1 of 48

Part II WiCRS -

Exploring Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards & Integrating into Academic Courses

March 6, 2025

Gwen Janke

Director of College & Career Readiness

WI Career Readiness Standards

2 of 48

Part II – Understanding & Integration of Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards

Deepen Understanding of the WCRS Framework (Module #5 & #6)
Reflect on Alignment Between WCRS and Local System Needs (Module #6)
Analyze the Applicability of WCRS in Different Educational Contexts (Module #6)
Build Understanding of the WCRS and Social-Emotional Development (Module #7)
Examine the Integration of WCRS into Academic Content (Module #7)
WiCRS Integration (Module #8)

Learning Objectives

*CHECK OUT* - CESA 10 College & Career Readiness Website

https://ccr.cesa10.org/wi-career-readiness-standards

3 of 48

CESA 10 College & Career Readiness Website

*CHECK OUT* - CESA 10 College & Career Readiness Website

https://ccr.cesa10.org/wi-career-readiness-standards

4 of 48

CESA 10 College & Career Readiness Website

*CHECK OUT* - CESA 10 College & Career Readiness Website

https://ccr.cesa10.org/wi-career-readiness-standards

5 of 48

Quote

“Career readiness is an essential part of a comprehensive PK-12 education for all students and gives Wisconsin students a way to understand and empower themselves and their worlds. The knowledge, skills, and habits of mind gained through career readiness education in Wisconsin schools support the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s vision of engaged learners creating a better Wisconsin together.”

Jill K. Underly, Ph.D., State Superintendent

6 of 48

Wisconsin Academic Standards

Define what students should know and be able to do at specific grade levels.
Serve as goals for teaching and learning across the state.
Local school boards adopt standards to meet community needs.
Ensure equal access to high-quality educational programs.
Provide clear expectations to prepare students for success beyond the classroom.
Adoption of standards is voluntary for districts.
Implementing standards may lead to curriculum updates, instructional changes, and new assessments.

"Let’s take a moment to review the basics of Wisconsin’s academic standards policy. These standards are designed to clearly define what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. They serve as goals for teaching and learning across the state, ensuring that students are being equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary for success beyond the classroom."

"It’s important to note that in Wisconsin, all state standards serve as a model. Local school boards are responsible for adopting standards that best meet the needs of their communities. This flexibility allows districts to tailor their approach while ensuring that all students have equal access to high-quality educational programs."

"While the adoption of these standards is voluntary, many districts use them as a guide for developing curriculum. Implementing these standards may lead to updates in instructional methods, curriculum materials, and even assessments. This ensures that educators have the tools and guidance necessary to prepare students for their futures."

7 of 48

Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards

Life Ready Skills

Learning Ready Skills

Career Ready Skills

"Now that we’ve covered the basics of Wisconsin’s academic standards, let’s take a look at the structure of the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards. The release of the Wisconsin Standards for Career Readiness provides a set of important academic standards for school districts to implement. These standards are organized into three distinct strands: Career Ready, Life Ready, and Learning Ready."

"While career readiness is often associated with employability skills, the WCRS goes beyond that. It recognizes that being truly career-ready means also being prepared for life and lifelong learning. These three strands—Career Ready, Life Ready, and Learning Ready—reflect the comprehensive set of skills that students need to thrive both in their careers and in life as a whole."

"There is some natural overlap between these strands, as the skills required for career readiness often intersect with those needed for life and learning readiness. Together, these strands form a cohesive framework that prepares students for success across all areas of their lives."

8 of 48

Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards

Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards (WCRS)
Career Ready	Learning Ready	Life Ready
Career Awareness (KNOW)	Academic Skills	Self-Awareness, Management, & Responsibility
Career Exploration (EXPLORE)	Critical Thinking and Problem Solving	Interpersonal Communication & Collaboration
Career Planning (PLAN)	Innovation Mindset & Skills	Global Competence
Career Preparation (GO) Postsecondary Education & Training Preparation (GO)	Technology Skills	Responsive Leadership
K5 12th grade Integrated across all subject areas, as a part of ACP activities, and/or into Career Pathways (WBL, IRCs, DE)

"As we look at the structure of the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards, it’s important to recognize that you’re getting more than just career readiness. These standards were intentionally crafted to incorporate elements from a wide range of high-leverage resources, both state and national."

"The WCRS are influenced by important frameworks like Wisconsin’s Social Emotional Learning standards, Personal Financial Literacy, and Information & Technology Literacy. They also draw on competencies from areas such as entrepreneurship education, STEM skills, the ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors for school counselors, and even global leadership outcomes and decision education standards."

