Career Plan Initiative: Scope of Project

Career Plan Initiative

Scope of the Career Plan Pilot Initiative

Evaluation Expectations and Guidelines
Career Plan Pilot Timeline
Outcomes and Quality Indicators

EVALUATION EXPECTATIONS AND GUIDELINES

Welcome aboard this exciting new initiative! From our vantage point as project evaluators (The Westchester Institute) we know that you and your colleagues will benefit a great deal from the training and resources that will be shared with you during the project year. But we also realize, as we are sure you do, that there will be many "eyes" focusing on the efforts of the Pilot sites in order to understand how a career planning process can enhance academic achievement and career readiness. It is for these reasons that a project evaluation is being undertaken.

What will be the focus of the Career Plan Pilot project evaluation? Like most evaluations, the major emphasis will be on the stated goals or expectations of the project and the extent to which they have been realized. If you refer to the back pages of the Career Plan Brochure, you will see the full range of project outcomes listed as Quality Indicators. As you can see, there are three major categories of Indicators.

Development of a Career Plan Framework Identification of an Implementation Process Advancement of Student Academic Achievement

Think of these categories as a way of asking three basic questions about the program: What was done?; How was it done?; and Did it make a difference?

Below, we have outlined the data collection activities that will help answer these questions. A brief explanation follows each methodology. If you have any questions about these methods or about the evaluation in general, do not hesitate to phone either Dr. Thomas Kelsh or Gavin Lemieux at (518) 427-9840.

Documentation and Reporting System: a documentation system with a Standard Report Form will be developed to provide a uniform method of describing student participation in core career planning activities. This system will provide the State and other decision-makers with valuable information about overall career planing efforts.

Pilot Survey/Focus Group Interviews: To assess the career planning activities, all Pilot sites will complete the Career Plan Pilot Implementation Survey. It will probe criteria related to project goals, needs assessment, governance, resources, staff development, obstacles to career planning efforts, and perceived student impact. The survey will probably be 5 to 7 pages in length and be filled out by the Pilot site coordinator and/or other key members of the Pilot site team. Focus groups will be conducted with a cross-section of constituents (at a sample of sites) as a means of "reality testing" survey data.

Profile Form: Pilot coordinators will be asked to provide a brief description of their pilot sites by completing a Pilot Profile Form. The form will attempt to capture the innovative career planing activities taking place at the local level and will be used in preparing stand-alone profiles for external dissemination. These Pilot Profiles could easily be used as a marketing tool by local Pilot sites.

School Staff/Parent Surveys: Constituent surveys will be designed to gather relevant perceptual information about career planning efforts from participating groups, specifically school staff and parents. These brief surveys will examine support for the core career planning elements, satisfaction, obstacles and perceived student changes.

Case Studies/Site Visits: In-depth case studies will be conducted in a sample of Pilot sites. The purpose will be to obtain in-depth information on the many dimensions of career planning activities: full student participation, getting to scale, integration with school reform initiatives, and professional development. The studies will involve observation of activities in the schools, document review, and interviews with key constituents. Westchester Institute staff will work closely with site staff to facilitate the site visit.

Purpose

Build upon pilot site career development expertise, the career planning initiatives of other states, and input from the State Education Department, education organization/associations staff in the development of a k-adult career plan document and implementation process.

Document the attainment of the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) Learning Standards.

Demonstrate the integration of CDOS with the other State learning standards.

Create an environment that would enable students to complete culminating tasks at three levels as a natural outgrowth of their instruction program.

Pilot Site Responsibilities

Participate in an initial pilot site visit
Participate in four state sponsored pilot site sessions
Collaborate in the development of a state k-adult career plan document and process for implementation in urban, suburban, and rural settings
Customize the resulting pilot product and process and field test on a building or district level
Provide all k-adult students in the pilot representative sample with an opportunity to participate in the pilot initiative
Provide resources and time for Pilot Development Team members to plan and prepare for pilot implementation
Further career planning awareness and support among all faculty, parents, students, employers, and community members
Develop a management process to evidence student completion of career plan beginning, intermediate, and commencement level components
Provide feedback during the pilot development and field testing process
Participate in the statewide evaluation of the pilot initiative

CAREER PLAN PILOT TIMELINE

MARCH 25, 1998

April 1998

May 1998

June 1998

June–August 1998

September 1998

September-December 1998

January – December 1999

Applications Distributed

Applications Returned

Pilots Selected and Notified

Pilot Informational Visits:

Status of Pilot
Site Planning/implementation

Review of Pilot Expectations
Individual Pilot Site Training Needs
Group Training Preview

Pilot Group Training

Pilot Planning

Implementation

PROJECTED MEETING DATES

January 1999 - Field Test Meeting

May 1999 - Follow-up Meeting

January 2000 - Debriefing Meeting

PROPOSED CAREER PLAN PILOT OUTCOMES

QUALITY INDICATORS

Development of a Career Plan Framework	Identification of an Implementation Process	Advancement of Student Academic Achievement
Documents achievement of the skills and knowledge reflected in the CDOS Learning Standards Reflects the input and validation of pilot partner participants and builds on the work of other states Reflects a developmental level format (i.e., beginning, intermediate, commencement) to provide application in any education setting (i.e., out-of-school youth facility, adult education programs, public schools) Builds upon students with disabilities Individual Education Programs Includes common elements (key career knowledge and skills) to allow for portability as students move through different career development levels and from school to school Provides for student involvement and demonstration of growth	Provides for increased involvement of education staff and community partners in the career plan planning, implementation, and monitoring process Demonstrates how local funds can be reallocated to meet implementation costs Provides for the review of teacher and guidance counselor responsibilities for potential redistribution Provides for implementation of the career plan process as an integral part of the current instructional program Provides for an interdisciplinary instructional approach Increases communication among pilot partner participants Accommodates the needs of urban, suburban and rural communities Promotes exploration and research into broad career areas to accommodate individual student needs and interests Provides for greater utilization of regional labor market information and Department of Labor resources Results in the identification of career planning and management structure models for rural, urban, suburban settings that reflect local issues, resources, and regional labor market trends Integrates the career plan initiative with state and local education initiatives and existing local education governance structures	Supports student achievement of academic expectations as evidenced by the greater number of students meeting the learning standards compared to those students without structured career planning opportunities and/or by increased student performance after career planning opportunities Results in a measurable increase in career development activities across academic disciplines Results in a measurable increase in parental and community support and involvement in the career planning process Results in a measurable increase in the number of students developing career plans Results in a measurable increase in student understanding of the knowledge and skills required for post-secondary and employment opportunities Results in a measurable greater understanding of labor market information

updated: 10/29/01 (pdp)