work-based learning in california: new and expanded models svetlana darche - wested rob atterbury -...
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Work-Based Learning in California: New and Expanded Models
Svetlana Darche - WestEd
Rob Atterbury - ConnectEd
Educating for Careers Conference
Sacramento, CA
March 5, 2011
The Mandate
“Over the next 10 years, nearly half of all new jobs will require education that goes beyond a high school education. And yet, as many as a quarter of our students aren't even finishing high school. The quality of our math and science education lags behind many other nations. America has fallen to ninth in the proportion of young people with a college degree.”
~President Obama, State of the Union Address
California job openings by skill level, 2008–2016
Readiness for the workforce
Skills needed
• Academic
• Technical
• “21st Century” Workforce Readiness Skills– Critical thinking– Creativity– Collaboration– Communication
How do we get there?
• ASTD estimates $125.88 billion spent on employee learning and development in 2009.
• Key strategy recommendation: work with educators on developing workforce readiness skills through mentoring, internships, and other learning opportunities.
Benefits to employers
• Reduced recruitment costs
• Reduced training and supervision costs
• Increased retention rates and reduced turnover
• Productivity of students
• Higher productivity and promotion rates of program graduates compared with other newly hired workers
Benefits to employers
• Improved employee learning, productivity and morale
• Favorable publicity
• Increased diversity
• Clearer focus for future engagement
• A stronger system for developing skilled workers in the industry
Return on investment
A national study on employer investments in work-based learning found that benefits exceeded costs in nearly three out of four companies studied. For every dollar invested, companies saw the following returns:
• Autodesk. Ranging from 1.15 to 2.99 across departments, with a median of 2.32.
• Charles Schwab. Ranging from 0.40 to 5.64, depending on whether the company’s forecasts of long-term benefits from higher employee retention rates are realized.
Return on investment
• Crown Auto World. Ranging from 1.39 to 3.21, depending on employee retention rates and additional profits from technicians hired from the program.
• Eastman Kodak. Ranging from 0.87 to 1.05, depending on the productivity of student apprentices.
• Siemens. Ranging from 1.07 to 1.79 in Lake Mary, Fla., depending on training and supervision cost savings from apprentices later hired as full-time employees.
• Sutter Health. 1.39, if students perform work similar to that done by employees.
Benefits to students
• Academic/cognitive?
• Social/emotional?
• Career development?
Defining Work-Based Learning
Rationale for a broader definition
A Formal Definition
…an educational strategy that links school-based instruction with activity that has consequences beyond the class or value beyond success in school, and is judged by professional standards; it uses the workplace, or in-depth experience with employer or community input, to engage students and intentionally promote learning and access to future educational and career opportunities.
Minimum Componentsa) Connection to standards and curriculum
b) Depth of experience
c) Direct and systematic input and feedback from professionals and/or the community outside the classroom
– to establish an understanding of workplace standards
– to provide meaningful consequences or value beyond success in school
Work-based Learning Continuum
Career Exploration
“Career Practicum”
Career Preparation
Grades K-4 5-8 9-12 13+
Career Awareness
Work-based Learning Continuum Grades K-4 5-8 9-12 13+
Career Exploration
“Career Practicum”
Career Preparation
Career Awareness
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Place, or where the activities take place, is important in addressing several of the purposes of work-based learning, but was found not to be a primary defining criterion.
Purposes of Work-based Learning
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Expanding Opportunities
Alternatives needed to…
• Address the logistical issues of placing large numbers of student in individual internships
• Ensure equity of access
• Align with learning objectives
Two sets of criteria:
1. Does the experience facilitate the attainment of the learning outcomes sought?
2. Does the experience meet a minimum set of implementation quality criteria?
Student outcomesCategory Student Learning Outcome
Student…
Communication Pays attention to verbal information and instructions; listens and observes; articulates thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively both verbally and in written form; uses technology appropriately for communication.
Collaboration Builds collaborative relationships with colleagues and customers; is able to work with diverse teams, contributing appropriately to the team effort; negotiates and manages conflict; learns from and works collaboratively with individuals representing diverse cultures, races, ages, gender, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints; and uses technology to support collaboration.