"This integration ensures that the WCRS provide a well-rounded, holistic approach to student development, bringing together career readiness with essential life and learning skills. The result is a set of standards that prepares students not just for the workforce, but for all aspects of life in our rapidly changing world."

9 of 48

Career Ready Standards At-A-Glance

Career Ready Strand Students will create a plan for their future education, training, and career goals based on research and exploration of their options.
WCRS.CAR.1: Career Awareness KNOW how interests, skills, and strengths connect learning to career opportunities in their future.
WCRS.CAR.2: Career Exploration EXPLORE multiple career and educational choices to evaluate how they compare and contrast to personal interests and skills.
WCRS.CAR.3: Career Planning Based on what they know and have explored, develop a PLAN to reach individual education career goals.
WCRS.CAR.4(a): Career Preparation GO into the community to implement an individual career plan to learn in a variety of workplace settings and industries. WCRS.CAR.4(b): Postsecondary Education and Training Preparation GO into the community to put an individual postsecondary education and training plan into action.
K5 12th grade Integrated across all subject areas, as a part of ACP activities, and/or into Career Pathways (WBL, IRCs, DE)

"Let’s dive into the first strand of the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards: the Career Ready strand. This strand focuses on guiding students through the process of planning for their future education, training, and career goals. It’s designed to ensure that students are aware of their options, explore various opportunities, and ultimately create a solid plan for their futures."

"The Career Ready strand is built around four key standards:

First, Career Awareness (WCRS.CAR.1) ensures that students understand how their interests, skills, and strengths connect to future career opportunities.
Next, Career Exploration (WCRS.CAR.2) encourages students to explore multiple career paths and educational choices, helping them compare and contrast how those options align with their personal skills and interests.
Then, we have Career Planning (WCRS.CAR.3), where students use their knowledge and exploration to develop a plan for reaching their individual education and career goals.
Finally, there are two components of Career Preparation: WCRS.CAR.4a, which focuses on students implementing their career plans in the community through workplace experiences, and WCRS.CAR.4b, which emphasizes putting postsecondary education and training plans into action."

"Together, these standards guide students from early awareness through concrete steps to prepare for and pursue their postsecondary and career goals, giving them real-world experiences and actionable plans."

10 of 48

Learning Ready Standards At-A-Glance

Learning Ready Strand Students will understand how K-12 classroom learning will prepare them for careers and lifelong learning.
WCRS.LRN.1: Academic Skills Acquire academic skills and real-life experiences to prepare for future education and a career.
WCRS.LRN.2: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Develop the motivation and acquire the critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills needed to prepare for future education and careers.
WCRS.LRN.3: Innovation Mindset & Skills Develop a spirit of innovation and creativity that encourages educational risk-taking, acceptance of failure, and learning from mistakes in pursuit of achieving a goal.
WCRS.LRN.4: Technology Skills Acquire commonly used technology skills required for all careers.
K5 12th grade Integrated across all subject areas, as a part of ACP activities, and/or into Career Pathways (WBL, IRCs, DE)

"Next, we have the Learning Ready strand, which focuses on how K-12 classroom learning prepares students not only for their future careers but also for lifelong learning. This strand emphasizes the connection between academic success and the skills needed to thrive in any career path."

"The Learning Ready strand is built around four key standards:

First, Academic Skills (WCRS.LRN.1) ensures that students acquire both academic skills and real-life experiences that will prepare them for future education and careers.
Next, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving (WCRS.LRN.2) focuses on helping students develop the motivation, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving abilities necessary to succeed in their education and future careers.
Then, Innovation Mindset & Skills (WCRS.LRN.3) encourages students to adopt a spirit of innovation and creativity, where they learn to take educational risks, accept failure, and grow from mistakes as they pursue their goals.
Finally, Technology Skills (WCRS.LRN.4) ensures that students gain proficiency in the technology skills commonly required across all career fields."

"Together, these standards prepare students with the academic, critical thinking, creative, and technical skills needed to be successful, adaptable learners throughout their lives."

11 of 48

Life Ready Standards At-A-Glance

Life Ready Strand Students will develop a positive identity and act with an awareness of self and others to collaborate, advocate, and lead effectively across various contexts.
WCRS.LIF.1: Self-Awareness, Management, & Responsibility Gain insight into oneself to help inform and build paths to success in personal, educational, and career settings.
WCRS.LIF.2: Interpersonal Communication & Collaboration Use interpersonal skills to interact with others for positive outcomes and collective success.
WCRS.LIF.3: Global Competence Understand one’s impact on the world and develop the ability to interact with people from other backgrounds, countries, and cultures.
WCRS.LIF.4: Responsive Leadership Take individual and collective action that demonstrates responsibility, care, and purpose to create positive change.
K5 12th grade Integrated across all subject areas, as a part of ACP activities, and/or into Career Pathways (WBL, IRCs, DE)

"The final strand of the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards is the Life Ready strand. This strand focuses on developing students' ability to understand themselves and others, and to act with purpose, responsibility, and leadership in a variety of contexts. The goal is to help students grow into well-rounded individuals who can collaborate, advocate, and lead effectively, both personally and professionally."

