Department of Education
Carmen Farina, Chancellar
College & Career Readiness Tool Kit Tools for strengthening a schoolwide college and career ready culture.
Contents I. Domains of College and Career Readiness II. 9-12 Blueprint III. Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool IV. Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) Refelction Tool IV. College Planning Calendar
Department of Education
Carmen Farina, Chancellar
Dear Colleagues: In a rapidly changing world, preparing students for college and careers requires a combination of tried and true education principles, along with the consciousness that the future will likely look vastly different than the world we see outside our school buildings today. We have created this blueprint as a tool to support your efforts to building strong college-and-career going cultures to help inform whole school decision making, and to support staff with clear, common goals that will support students on their journeys post-high school. These documents are the result of years of research and collective feedback from practitioners in the field. There is no uniform way to use this document, though we’ve outlined and presented ways to approach this work. It is intended to guide you through processes within your school community and hope it does so with enough flexibility to meet your tailored needs. We created this resource with you - a team of practitioners - in mind: • T he College and Career Readiness domains – with an explicit eye towards the career aspect of college and career readiness – form the foundation. • T he self-assessment functions as an inventory of your schools’ assets and areas of development to help evaluate how strong your college and career readiness foundation is in a given year. • The timeline can be used by staff (who work closest with students) to achieve key activities in each grade band of high school. • T he college & career planning calendar represents your school – along with 400+ in the New York City district –united under citywide efforts in key college planning milestones in a given school year. • A nd finally, the comprehensive education plan (CEP) tool can be used tell your school’s college and career readiness story in the context of the Framework for Great Schools. We intend this resource to be a living document - written all over, revised consistently, and by the end of year school year, a well-worn document that can be revitalized and revised, yet again, each September. It is our hope this resource brings supports your college and career readiness foundation and that as you build your college-and career-going cultures, it supports your efforts to adjust to the needs of your students and unites staff under a common mission to graduate students, fortified with the skills and knowledge to enter society college-and career-ready. Best wishes, Vanda Belusic-Vollor, Senior Executive Director for the Office of Postsecondary Readiness
Department of Education
Carmen Farina, Chancellar
Dear Educators – I am thrilled that you are rallying a whole-school effort to strengthen your school’s college and career-going culture. Our collective work is designed to help ensure that all students can graduate with as many postsecondary options as possible, and that they can succeed once they get to the next stage of their lives. Improving upon a strong college and career-going culture is an essential part of this work. We know it requires us to commit to learning and improving together. That’s exactly what our College Access for All initiative is supporting at high schools across New York City, and it is what this tool kit will help you do as you plan for the work within your schools and set ambitious goals for improvement. Creating a college and career-going culture requires the hard work and collaboration of everyone in the school building. I learned this first-hand as the former principal of the High School for Telecommunications Arts and Technology (HSTAT). At HSTAT we took a number of key steps over time, such as: making sure students took college trips starting in the 9th grade; moving our college office to be the first room you saw entering the school; training a cadre of teachers to help further conversations about post-secondary options as a regular part of their classrooms; asking students to work together and support each other in completing applications; asking students to dress up to hand-in their college applications as part of a community-wide celebration; and, announcing every single student who got accepted into college over the loudspeaker. As much as we made sure to celebrate our seniors, we wanted to make sure our 9th graders were as engaged as possible and saw college access and career opportunities as a focus of the entire school community. At HSTAT I learned that such work doesn’t happen overnight. I also came to understand that the work could not depend upon the great thinking or great effort of any one single person – our entire school community had to work together. We all know that change is more effective and occurs more rapidly when everyone pitches in. Our hope is that this tool kit will help inform your school’s decision-making, ultimately enabling you to enlist every single person in your community to be part of this effort. I’m so happy you are leading this work in your schools. You are helping our City make it possible for every student to be supported as they enter the world beyond our schools. Thank you for all of the energy and commitment you bring to our schools every single day. Warmly, Phil Weinberg Deputy Chancellor for Teaching and Learning
College & Career Readiness Tool Kit
Domains of College and Career Readiness
College & Career Readiness
Academic Skills Academic & Personal Behaviors College & Career Access
Academic Programming
Domains College & Career Readiness
Academic Skills This domain includes core areas of academic mastery to be prepared for college and career, defined by key components of the Common Core Learning Standards. DIALOGUE WRITTEN COMMUNICATION REASONING & DECISION MAKING PROBLEM-SOLVING USE OF TECHNOLOGY & MEDIA
College & Career Access This domain describes a set of activities that students need to complete to support academic transitions and to ultimately gain entry to a well-matched college/career training program. EXPLORATION TO UNDERSTAND TRENDS & PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS TRANSITIONS & FINANCIAL PLANNING
Academic & Personal Behaviors This domain includes habits and skills, and beliefs about learning that support academic and life success. Academic and Personal Behaviors include non-cognitive, social-emotional qualities that support resiliency, creativity, and college/career persistence. MINDSETS FOR PERSERVERANCE COMMUNICATION & COLLABORATION MANAGEMENT, ORGANIZATION & WORK HABITS CREATIVITY & ADAPTIBILITY
Academic Programming This domain describes course choices and performance goals that support academic readiness for college and career success. ENGAGE IN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES GAIN CAREER-SPECIFIC KNOWLEADGE & SKILLS ENROLL IN & PASS RIGOROUS COURSES & GRADUATE WITH ADDITIONAL CREDENTIALS POSTSECONDARY READINESS TAKE COURSES & MEET REQUIREMENTS FOR
ADULT NETWORKS GETTING IN
NYCDOE l College Access for All
Domains
Academic Skills
This domain includes core areas of academic mastery to be prepared for college and career, defined by key components of the Common Core Learning Standards.
Dialogue
Students engage in frequent communication and dialogue with varied audiences.
Written Communication
Students develop clear and precise written work targeted to different audiences.
Reasoning & Decision-Making
Students need to make decisions by engaging in reasoning based on evidence.
Problem-Solving
Students need to identify and solve problems, both procedurally and conceptually.
Use of Technology & Media
Students develop facility with multiple forms of technology and media.
References: Committee for Economic Development, ConnectEd, Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC), MHA Labs, Partnership for 21st Century Learning, Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS), and also emphasized in Common Core Standards: CCSS.SL.1, CCSS.S&L.4 & CCSS.S&L.6, CCSS.W.4, CCSS.W.5, CCSS.MPS.6, CCSS.RI.1, CCSS.W.1, CCSS.MPS.3, CCSS.W.7, CCSS.MPS.1, CCSS.W.6, CCSS.S&L.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
Domains
Academic & Personal Behaviors
This domain includes habits and skills, and beliefs about learning that support academic and life success. Academic and Personal Behaviors include non-cognitive, social-emotional qualities that support resiliency, creativity, and college/career persistence.
Mindsets for Perseverance
Students need to learn from setbacks, believe that effort will pay off, and develop a sense of belonging and value for learning in order to develop the agency needed to persist in college and career.
Management, Organization & Work Habits
Students need to learn how to plan, organize, and monitor with precision their own work, goals and learning to succeed in college and career.
Communication & Collaboration
Students need to work on teams towards a shared purpose. This requires acting with integrity and empathy, as well as the comfort and skill to interact effectively with diverse others.
Creativity & Adaptability
Students need curiosity, self-regulatory skills, and social awareness. With these, they can better raise new questions, test new ideas, and change course in the face of new situations.
References: Committee for Economic Development, ConnectEd, Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC), MHA Labs, Partnership for 21st Century Learning, Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS).
NYCDOE l College Access for All
Domains
Academic Programming
Engage in Experiential Learning Opportunities
Gain Career-Specific Knowledge and Skills
Enroll in and Pass Rigorous Courses and Graduate with Additional Credentials
Take Courses and Meet Requirements for Postsecondary Readiness
This domain describes course choices and performance goals that support academic readiness for college and career success. Students can prepare for college- and career-level work by passing rigorous courses and extended course sequences, and demonstrate academic readiness by earning performance scores and credentials beyond minimum graduation requirements.
Students become familiar with college and career workplaces through curricular and extracurricular opportunities to learn outside the classroom. Examples of work-based experiences include internships and job shadowing. Students gain knowledge of career-specific concepts and skills from additional credits and extracurricular experiences.
Students enroll in courses that explicitly tie the skills they are learning to future careers and allow them to learn about the skills and knowledge needed for those careers. Students engage in coursework and develop an understanding about how this coursework is directly applicable to specific career pathways that they may pursue with additional education. For example, How is science used in healthcare and medicine? How do we use algebra in different jobs?
Students pass rigorous classes and related exams including Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College Now or CUNY Early College, and/or NYCDOECertified College Preparatory Classes. Students earn one or more advanced diploma designations. Examples include Advanced Regents Diploma, an Arts Endorsement and/or Career and Technical Endorsement.
