Journey to Careers Pre-Assessment

  1. What is the Louisiana Career Education (LCE) Model, and why is it important?
  1. What is post-secondary?

Post-secondary is experiences occurring after high school (secondary).

How are the following post-secondary options alike/different? technical college, community college, university, internship, apprenticeship, job shadowing, work-study, military, employment

Technical college, community college, and university are examples of educational

Institutions or places for individuals to obtain training and experience additional learning

after high school.

Internships…..

Work-study….

Which of these post-secondary options are a continuation of secondary experiences? Describe the continuation.

Technical colleges,….

  1. What is a cohort?

A group of people who start something at the same time, for example, all students entering the 9th grade for the first time this fall form the 2016 Cohort.

  1. EOC is an acronym for End of Course andrefers, currently, to tests that all high school students take. End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments have four (4) Achievement Levels, which of these levels are considered proficient? What is proficient, and why is it important for students to score proficient on these and other assessments?

Excellent, Good, Fair, and Needs Improvement are the four levels. Scoring Excellent or Good is proficient.

Proficient indicates that student has the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for next level of learning.

How many points does a student earn for demonstrating basic proficiency on an EOC?

100 points for Good. Student earns 150 points for Excellent.

  1. If 36 is the highest composite score a student can earn on the ACT, what composite score is considered proficient? How does this score (proficient) differ from the TOPS’ ACT requirement?

18 is considered proficient and will earn 100 points for performance when calculating SPS. A 36 will earn 150.4 for the SPS.

TOPS Tech requires a 17 or Silver on WorKeys and a 2.5 GPA in the TOPS Tech Core Curriculum.

TOPS minimum requirement is 20 with 2.5 GPA . Performance Award is 23 with 3.0 and Honors is 27 with 3.0 GPA.

  1. CTE is an acronym for Career and Technical Education.______.
  2. AOC is an acronym for _Area of Concentration.______.

How many AOCs are offered at your high school?______?

  1. What is a Career Cluster?

Career Clusteris “a distinct grouping of occupations and industries based on the knowledge and skills they require.“(Careertech.org)

What is the relationship between a Career Cluster and an Area of Concentration (AOC) or Career Pathway?

Each Career Cluster has Career Pathways or Areas of Concentration that more narrowly group occupations and industries as well as the knowledge and skills aligned with the pathway. A Career Cluster is a broad representation of the occupations and industries while the career pathway or AOC is more unique and specialized.

Why is it important for a student to define an AOC/Career Pathway?

Students pursuing either the Basic Core or the Career Diploma Curriculum must complete an AOC. Knowing the definition helps to make the relevant connection to why the student is including an AOC in college and career planning.

  1. IBC is an acronym for __Industry-Based Certification.______.

How many students graduating from your high school complete an IBC? ______

The percentage of students completing an IBC statewide is 11.4% .

What is the relationship between an AOC and an IBC?

Within in AOC, a student may be able to acquire an IBC from the industry associated with that career pathway or AOC.

  1. AP is an acronym for __Advanced Placement ______. How many pre-AP or AP courses are taught at your school? ______.
  1. What is a Program of Study? How is it different from a Plan of Study?

At a minimum, Programs of Study must:

  • incorporate and align secondary and postsecondary education elements;
  • include academic and CTE content in a coordinated, non-duplicative progression of courses; offer the opportunity, where appropriate, for secondary students to acquire postsecondary credits; and
  • lead to an industry-recognized credential or certificate at the postsecondary level, or an associate or baccalaureate degree.

Plan of Study

Sample Plans of Study provide a resource for understanding the possible courses and educational experiences for students pursuing a program of study (POS). The models provided represent options within each of the 16 Career Clusters™ and Career Pathways and serve to define the possibilities associated with each area. The programs of study are the courses and opportunities offered by the state, district, and school, while the plans of study represent the individual student choices associated with completing the program of study

  1. The Louisiana Career Education Model illustrates the relationship among the 16 Career Clusters, Areas of Concentration (AOC)/Career Pathway, and requisite Foundation Knowledge and Skills. What are “soft skills” and why are they an important component of the model? What is their relationship to school? What is their relationship to successful transition to college or career?

