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A Strategic Review of Work-Based Learning in Virginia: Expanding Opportunities for Students
Office of Career and Technical Education ServicesVirginia Department of Education
April 3, 2014
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Work-Based Learning (WBL)
AGENDA• Welcome
Anne Rowe, Coordinator, Curriculum and InstructionSharon Acuff, Specialist, Marketing and Related Clusters Virginia Department of Education
Office of Career and Technical Education Services
• Work-Based Learning (WBL) – Sharon Acuff– The Strategic Review– Descriptions
• Work-Based Learning Categories and RecommendationsAnne Rowe
• Wrap Up and Announcements – Anne Rowe
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Work-Based Learning (WBL)
Work-based learning is a coordinated, coherent sequence of on-the-job experiences that are:
• Related to students’ career goals or interests• Based on instructional preparation• Performed in partnership with local businesses,
industries, or other organizations in the community
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Purposes of the WBL Review
• Redefine the WBL methods used to provide on-the-job experiences for students
• Refocus WBL procedures and guidelines to accomplish the following objectives: 1. Guarantee direct connections between a student’s WBL experience and
his/her program of study and career goals; 2. Ensure relevant learning in the workplace; 3. Ensure that every WBL experience can lead to an in-demand, high-skill,
high-wage job/career; and4. Increase flexibility for school divisions in designing and operating WBL
experiences.
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Work-Based Learning (WBL)
The Review Process:Step 1• Research, review, and analysis of national trends in WBL,
literature relevant to WBL, and the current status of WBL in Virginia schools
• Survey—Virginia CTE Administrators
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Work-Based Learning (WBL)
• Convene Task Force—business and industry training supervisors, CTE administrators, CTE teachers, special education teachers, parents, school counselors, division superintendents, and instructional specialists.
Facilitators for the review included the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Virginia’s CTE Resource Center, and the Office of Career and Technical Education of the Virginia Department of Education.
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Virginia CTE Administrators Survey Responses
Sixty-four CTE administrators replied to a survey developed for the WBL review. Major findings from the survey are:• Job shadowing and cooperative education are the most
commonly used methods but many indicated their interest in offering other valuable methods.
• The main value administrators reported for WBL experiences is the assistance provided in helping students obtain jobs after high school or complete postsecondary programs, including college.
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Virginia CTE Administrators Survey Responses
• The major reason indicated for unsuccessful WBL experiences is ill-fitting student placements that do not match students’ career goals or plans of study.
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Expanding and Improving WBL Experiences in Virginia
Research for the review indicated the following strategies for expanding and improving WBL experiences in Virginia:
• Select relevant, worthwhile WBL experiences, and monitor them;
• Prepare students for the WBL experience; • Determine goals for the specific WBL experience being
offered; and • Provide instructional activities targeted to learning
goals.
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Work-Based Learning (WBL)
Step 2: Develop guidelines for imple-mentation and dissemination
Step 3: Conduct Virtual training statewide
Step 4: Provide face-to-face training for cooperative education
The strategic review report will soon be available on the VDOE/CTE Web site at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/career_technical/work-based_learning/index.shtml
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Overview of WBL Methods
Work-based learning enables students to apply classroom instruction in a real—world business or service-oriented work environment.
The seven different WBL methods of instruction currently practiced in Virginia are listed and redefined as follows in order from the lowest to highest degree of involvement:
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Overview of WBL Methods
• Job shadowing is a school-coordinated method of short-term, career-exploration in which the student interviews a competent worker about his/her job and industry and “shadows” (follows) the worker to observe the performance of a variety of job tasks. It is less intensive than the other methods and is usually the first form of workplace assignment given to a student.
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Overview of WBL Methods
Prior to job shadowing, the student receives instruction about careers and the process of career choice, develops appropriate questions to ask, and learns the rules and guidelines for grooming, dress, and behavior in the workplace.
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Overview of WBL Methods
Once the student has identified a career interest, path, or goal, job shadowing helps the student make informed career decisions and focus his/ her studies. Job shadowing does not provide a standard unit of credit, but the student may enhance his/her class grade through the experience.
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Overview of WBL Methods
• Mentorship is a structured, school-coordinated method that enables the student to learn about the industry and the workplace from a selected worker who has a recognized record of achievement in the occupational field. It requires student preparation, including career exploration prior to the experience.
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Overview of WBL Methods
Mentorship is more complex than job shadowing but less demanding and often of shorter duration than internship or service learning. Mentorship does not provide a standard unit of credit, but the student may enhance his/her class grade through the experience.
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Overview of WBL Methods
• Service learning is a school-coordinated method in which the student engages in community-service work for a specified number of hours in order to gain developmental experience. Students and teachers cooperate with local leaders to address community problems and issues, resulting in service to the community and in personal, workplace-readiness-skill, academic-skill, and citizenship development for students.
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Overview of WBL Methods
Students engage in critical, reflective thinking and experience the relationship of theory and practice. Service learning does not provide a standard unit of credit, but the student may enhance his/her class grade through the experience.