Students earn a 75+ on the ELA Regents, 70+ on common core-aligned Math Regents (or 80+ for any non common core-aligned Math Regents). Students complete course sequences including 8 credits of math, including at least the following: Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2/ Trigonometry; 8 credits of science, including at least three of the following: Living Environment, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, or AP Science; and in 6 credits of a foreign language.
*Specific Graduation Requirements for all students (including the safety net for students with disabilities and students pursuing an Advanced Regents diploma or CTE and Arts endorsement) can be found at http://schools.nyc.gov/RulesPolicies/GraduationRequirements/default.htm
NYCDOE l College Access for All
Domains
College & Career Access
This domain describes a set of activities that students need to complete to support academic transitions and to ultimately gain entry to a well-matched college/career training program.
Exploration to Understand Trends and Pathways to Success
Students and families need to understand the roadmap to higher education and careers and explore their options in order to set high expectations and work towards achieving them. Students and families need to know current career trends and pathways that they will prepare for in their future education and beyond. All students should graduate with a postsecondary plan.
Adult Networks
Students need to have an identified network of adults in high school, extracurricular activities, college, and the workplace who can help provide them guidance in their postsecondary journey.
Transitions and Financial Planning
Students and families need to understand the processes involved in financial planning for postsecondary education and the steps towards matriculation or transition into their postsecondary plan.
Getting In
Students need direct assistance in completing tasks required for entry to their next educational institution or career pathway, including financial guidance, letter-writing, interviewing skills, and resume development. Students need specialized knowledge around how to prepare a resume, conduct a job interview, find financial support, and submit college applications.
References: David Conley’s Four Keys to College and Career Readiness, Mandy Savitz-Romer’s Ready, Willing and Able, and University of Chicago Consortium on School Research’s From High School to the Future: Potholes on the Road to College.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
Domains
College & Career Readiness Tool Kit
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness This timeline tool provides school teams with an overview of what activities students should be doing each year in order to progress along all of the College and Career Readiness Domains.
Introduction
College and Career Readiness Domains: Academic Skills, Academic and Personal Behaviors, Academic Programming and College and Career Access define the qualities and achievements that students need to enroll, persist, and succeed in college, postsecondary training opportunities, and careers. These domains define student characteristics, choices, and actions, so that students, families, teachers, counselors, and school administrators can make better choices and prioritize actions to help students reach college and career readiness. The 9–12 Timeline provides school teams with an overview of what activities students should be doing each year in order to progress along all of the College and Career Readiness Domains, and pairs those activities with notes on the systems, structures or resources that schools may need to have in place to ensure that students are able to complete these activities. This column can help your team move from thinking about activities to how you can create the conditions that support success for all students. This tool is designed to illustrate the components of a high quality college access and support program that supports all students in developing postsecondary aspirations and graduating with a plan in place for continued education. The year-by-year sequencing provides a roadmap for school leaders to guide the development of their college and career programming. This tool should be used alongside the College and Career Readiness SelfAssessment to help school communities assess strengths and gaps and make an action plan for developing key areas. Read through the breakdown of each year, reflect on what systems, structures or events are currently in place at the school; and then identify what gaps exist. After assessing, identify staff training needs, curriculum development needs, or other supports that can be found to address the gaps. This tool can be completed at any point in the school year, to support a team or individual in setting goals for school development.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
Academic Skills
ACTIVITIES FOR EACH YEAR
Dialogue:
Problem-solving:
College and career require engaging in frequent communication and dialogue with varied audiences.
In college and career, we need to identify and solve problems, both procedurally and conceptually.
• E very Student engages in frequent communication with varied audiences.
• E very Student develops confidence and skill in identifying and resolving challenges.
• S chool Leaders encourage and provide opportunities for students to engage in frequent communication with students, staff, and school leaders.
• S chool Leaders ensure that curriculum and pedagogy provide sufficient opportunities for students to practice and reflect on these skills.
Written Communication: College and career call upon developing clear and precise written work targeted to different audiences.
Use of technology & media:
Today’s workplaces and higher education classrooms often require facility with multiple forms of technology and media.
• E very Student develops clear and precise written work targeted to different audiences for multiple content areas.
• E very Student develops technology and media skills through first hand exposure and practice.
• S chool Leaders designate staff responsible for implementing a 9-12th grade writing curriculum, and students are provided guidance and resources to develop strong writing skills.
• S chool Leaders provide a location in the school for students to develop technology and media skills and become familiar with multiple forms of technology, and designate staff to teach students how to use technology.
Reasoning & Decision Making:
In college and career, we need to make decisions by engaging in reasoning based on evidence. • E very Student can cite evidence, support analysis and recognize informational gaps in classroom and workplace texts. • S chool Leaders ensure alignment of professional development and curriculum to support rigorous instruction. NYCDOE l College Access for All
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
Academic & Personal Behaviors Mindsets for Perseverance: To persist in hard work, students need to learn from setbacks, believe that effort will pay off, and have a sense of belonging and ownership over their own learning. • E very Student develops the ability to set and strive for appropriate goals; persist through task completion despite setbacks; know their personal strengths, are aware of use and available supports and are able to self-advocate; demonstrate a feeling of connection to the school; and form healthy relationships with teachers/adults in school. • S chool Leaders make transparent a value system that supports students’ commitment to their educational goals; provide a safe learning environment; have a support system in place for students’ experiencing social or personal distress, interpersonal conflict, depression or isolation; provide professional development for teachers and staff to build cultural competence.
ACTIVITIES FOR EACH YEAR Communication & Collaboration:
To work on teams towards a shared purpose requires drawing upon integrity and empathy, alongside the comfort and skill to interact effectively with diverse others. • E very Student develops the ability to work collaboratively and to express and understand information and ideas. Every student develops the skills to ask for help appropriately and communicate in multiple formats. • S chool Leaders provide professional development for teachers and areas of classroom organization and assessment that includes a focus on communication and collaboration skills, and provide a school-wide learning management system and appropriate access to digital resources for teacher teams and classes for communication and production.
Creativity & Adaptability: Management, Organization & Work Habits:
To succeed in the college classroom or workplace requires independently and precisely planning, organizing, and monitoring one’s work, goals, and learning. • E very Student develops skills to work independently, manage their time and effort effectively, and attend to accuracy and precision in their work. • S chool Leaders provide professional development for teachers in areas of classroom organization and assessment, including instruction on paying close attention to building students’ work habits and organization skills, and provides a planner and calendar as appropriate to age levels (communicate and support expectations for school-wide use). NYCDOE l College Access for All
Students need curiosity, self-regulatory skills, and social awareness. With these, they can better raise new questions, test new ideas, and change course in the face of new situations. • E very Student has comfort with finding multiple paths to a solution, or changing an approach when unsuccessfulww • S chool Leaders provide a nurturing environment for students to take risks, raise questions, and try new ideas.
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
College & Career Access WHAT STUDENTS DO
Exploration to Understand Trends & Pathways to Success
Getting In
Transitions and Financial Planning Adult Networks
YEAR ONE TIMELINE WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Visit at least 1 college.
At least 1 college tour per student, per grade is planned. Designate staff responsible for planning, and ensure that diverse mix of 2 and 4 year colleges are visited across students’ four years. Staff prepare with students prior to trip (review colleges, brainstorm questions) and debrief trip with students following trip.
Start researching colleges. By the end of the year, you should be able to describe different types of colleges (2 year, 4 year) and degrees, have a list of three colleges you are interested in, know the colleges’ SAT and GPA requirements, etc. Resource: Visit Chapter 3 of the College Planning Handbook.
Identify where in the school day college and career planning take place and what staff are responsible. Have programming, curriculum and a college search tool in place. Some ways to do this are through Advisory or having a college and career center. Ensure that one staff person is knowledgeable about college and career training options, including which colleges excel at working with Students with Disabilities (SWD’s), to ensure that “best fit” matches are made.
Understand graduation requirements and college ready requirements.
Ensure that advisement includes discussion of basic graduation requirements and recommended courses for college readiness. Make sure programming structures are in place for all students to take challenging courses aligned with recommendations for college readiness.
Attend events to gain exposure to a variety of careers such as job talks, career shadow days, and career fairs.
Register to participate in Career Exploration Month and plan activities (January).
Complete a career inventory. Use career inventory tools like Career Zone to see how your interests match up with college majors and career paths.
Career interest inventories, including web based tool selected, staff trained and tools used with all students.
Identify three career options and what further education they require.
Work with curriculum committee or lead teachers to develop a research project on exploring careers.
Every student meets 1-1 with school staff to review program, transcript and planning for key access events (exams, application submission, etc.)
