1 of 10

Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards

Community of Practice

Skills for Success:

The Why Behind Wisconsin's Career Readiness Standards

Module 3:

The Evolution of Career Readiness in Wisconsin

Welcome to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Career Readiness Community of Practice! In this third module, titled, “The Evolution of Career Readiness in Wisconsin”, we’re going to dive into the journey of career readiness within public education in Wisconsin.

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 on activities or supplemental materials and connect with your regional CESA for additional support. Let’s dive in!

2 of 10

Objectives

Understand the Evolution of Career Readiness in Wisconsin�

Recognize the Connections between Education 4 Employment and Academic and Career Planning�

3 of 10

History of Career Readiness in Wisconsin

COLLEGE OR CAREER

Students prepared for one track.
Worked well an era with less job mobility and lower college tuition rates.

COLLEGE AND CAREER

Students prepared for both options so they can choose one by the time they graduate.
Focus on 4-year college only

CAREERS, COMMUNITY & LIFELONG LEARNING

Students prepare for lifelong learning throughout their career.
A career (not college) is the end goal.
Honors all types of postsecondary education and training.

Let’s take a look at the history of career readiness in Wisconsin and how it’s evolved over time. We’ll start on the left and work our way to the right, highlighting these shifts.

In the first column, we have the era of “College or Career.” At this point in time, students were prepared for just one track—either college or the workforce. This approach worked well in an era when job mobility was lower and college tuition rates were much more affordable.

Moving into the middle column, we shift to a “College and Career” model. Here, the goal became preparing students for both options, so they could choose either college or a career by the time they graduated. However, the focus remained heavily on the 4-year college route, often leaving out other viable postsecondary pathways.

Now, in the third column, we see our current approach—“Careers, Community & Lifelong Learning.” The goal here is lifelong learning throughout a student’s career. This shift acknowledges that a career, not necessarily college, is the end goal for many students. It also honors all types of postsecondary education and training, recognizing the diverse paths students may take to achieve success.

This evolution reflects a growing understanding of the need for flexibility, relevance, and a broader definition of career readiness for today’s students.�

4 of 10

Holding the Floor: The Wisconsin E4E Plan

Hold the Floor:

Our E4E Plan

The Education for Employment, or E4E, plan serves as the solid foundation for career readiness in Wisconsin. This statutory requirement ensures that every student, from kindergarten through 12th grade, has access to academic and career planning activities that prepare them for the future.

E4E establishes the essential groundwork upon which a variety of meaningful activities are built. These include career exploration, work-based learning experiences, and academic integration that connect classroom skills to real-world applications. By emphasizing lifelong learning, technological literacy, and collaboration between schools, businesses, and postsecondary institutions, the E4E foundation provides students with a comprehensive pathway to success.

Everything we do to support students’ career readiness rests on this foundation. It ensures equity and consistency in preparing all students for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow’s workforce, while also meeting statutory requirements that reflect Wisconsin’s commitment to education and career preparation."

5 of 10

ACP is a Part of Education for Employment

The Education for Employment (E4E) statute spans elementary, middle and high school grade levels and requires school districts to:

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.

DPI Resource: Wisconsin's Guide to Publishing Your District's ACP E4E Plan

"Academic and Career Planning (ACP) is a key component of the Education for Employment (E4E) statute, which spans elementary, middle, and high school grade levels. E4E ensures that students are not only academically prepared but also equipped with the skills and mindset needed for future employment, lifelong learning, and active citizenship.

This statute emphasizes technological literacy, collaboration with businesses and postsecondary institutions, and the importance of connecting classroom learning to real-world experiences. Through ACP, we provide students with opportunities to explore careers, develop essential skills, and understand the wide variety of paths available to them. Our partnerships between education, industry, and postsecondary institutions play a vital role in helping students connect their learning today to their future success."

6 of 10

Required Academic and Career Planning

WCRS in Academic and Career Planning:

The WCRS provides a roadmap that can help educators build their scope and sequence of ACP activities across grade levels.

"Academic and Career Planning (ACP) is a developmental journey that begins in elementary school and continues through high school, guiding students through three key stages: Know, Explore, and Plan & Go.

In the Know stage, which starts in elementary school, we focus on building awareness. Students are introduced to the wide variety of careers available to them and the skills needed for success. This stage is about planting the seeds of curiosity and helping students understand that their education connects to the world of work.

In middle school, we transition to the Explore stage. This is when students begin connecting their personal interests, strengths, and skills to potential career pathways. Through hands-on activities, project-based learning, and real-world examples, we help them see the relevance of what they’re learning in the classroom to their future aspirations.

By high school, students move into the Plan & Go stage. Here, we provide targeted support as they prepare for their postsecondary journeys. Whether it’s through work-based learning experiences, internships, dual-credit courses, or researching colleges and training programs, this stage empowers students to create actionable plans that align with their goals.

Together, these stages form a cohesive career readiness pathway, ensuring that every student has the knowledge, skills, and confidence to take the next steps toward their future."

7 of 10

Elementary: Career Awareness “Know”

Elementary Topics/Activities that Should be Provided to ALL Students:

Focus on the “KNOW” element of Academic & Career Planning. Work as an elementary team to discover ways to embed topics into the curriculum with a focus on:

Why people work
The kinds of conditions under which people work
The levels of training and education needed for work
Common expectations for employees in the workplace
How expectations at school relate to expectations in the world of work.

