in whole or in part, without permission is strictly prohibited by law.

Career and TechnicalEducation in our schools

As technology has changed, so too have the careers that await our graduates and the attitudes that this generation has about work and planning for their future. The Davenport Community Schools is working closely with Mark Perna, international generational expert and author, to help students and parents better understand the role of career experiences at the high school level to instill a sense of “education with purpose” as students complete high school and consider post-secondary options. Davenport teachers and curriculum leaders are embracing this new approach to assure that students are:

Learn About our Career Pathway Programs - Attend the Career Expo on January 17th or visit our website atwww.davenportschools.org/academics/cte/ for more information on the 13 programs of study to choose from that are listed below:

Choose your Program of Study - Current 8th grade students select an initial program focus by completing an application online on the District CTE webpage or turning the form in to their middle school counselor by February 1st, 2019.

Register for the 2019-2020 School Year - For new students that are Davenport residents, complete your online registration at www.davenportschools.org through the Enrollment and Registration link.

Iowa families residing outside of Davenport can choose to open enroll into the Davenport Community Schools but must meet a March 1st deadline to apply through their school district. Illinois students can also participate with various tuition options available. Families wishing to continue in private or home school programs should inquire with their chosen high school about part-time, dual-enrollment options.

Formal Acceptance - Applicants will be notified by March 1st regarding their acceptance to their preferred program. Once accepted, students will be invited to a formal signing ceremony held in April and begin course scheduling through the Spring.

Family and Consumer Sciences Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management Early Childhood Education Family and Community Services

Tech Ed Automotive Construction Engineering/Engineering Technologies Manufacturing Welding

Business Accounting and Financial Services Entrepreneurship and Management Sales and Marketing

Computer Science Developer and IT

Health Sciences Biomedical and Health Services

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