Establish a college and career readiness inquiry team or planning team. Determine what systems and structures you will put into place to ensure that 1-1 meetings occur.
Register for a professional sounding email (your
[email protected]).
Functional computer and internet access available daily for all students. Students have opportunities to learn about and practice written communication via email.
By the end of this year, you should understand different types of financial aid and the processes around H/EOP, FAFSA, and grants/loans/scholarships. Resource: Visit Chapter 6 of the College Planning Handbook.
Integrate financial planning and knowledge into the school’s college and career planning scope and sequence. Students delay planning for college if they believe they cannot afford it. Accurate, consistent information beginning in 9th grade is key.
Meet with school staff and discuss taking the SAT II subject tests next year. If you are planning to take the SAT II subject tests, save some money for the registration fee.
Identify and meet 1-1 with students who are candidates to take Subject Tests to review the tests, costs and plan with student and family testing schedule and saving plan for test costs or waiver eligibility.
Make sure your teachers get to know you. You’ll need them to write recommendations for you for college, jobs, and internships.
Ensure that all teachers are trained in the basics of college planning and application process to ensure a school-wide college going culture and accurate information is given to students.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
Academic Programming Engage in Experiential Learning Opportunities
Gain CareerSpecific Knowledge and Skills Enroll in and Pass Rigorous Courses and Graduate with Additional Credentials
Take Courses and Meet Requirements for Postsecondary Readiness
YEAR ONE TIMELINE
WHAT STUDENTS DO
WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Participate in extracurricular activities consistently each year of school.
Extracurricular activities are crucial to student development and college readiness. Students need to consistently participate in activities each year to ensure a competitive college application and gain important interpersonal skills. Schools should ensure that a diverse array of activities are staffed and supported.
Participate in at least 2-3 classes in which a unit brings you in contact with real-world problems.
Support teachers in planning lessons and units that connect academic skills to real-world problems that are relevant to modern-day college majors and careers.
Every student should plan a summer activity that helps them develop college and career ready skills: a job, internship, classes, or enrichment activities.
Designate a staff member responsible for collecting and distributing summer program information and maintaining a centrally located bulletin board with information about summer programs. Find time in school schedule (e.g. advisory) for students to review and select summer opportunities. Require a “summer plan” for each student to be completed by June.
Be able to talk about common jobs held by their family members, community members, or other adults that you know.
Identify opportunities within course offerings for students to write about careers.
At least once every 5 weeks, reflect in writing or verbally on how what you are learning ties to something of value to you or your family.
Provide teachers with PD and support to see and clearly articulate how entire classes, or specific lessons and units within those classes, are relevant to specific college majors and careers, and how those careers in turn have a social purpose. Help counselors to understand the career relevance of courses offered to 9th graders. This can be deepened by providing staff with opportunities to visit employers or job shadow to better understand the skills and experiences students should have to be prepared.
Start talking with your counselor about planning for advanced courses and making sure you know what you need to do to be eligible for those courses.
Use diagnostic assessments with incoming 9th-graders to identify gaps that may inhibit success, and program courses to build fundamental literacy and numeracy skills to address those gaps. Assign strong teachers to those courses.
Aim for an overall GPA of 80% or above in each class to be eligible for the widest possible range of colleges.
1-1 advisement with school staff scheduled for all students at the mid-point and end of the school year to support students meet college readiness requirements for course sequencing and Regents. 1-1 advisement providing students and their families with an overall vision of the pathway from entry to graduation and beyond.
Earn 10+ credits during your freshman year to stay on track for graduation (to graduate you will need 44 total credits). Make sure you know the course and regents exams requirements for a diploma, as well as your advanced diploma options.
Support students to be on track to meet the Regents graduation requirements. The 4+1 Option Regents Graduation Requirement describes the increased flexibility students now have in their fifth choice of assessment. To earn a diploma, students must pass one (65+) assessment in ELA, mathematics, science, social studies and one fifth assessment: any other Regents exam or an additional approved option.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
College & Career Access WHAT STUDENTS DO
Exploration to Understand Trends & Pathways to Success
Getting In
YEAR TWO TIMELINE WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Visit at least 1 college.
At least 1 college tour per student, per grade is planned. Designate staff responsible for planning, and ensure that diverse mix of 2 and 4 year colleges are visited across students’ four years. Staff prepare with students prior to trip (review colleges, brainstorm questions) and debrief trip with students following trip.
Update your list of three colleges that you are interested in.
College search tool integrated into college planning curriculum.
Update your list of three career paths that you are interested in and what college majors match up with those paths.
Career inventory tool and discussion of majors integrated into college planning curriculum.
Attend events to gain exposure to a variety of careers such as job talks, career shadow days, and career fairs.
Register to participate in Career Exploration Month and plan activities (January).
Every student meets 1-1 with school staff to review program, transcript and planning for key access events (exams, application submission, etc)
Establish a college and career readiness inquiry team or planning team. Determine what systems and structures you will put into place to ensure that 1-1 meetings occur.
Sign up for a free account at collegeboard.com to prepare for the PSAT. Use College Board’s’ Big Future to explore college options, learn about financial aid and make a college plan.
Teachers trained in understanding the P/SAT structure, content and scoring. P/SAT literacy, numeracy and test taking skills integrated into subject areas.
Study for the PSAT and take the exam.
A school wide PSAT School Day plan is in place and a staff person is assigned to do test-day reminders.
Review your PSAT scores with your counselor/college advisor.
Plan in place for 1-1 score review with all students. Plan in place for score review with data team, or college-going inquiry team. Create SAT Day outreach plan: who will lead awareness, parent communication, registration and prep activities? Train each of these staff and plan calendar of outreach, prep and planning activities.
Consider taking (and register for) SAT II subject tests in June for any courses you got above an 80% in.
Meetings with all students who should consider SAT II’s by November of 10th grade.
Write a resume and practice your interview skills for jobs and summer program opportunities. You will also need your resume for college and scholarship applications and it will be helpful to start your resume early.
Functional computer and internet access available daily for all students. Students have opportunities to learn about how to create a resume and receive feedback from school staff.
Identify at least one adult beyond your family or teachers who understands your potential and can write a letter of recommendation for you.
1-1 advisement to help students identify adult mentors that they are already connected to in the community.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
College & Career Access WHAT STUDENTS DO
Financial Planning
Adult Networks
YEAR TWO TIMELINE WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Create an account to search for scholarships on websites such as fastweb.com and scholarships.com. For more information about scholarship databases and a list of search sites, visit finaid.org.
Functional computer and internet access available daily for all students.
Identify an adult who has a career you might be interested in and schedule a job shadow or informational interview.
Create opportunities for students to interact with adults in various professions, through job talks, job shadows, mentoring, and trips to different workplaces.
Identify at least one adult beyond your family or teachers who understands your potential and can write a letter of recommendation for you.
1-1 advisement to help students identify adult mentors that they are already connected to in the community.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
Academic Programming
Engage in Experiential Learning Opportunities
Gain CareerSpecific Knowledge and Skills
Enroll in and Pass Rigorous Courses and Graduate with Additional Credentials
YEAR TWO TIMELINE
WHAT STUDENTS DO
WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Participate in extracurricular activities consistently each year of school.
Extracurricular activities are crucial to student development and college readiness. Students need to consistently participate in activities each year to ensure a competitive college application and gain important interpersonal skills. Schools should ensure that a diverse array of activities are staffed and supported.
In at least 2-3 classes, engage in group projects where you are working with peers to address a real-world problem.
Learning that connects to the real world prepares students for lives that connect to the real world. Provide teachers with support and PD to design well-structured group activities that address relevant real-world content.
Every student should plan a summer activity that helps them develop college and career ready skills: a job, internship, classes, or enrichment activities.
Designate a staff member responsible for collecting and distributing summer program information and maintaining a centrally located bulletin board with information about summer programs. Find time in school schedule (e.g. advisory) for students to review and select summer opportunities. Require a “summer plan” for each student to be completed by June.
Take on an internship or job within your school as part of coursework to gain experience with work responsibilities.
Develop in-school internship opportunities for students early in their readiness for job responsibilities to gain experience. When possible, determine how to align these to career readiness standards and connect them to an elective credit.
At least once every 5 weeks, reflect in writing or verbally on how what you are learning ties to something of value to you or your family.
Provide teachers with PD and support to see and clearly articulate how entire classes, or specific lessons and units within those classes, are relevant to specific college majors and careers, and how those careers in turn have a social purpose. Help counselors to understand the career relevance of courses offered to 9th graders. This can be deepened by providing staff with opportunities to visit employers or job shadow.
Take and pass the Regents courses your school offers in 10th grade.
Ensure programming for students to be ready for and able to pass Regent exams.
