The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 is a powerful unification of school-based learning, work-based learning, and connecting activities. It involves business, industry, public service, and community representatives in running the educational system, thus creating unprecendented organizational, articulation, and collaboration challenges. Most teachers have not been prepared to become involved in school-to-work activities. In fact, some may not perceive students' transition from school to work as their responsibility, and may make little or no effort to collaborate with employers. Because the success of school to work depends on the participation of all involved, professional development is necessary to prepare teachers for these new challenges and responsibilities.
NCRVE's site at Virginia Tech is analyzing the attitudes and expertise that teachers must have to maintain long-term collaborations that facilitate students' transition from school to work. Now in its second year, the project centers on three questions: (1) What school-to-work activities do teachers conduct that contribute to program success; (2) What professional development experiences help teachers conduct school-to-work activities; and (3) What attitudes and knowledge enable teachers to conduct successful school-to-work programs?
Project staff conducted community profile studies at exemplary schools to glean answers to these questions. Teachers, counselors, administrators, and principals, as well as business, industry, and community representatives at 11 sites in 11 different states were interviewed. They talked about the most helpful professional development activities for teachers, and about critical incidents that showcase best practice.
One high school English teacher who had recently completed a "back to industry" internship had this to say: "What I found out there [in the work place] pretty much validated a lot of the things I was already doing in the classroom, but also encouraged me to incorporate more of these things. I'm talking specifically about cooperative learning things, shared decision-making, reaching consensus, and giving the students more choice in what they do. . . . One of the things that impressed me about industry that I was totally unaware of was that they rely an awful lot on employee input, and employees are on all kinds of committees that make decisions. It occurred to me that many of our students go out of here and have never served in that capacity. So I have given them more opportunities to do that. The other thing that really impressed me is how important their communication skills really are and that often times they're asked to present something, so now my students have more opportunities for presentations about material that we have covered."
These interviews indicate that teacher activities that contribute to school-to-work success are:
Table 1 lists more teacher activities, with examples. Professional development activities that helped teachers conduct successful school-to-work activities include:
These professional development themes and sample activities for each are listed in Table 2.
Developing a wide variety of activities is key to school-to-work success. These activities may be formal, such as teachers and students interning in a workplace, or less formal, such as employers and teachers sharing advice and information. Activities such as applied labs and design projects are traditionally associated with vocational programs, and others, like teachers working part-time in industry, are more innovative.
| Contributors to Success | Examples |
|---|---|
| Involving students in organized on-the-job experiences | * students shadowing and mentoring in the workplace * students engaged in cooperative work experiences * students interning in the workplace |
| Helping students to understand the workplace | * students taking field trips to business and industry * teachers completing internships in the workplace |
| Involving workplace representatives in school curriculum and instruction | * advisory committees providing curriculum recommendations * guest speakers presenting information about the workplace |
| Providing student workplace experiences through school activities | * students completing design projects for local industries * students building houses in the community * students catering business luncheons |
| Including a workplace focus in school instruction | * teachers providing applied lab instruction * teachers providing applied academic instruction * teachers integrating curriculum and instruction |
| Creating informal linkages between the school and the workplace | * teachers visiting the workplace to promote their students as potential employees * employers seeking advise from teachers * teachers seeking advise from employers * teachers working part-time in industry |
| Learning about the workplace in ways that contribute to better teaching | * teachers completing internships in the workplace * teachers working part-time in industry |
| Activity | Examples |
|---|---|
| Involving students in workplace experiences | * plant tours * taking students to professional conferences |
| Gaining workplace experience | * back-to-industry * job shadowing * summer jobs |
| Visiting the workplace | * learning what industries and businesses do |
| Taking coursework | * on-going continuing education * technical updating |
| Participating in conferences | * summer conferences * workshops |
| Using student organizations | * meeting individuals from other schools at student organization conferences and learning what they are doing |
| Learning through students | * learning from students' knowledge of local business and industry (knowledge gained from parents or personal work experience) |
| Obtaining materials and equipment from business, industry, and the community | * obtaining equipment, newspapers, and journals from local businesses for classroom use |
| Reading in teaching area | * reading literature and journals to stay current in teaching area and learn about the latest technological developments |
| Participating in in-school professional development | * staff development opportunities provided by the local school system |
| Interacting with business and industry | * brainstorming * advisory committees |
These interviews with people involved with successful school-to-work programs will help with the hard part of this promising reform: making it happen. The project report now in preparation will provide more detailed examples of teacher expertise and professional development in school-to-work transition settings. For further information, please contact:
B. June Schmidt or Curtis R. Finch
National Center for Research in Vocational Education
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
112 Lane Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0254
Phone: (540) 231-5982 or fax: (540) 321-3292
E-mail: schmidtj@vt.edu