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2023-24 Career Readiness Community of Practice

Module #1:

Introduction of PI26 – Who, What & Why

Academic & Career Planning and Education for Employment

Wisconsin Legislative Statute PI26

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Let’s Take a Few Minutes to Share Out . . .

How is career readiness reflected in your district or school(s) vision and/or strategic plan?

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Learning Objectives

Learning objectives of this training session include:

  • Describe the purpose of ACP/E4E Plan
  • Identify who should be included in the process and why
  • Learn about DPI ACP Youth Voice Project and findings
  • Identify components required for the ACP/E4E plan
  • Explore resources & templates available to assist with this process

Refer to the Module #1 Session Guide for Districts

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Academic & Career Planning – PI26

Academic and Career Planning (ACP) is a part of Wisconsin’s Education for Employment (E4E) program outlined in s. 121.02(1)(m) Wis. Stats., and is sometimes referred to as (administrative rule) P I26.

  • In [Wisconsin’s Guide to Publishing Your District’s ACP E4E Plan], we refer to the plan that is required by administrative rule to be published annually by school districts as your “ACP/E4E Plan.” The guide is intended to help school districts understand all the legal requirements prescribed as part of the E4E/ACP plan.

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Academic & Career Planning – PI26

What is the WHY behind Wisconsin Academic & Career Planning (Legislative Statute PI26)?

“The purpose of ACP services is to assist pupils with planning and preparing for opportunities after graduating from high school.

These opportunities may include postsecondary education and training that leads to careers.”

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Academic & Career Planning – PI26

What are the ADDITIONAL requirements of ACP embedded into the Education for Employment (E4E) statute that spans elementary, middle and high school grade levels? School districts must:

  • Prepare elementary and secondary pupils for future employment.
  • Ensure technological literacy; to promote lifelong learning.
  • Promote good citizenship.
  • Promote cooperation among business, industry, labor, postsecondary schools, and public education.

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Academic & Career Planning – PI26

Engage with

Area Employers

Engage with

Families

Encourage Input from

Students

Who needs to be at involved in the Academic & Career Planning process to best serve students in your school district? Best practice is to bring the following groups to the table, along with members of your school district career readiness team . . . and Why?

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District Team Collaboration is Key

  • Who are the K-12 career readiness crew members in your district?
  • Collaboration will keep you on a clear career readiness course
  • Are all crew members equipped with tools to navigate?
  • Do they understand the goal or destination?
  • Is your career readiness crew rowing in the SAME direction?

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Developing ACP/E4E Plans = TEAM Approach

Refer to Your District ACP Self-Assessment for Members of Your Career Readiness Team

Reach out if you need assistance locating this!

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WI Youth Voice in Career Readiness Project

The goal of the Youth Voice in Career Readiness Project was to hear what current Wisconsin high school students* and recent high school graduates** think about career readiness activities K-12 in education.

*Any student who entered grades 9 through 12 in a Wisconsin high school during fall 2022 or graduated in spring of 2022.

**Any student who graduated from a Wisconsin high school between 2016 and 2021.

Refer to Resources Slide for Survey and Focus Group Questions

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Youth Voice in Career Readiness - Findings

  1. Most students learn about career readiness activities from teachers, but they go to family for help.

  • The career readiness activities recent high school graduates report as the most interesting are:

  • Career & Technical Education courses
  • Work-based learning opportunities (including internships, Youth Apprenticeships and working in a school store)
  • Project-based learning

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Youth Voice in Career Readiness - Findings

  1. Students need teachers to be engaged, excited, and encouraging during career readiness activities.

  • Students want:

  • More career readiness activities that start earlier and occur more often
  • Career readiness activities to be hands-on and interactive, aligned to their interests, and include “real” people from the jobs they are interested in
  • To understand all their postsecondary education options

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Youth Voice in Career Readiness - Findings

  1. Students need to see how learning is relevant in all their classes.

  • Students are more engaged in their learning when they have more choice and voice.

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Youth Voice in Career Readiness - Findings

  1. The top reasons that students report “discourage participation in career readiness activities” are:

  • Lack of awareness
  • Feel they do not belong, or the activities aren’t for them
  • It’s too overwhelming
  • The activities are repetitive or not aligned with their interests
  • Too many competing priorities

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Youth Voice in Career Readiness - Findings

  1. High school graduates feel the most important skills to teach in K-12 education are:
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Self- or time-management

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Youth Voice in Career Readiness - Findings

Current high school students say their school is doing well when it comes to offering Career & Technical Education (CTE) elective course offerings. Some classes are taken for high school credit.

  • CTE – Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
  • CTE – Business & Information Technology
  • CTE – Health Science Education
  • CTE – Family & Consumer Sciences
  • CTE – Marketing, Management & Entrepreneurship
  • CTE – Technology & Engineering Education

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Youth Voice in Career Readiness - Findings

Current high school students say their school is doing well when it comes to these activities:

CTE courses and Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) - Elective classes that allow students to learn and explore different careers. Some classes are taken for high school and college credit.

