Talking Points

The purpose of the talking points is to facilitate a dialogue among secondary school audiences, as well as with community college stakeholders. The talking points are designed to assist facilitators to help promote a dialogue on ways to enhance students’ awareness of career pathways and increase transition to college. Each principle has questions that are intended to encourage secondary and community college stakeholders to reflect on ways to utilize programs of study in order to meet the diverse needs of the students in their schools.To learn more, please click on the following audiences you are interested in:

• Leadership / Administrators (Secondary Superintendents and Principals)
• Teachers
• Students
• Guidance Counselors

Introduction

• The goal of programs of study in Illinois is to facilitate educational change through: (a) the development of collaborative partnerships; (b) the alignment and reform of secondary and postsecondary curriculum and instruction; (c) to enhance equity, access and opportunity to college and career opportunities; (d) to improve outcomes and help to close the achievement gap (Programs of Study, 2009, p, 3-5).

• To institutionalize programs of study at the high school level there is a need to promote a vision of leadership at different levels (School principals, guidance counselors, department heads, curriculum directors, teachers, parents and students).

Principles

Principle 1

• Design Elements of Principle 1: Leadership, Organization and Support

• School principals need to play a role in the implementation of the programs of study. This can be done by building the capacity in high schools which would involve:
  • Promoting a mutual understanding about the goals of programs of study to all the stakeholders (administrators, guidance counselors, department heads, curriculum directors, teachers, parents and students)
  • Articulating the vision of programs of study and emphasizing the partnership with the school
  • Mobilizing the teachers, guidance counselors, and parents in assisting students to be aware of pathways to careers
• In what ways can you promote a shared commitment in your school to programs of study?

Principle 2

• Design Elements of Principle 2: Access, Equity and Opportunity

• One of the challenges that American educational systems face is ensuring equitable education that provides adequate education to every student. Student populations including students of color, immigrant students, and programs of study special populations experience barriers in high schools and against access to college (programs of study).
• School administrators have the responsibility to create a transformative change in their schools in order to enhance access, opportunity, and equity for marginalized students.

• In order to increase access, opportunity, and equity in schools, school leaders must first identify where inequities can found within the school (Shields, 2003). It is important to ask questions such as:
  • Who are the students that are marginalized and excluded?

• Transformative change requires school leaders to become a “change agent” by building the capacity for change so that barriers to equity are eliminated (Shields, 2003). The ways to reduce dropout rates and factors that inhibit access to college would involve:
  • Building a partnership between parents, teachers, guidance counselors and students
  • Creating a shared commitment to access, opportunity, and equity
  • Promoting an awareness of pathways to careers to teachers, parents, and students
  • Providing support to students that are experiencing academic challenges
  • Educating parents about the curriculum and the process of how high schools work. This is vital because parents of students of color, immigrant students, and programs of study special populations are often unfamiliar with how the school works such as grading, course sequences, systems of support, the ways to navigate high schools successfully, and the process involved in applying to college.
  • Creating a committee consisting administers, teachers, guidance counselors, parents and students to oversee whether the goals of Principle 2 are achieved.

• In what ways can school principals address barriers to access, equity and opportunity?
• What are the ways you can ensure that programs of study is successful in terms of enhancing equity for students?
• What other strategies do you have in your school to address barriers to equity, access and opportunity?
• What are the ways the partnership of all stakeholders can become stronger?

Principle 3

• Design Elements of Principle 3: Alignment and Transition
  • In order to achieve successful student transition to college, it is imperative to establish “collaborative partnerships” between secondary schools and postsecondary colleges.

• Establishing partnership with EFE groups at the state level is also vital in order to enhance student pathways to careers.
• To enhance student transition to college, extensive collaboration of all the stakeholders (secondary schools and postsecondary stakeholders) is needed.

• Administrators, teachers, and guidance counselors can enhance student transition to college by providing students with the tools needed to navigate the process of transition to college.
• It is important to create a strong partnership between the school and the families, particularly immigrant families, families of color, and POS special populations.
• Providing “College knowledge” to the parents of students of color, immigrant, and first generation students is vital.

