1 of 9

Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards

Community of Practice

Skills for Success:

The Why Behind Wisconsin's Career Readiness Standards

Module 10:

Mapping & Assessing “I Can” Statements

Welcome to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Career Readiness Community of Practice! In this tenth module, titled, “Mapping & Assessing I Can Statements”, we’re going to set aside some vital time and energy to connect the learning you’ve done within this Community of Practice to an assessment of your actual system.

To make the most of this learning experience, we encourage you to engage actively by taking notes and reflecting on how the content applies to your unique context. Pause the video whenever you need to process the information or dive deeper into the provided resources. If you’re able, consider collaborating with colleagues or teams for richer discussions and shared insights. Finally, don’t forget to follow up with your regional CESA for additional support.

2 of 9

Objectives

Identify Current Practices Using the I Can Mapping Activity�

3 of 9

“I Can” Mapping Activity

We’re going to create a current reality “I Can” map for your system
Identify where “I Can” statements are already integrated into your curriculum and/or Career and Technical Student Organizations.
Identify gaps and opportunities for deeper integration.
Due to time, we’re going to target just one grade band today

"Now that you and your team understands the basics of the WCRS’s I Can Statements, Module 10 will allow us the time and space to connect this learning to what is actually occurring within your system. Module 10 is centered around one activity, called the “I Can” Mapping Activity. The goal of this activity is to reflect on the strengths of your current programming, as well as identify any observable gaps in career readiness. This reflection will help you see where there might be opportunities for improvement or deeper integration of these skills into your curriculum.“

"As you work through the mapping, you may identify gaps in your current programming, and areas where these statements could be integrated more deeply. This activity and subsequent reflection will help guide future planning in a later module, and ensure that career readiness skills are an equitable and guaranteed part of your students’ journey."

4 of 9

Customizing “I Can” For Local Priorities

“I can share how I plan to get tasks done, remember things, and get ready for tests.”

Do Not Edit

Can Edit

As we move forward with implementing the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards, it’s important to understand what can and cannot be modified within the framework.

The standards themselves, including the discipline, strands, and learning priorities, are set at the state level and cannot be changed. These elements ensure consistency across districts and provide a clear structure for career readiness. (Click for Animation)

However, when it comes to 'I Can' statements, districts have the flexibility to adjust them. (Click for Animation) While the standards and learning priorities must remain the same, districts can tailor 'I Can' statements to better align with their local learning priorities and the unique needs of their students. This flexibility allows you to make the 'I Can' statements more relevant and meaningful for your students, while still staying true to the overarching goals of the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards.

This balance between consistency in standards and flexibility in student-facing language is key to ensuring that all students are prepared for career readiness in a way that makes sense within your specific context.

In our mapping activity, we are going to start with a set of Student “I Can” statements that were created by DPI. However, when we’re going through this map, keep in mind that you will have an opportunity to revise these statements over time to better meet the priorities of your local system.

5 of 9

“I Can” Mapping Activity

Work independently or with teammates
Select a grade band that you want to work with for this activity

(K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-10, or 11-12)

Record where "I Can" statements are being used in your curriculum using THIS FILE and the drop-down options

Note if the Offering is Universal or Opt-In

Use your work to reflect on the strengths of your current programming, as well as the observable gaps in career readiness

"In this activity, you’ll have the opportunity to map the 'I Can' student statements to your own curriculum. To complete this activity, you’ll choose a grade band and review the 'I Can' statements from the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards. Your task is to map out where these statements are already being applied in your curriculum. This will give you a clear sense of where your students are building career readiness skills.”

You will also need some resources to complete this activity. The Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards “I Can” statements can be found on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s WCRS webpage under the Resources section. The WCRS Module 5 Mapping Activity google sheets file is also available under the Resources section. When you access the file, it will require you to do a forced copy, which will provide you with your own file to customize with your own reflections for your system or context, and then keep to guide your continued work on the implementation of the WCRS. These resources and activity will support you and your team in reflecting upon the strengths or your current programing, as well as the observable gaps in career readiness from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

6 of 9

"As you work through the 'I Can' statements using the WCRS Mapping file, you will focus on your selected grade band to consider where the I Can statement skills and concepts are already being addressed in your comprehensive curriculum. Start by selecting a grade band that you want to focus on—this could be K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-10, or 11-12.“ Find that grade band within the provided file within the google sheets program.