Make sure that you are ready for higher level math and science next year. If you have not done as well in math and science, enroll in classes that provide extra support.
Look ahead to students’ enrollment in high level math and science courses in 11th and 12th grade. Identify students who need extra support to attain enrollment in these classes and provide high-quality classes to help them reach this level.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
Academic Programming
YEAR TWO TIMELINE
WHAT STUDENTS DO
WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Aim for an overall GPA of 80% or above to be eligible for the widest possible range of colleges.
1 advisement with school staff scheduled for all students at the mid-point and end of the school year to support students meet college readiness requirements for course sequencing and Regents.
Earn 10+ credits during your sophomore year to stay on track for graduation (to graduate you will need 44 total credits). Students are on track to complete course sequence college readiness requirements including 8 credits of math, including at least the following: Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2/Trigonometry; 8 credits of science, including at least three of the following: Living Environment, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, or AP Science; and in 6 credits of a foreign language.
Take Courses and Meet Requirements
Develop a strong algebra curriculum and strong teachers in algebra to work especially with students who need the most support.
Students take and pass 3 Regents Exams total by the end of sophomore year (1 freshman year and 2 sophomore year). Students are on track to meet Regents college readiness requirements including 75+ on ELA Regents and 70+ on common core-aligned Math Regents (or 80+ for any non common core-aligned Math Regents) to avoid needing remediation in CUNY. Students are on track to meet the Regents graduation requirements. The 4+1 Option Regents Graduation Requirement describes the increased flexibility students now have in their fifth choice of assessment. To earn a diploma, students must pass (65+) one assessment in ELA, mathematics, science, social studies and one fifth assessment: any other Regents exam or an additional approved option. If you haven’t already enrolled in a foreign language class, enroll now.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
Designate a staff member responsible for collecting and distributing summer program information and maintaining a centrally located bulletin board with information about summer programs. Find time in school schedule (e.g. advisory) for students to review and select summer opportunities. Require a “summer plan” for each student to be completed by June.
Offer sequences of foreign languages for students to be able to complete six credits in their high school career. 9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
College & Career Access WHAT STUDENTS DO
Do the FAFSA4Caster with your family and counselor to find out what types of financial aid you will be eligible for. Create a FSA ID. Find out if you are H/EOP eligible. Resource: Visit pages 48-49 of the College Planning Handbook.
Transitions and Financial Planning
Adult Networks
YEAR THREE TIMELINE WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Staff trained in the FAFSA4Caster and creating a FSA ID. Regular opportunities for professional development to keep staff updated on postsecondary opportunities and H/EOP programs and requirements. 1-1 postsecondary planning meetings required for all 11th grade parents.
Begin gathering documents for the FASFA after parents file taxes.
Tax returns collected from all families to verify eligibility and introduce the importance of these documents in financial aid process. Forms will be used for FAFSA in 12th grade to ensure timely submission, then updated in Spring of 12th with more recent year’s taxes (if applicable).
Make a plan for paying for your college applications and have your funds ready by September of your senior year: CUNY: $65. SUNY: $50/school UNLESS EOP eligible. Private schools: look up individual costs, and determine whether you are eligible for fee waivers.
Determine clear and consistently enforced criteria for distribution of CUNY fee waivers. Collect CUNY application fee from each family at spring family meetings so that application submission will not be delayed in the fall.
Choose the teachers who you will ask for recommendations at the end of the school year.
All teachers are trained to write effective recommendations for students.
Identify at least 2 adults beyond your family or teachers who understands your potential and has a career, role in higher education, or role in the community that you aspire to.
1-1 advisement to help students identify adult mentors that they can become connected to in the community.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
Academic Programming
Engage in Experiential Learning Opportunities
Gain CareerSpecific Knowledge and Skills
Enroll in and Pass Rigorous Courses and Graduate with Additional Credentials
YEAR THREE TIMELINE
WHAT STUDENTS DO
WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Participate in extracurricular activities consistently each year of school.
Extracurricular activities are crucial to student development and college readiness. Students need to consistently participate in activities each year to ensure a competitive college application and gain important interpersonal skills. Schools should ensure that a diverse array of activities are staffed and supported.
In at least 1 class, engage in learning that draws upon off-site experiences with employers or nonprofits in the community. Ideally, this should be an opportunity for you to identify a site you’d like to learn from in your community.
Develop partnerships with employers and nonprofits in your surrounding community and ensure that at least 1 teacher teaches a class that uses these partnerships for assignments.
Every student should plan a summer activity that helps them develop college and career ready skills: a job, internship, classes, or enrichment activities.
Designate a staff member responsible for collecting and distributing summer program information and maintaining a centrally located bulletin board with information about summer programs. Find time in school schedule (e.g. advisory) for students to review and select summer opportunities. Require a “summer plan” for each student to be completed by June.
Engage in a service-learning experience, work-based learning experience, or internship.
Develop partnerships with employers and nonprofits in your surrounding community and identify opportunities for students to engage with these sites. Help key adults at these sites to understand what they can expect and what they can offer to high school students learning at their sites.
Use available information to identify the skills that are key to the careers that are of most interest to you. Identify where and how you are learning these skills in your schoolwork.
Offer students a self-assessment tool (drawing from available resources) along with information on skills that go with college majors and careers in high demand in the current workforce. Share information on self-assessments with teachers.
Explain to others (younger students, peers, a school panel) how and why coursework is relevant to your future.
Identify and create specific opportunities—through courses, fairs, assemblies, advisory—for students to articulate publicly how their learning is relevant to their futures.
At least half the courses you are taking should address topics that are relevant to what you can be doing in college, in a career, or to help your community. Make sure that the topics of the classes you are taking do this and reflect at least once every 5 weeks on how your learning connects to your aspirations for the future.
Provide students with some opportunities for choice in programming. Work with teachers to design course titles, descriptions, and units that connect learning directly to college majors or career fields; this can be deepened by helping teachers have active partnerships with employers from the community who may come to sit on assessment panels or provide materials or ideas for class topics.
If you haven’t already taken Algebra 2/Trigonometry, take it. Find higher level science classes that are relevant to your future aspirations and take them.
Program high-level STEM classes and provide support to teachers to teach them.
Students take and pass rigorous classes and related exams including Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College Now or CUNY Early College, and/or Advanced courses.
Provide students with programming opportunities to take rigorous classes and related exams including Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College Now or CUNY Early College, and/or NYCDOE-Certified College Preparatory Classes.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
Academic Programming
YEAR THREE TIMELINE
WHAT STUDENTS DO
WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Aim for a GPA of 80% or above in each class to be eligible for the widest possible range of colleges.
1-1 advisement with school staff scheduled for all students at the mid-point and end of the school year to support students meet college readiness requirements for course sequencing and Regents.
Earn 10+ credits during your junior year to stay on track for graduation (to graduate you will need 44 total credits).
Take Courses and Meet Requirements for Postsecondary Readiness
Students are on track to complete course sequence college readiness requirements including 8 credits of math, including at least the following: Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2/Trigonometry; 8 credits of science, including at least three of the following: Living Environment, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, or AP Science; and in 6 credits of a foreign language.
1-1 advisement with school staff scheduled for all students at the mid-point and end of the school year to support students meet college readiness requirements for course sequencing and Regents.
Students take and pass 5 Regents Exams total by the end of junior year (1 freshman year, 2 sophomore year, 2 junior year). Students are on track to meet Regents college readiness requirements including 75+ on ELA Regents and 70+ on common core-aligned Math Regents (or 80+ for any non common core-aligned Math Regents) to avoid needing remediation in CUNY. Students are on track to meet the Regents graduation requirements. The 4+1 Option Regents Graduation Requirement describes the increased flexibility students now have in their fifth choice of assessment. To earn a diploma, students must pass one (65+) assessment in ELA, mathematics, science, social studies and one fifth assessment: any other Regents exam or an additional approved option.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
Support students to be on track to meet the Regents graduation requirements. The 4+1 Option Regents Graduation Requirement describes the increased flexibility students now have in their fifth choice of assessment. To earn a diploma, students must pass one (65+) assessment in ELA, mathematics, science, social studies and one fifth assessment: any other Regents exam or an additional approved option. Help teachers develop a Common Core-aligned ELA curriculum that asks students to engage deeply with nonfiction texts and writing from textual evidence.
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
College & Career Access WHAT STUDENTS DO
Exploration to Understand Trends and Pathways to Success
Getting In
YEAR FOUR TIMELINE WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Visit at least 1 college.
At least 1 college tour per student, per grade is planned. Designate staff responsible for planning, and ensure that diverse mix of 2 and 4 year colleges are visited across students’ four years. Staff prepare with students prior to trip (review colleges, brainstorm questions) and debrief trip with students following trip.