"The Life Ready strand is built around four key standards:

First, Self-Awareness, Management, & Responsibility (WCRS.LIF.1) focuses on helping students gain insight into themselves, building a foundation for success in personal, educational, and career settings.
Next, Interpersonal Communication & Collaboration (WCRS.LIF.2) teaches students to use interpersonal skills to interact with others, fostering positive outcomes and collective success.
Then, Global Competence (WCRS.LIF.3) encourages students to understand their impact on the world and develop the ability to engage effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Finally, Responsive Leadership (WCRS.LIF.4) promotes taking action with responsibility, care, and purpose, empowering students to create positive change in their communities and beyond."

"These standards aim to develop students’ social, emotional, and leadership capacities, preparing them to lead fulfilling lives and contribute positively to society."

12 of 48

Understanding the Standards

CAR – Career-Ready
LRN – Learning-Ready
LIF – Life-Ready

"Before we dive deeper into the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards, let’s take a moment to understand how these standards are structured. The Wisconsin Standards for Career Readiness follow a specific format to ensure clarity and consistency across all content areas."

"Each standard is organized into four key parts:

The discipline, which represents the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program area;
The strand, which identifies an instructional topic within that discipline;
The standard, which is a broad statement outlining what students are expected to know or be able to do;
And the learning priority, which breaks down that broad statement into smaller, more manageable learning goals."

"Each standard also has its own coding structure, with strands coded as CAR for Career-Ready, LRN for Learning-Ready, and LIF for Life-Ready. This coding helps educators easily identify the specific focus of each standard."

"Understanding this structure will help us as we move forward and explore how these standards can be applied in our systems."

Discipline Standards Structure

The Wisconsin Standards for Career Readiness follow a specific structure:

Standards Formatting

• Discipline: CTE program area

• Strand: Instructional topic within the discipline

• Standard: Broad statement that tells what students are expected to know or be able to do

• Learning Priority: Breaks down the broad statement into manageable learning pieces

Standard Coding Strands for Career Readiness in this code structure include:

• CAR – Career-Ready

• LRN – Learning-Ready

• LIF – Life-Ready

13 of 48

Let’s Explore: Career Ready Standards

Objective:

To reflect upon your own personal career readiness experiences and understand the impact of the "Career Ready" learning priorities.

Note:

DPI Self-Reflection WI Career Readiness Standards has been printed for you as participant of this session at CESA 10.

The document is broken down into parts throughout the remainder of this presentation.

14 of 48

Let’s Explore: Career Ready Standards

Personal Reflection on Career Readiness:

Review the 19 Learning Priorities under the Career Ready Standards.

Using the Individual Review Resource: Career Ready Reflection Sheet, rank the standards in order from “Most Prepared” to “Least Prepared”, to reflect the level of readiness that you experienced when entering the workforce.

Be prepared to share your experience and insight with a small group of educators.

15 of 48

Let’s Explore: Career Ready Standards

Small Group Discussion:

Which skills were your strengths?

Which skills were you lacking?

How did your lacking readiness impact your career entry?

What unmet standards do you think could have made a substantial difference within your own career preparedness?

16 of 48

Career Ready Standards and ACP Stages

Know (Career Awareness):

Discussion Prompt: How can we ensure that all students in the "Know" stage are given equitable opportunities to explore their career interests?

Explore (Career Exploration):

Discussion Prompt: What gaps exist in providing all students with robust career exploration experiences?

Plan (Career Planning):

Discussion Prompt: Are students equally supported in creating actionable career plans that align with their personal interests and strengths?

Go (Career Preparation):

Discussion Prompt: How do we ensure that all students have access to career preparation activities, regardless of background?

Now that you’ve reflected individually and discussed your experiences with colleagues, let’s continue the conversation, turning to equity. Within your team, take a few minutes to discuss the following prompts:

Know (Career Awareness): How can we ensure that all students in the 'Know' stage are given equitable opportunities to explore their career interests? Reflect on ways to create consistent and meaningful career awareness activities across your district or school.

Explore (Career Exploration): What gaps exist in providing all students with robust career exploration experiences? Consider the resources, partnerships, and opportunities available to students and where there might be inequities.

Plan (Career Planning): Are students equally supported in creating actionable career plans that align with their personal interests and strengths? Discuss strategies for guiding students in making personalized and effective plans for their futures.

