BaySCAN Financial Services Network -- News #10

A significant coalition of California leaders and their organizations have joined together to promote an appropriate role for the State of California in supporting school-to career activities, particularly those that connect employers and educators and provide technical assistance and staff development to K-18 educators and schools. Download the details at http://bayscan.org/download.html#pol

2 ISSUES & BEST PRACTICES:

__2.1 Galileoís Partnership with the Community

One of the most difficult tasks in undertaking school reform, especially with respect to developing career majors/pathways, is getting community buy-in and participation. Galileo Academy of Science and Technology in San Francisco has been able to accomplish this through collaboration with two community-based organizations: Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and Community Educational Services (CES).

Galileo, with its large population of low income, immigrant students, epitomized many of the issues facing high schools today. A "Blue Ribbon Task Force" comprised of school representatives, parents, members of higher education, CAA and CES held meetings to develop a strategy for school reform. The strategy included three new requirements for graduation that exceed the districtís requirements.

The first requirement is to complete coursework in a career pathway. The school is a wall-to-wall academy and every student is expected to participate in one of four academies.

The second requirement is to complete a career exploration experience related to their pathway. Students must complete 45 hours of an internship, mentorship, or self-designed program. In addition, they must complete a personal career plan, conduct an informational interview, and write a reflection about their career exploration experience that ties together past class work, present career experience, and future career plans.

The third requirement is a senior research project. The goals of the project are to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the subject, with a science, social science, or technology theme; research and organizational skills necessary to complete the project; and presentation skills necessary to satisfy a panel of the studentís mastery. Of course, the project is related to the studentís career path.

The implementation of these new requirements has been organized through a partnership with the school, CAA, and CES under the program name "Applied Learning & Linkages." The three requirements are the basis for each studentís graduation portfolio. CAA and CES provide many forms of support. The next newsletter will discuss strategies used to leverage the schools meager resources in order to implement STC.

If you have any questions, comment or information, please respond through the listserv so we can develop a discussion.

__2.2 CCSF Embedding SCANS

Newsletter #9 described a project at City College of San Francisco (CCSF) to embed SCANS into their curriculum. During the year the new participants meet monthly to learn more about SCANS and begin to develop a strategy for embedding SCANS into their own courses. Teachers are encouraged to start slowly--infuse one or two competencies in the beginning and add new competencies each time the course is taught.

During Novemberís meeting, two teachers shared how they infused SCANS into their classes. Laurie Wu McClain teaches U.S. History and embeds a number of competencies. Her implementation of the Human Resources competency is particularly informative.

By focusing on the Human Resource competency, she is trying to develop the studentsí ability to assess skills and distribute work accordingly, evaluate performance and provide feedback. This probably sounds like a familiar goal for your own group-work projects. I know many teachers, as Laurie does, require their students to evaluate the performance of their team members. However, students often feel uncomfortable with this task and question its educational value. Laurie covers this issue with a handout and discussion about what happens in the world of work.

Ilana DeBareís "360 Degrees of Evaluation," published in the San Francisco Chronicle, May 5, 1997, explains how many employees are being evaluated by not only their boss, but also by their peers. The author found that good implementations result in increased productivity, early identification of problems, and an increased sense of fairness among the employees. Laurieís discussion of this trend provides a meaningful real-world context for classmates to evaluate each other.

Laurie asks each team member, "What contributions did ____ make to this SCANS Small Group Project? If you were working at the same company as ____ and you were assigned to work on a project with her/him, would you feel that you could rely on her/him to do a good job? Why or why not? In answering this question, please consider her/his attitudes (such as attendance, willingness to cooperate, motivation to work), and skills (such as research, writing, speaking, time management, and interpersonal skills)." Laurie reports that students usually form a consensus independently around the performance of teammates.