Research your options beyond the AA or BA training programs, internships, and “gap year” programs that include travel and work experiences. You should still take SATs and complete applications to have as many options as possible. And, you can defer enrollment at many colleges for up to a year.
Staff trained in up to date, accurate knowledge of these programs. All students participate in workshops and 1-1 meetings to learn about these programs and research their options.
Attend events to gain exposure to a variety of careers such as job talks, career shadow days, and career fairs.
Register to participate in Career Exploration Month and plan activities (January).
Write a 5-year plan that outlines how you envision progressing to the career and community work you love. Include your current plans for enrolling in continuing education, for connecting your education to your career and community aspirations, and for the realistic steps that take you from where you are now to where you want to be.
Include structured opportunities (ideally in a credit-bearing course) for students to consider what pathways (i.e., 4-year college, 2-year college, certification, living-wage work) are available and for whom each is appropriate, and to reflect on their own possible paths with support and relevant information.
Every student meets 1-1 with school staff to review program, transcript and planning for key access events (exams, application submission, etc.)
Establish a college and career readiness inquiry team or planning team. Determine what systems and structures you will put into place to ensure that 1-1 meetings occur.
Register for and take the November SAT a second time in the fall (if applicable).
Schoolwide SAT registration days organized. A staff person assigned to do test-day reminders. Fee waivers are made widely available.
Finalize your college list.
A trained college counselor reviews every student’s college list and/or postsecondary plan.
Make a deadline organizer for all of the colleges on your list. Resource: Visit page 80 of the College Planning Handbook. October: Submit your CUNY application including a request to send SAT scores. November: Submit your SUNY applications, including supplemental materials December: Submit your private school applications, including essays and SAT scores. January: If you are EOP eligible, make sure that all of your forms and essays have been sent to your schools.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
A data management system is in place for your college access team to track all students and their applications. Systems are in place for frequent review of student progress (weekly through fall of 12th grade) and follow-up. Register to participate in College Application Week and plan College Application Week activities (October).
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
College & Career Access WHAT STUDENTS DO
Getting In
Transitions and Financial Planning
Adult Networks
April: Review your decision letters with your parents and counselor and decide where to enroll. Review and compare all financial aid packages and follow up with colleges that have not given you a financial aid package.
YEAR FOUR TIMELINE WHAT SCHOOLS DO
1-1 acceptance review and enrollment meetings with all seniors.
May: Submit your completed registration forms to the school of your choice by May 1. Complete all necessary housing forms and medical forms, and submit any required deposit to secure your space.
Register to participate in College Signing Day and plan College Signing Day Activities (May 1)
Beginning October 1st, complete the FAFSA using last year’s taxes. Resource: Visit Chapter 7 of the College Planning Handbook.
Register to participate in Financial Aid Awareness Month (November). Plan Financial Aid Awareness Month activities such as FAFSA workshops and 1-1 meetings throughout the fall in evening hours.
Review financial aid requirements at colleges applied to and complete requirements (for example, the CSS Profile or financial aid verification forms, if applicable.)
A data management system is in place for your college access team to track all students and their applications. Systems are in place for frequent review of student progress (weekly through fall of 12th grade) and follow-up.
Learn about budgeting, and make a sample college budget for travel, books, and entertainment.
Financial literacy curriculum integrated into 12th grade courses and/or workshops to ensure that all students are exposed to “transition skills.”
Start scholarship search.
Identify staff who will lead scholarship search workshops, train staff and plan schedule of workshops. Plan in place to track student applications and provide assistance with applications.
Look in the mail for updated information about enrolling in classes, orientation, and any required testing. Review all the letters you get with your parents and counselor.
Have staff in place through summer months and a plan to contact all seniors. CUNY Test Prep resources are widely available to students.
Request teacher recommendations from the two teachers you have selected.
All teachers trained in writing high quality recommendations.
Before you leave for the summer, ask who you should contact after you graduate if you have questions related to your transition to college.
Have an alumni contact system in place. Identify staff who will maintain ongoing communication with students after they graduate. Plan alumni events, including college and career panels for current students.
Talk with at least 3 adults who you can learn from because their roles in their careers or the community are ones that connect to what you might do after graduation.
1-1 advisement for students to engage in informational interviews with adults.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
Identify staff who will conduct matriculation follow-up with each student to ensure that enrollment activities are done. Postsecondary plans are entered into data management system.
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
Academic Programming
Engage in Experiential Learning Opportunities
Gain CareerSpecific Knowledge and Skills
YEAR FOUR TIMELINE
WHAT STUDENTS DO
WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Participate in extracurricular activities consistently each year of school.
Extracurricular activities are crucial to student development and college readiness. Students need to consistently participate in activities each year to ensure a competitive college application and gain important interpersonal skills. Schools should ensure that a diverse array of activities are staffed and supported.
In at least 1 class, engage in learning that draws upon off-site experiences with employers or nonprofits in the community. Ideally, this should be an opportunity for you to identify a site you’d like to learn from in your community.
Develop partnerships with employers and nonprofits in your surrounding community and ensure that at least 1 teacher teaches a class that uses these partnerships for assignments.
Every student should plan a summer activity that helps them develop college and career ready skills: a job, internship, classes, or enrichment activities.
Designate a staff member responsible for collecting and distributing summer program information and maintaining a centrally located bulletin board with information about summer programs. Find time in school schedule (e.g. advisory) for students to review and select summer opportunities. Require a “summer plan” for each student to be completed by June.
Engage in a service-learning experience, work-based learning experience, or internship.
Develop partnerships with employers and nonprofits in your surrounding community and identify opportunities for students to engage with these sites. Help key adults at these sites to understand what they can expect and what they can offer to high school students learning at their sites.
Engage in a community-based experience or class that ties to one or more specific college majors or careers that you aspire to.
1 staff responsible for developing partnerships with employers and nonprofits in your surrounding community and identify opportunities for students to engage with these sites. If possible, offer courses for core or elective credits that explicitly connect to specific careers and that students can choose based on informed career choices.
Use available information to return to your assessment of the skills that are key to the careers that are of most interest to you. Identify where and how you have learned these skills throughout your high school career.
Offer students a self-assessment tool (drawing from available resources) along with information on skills that go with college majors and careers in high demand in the current workforce. Share information on self-assessments with teachers.
Explain to others (younger students, peers, a school panel) how and why coursework is relevant to your future.
Identify and create specific opportunities—through courses, fairs, assemblies, advisory—for students to articulate publicly how their learning is relevant to their futures.
At least half the courses you are taking should address topics that are relevant to what you can be doing in college, in a career, or to help your community. Make sure that the topics of the classes you are taking do this and reflect at least once every 5 weeks on how your learning connects to your aspirations for the future.
Provide students with some opportunities for choice in programming. Work with teachers to design course titles, descriptions, and units that connect learning directly to college majors or career fields; this can be deepened by helping teachers have active partnerships with employers from the community who may come to sit on assessment panels or provide materials or ideas for class topics.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
Academic Programming
Enroll in and Pass Rigorous Courses and Graduate with Additional Credentials
YEAR FOUR TIMELINE
WHAT STUDENTS DO
WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Ensure that you will be graduating with high-level math and science classes. Additional time may be necessary if you have not completed all the courses you need. Or, you may need to take remedial courses before starting college credit bearing courses: the key is that you are prepared for college and career and have a plan for your future.
Have conversations with students and families of students who are not ready to graduate and identify the courses and experiences that will help them to accelerate learning.
Students take and pass rigorous classes and related exams including Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College Now or CUNY Early College, and/or Advanced courses.
Provide students with programming opportunities to take and pass rigorous classes and related exams including Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College Now or CUNY Early College, and/or NYCDOE-Certified College Preparatory Classes.
Students earn one or more advanced diploma designations. Examples include: Advanced Regents Diploma, an Arts Endorsement and/or Career and Technical Endorsement.
Provide students with advanced diploma designations opportunities. Examples include: Advanced Regents Diploma, Honors Regents Diploma, an Arts Endorsement and/or Career and Technical Endorsement.
Students prepare for and take the COMPASS exam (CUNY Assessment Test) (if applicable).
Provide testing support for students who need to take the COMPASS exam (CUNY Assessment Test).
NYCDOE l College Access for All
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
Academic Programming
Take Courses and Meet Requirements for Postsecondary Readiness
YEAR FOUR TIMELINE
WHAT STUDENTS DO
WHAT SCHOOLS DO
Aim for a GPA of 80% or above in each class to be eligible for the widest possible range of colleges.
1-1 advisement with school staff scheduled for all students at the mid-point and end of the school year to support students meet college readiness requirements for course sequencing and Regents.