Overview of WBL Methods
• Internship is a planned, progressive, structured method coordinated by the school that places the student in a real workplace environment in order to develop and practice career-related knowledge and skills needed for a specific entry-level job. An internship can be either introductory (short-term) or extended (lasting a summer, a semester, or an entire school year and involving a specified number of hours in the training agreement).
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Overview of WBL Methods
Interns may be paid or unpaid. An internship provides hands-on experience in a particular industry or occupation related to the student’s career interests, abilities, and goals, and allows him/her to document job-related experiences.*
* Federal legislation from April 2010 provides for determination as to whether or not interns must be paid the minimum wage and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for the services that they provide to private sector “for-profit” employers. Educators must meet the “Test for Unpaid Interns” (6 criteria) if they are placing students in unpaid internships. Otherwise, the students must follow the FLSA for paid internships. Source: http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm.
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Overview of WBL Methods
Prior to an internship, the student receives the established criteria and guidelines from the workplace supervisor; and throughout the internship, the supervisor evaluates the student. Internship does not provide a standard unit of credit, but the student may enhance his/her class grade through the experience.Handout—Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
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Overview of WBL Methods
• Clinical experience is a form of cooperative education for Health and Medical Sciences students, except that students are not paid for their clinical work. Clinical experience is coordinated by the school and provides the student with an opportunity to integrate knowledge acquired in the classroom with clinical practice, and it affords practice of the basic skills, behaviors, and attitudes needed for professional competence in the healthcare field.
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Overview of WBL Methods
Clinical experience is based on observation and treatment of patients at different stages of medical practice. These experiences place students in a variety of healthcare settings so they may better understand the scope of the profession and healthcare needs.
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Overview of WBL Methods
Like cooperative education, clinical experience is closely supervised, qualifies students for credit toward graduation, and requires a significant number of on-site hours (set by the Virginia Board of Nursing or the Virginia Department of Health).
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Overview of WBL Methods
• Student apprenticeship is a WBL method that provides the student with opportunities to use job skills and reinforces academic instruction under the guidance of a supervisor in a specific occupational area. Student apprentices are paid for their work.
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Overview of WBL Methods
Like cooperative education, student apprenticeship is closely supervised by the school and the occupational supervisor, qualifies students for credit toward graduation, and requires a significant number of on-site hours (up to a maximum of 20 hours per week). Student apprenticeship is designed to lead students directly into an entry-level job, a registered apprenticeship, or a postsecondary program.
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Overview of WBL Methods
• Cooperative education is a career-preparation WBL method that combines CTE classroom instruction with paid employment that is directly related to the student’s plan of study. The school and the employer plan, coordinate, and supervise the instruction and employment so that each contributes directly to the student’s career objectives and employability.
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Overview of WBL Methods
Virginia students may earn credit toward graduation for cooperative education experiences, and they normally work between 11 and 15 hours per week to achieve a minimum of 396 hours. Currently, there are 236 CTE courses being taught in Virginia that provide students with the option to participate in a cooperative education experience.
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Categories
The seven WBL methods can be grouped into three categories with three different primary goals
1. Career-Exploration WBL Methods (Job Shadowing, Mentorship, Introductory Internship)•Foster career and workplace awareness•Promote career exploration
• Strengthen motivation and informed decision-making skills
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Categories
2. Pre-professional WBL Methods (Extended Internship, Service Learning)•Deepen career and workplace knowledge•Develop personal qualities and workplace
readiness skills• Impart beginning professional skills
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Categories
3. Career-Preparation WBL Methods (Clinical Experience, Student Apprenticeship, Cooperative Education)•Develop technical knowledge and skills
necessary for entry into a specific occupation• Strengthen career awareness, workplace
readiness, and personal development
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A COMPARISON OF WORK-BASED LEARNING METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
Characteristic
Career-Exploration WBL Methods Pre-professional WBL Methods Career-Preparation WBL Methods
JOBSHADOWING MENTORSHIP INTRODUCTORY
INTERNSHIPEXTENDED
INTERNSHIPSERVICE
LEARNINGCLINICAL
EXPERIENCESTUDENT
APPRENTICESHIPCOOPERATIVE EDUCATION
Grade Levels Primarily grades 6–8,but continuing into higher grades
Primarily grades 9 and 10,but continuing into upper grades
Primarily grades 11 and 12,but continuing into postsecondary
Goals of method Foster career and workplace awareness Promote career exploration Strengthen motivation and informed decision-
making skills
Deepen career and workplace knowledge
Develop personal qualities and workplace readiness skills
Impart beginning professional skills
Develop technical knowledge and skills necessary for entry into a specific occupation or postsecondary training program
Strengthen career awareness, workplace readiness, and personal development
Student receives pay No No NoLocal determination
based on FLSA* criteria
No No Yes Yes
Number of hours required Local option Local option Local option Local option Local option
Set by Virginia Board of Nursing
or Va. Department of
Health
Maximum of 20 hours per week
396(11-15 per
week)