Go (Career Preparation): How do we ensure that all students have access to career preparation activities, regardless of their background? Think about the barriers that might exist and ways to eliminate those barriers to provide inclusive opportunities.

As a group, share your insights, ideas, and challenges for each stage. Be sure to capture key takeaways from your discussion, as this reflection will guide how we address equity and career readiness moving forward."

17 of 48

Let’s Explore: Career Ready Standards

Implications for Practice:

How can we better prepare students?

How can we address the gaps we experienced?

18 of 48

Let’s Explore: Learning Ready Standards

Tuning Protocol Steps:

1. Individual Review Resource: Learning Ready Reflection Sheet

2. Small Group Discussions:

Warm Feedback

Cool Feedback

3. Group Presentations

4. Reflection

"Now, we'll explore the 'Learning Ready' strand using a Tuning Protocol. First, take 5 minutes to read through the standards individually. Jot down any thoughts, questions, or observations. An Activity Sheet is available within the resources section of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s WCRS page to help guide your individual reflection. Specifically, the Tuning Protocol activity sheet will encourage you to begin with your WCRS warm feedback: what resonates with you, what are the strengths of these standards, and how they align with your current practices. Then, move to cool feedback: noting challenges or gaps within the standards as you consider the needs of your system. We encourage you to pause Module 6 here to complete this individual reflection activity. When you are finished with this activity, please resume Module 6.

19 of 48

Let’s Explore: Learning Ready Standards

Warm Feedback:

What are the strengths of the standards?
What resonates well with the priorities of your current system and community?

Cool Feedback:

What are the weaknesses of the standards?
What gaps do you see with the priorities of your current system and community?

What are your ideas for supplementing or supporting the WCRS to improve the fit of the Learning Ready Standards to your community and system?

20 of 48

Let’s Explore: Learning Ready Standards

Implications for Practice:

How can we better prepare students?

How can we address the gaps we experienced?

21 of 48

Let’s Explore: Life Ready Standards

Objective:

To reflect on the "Life Ready" strand of the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards, selecting a personal favorite learning intention that participants value most in their students and future community members.

Resource: Life Readiness Reflection Sheet

22 of 48

Let’s Explore: Life Ready Standards

Implications for Practice:

What are the key takeaways from your group discussion?

How can you promote these values in your system?

23 of 48

The Expanded Outcomes

Systemic implementation of the WCRS results in Wisconsin students who…

Develop deep understandings as curious and capable learners, so they may experience joy and confidence in themselves.
Develop proven practices and content.
Are flexible and use the standards to understand the world and question and critique the world productively.
Secure expanded professional opportunities in a wide variety of careers.

"As we've seen throughout this module, the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards provide a powerful framework for preparing students not only for academic success but for life beyond the classroom. These standards help develop deep understandings in our students, allowing them to grow into curious, capable learners who experience joy and confidence in themselves."

"By embedding proven practices and content across all subject areas, we equip Wisconsin students with the flexibility to navigate an ever-changing world. The ability to question, critique, and productively engage with the world is an essential skill that these standards help foster."

"Ultimately, the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards open doors to expanded professional opportunities for students across a wide variety of careers, empowering them to pursue their unique paths with confidence and competence."

"As we move forward, let’s continue to reflect on how we can use these standards in our schools and communities, ensuring that we’re providing the comprehensive, holistic education our students need to succeed both now and in the future."

"Thank you for participating in this deep dive into the WCRS. While reading the WCRS is valuable, taking the time to connect emotionally and cognitively to the standards is an essential activity in your work to becoming a career readiness champion within your own system. By growing in our advocacy, we can all help build a future where every Wisconsin student is ready to thrive. Thank you again for joining us for Module 6, and we look forward to seeing you for Module 7!

24 of 48

Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards

Helps us Conceptualize Wisconsin’s Vision For What Students

Should

KNOW & BE ABLE TO DO

To Prepare for a Future of Success

Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards (WCRS)
Career Ready	Learning Ready	Life Ready
Career Awareness (KNOW)	Academic Skills	Self-Awareness, Management, & Responsibility
Career Exploration (EXPLORE)	Critical Thinking and Problem Solving	Interpersonal Communication & Collaboration
Career Planning (PLAN)	Innovation Mindset & Skills	Global Competence
Career Preparation (GO) Postsecondary Education & Training Preparation (GO)	Technology Skills	Responsive Leadership
K5 12 grade Integrated across all subject areas, as a part of ACP activities, and/or into Career Pathways (WBL, IRCs, DE)

"Let’s quickly review what the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards, or WCRS, are. These standards are designed to ensure that all students graduate with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for success in their future careers, lifelong learning, and personal growth."