Students are on track to complete course sequence college readiness requirements including 8 credits of math, including at least the following: Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2/Trigonometry; 8 credits of science, including at least three of the following: Living Environment, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, or AP Science; and in 6 credits of a foreign language.
1-1 advisement with school staff scheduled for all students at the mid-point and end of the school year to support students meet college readiness requirements for course sequencing and Regents.
Students are on track to meet Regents college readiness requirements including 75+ on ELA Regents and 70+ on common core-aligned Math Regents (or 80+ for any non common core-aligned Math Regents) to avoid needing remediation in CUNY. Students are on track to meet the Regents graduation requirements. The 4+1 Option Regents Graduation Requirement describes the increased flexibility students now have in their fifth choice of assessment. To earn a diploma, students must pass (65+) one assessment in ELA, mathematics, science, social studies and one fifth assessment: any other Regents exam or an additional approved option.
Students prepare for and take the COMPASS exam (CUNY Assessment Test) (if applicable).
NYCDOE l College Access for All
Support students to meet be on track to meet the Regents graduation requirements. The 4+1 Option Regents Graduation Requirement describes the increased flexibility students now have in their fifth choice of assessment. To earn a diploma, students must pass one (65+) assessment in ELA, mathematics, science, social studies and one fifth assessment: any other Regents exam or an additional approved option.
Provide testing support for students who need to take the COMPASS exam (CUNY Assessment Test).
9-12 Blueprint for College and Career Readiness
College & Career Readiness Tool Kit
College and Career Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool This tool will help teams identify strengths and gaps in their postsecondary planning work so that they can set goals for development.
How to use the College and Career Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool
This self-assessment tool can help teams to begin to identify strengths and gaps in your postsecondary planning work and set school-wide goals for development. The tool can synthesize ideas that have risen through reviews of the 9-12 timeline or other activities to help teams solidify their thinking about key areas for development.
Protocol I. Each team member should record their responses and ratings individually. II. Share out. Review each section, and share responses. Use the last page to note differences in team responses or questions. III. S ummary. On the last page, note which sections emerged with a clear consensus as an area to develop. This could be a starting point for further problem definition, leading to an action plan.
NYCDOE l College Access for All
College and Career Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool
l.
Background Information: SCHOOL STRUCTURES
1. Who has primary responsibility for college and career counseling? Full time college counselor Guidance counselor who devotes % of time to college counseling Classroom teacher who has reduced load Advisory teachers Other ___________________________________ 2. The school counselor’s top three priorities are: Scheduling/Programs Mandated Counseling Meeting with parents Supporting the principal Supporting students in the postsecondary planning process Administrative tasks Supporting advisory Other ___________________________________ 3. In what settings do postsecondary planning topics and tasks get accomplished? Regularly scheduled academic classes Special workshops Advisory One-on-one counseling After school Other ___________________________________
NYCDOE l College Access for All
4. Do teachers have a role in the college/career process? (check one) Yes No If yes, please complete the following questions: 4a. With which of the following areas are they supporting students (check all that apply): Early awareness of post-secondary options Making college lists/Researching colleges Completing college applications Drafting personal statements Visiting colleges Registering for SATs/other college exams Preparing for SATs/other college exams Assisting with the financial aid process Exploring careers 4b. Within what settings do teachers complete this work? Academic Class time Advisory After-school Elective Other ___________________________________ 4c. Have your teachers received training of any kind to accomplish this work effectively? (check one) Yes No
College and Career Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool
ll.
Background Information: SCHOOL DATA This section is intended to help you uncover what your data is and how you are maintaining data. If you don’t know the actual percentage, it is more important to note the document or source where you could get this data; or note if this collected at your school or you don’t know where to find it. This will help guide discussions on gaps in data collection.
Data Point
% In My School
Graduation Rate
%
Juniors taking the SAT
%
Seniors taking the SAT
%
Seniors who apply to college
%
Seniors who apply to CUNY
%
Seniors who apply to SUNY
%
Seniors who apply to private colleges
%
Seniors who apply to non-degree programs (trade/ vocational, military, etc)
%
Seniors who complete the FAFSA
%
Seniors who enroll in an associate’s degree program the semester after graduating
%
Seniors who enroll in a bachelor’s degree program the semester after graduating
%
Seniors who enroll in a non-degree program the semester after graduating
%
NYCDOE l College Access for All
Document/Systems to Obtain This Data
I Don’t Know
College and Career Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool
lll. School Practices: QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT Please describe your school’s current practices within each principle below. You will use your rating in each section to guide decisions about where to focus action plans and areas for development. 1
Our school hasn’t started work in this area.
College & Career Access
College & Career Access Domain
Area
2
Plans are in place to implement this at our school.
Rating (1-4)
3
This is in place and we have some evidence that it occurs.
Examples of What This Could Look Like
Exploration to Understand Trends & Pathways
• College trips for every student, each year that they are in school, to a variety of types of schools • Understanding benefits and pitfalls of vocational/trade pathways • Understanding connections between careers and college majors/pathways • Completing applications to vocational or trade programs • Completing applications to gap year or service year programs • Understanding rights and privileges of military enlistment • Non-college pathways (e.g. training programs, gap-year programs) • A 9-12 scope and sequence/curriculum that engages students in college and career exploration • Students are expected to complete a postsecondary plan Estimated % of students who participate: ______
Exploration to Understand Trends & Pathways: Career Connections
• Job shadowing • Internships • Career day • Field trips to different work sites/ work site tours • Resume completion • Mock Interviews Estimated % of students who participate: ______
NYCDOE l College Access for All
4
This is our routine and it works well
What are we doing well in this area? What else could we be doing?
College and Career Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool
1
Our school hasn’t started work in this area.
College & Career Access
College & Career Access Domain
Area
2
Plans are in place to implement this at our school.
Rating (1-4)
3
This is in place and we have some evidence that it occurs.
Examples of What This Could Look Like
Getting In: Comprehensive Advisement
• Meetings at least yearly grades 9-11 and several times in senior year • Self-awareness Assessments or Reflection • Understanding workforce trends and connections to postsecondary pathways • Understanding connections between careers and college majors/pathways • Understanding expectations of a professional business or learning environment • Researching colleges and making college/ postsecondary planning lists • Determining H/EOP eligibility • Writing a competitive college essay • Understanding financial aid • Completing financial aid forms • Completing college application process Estimated % of students who participate: ______
Getting In: School wide systems and structures
• A schedule in place for completion of postsecondary activities • Database or other tracking system in place to monitor student progress towards key deadlines, completion of applications, etc
Getting In: Support for testing
• Registering and preparing for entrance exams (SAT/ACT) • Distributing fee waivers • Clear information on PSAT, SAT I/II, ACT, CUNY Assessment given to students • Assistance registering • Help with preparation • Discussion of score reports
NYCDOE l College Access for All
4
This is our routine and it works well
What are we doing well in this area? What else could we be doing?
College and Career Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool
1
Our school hasn’t started work in this area.
College & Career Access
College & Career Access Domain
2
Plans are in place to implement this at our school.
Area
Rating (1-4)
3
This is in place and we have some evidence that it occurs.
Examples of What This Could Look Like
Getting In: Professional Development
• Lead counselor is active member of professional community of college counselors • Counseling staff attend yearly training to get updated knowledge • Faculty is up to date on important “college knowledge” and participate in ongoing professional development to allow them to be active in • Preparing students for college/career Estimated % of students who participate: ______
Getting In: Family Involvement
• Workshops on the college process • FAFSA workshops • Information sent home • Translated materials and outreach Estimated % of students who participate: ______
Getting In: School Culture: College & Career Expectations
Activities include the following: • All staff hold high expectations for all students • Staff shares their experiences about their college and career pathways and imparts their confidence that this pathway is open to all students • Teachers meet often with counseling staff to discuss • Postsecondary planning process
Transitions and Financial Planning
• 9th grade summer bridge programs • Support throughout the summer after 12th grade • Transition to college/college survival skills • Financial Literacy & Lifeskills • Preparing for CUNY Assessment test Estimated % of students who participate: ____
Adult Networks
• Staff trained to write recommendations. • Access to mentoring or career development programs • Students receive training in networking, and developing social captial
NYCDOE l College Access for All
4
This is our routine and it works well
What are we doing well in this area? What else could we be doing?