• What kinds of accommodations and programs do you have in place in your schools that would enhance student transition (students of color, immigrant, and first-generation students) to college?

Principle 4

• Design Elements of Principle 4: Enhanced Curriculum and Instruction

• To achieve enhanced curriculum and instruction, there is a need to first build a mutual understanding of what curriculum reform should entail.
• The discussion of curriculum alignment must address ways to infuse career development program into the curriculum.
• There is a need to focus on ways to enhance the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
• Curriculum alignment must involve a collaborative approach of school districts (superintendents, high school principals, and curriculum directors and EFE).

• How should learning, mastery of knowledge, or skills be evaluated?
• What strategies do you have in the school district strategic plan and school improvement plan aimed at reducing remedial courses?

Principle 5

• Design Elements of Principle 5: Professional Preparation and Development

• Professional development must be aligned with the needs of school improvement, curriculum alignment, and the goals of Programs of Study.
• Professional development must contribute to the successful implementation of Programs of Study.
• In order to assist teachers and guidance counselors in implementing the goals of Programs of Study, what are the needs of your staff for professional development?
• What are your needs for professional development in order to ensure the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment?

Principle 6

• Design Elements of Principle 6

• There is a need to make use of evaluation.
• Decisions must be guided by data in order to ensure the successful implementation of Programs of Study.
• It is important to engage in continuous evaluation and improvement so that we find out what is working and what is not working in Programs of Study.

Conclusion

In order to implement Programs of Study, all the stakeholders must be involved and take a collective approach to enhance pathways to careers and student transition to college.

Introduction

• Successful implementation of programs of study would require teachers to be active participants in curriculum alignment and instruction and take a role in enhancing equity and opportunity for students.

Principles

Principle 2

• Design Elements of Principle 2: Teachers can play a major role to improve Access, Equity, and Opportunity in order to:
  • It is vital to identify students that are experiencing academic challenges and marginalization in school.
  • Have conversations with students who experience inequities and provide them the support they need in order succeed in school.
  • Collaborate with the guidance counselors and assist low income students, immigrant and other minority students in selecting appropriate courses that would lead to pathways to college and careers.

• To what extent do teachers promote equitable outcomes in their schools?
• Who are the students in your school that experience inequities?
• What strategies does your school have that are aimed at reducing inequities and enhancing minority and programs of study special populations transition to college?
• In what ways can programs of study help teachers and guidance counselors address inequities in their schools?

• The above questions can help foster conversations on ways to improve equity in schools.

Principle 3

• Design Elements of Principle 3: Alignment and Transition
• Teachers can play a role by creating a spark in students by assisting them to explore the course sequences that could lead to pathways to careers.
• Collaborate with students and guidance counselors in identifying students’ needs and assist them to set goals for career interests.
  • What are the ways department heads and teachers foster conversations about continuous learning and career development?
  • In what ways can career development courses be infused back into the curriculum?
  • How can Principle 3 help your school improve the integration of career development courses into the curriculum?

Principle 4

• Design Elements of Principle 4: Enhanced Curriculum and Instruction

• There is a need to focus on ways to enhance the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
• Teachers need to play a major role in aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
• Teachers must foster conversations about how students should be assessed.

Principle 5

• Design Elements of Principle 5: Professional Development

• What are your needs for professional development in order to ensure the alignment of curriculum, instruction and assessment?
• What are the resources and support materials needed in your school in order for implement programs of study?

Principle 6

• Design Elements of Principle 6: Program Improvement and Accountability

• Make use of data to examine how programs of study enhances student achievement.
• Continuous improvement and evaluation is vital in order to examine the impact programs of study are having on student transition to college.
• Desegregating data is vital in order to see whether programs of study enables schools to enhance equity in your schools.

Conclusion

• How do you see programs of study working in your school?

• In order to implement programs of study, what do you think need to change in your school’s culture?

Introduction

The design Principles 2, 3, and 4 can play a role to enhance students’ awareness of pathways to careers and transition to college.