"The WCRS are divided into three key strands: Career Ready, Learning Ready, and Life Ready. Each strand focuses on different aspects of student development. The Career Ready strand includes standards that help students explore career options, develop plans, and prepare for future careers through real-world experiences. The Learning Ready strand emphasizes the academic and critical thinking skills needed to succeed in education and future careers. Finally, the Life Ready strand focuses on the social-emotional competencies, leadership, and interpersonal skills that students need to navigate personal and professional challenges throughout their lives."

"Together, these three strands provide a comprehensive framework to ensure that students are well-prepared for whatever path they choose after graduation."

25 of 48

Our WCRS Priorities

Specific & Intentional Career-Specific Knowledge & Skills

(i.e., knowledge of career pathways, financial literacy, use of excel spreadsheets)

Social & Emotional Skills, Knowledge, & Dispositions for

Effective Application

(i.e., emotional regulation, social awareness, cultural humility, communication)

"As we look at how the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards are designed, it’s important to recognize that there are two key priorities for student outcomes. The first priority focuses on ensuring that students develop Specific and Intentional Career-Specific Knowledge and Skills. This includes practical knowledge, like understanding career pathways, financial literacy, or even technical skills such as using Excel spreadsheets. These skills are vital for preparing students to succeed in specific career contexts."

"However, the second priority is equally important. For students to effectively apply these career-specific skills, they must also develop Social and Emotional Skills, Knowledge, and Dispositions. This includes competencies like emotional regulation, social awareness, cultural humility, and strong communication skills. These are the soft skills that help students navigate the complexities of the workplace and apply their technical knowledge in real-world settings."

"In other words, career readiness isn’t just about what students know—it’s about ensuring they have the social-emotional competencies to use that knowledge effectively. The WCRS help bridge this gap by prioritizing both career-specific knowledge and the SEL skills necessary for applying that knowledge successfully. This dual focus helps our students become not just ready for work, but ready for life."

26 of 48

SEL Powers Employability Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Critical Thinking

Adaptability

27 of 48

The Acquisition of WCRS-Related Outcomes

While the WCRS provides us with a vision of ideal student outcomes, we have to ask ourselves,

how does this acquisition process occur?

28 of 48

Surface, Deep, and Transfer Learning�

Prior Knowledge

Surface Learning

Deep Learning

Transfer

(Hattie, 2023)

Build Understanding of New Topic

Make Meaningful Connections To Expand Understanding

Apply Understanding to New Contexts

"To truly prepare students for their future careers, we need to ensure they aren’t just receiving surface-level knowledge. John Hattie’s research on surface, deep, and transfer learning helps us understand the different levels of learning that students need to reach in order to be successful."

"Surface learning is the foundational level where students are exposed to new information and begin to understand the basics. This might include learning career terminology or basic career-related tasks. While surface learning is necessary, it’s not enough on its own."

"Next, we have deep learning, where students start to apply their understanding in more meaningful ways. In this stage, students don’t just memorize career facts—they begin to analyze and critically think about career options, connecting what they’ve learned to real-world situations."

"Finally, transfer learning is the highest level, where students take the skills and knowledge they’ve gained and apply them to new, unfamiliar contexts. For example, they might use their understanding of financial literacy to make decisions in a completely different professional setting, or use their communication skills to navigate a new workplace culture. This is where students become truly career-ready, as they can adapt and apply their learning in various settings."

"It’s essential that we guide our students through these levels of learning—ensuring they’re not just retaining information, but developing the critical thinking and adaptability needed for success beyond the classroom."

29 of 48

Surface, Deep, and Transfer Learning

Prior Knowledge

Surface Learning

Deep Learning

Transfer

LEARNING PRIORITY:

WCRS.CAR.2.B: Compare the effect of personal income and student loan debt on financial goals.

STANDARD:

WCRS.CAR.2: Career Exploration (EXPLORE)

EXPLORE multiple career and educational choices to evaluate how they compare and contrast to personal interests and skills.

"Let’s take a look at a specific learning intention from the Career Ready strand: WCRS.CAR.2.B. This standard asks students to compare the effect of personal income and student loan debt on financial goals. We’ll walk through how this learning intention can be addressed at the surface, deep, and transfer levels of learning."

Surface Learning: "At the surface level, students are introduced to the basic concepts of personal income, student loans, and financial goals. They might learn definitions or calculate basic income and loan repayment amounts. In this phase, students are primarily focused on understanding key terms and learning how to calculate simple financial relationships. For example, students could be asked to calculate monthly loan payments based on an average salary."