College and Career Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool
Engage in Experiential Learning Opportunities
Academic Skills
Academic Programming:
College & Career Access Domain
Area
Rating (1-4)
Examples of What This Could Look Like
College Partnerships
College Now At Home in College Enrichment programs Other:____________________________________ What % of students participate in college credit bearing courses?: ______ Number of AP or college level classes offered: ______
Communicate Verbally CCSS.SL.1, CCSS.S&L.4 & CCSS.S&L.6
• Students have opportunities to initiate and participate in discussions with a diverse network of adults and community partners • We have structured activities for students to practice presenting information to various audiences while conveying a clear and distinct perspective • Students have opportunities to engage in projects or assignments that develop their ability to work with peers with an eye towards accomplishing tasks as a team • Students have opportunities to practice adapting their speech to classroom and workplace contexts, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate
Written Communication: CCSS.W.4, CCSS.W.5, CCSS.MPS.6
• Students engage in assignments that develop their ability to produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to various tasks, purposes, and audiences • Students have opportunities to develop and strengthen their writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience • Students have opportunities to use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update writing products in response to new arguments or information
Reasoning & DecisionMaking
• We have structured activities for students to cite evidence, support analysis and recognize informational gaps in classroom and workplace texts
NYCDOE l College Access for All
What are we doing well in this area? What else could we be doing?
College and Career Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool
1
Our school hasn’t started work in this area.
Academic Skills
College & Career Access Domain
Area
2
Plans are in place to implement this at our school.
Rating (1-4)
3
This is in place and we have some evidence that it occurs.
Examples of What This Could Look Like
Reasoning & DecisionMaking CCSS.SL.1, CCSS.W.1, CCSS.MPS.3
• We have structured activities for students to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. • We have structured activities for students to construct arguments using stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established results.
Problem Solving CCSS.W.7, CCSS.MPS.1
• We have structured activities for students to conduct research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. • Students engage in assignments that develop their ability to reflect on answers to real-world problems and ask themselves, “Does this make sense?” • We provide students with opportunities to work on teams to identify roadblocks and solve problems creatively
Use of Technology & Media CCSS.W.6, CCSS.S&L.5
• We provide students with opportunities to use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with internal and external school partners. • We provide students with opportunities to make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. • We engage business partners in order to provide students with access to multiple kinds of technology that are relevant in the workplace
NYCDOE l College Access for All
4
This is our routine and it works well
What are we doing well in this area? What else could we be doing?
College and Career Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool
1
Our school hasn’t started work in this area.
Academic & Personal Behaviors
College & Career Access Domain
2
Plans are in place to implement this at our school.
Area
Rating (1-4)
3
This is in place and we have some evidence that it occurs.
What are we doing well in this area? What else could we be doing?
Examples of What This Could Look Like
Mindsets for Perseverance
• T he school cultivates positive relationships among and between students and adults, in which each student feels that everyone in the room believes he or she can learn and succeed. • S truggle is framed as a normal and encouraged part of learning, and space is given for students to grapple productively with complex ideas. The goal is not for learning to be easy, but for it to challenge us all to continually grow and meet high expectations. • S tudents are given regular opportunities to revise, and feedback is seen as a chance to learn. • P raise is given for progress and effort, and feedback highlights both good strategies to keep and ways to continually improve. • Student have regular opportunities to make choices about their own learning and goals. • A uthentic and engaging content encourages students to make connections to their own lives, articulate for themselves why the learning matters to them, and cultivate intrinsic value for learning. External rewards and incentives are avoided.
Management, Organization & Work Habits
• O rganizational habits, time management strategies, and study skills are intentionally taught and practiced. • S tudents have gradually less-scaffolded opportunities to plan, organize, and monitor their work independently on gradually more complex tasks and projects. • S tudents have the opportunity to connect with an adult to reflect on progress, set their own meaningful goals, and collect strategies to meet those goals.
Communication & Collaboration
• S tudents have regular opportunities to learn, practice, and reflect upon what makes an effective team. • Students give and get structured peer feedback. • D iscussion protocols develop skills in accountable talk, oral argument, listening and questioning.
Creativity & Adaptability
• S tudents are encouraged to find more than one path to a given goal or solution. • S etbacks are seen as normal and as an opportunity for creative problem solving. • T he school provides a nurturing environment for students to take risks, raise questions, and try new ideas.
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This is our routine and it works well
College and Career Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool
Summary Section
Overall assessment: did our group share the same assessment? Why or why not?
Surprises, notes, things we want to know more about!
School Structures
School Data
College & Career Access
Academic Programming
Academic Skills
Academic & Personal Behaviors NYCDOE l College Access for All
College and Career Planning Culture Self-Assessment Tool
College & Career Readiness Tool Kit
Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) Reflection Tool This tool is designed to assist School Leadership Teams (SLTs) in developing Comprehensive Educational Plans (CEPs) that connect the elements of the Framework for Great Schools to their goals to improve college and career readiness.
As stated in the guide to the 2015-16 Comprehensive Educational Plan, “The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is committed to working collaboratively with parents, families, educators, and communities to improve student achievement and ensure that every child graduates from high school prepared for college, a career, and a future as a productive, critically-thinking adult.” This College and Career Readiness Reference Tool is designed to assist School Leadership Teams (SLTs) in developing Comprehensive Educational Plans (CEPs) that connect the elements of the Framework for Great Schools to their own areas of school needs and actions. It
Each aspirational practice is described briefly and listed in the lefthand column. Based on an assessment of need and relevant metrics, SLTs may determine that they are striving to move towards an aspirational practice.
identifies aspirational practices drawn from the literature on career readiness and some of the most compelling ways high schools and middle schools can prepare students to be ready with skills and ambitious and attainable aspirations after graduation.
In developing CEPs, SLTs are encouraged to identify metrics on the Quality Review or the Danielson Framework for Effective Teaching that connect to their plans. The middle column provides selected relevant metrics (though many others may also fit).
The NYCDOE Office of Postsecondary Readiness has identified a set of college and career ready domains. Two sample benchmarks relevant to each practice are included. CEPs may identify these or others as areas of impact.
Aspiration:
Select related indicators:
Improving this may help students succeed in the following domains:
Mastery-based curriculum
• Danielson 1c: Setting instructional outcomes • QR 1.1: Ensure engaging, rigorous, and coherent curricula
• Mindsets for Perseverance. A focus on the skills outlined in competencies helps students become more aware of their own learning. • Management, Organization & Work Habits. The transparency of competencies can develop students’ comfort monitoring their own goals for improvement.
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Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) Reflection Tool
Rigorous Instruction When instruction is customized, inclusive, motivating and aligned to the Common Core, with high standards set in every classroom, students can achieve at ever higher levels. Five practices in particular are often cited in frameworks connecting strong instruction to a high level of postsecondary readiness: • Instituting a mastery-based curriculum that focuses on skills explicitly tied to meaningful future career paths. • Bringing project-based, problem-based, and community-based learning into the classroom to engage students in authentic learning experiences. • Structuring learning around group work and teamwork in the classroom. • Engaging community partners to offer work-based learning experiences and assessment through community panels that evaluate student portfolios. • Engaging business partners to provide classroom technology and guest instruction.
Aspiration:
Select related indicators:
Improving this may help students succeed in the following domains:
Mastery-based curriculum
• Danielson 1c: Setting instructional outcomes • Q R 1.1: Ensure engaging, rigorous, and coherent curricula
• Mindsets for Perseverance. A focus on the skills outlined in competencies helps students become more aware of their own learning. • Management, Organization & Work Habits. The transparency of competencies can develop students’ comfort monitoring their own goals for improvement.
Project- and community-based learning
• Danielson 3c: Engaging students in learning • Q R 1.2: Develop teacher pedagogy
• Academic Relevance. Students better understand the relevance of coursework when it is applied to real world problems. • Reasoning & Decision-Making. By engaging in real-world problems, students put reasoning and decision-making skills to work.
Small-group learning and teamwork
• Danielson 3b: Questioning and discussion • D anielson 3e: Demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness
• Communication & Collaboration. Students work together with an eye towards accomplishing tasks as a team. • Creativity & Adaptability. Teamwork requires social awareness as well as openness to new ideas.
Work-based learning and/or portfolio panels
• Danielson 1f: Designing student assessments • Q R 2.2: Align assessment to curricula
• Speaking & Listening. Students communicate with varied audiences in discussions of their work. • Adult Networks: Students receive feedback from a growing network of adults and make connections between the classroom and the world of work.
• Danielson 1d: Demonstrating knowledge of resources
• Use of Technology and Media. Students gain access to multiple kinds of technology that are relevant in the workplace. • Trends and Pathways to Success. Students have opportunities to hear about career pathways and experiences directly from professionals.