• Entering into high school is a challenge for many students. While Programs of Study presents an opportunity for students to get ahead in their career endeavors, it also is a time of exploration. It is essential to properly market these courses to students in order to obtain the highest level of enrollment. These particular courses allow students to engage in a “major of study” prior to entering into community college/university. However, many of these opportunities are not taken advantage of due to lack of proper marketing to students.

• Below are listed some challenging questions from a student’s perspective, and areas that need to be considered when “selling” this program to students.

• How can this program be marketed? What questions should be addressed?

• Identify students’ interest.
• Provide a voice to students, and invite their perspectives about Programs of Study.
• Ask students to give insight to interest in the particular fields.
• Encourage course or career exploration prior to junior and senior year.
• It is important to emphasize that it’s never too early to think about a career path. Students many times do not realize the benefits gained from dual credit courses, and sometimes they have a “slacker” connotation to the course, even though dual credited.
• Some of the ways to market programs of study would involve: providing information sessions about career pathways; inviting speakers from different industries such as health science, information technology, agriculture, manufacturing, finance and other industries.
• Course type stigma
• While most students are taking classes known to prepare them for college, taking career and technical education courses may be seen as “slacker” coursework. What can we do to change that stigma?
• How do we persuade students that it is OK to pursue a technical degree, when the rest of the high school is preparing for university degree?

Conclusion

• How can we make this into an active learning process?

• How can guidance counselors help in assisting students to choose these courses?

• How do we prepare students during their freshman and sophomore year to transition into technical courses?

Introduction

• Academic counseling and providing students the tools succeed in high school is critical.
• Personalizing programs of study for students is vital in order to assist students in exploring pathways to careers.

Principles

Principle 2

• Design Elements of Principle 2: Guidance counselors can play a major role in addressing Access, Equity, and Opportunity in order to:
• Provide support services to students and assist them to become “college and career ready” (Illinois Programs of Study Guide, p. 21)
• Identify and provide support to students that are experiencing academic challenges and marginalization in school
• Promote an awareness of pathways to careers for teachers, parents, and students. This can be done by creating networks and resources for students and parents, and by assisting them with appropriate courses, career exploration, and work-based learning (p.21)
• In what ways does your school reduce barriers to equity, access, and opportunity to postsecondary education?

Principle 3

• Design Elements of Principle 3: Alignment and Transition
• Guidance counselors can collaborate with department heads, teachers, parents, and curriculum directors (at the district level) and postsecondary stakeholders in order to enhance integrated curriculum and dual credit program.
• Programs of study can assist guidance counselors on ways to ensure non-duplicative curriculum in high schools and postsecondary (Illinois Programs of Study Guide, p. 28).
• Personalize the programs of study for students.
• Programs of study can assist guidance counselors to increase student awareness of “college knowledge” and thereby enhance the smooth transition of students from high school to college (p. 28).
• In what ways can guidance counselors work with teachers and EFE in order to implement program of study in your school?

Principle 4

• Design Elements of Principle 4: Enhanced Curriculum and Instruction
• Collaborate with teachers and EFE and focus on ways to increase the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
• Programs of study can be used to increase the integration of academic and career and technical education so that student learning and transition to college-level occupational programs is enhanced (Illinois Programs of Study Guide, p. 34).
• In what ways can career development be integrated into the curriculum in your school?

Principle 5

• Design Elements of Principle 5: Professional Preparation and Development
• Guidance counselors must be involved in professional opportunities at the local and state level; and play a major role in building partnerships with EFE and CTE at the state level, in order to work with teachers and assist them in the implementation programs of study.
• Professional development must enhance guidance counselors’ and teachers’ capability to strengthen curriculum alignment, as well as the integration of career and technical education.
• Professional development is vital for the implementation of programs of study.

Principle 6

• Design Elements of Principle 6: Program Improvement and Accountability
• Guidance counselors can play a major role in identifying areas that need evaluation and improvement in implementing programs of study.
• The use of data is vital for assessing how the programs of study contributes to the integration of academic and career and technical education, and also how it enhances student learning and transition to college.

Conclusion

• What can guidance counselors do to personalize programs of study for students?

• In what ways can guidance counselors build partnerships with EFE groups at the state level?

• What would the successful implementation of programs of study look like in your schools?