Deep Learning: "Once students have a foundational understanding, we can move into deep learning. At this stage, students begin to analyze the relationship between income and student loan debt in more complex ways. They might compare different scenarios—like taking out a larger loan versus attending a more affordable college—and assess the long-term impact on their financial goals. This encourages students to apply critical thinking skills as they weigh the pros and cons of different financial decisions. Here, they might develop a budget based on a hypothetical salary and loan amount, and analyze how different levels of debt would impact future savings."

Transfer Learning: "Finally, transfer learning occurs when students take the knowledge and skills they’ve developed and apply them to new and varied contexts. In this case, students might look at how their understanding of income and debt can apply to real-life situations outside the classroom. They could research actual job salaries and loan repayment plans and then project how their personal career and financial choices could affect their financial future. This could extend into setting long-term financial goals based on different career paths, or exploring alternative methods of paying for education, like scholarships or work-study programs."

"This progression from surface to deep to transfer learning ensures that students aren’t just learning financial terms—they’re applying these skills in meaningful, real-world contexts that prepare them for future financial decisions."

30 of 48

The Acquisition of WCRS-Related Social-Emotional Dispositions

"Social-emotional competencies are a critical part of career readiness. These skills don’t just appear overnight—they are built gradually over time. We’ll use a ladder heuristic to illustrate this process."

"The ladder starts with simple knowledge—understanding basic concepts. From there, students build complex knowledge, applying what they’ve learned in familiar contexts. They then move into simple execution, where they begin performing simple tasks in familiar environments with support. As they gain confidence, they develop complex execution—the ability to generalize skills and knowledge across different situations, including those that may not be as familiar or comfortable. Finally, they reach mastery, where these skills become second nature, helping them succeed independently. When students have developed dispositions, it means that they’ve internalized the skills and knowledge they’ve gained, and that information and practice has helped them develop a core part of who they are. Whether that disposition is respectful, or gracious, or accountable, the student has identified enough with it that it really starts to define how they show up and respond to the world around them. This is true career readiness!"

31 of 48

Quote

“The Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards (WCRS) provide the framework for educators to integrate career-readiness skills across all content areas and at every grade level from K-12.”

(Wisconsin Standards for Career Readiness, Page 5)

"This quote from the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards encapsulates a critical idea—the WCRS are not standalone or isolated skills. They are designed to be integrated across all content areas and at every grade level, K-12."

"What we’ve explored so far—whether through the social-emotional learning ladder or the progression from surface to deep to transfer learning—shows us that meaningful, long-lasting student development happens when we weave these career-readiness skills into every academic experience."

"The WCRS provide the framework to do just that, offering a way to ensure that every student, regardless of the subject area, gains the essential skills they need for success in life and work. Integration is key—it’s the bridge between academic learning and real-world application."

32 of 48

Integrating WCRS Into the Core

Strategies for Integration:

Embedding WCRS in core disciplines
Intentionally designing K-12 learning progressions to push students toward deeper learning using the intersection of core content and WCRS over time

Discipline-

Specific Learning

WCRS-Driven Career Learning

WCRS-Driven SEL Learning

"One of the most effective ways to deliver the WCRS is through academic integration. By embedding career readiness into core academic content, we can ensure that students are not only learning essential skills in math, science, or English but also gaining career-ready knowledge and dispositions. By integrating the WCRS into the core, we also ensure more equitable access to the WCRS and the essential outcomes we hope for students in the area of career readiness, life readiness, and learning readiness. By applying and facilitating career-connected learning within authentic and real-world contexts, it also enhances discipline-specific learning by creating a more meaningful and authentic context for students to engage in their learning journeys. Perhaps the most effective learning for students, then, becomes the intentional intersection of discipline-specific learning, WCRS-driven career learning, and WCRS-driven SEL learning.

"This integration can be achieved in a variety of ways. For example, WCRS can be naturally aligned with your existing academic standards—making it easier to incorporate them into lesson planning. You can also explore cross-curricular opportunities, where career readiness skills are integrated across subjects, creating richer and more connected learning experiences for students."

33 of 48

Discussion Question

How can we engage curriculum directors and core academic teachers to break down silos and ensure that career readiness is integrated into all subject areas, not just career and technical education? What steps can we take to foster collaboration across departments to make career readiness a school-wide priority?

As we wrap up Module 7, we invite you to take some time to reflect on the discussion question presented on this slide. How can we engage curriculum directors and core academic teachers to break down silos and ensure that career readiness is integrated into all subject areas, not just career and technical education? What steps can we take to foster collaboration across departments and make career readiness a school-wide priority?

We recommend pausing here to reflect on this individually or as a team. Consider the challenges and opportunities within your own context and think about actionable steps you can take to create a more unified approach to career readiness.

Thank you for joining us for Module 7 of the WCRS series. We encourage you to join us next for Module 8, where we’ll explore how AI-integration tools can support the implementation of the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards within academic systems. We look forward to continuing this journey with you!"