Technology and guest instructors in classrooms
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Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) Reflection Tool
Supportive Environment In a classroom and school where students feel safe, supported, and challenged by their teachers and peers, students can also be learning to navigate postsecondary readiness. Four aspirational approaches to developing a school environment that emphasizes college and career readiness are: • L anguage connecting learning to college and career possibilities is present throughout the day • E xtracurricular supports provide opportunities to gain knowledge and experience of postsecondary options • W ork-based learning experiences are integrated into the school day (including, but also well beyond, internships) • Explicit counseling in skills and knowledge to navigate college application process
Aspiration:
Select related indicators:
Improving this may help students succeed in the following domains:
Omnipresent language connecting learning to life
• D anielson 2a: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport • D anielson 3a: Communicating with Students • Q R 3.4: Communicating high expectations
• Mindsets for Perseverance. A schoolwide focus on connecting skills to career helps students invest in and take ownership of their learning. • Management, Organization & Work Habits. Students understand the importance of goal-setting and organization in relation to their postsecondary pathways.
Extracurricular supports
• Danielson 1d: Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources • D anielson 3c: Engaging Students in Learning
• Creativity & Adaptability. Students proactively engage in new experiences outside of the everyday. • Transitions and Financial Planning. With the right extracurricular opportunities, students receive guidance around planning for postsecondary success.
Work-based learning experiences
• Danielson 2b: Establishing a Culture for Learning • D anielson 3c: Engaging Students in Learning
• Communication & Collaboration. Students work on teams to identify and solve problems creatively. • Experiential Learning. Students gain a sense of roles and responsibilities in the workplace.
Career and college counseling
• Danielson 1a: Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy • Q R 1.4: Maintain a culture of mutual trust and positive attitudes
• Getting In. Students are supported in navigating the pathway from high school to career. • Problem-Solving: As roadblocks arise on the pathway towards career, students gain skills in facing and solving problems.
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Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) Reflection Tool
Collaborative Teachers If teachers are committed to the success and improvement of their classrooms and schools within a culture of respect and continuous improvement, then college and career readiness can be built into the fabric of their experience. While collaborative professional development contributes in various ways to the learning experience, two approaches to collaboration in particular can deepen understanding and approaches to career readiness: • R outine and intentional collaboration between content teachers and school staff who are responsible for career development. • Collaborative planning between teachers and community partners.
Aspiration:
Select related indicators:
Improving this may help students succeed in the following domains:
Content-career readiness collaboration
• D anielson 2a: Environment of Respect and Rapport • Q R 1.4: Positive Learning Environment
• Mindsets for Perseverance. Educators know the student more holistically, fostering an environment of self-exploration and allowing students to become active participants in the learning process. • Getting In. Students draw upon classroom time to accomplish postsecondary tasks such as college applications, resume writing, and interview practice. • Enroll In and Pass Rigorous Courses. Students are invested in meeting postsecondary benchmarks and demonstrate academic readiness by earning scores beyond minimum graduation requirements.
Teacher-partner collaborative planning
• Danielson 1e: Designing Coherent Instruction • D anielson 3e: Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness
• Academic Relevance. As teachers plan with community partners, they are better able to highlight the connection between the classroom and career aspirations. • Adult Networks. As a result of teachers’ collaborations with community partners, students have access to a larger network of adult references.
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Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) Reflection Tool
Effective School Leadership In schools with effective leadership, principals lead by example and nurture the professional growth of teachers and staff, developing and delivering the instructional and social-emotional support that drives student achievement. This work can support career readiness in a variety of ways. Four particularly ambitious approaches are: • • • •
S chool mission/vision and messaging focus on connecting skills and learning to career pathways. Engagement of employers and other postsecondary partners. P D for educators to gain knowledge and awareness of postsecondary skills and expectations. Opportunities for teacher exposure to college environments other workplaces through trips, job shadowing, externships, and similar experiences.
Aspiration:
Select related indicators:
Improving this may help students succeed in the following domains:
School mission connects learning to career pathways
• D anielson 3c: Engaging Students in Learning • Q R 3.1: Establish a coherent vision of school improvement
• Academic Relevance. Educators explicitly integrate postsecondary skills and competencies into coursework. • Mindsets for Perseverance. A school mission that imbues all learning with a sense of purpose can help engage students to persevere in learning.
Engagement of community partners
• Danielson 1d: Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources • D anielson 3c: Engaging Students in Learning
• Experiential Learning. Partnerships open up opportunities for students to engage in experiences beyond the classroom. • Adult Networks. Exposure to adults beyond the school environment provides students with interactions and guidance from others.
PD on postsecondary expectations
• D anielson 1a: Demonstrate Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy • D anielson 4e: Growing and developing professionally
• Academic Relevance. Educators explicitly integrate postsecondary skills and competencies into coursework. • Written Communication. As educators gain familiarity with postsecondary expectations, they often note skills needed in college and the workplace. One of these is the need for clear, concise written communication for diverse audiences.
Teacher exposure to other workplaces
• Q R 3.4: Communicate expectations connected to college and career readiness
• Trends and Pathways to Success. By better understanding other workplaces, teachers become more fluent guiding students through postsecondary readiness. • Academic Relevance. Educators explicitly integrate postsecondary skills and competencies into coursework.
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Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) Reflection Tool
Strong Family-Community Ties When leadership brings resources from the community into the school building by welcoming, encouraging, and developing partnerships with families, businesses, and community-based organizations, college readiness can be emphasized in myriad ways. Four aspirational approaches are: • • • •
Intentional assessment and exploration of college and career aspirations inside and outside the school day. The local community provides job shadowing, internships, and other youth apprenticeship opportunities. Service-learning and community-based projects are offered in the local community. Guidance and counseling to students on postsecondary options explicitly involves parents.
Aspiration:
Select related indicators:
Improving this may help students succeed in the following domains:
Exploration of career aspirations
• D anielson 1b: Demonstrating Knowledge of Students
• Management, Organization & Work Habits. Career inventories and exploration activities require that students stay organized and monitor their progress towards goals.
Job site opportunities
• Danielson 1d: Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources • D anielson 2b: Establishing a Culture for Learning
• Experiential Learning. Students gain exposure to professional workplace environments. • Management, Organization & Work Habits. Students must navigate and manage the workplace environment to succeed in job-site experiences.
Service-learning and communitybased projects
• D anielson 2a: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport • Q R 1.4: Maintain a culture of mutual trust and positive attitudes
• Mindsets for Perseverance. Community projects give students a sense of value and purpose, and cultivate a sense of belonging. • Reasoning & Decision-Making. Students working together on community projects engage in real-world issues that require making thoughtful decisions.
• D anielson 4c: Communicating with Families • Q R 3.4: Establish a culture for learning that communicates high expectations
• Transitions & Financial Planning. Students and their families learn about options and make financial decisions towards postsecondary goals. • Mindsets for Perseverance. Students and their families take ownership of postsecondary choices. • Getting In. Students and their families gain specialized knowledge on various postsecondary pathways.
Career guidance and counseling involving parents
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Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) Reflection Tool
College Planning Calendar
These culture building events can help you organize your school community and engage students and families in planning for postsecondary pathways. Check the OPSR website for dates annually and to register for resources, events and supports.
October 17-21
November
January
April 5
May 1
College Application Week
Financial Aid Awareness Month
Career Exploration Month
SAT/PSAT Day
College Decision Day
What is it?
What is it?
What is it?
What is it?
What is it?
A weeklong focus on the importance of meeting fall application deadlines, and celebrating seniors who have submitted at least one college application.
A month-long focus on college affordability and the importance of applying for financial aid.
A month-long focus on career trends and pathways to help students make informed career and educational decisions.
PSAT to 10th grade and SAT to 11th grade students to increase college readiness and college access.
Celebrate seniors for their postsecondary plans.
Key goals or benchmarks to be reached:
Key goals or benchmarks to be reached:
• F AFSA and TAP completed and submitted by end of the month.
• S eniors will make “best fit and match” decisions for their postsecondary plans. If they are attending college, they should inform colleges of their plans to enroll by 5/1.
• CUNY applications completed by 10/21. • Early awareness opportunities for younger grades to see visual celebration/recognition of applications, or receive information about the college timeline. • College/high school/CBO collaborations to support application completion and workshop facilitation.
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Key goals or benchmarks to be reached:
• P arent engagement and early awareness activities. • C ollege/high school/CBO collaborations to support application completion and workshop facilitation.
Key goals or benchmarks to be reached: • Career exploration opportunities such as: career day, job shadowing, and workplace visits and tours. • Students identify career interests, describe associated skills with those careers and develop strong postsecondary plans needed to pursue those careers. • Make curricular links in academic classes to careers and college majors.
• Communications, tools and supports to ensure schools successfully implement PSAT/SAT School Day. • Engage non-testing grades in college exploration activities. • College/high school/CBO collaborations to support schools to integrate these one-time testing taking activities into their broader postsecondary planning culture.
Key goals or benchmarks to be reached:
• E arly awareness opportunities to encourage younger students and families to prepare for college and career as early as possible. • S upports to ensure that seniors prepare for the transition to college or work.
Calendar
