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Carol Jurgens Nebraska Department of

Education2004

Nebraska Career, Academic, and Life Skills (CALS)

Performance Assessment

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Career Academic Life Skills (CALS) Performance Assessment

Skills that prepare young people for both the workplace and life

“Soft skills” – behaviors and attitudes that help employees successfully adapt and contribute to their workplace

CALS parallels the 16 Career Clusters Foundation Knowledge & Skills

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It is difficult to count

what “counts”!

Why CALS Assessment?

“Not everything that counts can be counted. . .

Not everything that can be counted counts.”

Albert Einstein

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Career and life skills are critical for attaining, maintaining, and

advancing in a career

Why CALS Assessment?

Critical nature of CALS confirmed by local, state, and national data

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“Soft skills are the most important. We want employees who are

committed to the community as a whole, with capability and drive to improve

themselves, and who value honesty and integrity and who show up to work on time.

That should come with ease, but it doesn’t.”

Nebraska Business Person . . .

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“Businesses are looking for computer skills

and other technical skills. And more and more,

they are looking for soft skills – the ability to get along with people, build relationships, take direction

and put out effort.”

Nebraska Business Person . . .

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Quality Extremely Important Very Important

Attendance/Punctuality 75.4% 23.5%

Desire to Learn 56.2% 40.8%

Oral Communication 48.7% 44.9%

Written Communication 27.5% 48.7%

Teamwork 53.6% 41.1%

Organization 26.4% 55.5%

Problem Solving 37.4% 44.9%

Qualities for Entry Level Workers

2003 Employer Survey N = 265

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Quality Extremely Important Very Important

Customer Service 65.7% 30.2%

Motivation/Initiative 33.6% 51.3%

Self-Improvement 26.9% 59.5%

Professionalism 47.2% 41.5%

Time Management 34.0% 53.2%

Perseverance 23.0% 55.5%

Follow Through 45.7% 48.7%

Diversity 48.7% 35.5%

Qualities for Entry Level Workers 2003 Employer Survey N = 265

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WORK ETHIC, including self-motivation, time management

PHYSICAL SKILLS – health, appearance VERBAL communication – 1 on 1 and in group WRITTEN communication – e.g., editing & proofing

one’s work PEOPLE SKILLS – relationship building, team work

Top 10 Skills for the FutureFuturist Update – February 2004 - www.wfs.org

10 Things Employers Want you to Learn in College: The Know-How You Need to SucceedTen Speed Press, 2003, by Dr. Bill Coplin, Syracuse University, New York

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INFLUENCING PEOPLE – salesmanship, leadership USING INFORMATION – gathering & organizing USING QUANTITATIVE TOOL – statistics, graphs,

spreadsheets “ZEROING IN” – asking & answering the right questions,

evaluating information, applying knowledge SOLVING PROBLEMS – identifying problems, developing &

launching solutions

Top 10 Skills for the FutureFuturist Update – February 2004 - www.wfs.org

10 Things Employers Want you to Learn in College: The Know-How You Need to SucceedTen Speed Press, 2003, by Dr. Bill Coplin, Syracuse University, New York

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Student Self Assessment

Observations

– Parents– Counselors– Teachers– Coaches– Mentors– Employers

Students

exhibit strengths differently

in different situations or

environments!

CALS Performance Assessment

88thth 9 9thth 10 10thth 11 11thth 12 12thth PS PS CareerCareer

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CALS Performance Assessment

Integrates– Career Cluster Foundation Knowledge & Skills– Career, Academic, & Personal/Social Competencies– Employability Skills– SCANS Skills– Character Education

Provides an Average Score– 11 Competency Areas

50+ Assessments

88thth 9 9thth 10 10thth 11 11thth 12 12thth PS PS CareerCareer

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Academic Foundations

Career Development

Communication

Employability Skills

Information Technology Applications

Leadership & Teamwork

Legal Responsibilities & Ethics

Problem Solving and Critical Thinking

Safety, Health, and Environmental

Systems

Technical Skills

CALS Competency Areas88thth 9 9thth 10 10thth 11 11thth 12 12thth PS PS CareerCareer

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Pilot Sites - Bellevue - Blair - Pleasanton - Ralston

Parent/Student Focus Group Interviews– Six – 8th grade students/parents– Six – 11th or 12th grade students/parents

Educator Focus Group Interviews– 8th Grade Team– High School Team

CALS Pilot Project – Phase I

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CALS Pilot Project – Phase I

Development of CALS District Implementation Plans

Including . . . Privacy issues School burden to manage – train staff Interrelationship with STARS? School improvement? Is it optional? Required? How will it be used as a developmental tool? Curriculum issues? Identification of ultimate users – student, parents, teachers,

employers?

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Mission Middle School

Bellevue West High School

Student Population Mission Middle: 668Student Population Bellevue West: 1419Student Population Entire District: 8,886

80% of students will attend a postsecondary school

More than 1/3 of students earn scholarships with a 4-year value that has averaged $ 2.5 million

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Infuse CALS into• 8th grade Industrial Tech & FCS course curriculum• MCC Trades Academy course curriculum

Use CALS assessment/developmental tool for• All 8th graders in Home Room• High school HelpDesk Technology Support students• Senior early work release students• MCC Trades Academy students• Juniors/Seniors in Special Needs English course

Bellevue Plan

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Blair High School

Student Population High School: 750

Student Population Entire District: 2245

1989 recipient of the U.S.D.O.E Secondary School Recognition Award

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Incorporate CALS into• New 8th grade career exploration course• Core academic classes along with character

education units

Use CALS as a developmental tool in • 10th grade career pathways classes• 11th grade special education programs• 12th grade workplace learning programs

Blair Plan

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Pleasanton High School

Student Population High School: 192

Student Population Entire District: 270

Rural School with the Latest in Technology 10 to 1 student/teacher ratio 100% Graduation Rate

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Incorporate work readiness as a major focus of the school improvement process

Emphasize CALS skill development at all grade levels through multiple in school and extracurricular approaches

Integrate employer-reviewed electronic portfolios and resumes

Pleasanton Plan

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Ralston High School

Student Population High School: 978Student Population Entire District: 3,100

AA Accreditation (highest standard granted by the NE DOE)

1st district in the state to implement higher graduation requirements and standards

Graduates must complete 240 credits as well as demonstrate mastery of established performance based Exit Outcomes

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Develop a 7-12 integrated curriculum that includes• CALS concepts• Consumer skills• Career exploration• Language arts

• Incorporate CALS assessment in Grades 9-12• Career Exploration Course – an elective• Alternative High School – for at-risk students

• Integrate portfolio documentation of academic and CALS growth by high school students

Ralston Plan

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Business/Industry Focus Group Interviews

Representing . . .

16 career clustersSmall and large businessesRural and urban businesses

CALS Pilot Project – Phase II

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CALSBusiness/Industry Focus Group Comments

A powerful soft skills development tool

Helpful to look at skill mastery as a continuum since employability skills are constantly being improved upon

Reflects a degree of mastery/improvement – NOT a “grade” compared to others

Career and life skill attainment is “vital” to success in today’s workplace

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Seek Funding to Support the Project Validate Assessment Instrument Develop Marketing Plan Provide Professional Development

– Administrators– Counselors– Teachers– Parents– School Boards

Integrate CALS into Electronic Portfolio

CALS Pilot Project – Phase III

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Nebraska Department of Education

Carol Jurgens

402-471-0948

cjurgens@nde.state.ne.us