This image represents a snapshot of one portion of this file focused on student I Can statements in grades K-2. On the left, you’ll see one I Can statement per row. Starting in the middle of your screen to the right, you’ll note a variety of contexts or subject areas that students in those grades are exposed to during their daily lives as students. The available drop-down options under each subject area or context allows you to reflect upon, analyze, and then record whether the offerings connect to each of the I Can statements. The drop-down options allow you to leave the cell untouched if that I Can statement is not present within your current offerings, select Opt In if that I Can statement is addressed for some students, or select Universal if that I Can statement is addressed for all students within that subject area or context. While this activity, when done well, will require a substantial commitment in time and energy, it is a vital step in recognizing the ways in which your system is serving students well, and the ways in which your system may require some growth and development. You can choose to work independently or with teammates from your educational system.

At this point, we recommend you pause your WCRS Module 10, and focus on creating the space and time to complete this mapping activity. For some systems, this may take 15-20 minutes, while in other more complex systems or situations, it could take multiple work times and require interviewing or connecting with individuals who have expertise in one subject area or context within your system, for example, the Physical education or music teacher.

7 of 9

Key Takeaways: Debriefing the Mapping Activity

Strengths:

Where were “I Can” statements well integrated?

Areas for Improvement:

What gaps did you identify across subject areas and grades?
Which “I Can” statements would you edit to better fit your system?
Using the Opt In/Universal options, what inequities did you uncover?

Next Steps:

What additional information do you need to complete this map?
What feels the most urgent to address within your system?

Welcome back to Module 10!

Now that you’ve had time to map out the 'I Can' statements, let’s take a few minutes to consider some of your gained insights. What patterns did you notice? Were there certain subject areas where the 'I Can' statements were particularly well integrated? Or were there gaps where more focus could be placed?“

When we review our responses to the Opt In and Universal options, it can open our eyes to the ways in which some great experiences or opportunities are offered within your system, but only to certain groups of students. Maybe it is because one teacher in a grade naturally does more career-connected learning compared to their grade-level peers, or maybe you have great options for students opting in to certain electives. Offering career-connected learning in this way leads to inequities where some students end up receiving great programming, and others end up receiving very little deep career connected learning. How did this feature of the mapping tool enhance your understanding of your systemic implementation and potential inequities?

Whether you worked individually or as a team to complete this activity, we recommend sharing about your process and key takeaways with others in your system. Your results can help your key stakeholders learn from one another and identify common areas for growth across the board."

8 of 9

The Big Question

When it comes to career readiness, how much “is enough” exposure over time and across courses to ensure that students have the opportunities to embody these “I Can” statements prior to graduation?

Now that you’ve completed some group reflection and discussion, you may have run into a big question that each system needs to consider: When it comes to career readiness, how much 'is enough' exposure over time and across courses to ensure that students have the opportunities to embody these 'I Can' statements prior to graduation?

This is a question that doesn’t have one definitive answer, but it's an important one to grapple with as we think about how we’re preparing students for their future careers. Is hitting one 'I Can' statement once in K-12 enough? Or should we be revisiting these statements more frequently—perhaps once per year, or even every year for every 'I Can' statement?

There’s no set rule, and this is where local control becomes a powerful factor. As educators and leaders in your district, you’ll need to come to a decision on what makes sense within your own context. It’s a philosophical question, but it’s also a practical one that will guide how we ensure students are not just exposed to these career readiness skills, but have the opportunity to practice and master them.

Before you begin Module 11, we recommend taking some time to consider this question as a team to gain consensus and common understanding on the rigor that your system feels morally and professionally called to provide to your students.

9 of 9

Optimistic Closure

"I Can" statements are not only best practice, but a tool that adds in collaboration with students, families, and educators within the system

Career readiness is built over time, across subjects.

The work you did today will help later in this Community of Practice as you take action to address goals for career readiness improvement.

As we wrap up today, remember that 'I Can' statements are more than just a best practice—they are a collaborative tool that connects students, families, and educators. These statements give students a clear path toward achieving career readiness, and they also allow educators to focus instruction on meaningful, student-centered outcomes.

Career readiness is not something that happens in just one moment or one course. It’s built over time, across grade levels, and through various subjects. The 'I Can' statements you’ve explored today help ensure that students have the opportunity to practice and refine these skills throughout their K-12 experience. As a reminder, although the WCRS standards cannot be changed, the I Can statements should reflect the key priorities and interpretations of your system as your work to make the standards a reality. While you can use the prepared I Can statements, authentic investment also allows for the tweaking of these statements as you work to ensure that all students in your system receive the practices, policies, and opportunities necessary to grow slowly toward proficiency with the standards over time. Think of them as an ongoing starting point, ready for your expertise and vision.

Looking ahead, the work you’ve done today will be foundational as you continue in this Community of Practice. You’ll use this foundation to take concrete steps toward addressing and improving career readiness goals for your students. Thank you for your participation today, and we’ll see you next time for Module 11!