34 of 48

Using AI Tools to Facilitate Integration

Improves Efficiency: Quickly generates lesson drafts, saving valuable planning time. Further, provides a starting point that teachers can adapt and refine, rather than starting from scratch.

Supports Creative Thinking: Helps teachers brainstorm new ideas and activities that align with academic and career readiness goals.

Customizable and Responsive:The teacher controls the final product, using AI as a tool to enhance—not replace—professional expertise.

"We know that revisiting our current scope and sequences in core classes and working toward integrating the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards is, without question, a lot of work. But it’s essential work that needs to be done as we move toward more meaningful integration between academic content and career readiness. The good news is that tools like AI can help make this process more efficient and manageable."

"Let’s take a moment to discuss how AI tools, like OpenAI, can help us explore opportunities to integrate the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards into our lessons. Ai tools are another helpful resource that we can use to enhance this work. As long as they have been available, teachers have used online resources to support their brainstorming and planning. AI tools are just another option - a more interactive and customizable option.”

"One of the greatest advantages of AI is efficiency. Instead of starting from scratch, AI can quickly provide lesson drafts or activity ideas based on the standards you’re working with. This saves time, allowing you to focus more on customizing and refining the lesson to fit your students’ specific needs."

"AI also helps with creative thinking. Just like using textbooks, websites, or other online resources, AI gives you a starting point—but it’s a tool that responds to your exact needs. It’s not replacing your creativity or expertise—it’s enhancing it by giving you fresh ideas to work from."

"It’s important to remember that AI tools are just another resource, like any other resource teachers have been using for years. The difference is that it’s interactive. You ask for ideas, and the tool responds with suggestions. Ultimately, you are in control, and you decide what works best for your classroom."

"For educators who are a bit skeptical or hesitant to try AI, think of it as just another tool to support your teaching—not something that takes over. It’s there to make your job easier, but the final lesson is always your own."

35 of 48

10 Essential Terms to Understand� Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Deep Learning
Artificial Neural Network
Large Language Model
Generative AI
Prompt
Chain-of-Thought Prompting
Token
Hallucination

Elearningindustry.com

We’re diving into some key AI terms that will help us understand how artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool in supporting the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards. Let’s break these down:

Prompt: Think of a prompt as the starting point — it's the question or request you give to the AI. The magic happens based on how you frame your prompt. The clearer and more specific it is, the better the AI can deliver something useful, whether it's a lesson idea or career activity for your students.

Response: This is what the AI generates after you've given your prompt. It's like having an assistant who gives you a first draft of an idea — maybe a lesson plan or a creative activity. The response can be tweaked and adjusted, but it's a great starting point that saves time.

Context: AI needs some background to give you the best results. Providing context means telling the AI what you're working on or what outcome you're aiming for. The more details you give, the better the AI can tailor its response to exactly what you need.

Customization: And this is where you get to shine! Even though the AI generates ideas, you are in control. You can take what it gives you and fine-tune it to match your classroom, your students, and your goals. It's like giving the AI a rough sketch, and then you’re the artist who adds the final touches.

These terms might sound a bit technical at first, but really, they’re just about how we can use AI as a tool to make planning easier, more creative, and more aligned with our career readiness goals for students.

36 of 48

OpenAI for New Users

Click on the logo link to access OpenAI.

Create a Free Account:

If this is your first time using OpenAI, you’ll need to sign up. You can do this by providing your email or using a Google or Microsoft account to log in.

Start Exploring! Once your account is set up, you’re ready to begin using prompts to integrate academic content with the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards.

https://chat.openai.com

"Now, let’s move into the hands-on part of our session, where you’ll have an opportunity to use AI tools to explore how the WCRS can be integrated into your academic content. We’ll be using OpenAI, a tool that can generate instructional ideas, activities, and lesson plans based on the standards you provide. OpenAI is a free online resource that can produce high-quality responses to the prompts that you provide to it. While prompting is a skill that has to be learned and practiced, if you’re new to AI tools, we have some prompt templates created so everyone can get started with our activity today.”

"To get started with OpenAI, you’ll need to create an account if you don’t already have one. Don’t worry—this process is quick and simple. If you’re not interested in creating any free accounts with OpenAI, we can easily help you find someone in the room who has an account to look off of during this activity.”

"First, click on the logo you see on the screen: https://chat.openai.com. Once you’re on the page, you’ll be prompted to either log in or create a new account."

"If you’re new to OpenAI, just select the ‘Sign Up’ option. You can sign up with your email or use a Google or Microsoft account if that’s easier for you. Once you’ve created your account, you’ll be ready to start using OpenAI."