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Youth Voice in Career Readiness - Findings

Current high school students say their school is doing well when it comes to these activities:

Career-based learning experiences (CBLE) - Career readiness activities that involve employers or industry partners such as guest speakers, career fairs, job shadows, mock interviews, company tours, or career-related volunteering

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Youth Voice in Career Readiness - Findings

Current high school students say their school is doing well when it comes to these activities:

Dedicated Time for Academic and Career Planning (ACP) - A regular schedule of time that is dedicated ACP, whether that be in workshops, advisories, homerooms, etc.

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Other Interesting Findings

  • Fewer than half of the current high school students surveyed feel they can clearly state their academic and career goals. 62% of recent graduates felt they had a solid plan for their future by the time they graduated.
  • 35% of recent graduates did not feel that their K-12 education prepared them for the world of work. 40% did not feel they had a good understanding of all their career options.
  • 29% of recent graduates did not feel that their K-12 education prepared them for postsecondary education and training. 36% did not feel they had a good understanding of all their postsecondary education and training options.
  • 27% of recent graduates did not feel welcomed to participate in career readiness activities. 28% did not have people or programs to help them with career readiness.
  • Only 4% of current high school students feel their parents do not support their postsecondary education and career plan.

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Youth Voice - Recommendations for Districts

Create a comprehensive communication plan so that teachers, students, and families or caregivers are aware of the career readiness activities that are available.

Provide professional development for all staff on how to engage students in career conversations.

Integrate career-connected learning into all subject areas so that students understand how their learning can be used in various careers.

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Youth Voice - Recommendations for Districts

Evaluate current career readiness activities to:

  • Identify and address common reasons why students do not participate in career readiness activities
  • Create more hands-on and interactive career readiness activities
  • Provide more student choice and voice in career readiness activities (including Xello)

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Youth Voice - Recommendations for Districts

Use Xello as a tool to support your ACP process. But ensure that your scope and sequence of activities includes more than Xello.

(See “Wisconsin’s Guide to Implementing Career-Based Learning Experiences” for suggestions on other activities to include.)

Invite students to provide input and assist in making decisions about career readiness activities and programs, including how funding will be used.

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Encouraging Students to Provide Input is Key

Quote from a Participant of the Student Voice Project

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ACP/E4E Plan - Required Components

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Professional Development for Staff

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Access for All Students

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Individualized ACP Support

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Labor Market Information

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Postsecondary Ed & Workforce Preparation

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Family Engagement

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Community Partnerships

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Formal ACP Process

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ACP Curriculum, Support & Services

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Access to ACP Software Tool

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Progress & Future Goals for Implementation

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Resources on the WHY & Connections

  • Resource:

DPI Academic & Career Planning

  • Resource:

ACP Connections & ACP/E4E Plan District Guiding Questions

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Top Career Readiness Resources in WI

Wisconsin's Guide to Publishing Your District's ACP/E4E Plan School districts are required to provide academic and career planning (ACP) services to pupils enrolled in grades 6 to 12. ACP is part of a broader statute, referred to as Education for Employment (E4E), which spans elementary, middle, and high school grade levels. This guide is intended to help school districts understand all the legal requirements prescribed as part of the E4E/ACP plan.

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Templates to Assist with Process

Education for Employment (ACP) Plan Template

  • Can serve as a PDF of your district’s official E4E/ACP Plan that is required to be posted on your district website
  • Use it for onboarding for new school leaders and newly hired educators
  • Can act as a blueprint to create webpages

Education for Employment (ACP) Plan Executive Brief Template

  • Can be sent in advance or as a follow-up to your school board presentation
  • Add your district logo and branding

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Templates to Assist with Process

Education for Employment (ACP) Board Presentation Template

  • Use this template as a guide to create a presentation for your E4E/ACP for school board approval
  • Add your district logo, branding, pictures and images to make the presentation visually appealing
  • Add a student speaker (or two) at the beginning
  • Present with a principal or other administrator

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Share Ideas & Celebrate Successes

  • Share ways in which the required components reviewed in this training session is being implemented in your district
  • Help brainstorm together additional ways to expand implementation of this components in districts
  • Consider sharing resources with additional staff members in your district
  • Remember to CELEBRATE the implementation successes in your district

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Group Sharing and Q & A

Please share out with the group:

  • Next steps our district will take to on this required component
  • Questions, comments or concerns

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Think of How it ALL Relates

Career Readiness . . . Academic & Career Planning . . . Education for Employment

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District Work Time

Consider working in teams to on the following:

  • Complete the follow-up questions on the module session guide for districts (if time allows)

  • Review your current district ACP/E4E Plan to determine ways to improve and/or add aspects of this component to your current plan

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Follow-Up Questions from Session

  1. What are some benefits of creating an engaging ACP/Education for Employment (E4E) Plan?
  2. What does your current district ACP/Education for Employment (E4E) Plan look like?  Is it a PDF that is reviewed annually, or is it an active website? 
  3. Has your district communicated the purpose on your current district ACP/Education for Employment (E4E) Plan? If not, how could you articulate the purpose? 
  4. What are some ways your district has utilized your ACP/Education for Employment (E4E) Plan? 
  5. Does your district gather student voice (input or feedback) in the ACP planning process? If so, do you use surveys and/or focus groups? (See DPI Resource for survey and focus group question ideas)
  6. What will be the next steps your district/team will take on this topic?

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Consider Staying Connected Via Listserv

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Helpful Resources