Pathways to Success is based on the 4 th “R” Reality Our nation and state’s economic health is dependant on economic development. Economic develop begins in schools through career development interventions. PA can attract employers if they can promote a well educated and prepared workforce. The foundation of the three D’s is Career Development. PA is the first state in the nation to adopt CD standards.
2. There are four academic Career, Education and Work Standards strands. 1. Career Awareness and Preparation 2. Career Acquisition 3. Career Retention an Advancement 4. Entrepreneurship Each CEW standard strand has benchmarks in 3 rd , 5 th , 8 th and 11 th grades.
FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY INITIATIVE AND SELF-DIRECTION SOCIAL AND CROSS-CULTURAL SKILLS PRODUCTIVITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY
Our five county region is more likely than any other metropolitan area in the country to retain our youth. Our kids tend to live here, work here and raise their own kids here. The reality is they need to be prepared for the jobs that will be here for our area to sustain it’s economic health. They need to be prepared to earn family sustaining wages in professions that will be here. We need to connect our kids to opportunity. (Philadelphia 5 county high priority industries: Healthcare, Energy, Engineering)
“ For this generation, career maturity is as important as academic maturity. Both predict post high school success” Kenneth Gray, author of Getting Real: Helping Teens Find Their Future Our teachers, staff and administrators are committed to our students developing career maturity. Last year Hatboro-Horsham faculty members Participated in the Workforce Investment Board Educator in the Workplace initiative—teachers shadowing professionals in fields other than education. HH faculty members participated in this experience more than any other faculty in the county. Developed cross curricular instruction based on CEW standards. A secondary team of KV & HS teachers and administrators from the high school, central administration and Eastern Center or Arts and Technology attended a week long Governor’s Institute dedicated to learning best practices in Career Development. This was the second such institute HH teachers and administrators attended in so many years—designating HH as a CEW Model School. Only two other schools in PA have earned this distinction (Middletown and Central Columbia). This means that when other school districts in PA ask PDE for support in this area of education they recommend that the district contact HH. To date we have mentored school districts from as far away as York County and as close as the Plymouth-Whitemarsh and Central Bucks. Faculty members have been invited to present and have presented at several statewide conferences on CEW topics. Why do we do this? Because it’s good for kids. We see how connecting students to thinking about their future results in embracing their academics and taking their education more seriously. Students are planning and thinking rationally about their future. This has all been possible because teachers, administrators and staff have enjoyed the support of this school board.
Long term goal setting., decision making.. 21 st Century Skills A realistic plan, based in reality. Beginning this school year all HH juniors will write a personal transition plan that has a high probability of success. Confirm with course selection and experiences (Pathways and Student Shadowing, Senior Internship, Bridges, Working Initiatives, Lunch and Learn, Pathway field trips, Green Futures Fair). HH CEW is not about deciding what you want to be when you grow up. It’s about learning how to critically analyze self and goals related to opportunities around us. We do not expect the first decision to be the right one, but as our students grow and learn more about themselves they will have the skills to reassess their situation—the next decision will be a better decision.
Scope & Sequence handout Supported by Lunch & Learn, Pathway Field Trips, Green Fair, Healthcare Diversity Day @ Abington Hospital Community Based Experiences—shadowing, Internships, service learning, work-study This changes every year. As we learn we get better. Success for our students is a result of the organic nature of our program.
We are in our infancy. We are good—we want to be great. We know that our efforts have been effective. We have tracked our intern graduates—100% of our first class have graduated from college on time (small sample but encouraging!) PA CEW standards have been adopted into law. The state is developing strategies for measurement of delivery. In this time of PA budget crisis, the Career Development Leaders Network (a group of professionals from across the commonwealth) work has been refunded and is working while other programs are waiting to learn what their future will be—HH is represented on this board. CEW standards are being inlaid in all eligible content in the Standards Aligned System.