"Once you’re logged in, you can begin exploring how AI can support your lesson planning, including integrating academic content with the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards. The prompts we provided earlier will help guide you through this process."

37 of 48

Using AI Tools to Explore Academic Integration

Step-by-Step Instructions for Prompting:

Step 1: Select a WCRS strand and a discipline-specific academic content standard.
Step 2: Use OpenAI to explore integration lesson plans and activities.
Step 3: Refine prompts to regenerate if you’re not satisfied with OpenAI’s first output.

https://chat.openai.com

38 of 48

Wisconsin Discipline-Specific Standards

Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards

Wisconsin ELA Standards

Wisconsin Math Standards

Wisconsin Social Studies Standards

Wisconsin Science Standards

Wisconsin CTE Standards

Wisconsin Physical Education Standards

Wisconsin Standards for Information and Technology Literacy

39 of 48

OpenAI Prompting

Provide a Context

Provide a Specific Task

"Let’s walk through the prompting process you’ll use to generate lesson ideas that integrate the Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards with your disciplinary content. There are four key steps to follow when crafting your prompt:"

1. Provide a Context:�"First, start by giving the AI some context for what you’re trying to achieve. For example, you can explain that you’re working on integrating career readiness skills into academic content to help students build essential skills for their future careers. This sets the stage and gives the AI an idea of your overall goal."

2. Give a Specific Ask:�"Next, be clear about what you're asking the AI to do. Tell the AI that you need a short activity or lesson that helps students develop both their academic knowledge and career readiness skills. This directs the AI to produce a lesson that fits both of your instructional goals."

40 of 48

OpenAI Prompting

Provide a Discipline Standard

Provide a WCRS Learning Intention

3. Put the Grade and Disciplinary Standard:�"After that, include the specific academic standard you want to address. Be sure to mention the grade level and the subject area, like science, English, or social studies, so the AI knows the exact context and can generate a lesson that fits your needs."

4. List the WCRS Learning Intention:�"Finally, include the specific Wisconsin Career Readiness Standard or learning intention you want to focus on. This will help the AI integrate career readiness skills into the lesson, ensuring that students not only meet academic goals but also start building the career-related competencies they need."

"By following this prompting process—context, specific ask, academic standard, and WCRS learning intention—you'll be able to generate useful and relevant lesson plans that bring together both academic and career readiness outcomes."

41 of 48

OpenAI Response

42 of 48

OpenAI Response

Step-By-Step Lesson

"Let’s break down the activity step by step. We start by introducing students to a variety of careers in a brief class discussion. They’ll share ideas about what they want to be when they grow up, and we’ll talk about how different careers require specific tasks and skills—just like following instructions in a 'how-to' book."

"Next, we’ll engage in a shared reading of some 'how-to' books that are linked to careers—like cooking, gardening, or building. After reading, students will work together in small groups to write their own simple instructions related to a career task. For example, they might write 'how-to' instructions for making a sandwich if they choose a chef as their career focus."

"This portion of the lesson emphasizes collaboration, creativity, and practical writing skills. And while they’re writing, we’ll also engage them in conversations about the skills that people need to succeed in different careers."

43 of 48

OpenAI Response

Step-By-Step Lesson

44 of 48

OpenAI Response

45 of 48

Other Examples

Middle School:

Grade 6 Science with WCRS Integration

High School:

Grade 11th Art and Design with WCRS Integration

46 of 48

Explore WCRS Integration For Your Context

Remember, the prompt will drive the output - the more specific your prompt, the better the output!�(i.e., if you want it interactive, a certain length of time, to have an exit ticket, etc.)

47 of 48

Discussion - Activity Debrief

Reflection Prompts:

What was the most valuable insight about WCRS implementation that you gained from this activity?

How could you see AI supporting your WCRS implementation efforts?

48 of 48

Integrating WCRS: The Path Forward

Key Takeaways:

Career readiness is best achieved through meaningful, authentic, & connected learning experiences.

Academic integration is the most effective and equitable way to deliver the WCRS.

AI tools can streamline the process of exploring integration opportunities.

"To wrap up module 8, remember that integrating career readiness into academic content is the most effective and equitable way to deliver the WCRS. It ensures that all students, regardless of their background or future plans, have access to essential career skills."

"AI tools like OpenAI can be a powerful resource in this process, helping you brainstorm and refine integration ideas efficiently. By embracing these tools, you can explore new ways to connect academic content with career readiness skills, helping students succeed both in school and beyond.“

Before you join us for Module 9, take some time to continue to explore AI-integrated tools. The more fluency you gain, the more you will be able to apply your expertise within new ways to effectively facilitate the integration of WCRS within your system. Thank you for joining us, and we’ll see you in Module 9!