Answers should reference skills listed at the center of the model, including employability, communication, etc.

Answers should illustrate student understanding that soft skills are employed at school as well as in the work place, that soft skills facilitate interactions.

  1. Partnership for 21st Century Skills has enumerated four skills as essential for academic and career success as well as five interdisciplinary themes that connect the core subjects of English, world languages, arts, mathematics, economics, science, geography, government and civics, and history, . What are these skills and interdisciplinary themes? Why were they selected, and how do they relate to preparing for success?

The four essential skills identified by the Partnership are critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and collaboration. Answers should include terms or ideas that reflect these concepts.

The interdisciplinary themes are as follows: global awareness; financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy; civic literacy, health literacy; and environmental literacy. Answers should include discussion of the themes and how integrated into core subjects.

Relationship answers should vary, but should show knowledge of interactions between the skills and the thems.

  1. In addition to the four essential skills, the Partnership grouped the following skills into three categories. How would your group the following? Justify your categories and briefly define each.
  • Communication and collaboration
  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Flexibility and adaptability
  • Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Literacy
  • Information literacy
  • Initiative and self-direction
  • Leadership and responsibility
  • Media literacy
  • Productivity and accountability
  • Social and cross-cultural skills

Partnership for 21st Century Skills groups them as follows, but answers may vary. How justify grouping and conciseness of definitions are the important criteria for accepting answers.

Learning and Innovation Skills

  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Think creatively
  • Work creatively with others
  • Implement innovation
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Reason effectively
  • Use systems thinking
  • Make judgments and decisions
  • Solve problems
  • Communication and collaboration
  • Communicate clearly
  • Collaborate with others

Information, Media and Technology Skills

  • Information literacy
  • Access and evaluate information
  • Use and manage information
  • Media literacy
  • Analyze media
  • Create media products
  • Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Literacy
  • Apply technology effectively

Life and Career Skills

  • Flexibility and adaptability
  • Adapt to change
  • Be flexible
  • Initiative and self-direction
  • Manage goals and time
  • Work independently
  • Be self-directed learners
  • Social and cross-cultural skills
  • Interact effectively with others
  • Work effectively in diverse teams
  • Productivity and accountability
  • Manage products
  • Produce results
  • Leadership and responsibility
  • Guide and lead others
  • Be responsible to others
  1. In what ways do a Career Diploma and a College and Career Diploma differ?

In 2009, state policymakers passed legislation to create an alternative Career Diploma, with the goal of improving Louisiana's graduation rate and providing students with career and technical training to enter the workplace after high school. The Career Diploma was implemented in the 2009-2010 school year. ()

Primary differences are in number of credits and where begin post-secondary academic

experiences.

  1. When planning for life after high school graduation, why is it important to develop a career plan? What should be included in that plan?

Living costs

Educational costs

17. How arethe LA Core 4, LA Basic Core, and Career Diploma Curriculums alike? Different?

Content / LA Core 4 / Basic Core / Career Diploma / Post-Secondary Options
English / 4 / 4 / 4 / LA Core 4 = any post-secondary setting if meet entrance requirements
Math / 4 / 4 / 4
Science / 4 / 3 / 3
Social Studies / 4 / 3 / 3
Health / .5 / .5 / .5 / Basic Core = most post-secondary settings. May have limited choice of 4-yr college.
Physical Education / 1.5 / 1.5 / 1.5
Foreign Language / 2 / 0 / 0
The Arts / 1 / 0 / 0
Career Awareness / 0 / 1* / 1 / Must begin post-secondary educational experiences at either a technical or community college.
Electives / 3 / 7
TOTALS / 24 / 24 / 23

What are the specific requirements for electives with Basic Curriculum and Career Diploma Curriculum?

*Entering freshmen in 2010-2011 must take JTC or EFC as well as 7 electives for Area of Concentration (

Career/Technical courses for Career Diploma must include JTC< EFC< or JAG.

Original Document: May 2011

Revised: January 2013 (MM for LaDOE/CCR)