Training agreement and training plan used
Optional (assignment
involved)
Optional (assignment
involved)Optional
(project involved)Optional
(project involved)No
(identified goals)Contract with clinical facility
Yes(must use specific Va. Department
of Labor and Industry [VDOLI]
forms)
Yes
Related classroom instruction Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Desirable, but
not required Yes
Option for receiving credit toward graduation
No No No No No Yes Yes Yes
Student required to have career objective in the career field
No, but interest in field required
No, but interest in field required
No, but interest in field required
No, but interest in field required No Yes Yes Yes
WBL experience administered by teacher-coordinator certified in career field
No, but knowledge of careers and placement required
No, but knowledge of careers and placement required
No, but knowledge of careers and
placement required
No, but knowledge of careers and
placementrequired
No YesDetermined by
school, employer, and VDOLI
Yes
*Fair Labor Standards Act
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Characteristic
Grade Levels
Goals of method
Student receives pay
Number of hours required
Training agreement and training plan used
Related classroom instruction
Option for receiving credit Toward graduation
Student required to have career objective in the career field
WBL experience administered by teacher-coordinator certified in CTE field
Career-Exploration WBL Methods
JOB SHADOWING MENTORSHIP INTRODUCTORY INTERNSHIP
Primarily grades 6–8,but continuing into higher grades
Foster career and workplace awareness Promote career exploration Strengthen motivation and informed decision-making skills
No No No
Local option Local option Local option
Optional (assignment involved)
Optional (assignment involved)
Optional(project involved)
Yes Yes Yes
No No No
No, but interest in field required
No, but interest in field required No, but interest in field required
No, but knowledge of careers and placement
required
No, but knowledge of careers and placement
requiredNo, but knowledge of careers and placement required
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Characteristic
Grade Levels
Goals of method
Student receives pay
Number of hours required
Training agreement and training plan used
Related classroom instruction
Option for receiving credit toward graduation
Student required to have career objective in the career field
WBL experience administered by teacher-coordinator Certified in CTE field
Pre-professional WBL Methods
EXTENDEDINTERNSHIP
SERVICELEARNING
Primarily grades 9 and 10,but continuing into upper grades
Deepen career and workplace knowledge Develop personal qualities and workplace readiness skills Impart beginning professional skills
Local determination based on FLSA* criteria No
Local option Local option
Optional(project involved)
No(identified goals)
Yes Yes
No No
No, but interest in field required No
No, but knowledge of careers and placementrequired No
*Fair Labor Standards Act
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Characteristic
Grade Levels
Goals of method
Student receives pay
Number of hours required
Training agreement and training plan used
Related classroom instruction
Option for receiving credit toward graduation
Student required to have career objective in the career field
WBL experience administered by teacher-coordinator certified in CTE field
Career-Preparation WBL Methods
CLINICALEXPERIENCE STUDENT APPRENTICESHIP COOPERATIVE EDUCATION
Primarily grades 11 and 12,but continuing into postsecondary
Develop technical knowledge and skills necessary for entry into a specific occupation or postsecondary training program
Strengthen career awareness, workplace readiness, and personal development
No Yes Yes
Set by Virginia Board of Nursing or Va. Department of
HealthMaximum of 20 hours per week 396
(11-15 per week)
Contract with clinical facilityYes
(must use specific Va. Department of Labor and Industry [VDOLI] forms)
Yes
Yes Desirable, butnot required Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Yes Determined by school, employer, and VDOLI Yes
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Recommendations
Based on current research and input from administrators, teachers, and stakeholders, this report recommends the following for Virginia’s CTE programs:
• Organize WBL methods into three categories, each with distinct and clearly articulated goals.
• Support each WBL method with goal-oriented classroom instruction.
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RecommendationsContinued
• Recognize that pre-professional WBL methods can be workable as well as cost-effective because the fewer hours involved will often suit students who have limited time for WBL due to their class loads and participation in extracurricular activities.
• Make workplace readiness an essential instructional goal of all WBL experiences. Combining WBL and the development of workplace readiness skills can be an effective use of teacher and student time.
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RecommendationsContinued
• Continually explore opportunities for application of proven best practices in the area of virtual WBL methods. An increasing range of such practices is expected to become available over the next decade or so.
• Build a strong network of business/industry and community partnerships to support student training experiences.
• Implement meaningful strategies for employer outreach and engagement in the students’ learning process.
NEXT STEPS
• Superintendent’s announcement of A Strategic Review of Work-Based Learning in Virginia: Expanding Opportunities for Students
• Release of guidelines for work-based learning by late spring
• Archive today’s virtual session for additional training
• Provide face-to-face training for cooperative education:– July 8 and 9, 2014– Courtyard by Marriott Richmond North– Glen Allen, Virginia (Richmond area)
• Provide WBL updates--summer professional conferences
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Professional Development
• Please take a few minutes to provide feedback about the benefit of this technical assistance video streaming session. Your input will be useful in our planning efforts for future video training sessions. The Survey Monkey link for the online evaluation is https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L5BGL6Y.
• To obtain the full list of CTE video steaming training sessions for administrators and educators, go to the professional development page on the state CTE Web site.http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/career_technical/professional_development/index.shtml
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Contact Information:Virginia Department of Education
Office of Career and Technical Education [email protected]
804-225-2051