In the next issue we will discuss other embedding strategies and issues. If you would like more information about SCANS, BaySCAN has a PowerPoint presentation covering a crosswalk between SCANS, STC, and WASC. Please let us know if you would like more information. You can also get more information at http://www.ttrc.doleta.gov/SCANS/scans2.html.

3 RESOURCES:

__3.1 Careers in Insurance

A few Network members were able to attend the Actuarial Career Information Fair held Oct. 20, 1999, at the Marriott Hotel, San Francisco. This fair was held in conjunction with a very well attended joint conference sponsored by the Casualty Actuarial Society and the Society of Actuaries. The keynote speaker was General Norman Schwartzkopf and he shared his interesting and entertaining insights on the subject of leadership.

High school and college students and instructors attended the career fair that featured hands-on examples of actuarial projects for students and a session for educators to learn how to identify students suited for actuarial careers and how educators can prepare their students. In addition, many employers from across the country sponsored information booths that provided students and teachers with an opportunity to learn about the different firms and talk to real actuaries.

From the program guide: "Actuary was rated the second-best job in America by the 1999 edition of The Jobs Rated Almanac. In the four editions of the Almanac since 1988, ëactuaryí has twice been the number one job and twice, number two. Actuaries enjoy highly respected and rewarding careers. In recent years, industries apart from the traditional ones such as insurance are employing actuaries. Banking, legal and securities firms are hiring more actuaries."

Demand is reported to be outstripping supply in this job market and salaries are considered very good. Actuarial problems are a great way to integrate math and economics into your career major. You can learn more about actuaries at http://www.beanactuary.org/.

__3.2 When Ethics Travel

One way to integrate social science into your career major is through the study of integrity and honesty, which are SCANS Personal Qualities skills. Often, we think of ethics as an absolute norm usually viewed in terms of black and white. "When Ethics Travel: The Promise and Peril of Global Business Ethics," California Management Review, Vol. 41, No. 4, Summer 1999, published by the Haas School of Business, U.C. Berkeley, looks at the quandary many international managers face when the traditions and beliefs of their culture conflict with those of their employees or business associates in another country. Should a manager adopt the ethics of the host country? Should a manager in essence export their values? Should a manager adopt a hybrid set of values? Or should a manager adopt a transcending "global" set of values?

Studying world history from the perspective of an international businessperson turns the study of arbitrary and boring facts into real world problems that are worthy of serious study. Through the use of the methods of analysis explained in the article, students could evaluate events in world history with respect to which standard the participants applied, how they might have acted differently if they applied an alternative standards, and identify how organizations today may be acting similarly.

If you are interested in obtaining a reprint of this article, let me know and I will attempt to get an educational rate. Also, please let me know if you are interested in collaborating to develop a unit or lesson plan based on these ideas.

__3.3 Preparation for College and Career--A Resource Guide

Region IV of the California STC Interagency Partnership has written a resource guide for career major/pathway development. "Preparation for College and Careers" explains the rational for implementing STC type school reform and documents several implementation strategies. The guide provides a comprehensive framework both discussion and action. You can order a free copy of this guide by contacting Peralta Community College District, Tech Prep/School-to-Career Program, 333 E. 8th St., Oakland, CA 94606, (510) 466-7210 (phone), (510) 466-7304 (fax).

__3.4 New American High School Web site

The New American High Schools Initiative is focused on high schools that are committed to ensuring that all students meet challenging academic standards and are prepared for college and careers. These high schools are using new instructional techniques, utilizing technology, improving professional development, using community service and work-based experiences to enhance classroom learning and developing partnerships with employers, postsecondary institutions, community leaders and parents to enhance reform efforts. These schools are also engaged in an ongoing, thoughtful dialogue with their staff and the broader community to determine how they can better prepare all students for college and careers. The New American High Schools Initiative is designed to identify and document the work of high schools that have adopted a variety of strategies to education reform. Learn more about the Initiative at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/nahs/index.html and http://www.sonoma.edu/cihs/nahs/.