Creativity and Innovation Demonstrates originality and inventiveness in work; communicates new ideas to others; integrates knowledge across different disciplines.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Demonstrates the following critical thinking and problem solving skills: exercises sound reasoning and analytical thinking; makes judgments and explains perspectives based on evidence and previous findings; uses knowledge, facts, and data to solve workplace problems.
Professionalism and Ethics
Manages time effectively; is punctual; takes responsibility; prioritizes tasks; brings tasks and projects to completion; demonstrates integrity and ethical behavior; acts responsibly with others in mind.
Initiative/Self-Direction/ Resourcefulness
Takes initiative and is able to work independently as needed; looks for the means to solve problems; actively seeks out new knowledge and skills; monitors his/her own learning needs; and learns from his/her mistakes; seeks information about related career options and post-secondary training.
Workplace Context and Culture
Understands the workplace’s culture, etiquette, and practices and knows how to navigate the organization; understands how to build, utilize and maintain a professional network of relationships and the role such a network plays in personal and professional success.
Information Management Is open to learning and demonstrates the following information gathering skills: seeks out and locates information; understands and organizes information; evaluates information for quality of content, validity, credibility, and relevance; references sources of information appropriately.
Technology Selects and uses appropriate technology to accomplish tasks; applies technology skills to problem-solving; uses computer programs easily; and is able to quickly access information from reliable sources online.
Applied Math Uses math and quantitative reasoning to analyze and solve problems; performs basic mathematical computations quickly and accurately; thinks about how to describe and solve a problem; understands how to use math and/or data to develop possible solutions.
Criteria for quality practicePurpose Student, teacher, partner and parent/guardian are aware that learning is the primary purpose and that the experience is an
integrated part of a sequential preparation for college and career.
Outcomes Student, teacher and partner together use student learning outcomes and relevant college and career readiness standards to design the experience.
Relevance The experience is relevant to the student’s career interests, individual learning needs, and the pathway theme. The activity itself has consequences beyond the class or value beyond success in school.
Connection Student, teacher and partner explicitly connect the experience to the student’s academic and technical curriculum.
Variety Without compromising depth, teacher and partner arrange for the student to be involved in a variety of tasks and to work with multiple adults.
Preparation The school team prepares the student in class and in previous less intensive experiences with the academic, technical and applied workplace skills needed for a Career Practicum experience. The school team is oriented to the learning expectations for the experience and to the individuals and/or organizations with which he/she will be engaged.The school team prepares partners prior to the experience with information about the student, the individual student learning outcomes, and other information relevant to the experience.
Engagement The student engages directly with outside professionals and/or community members over a period of time.
Responsibility Student, teacher and partner together take responsibility for ensuring the student makes progress toward identified student learning outcomes.
Reflection Throughout the experience and after it concludes, the student engages in reflection and analysis to link the experience back to the student learning outcomes and to link it forward to career and post-secondary options.
Assessment Student, teacher and partner all contribute to the assessment of progress toward student learning outcomes and assess the work produced against college and career readiness standards and against context-specific professional standards.
Demonstration The student demonstrates what was learned from the experience by documenting learning during the experience and presenting at the end to teachers and those with whom he/she has worked.
Activity
Animating Dreams: The ACME Animation Program
Palmdale Health Careers Academy
Discussion:
1. What issues do you see in using an expanded definition of work-based learning?
2. What issues do you see in the implementation of some “alternative” work-based learning experiences?
3. Does this tool work for helping you identify work-based learning opportunities? Will this help you refine existing practice?
Next steps
• Still clarifying outcomes and quality criteria
• Will begin to flesh out implementation issues for varying types of experiences that meet definition; three categories tentatively identified:1. Workplace models (most of time is at an employer site)
2. Technology-based (remote connection)
3. “School-based” (direct employer/community involvement but much of work done at school site)
Thank you!
Svetlana Darche, Sr. Research Associate
Rob Atterbury, Director for Professional Development