DPI Resource: Wisconsin's Guide to Publishing Your District's ACP E4E Plan

"Elementary school is where we lay the foundation for Academic and Career Planning by focusing on the 'Know' element. This is the stage where students start developing an understanding of the world of work and its connection to their lives.

As an elementary team, it’s important to find ways to embed these topics into the curriculum. Key concepts to explore include why people work, the kinds of conditions under which they work, and the levels of training and education required for different jobs. Students should also begin to understand common workplace expectations and how these mirror the expectations they experience in school.

By linking these ideas to everyday lessons, we can help students draw connections between what they’re learning now and the skills they’ll need in the future. This creates a solid foundation for career awareness and sets the stage for further exploration in middle and high school."

8 of 10

Middle: Career Exploration “Explore”

Middle Level Topics/Activities that Should be Provided to ALL Students:

Consider the “EXPLORE” element of Academic & Career Planning and discover ways to embed topics into the curriculum with a focus on:

Understanding of the continuum of careers across work environments, duties, and responsibilities and how a student’s personal interests and skills relate to those careers.
Career research identifying personal preferences in relations to occupations and careers students may pursue.
Career exploration may also include career-based learning experiences and career research identifying personal preferences in relation to occupations and careers pupils may pursue.

DPI Resource: Wisconsin's Guide to Publishing Your District's ACP E4E Plan

"In middle school, students enter the 'Explore' phase of Academic and Career Planning. This phase builds on the foundational knowledge from elementary school and encourages students to dive deeper into career possibilities while reflecting on their own interests and skills.

The focus during this phase includes helping students understand the wide continuum of careers. This means exploring various work environments, duties, and responsibilities, and how these align with their personal preferences and abilities. Through career research, students can begin identifying roles and fields that resonate with their interests.

Career exploration at this level may also include career-based learning experiences, such as job shadowing, guest speakers, or hands-on projects that simulate real-world tasks. These activities make learning relevant and help students connect their academic experiences to potential future careers. By embedding these topics into the curriculum, we equip students with the tools to make informed decisions about their career pathways."

9 of 10

High: Career Planning & Preparation

“Plan & GO”

High School Level Topics/Activities that Should be Provided to ALL Students:

Consider the “Plan & Go” element of Academic & Career Planning and discover ways to embed topics into the curriculum with a focus on:

Conducting career research to identify personal preferences in relation to specific occupations.
School-supervised, career- and work-based learning experiences.
Instruction in career decision making.
Instruction that provides:

for the practical application of academic skills
applied technologies
economics, including entrepreneurship education and personal financial literacy

Pupil access to career and technical education programs, including programs at technical colleges.
Pupil access to accurate national, regional, and state labor market information, including labor market supply and demand.
Instruction and experience in developing and refining the skills and behaviors needed by pupils to obtain and retain employment.

"In high school, students transition to the 'Plan & Go' stage of Academic and Career Planning. This is the phase where students take all they’ve learned about themselves and the world of work and begin creating actionable plans for their future.

At this level, career research becomes more personalized, allowing students to identify specific occupations that align with their preferences, strengths, and goals. School-supervised career- and work-based learning experiences, such as internships, co-ops, or job shadowing, provide hands-on opportunities to apply what they’ve learned in real-world settings.

Instruction should also focus on critical career decision-making skills, with an emphasis on practical applications of academic concepts. This includes applied technologies, economics, entrepreneurship, and personal financial literacy to prepare students for life beyond high school.

Additionally, students should have access to robust career and technical education (CTE) programs, including opportunities at technical colleges. They need accurate labor market information at the national, regional, and state levels to understand job availability and demand.

Finally, high school students should develop and refine essential skills and behaviors required to obtain and retain employment. This comprehensive approach ensures that every student leaves high school with the tools and confidence to take the next steps in their career journey."

10 of 10

From Floor to Ceiling: Elevating Educational Rigor

Raise the Ceiling:

The WCRS

Hold the Floor:

Our E4E Plan

"This graphic illustrates how we elevate educational rigor through a balanced approach that goes beyond our statutory requirements to our students. The floor represents the foundational elements of our E4E plan, which ensure a baseline of essential standards and opportunities for all students. It provides the stability necessary for effective programming.

The house symbolizes the rich programming and activities we build on this foundation. These encompass a variety of Academic and Career Planning (ACP) experiences designed to help students explore their interests, develop skills, and connect their learning to future goals. Together, the floor and the house demonstrate the importance of aligning foundational requirements with meaningful, engaging opportunities.

While this combination is a great fit for some of our students, layering a well-intentioned and strong ceiling represents the next level in elevating educational and future-ready rigor for all of our students. The Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards (WCRS) help our systems push beyond the basics, inspiring higher levels of achievement and readiness for the dynamic workforce of the future.

As you prepare to move on to Module 4, consider your current system’s “house”. What power does the E4E plan hold in your district? How does it serve as an equitable foundation for a rich tapestry of strategic and powerful academic and career planning activities for all? Finally, how would the application of a set of statewide standards – the WCRS – help provide rigor, equity, complexity, and intention to create a future-ready lens that could elevate not only your district’s career readiness, but all aspects of the student, staff, and community experience?

Take some time to contemplate these essential questions about your current system’s opportunities and challenges. We look forward to seeing you back for Module 4 of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Career Readiness Standards Community of Practice, where we’ll explore the development of the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards as the future-ready ceiling for Wisconsin’s students.