Supporting career-related learning
Meaningful and effective education prepares students for academic success AND for life. Thus, schools in Oregon are required to deliver career and life role education as part of their curriculum. Career and life role education helps prepare your children for the six roles of adulthood - that of the individual, the learner, the producer, the consumer, the family member, and the citizen. It helps your children connect the personal side of their lives to their education and their future. They learn to live, learn to learn, and learn to work.
Career-related learning spans a wide array of formal learning activities and projects. Your children may take part in a career day or an internship, create a career portfolio, complete a senior project, write their resume, take an interest inventory, and visit colleges or industry sites as part of their school day. These types of activities are part of the school's comprehensive guidance program. They help your children develop self-knowledge, explore their options for work and learning, and develop plans to succeed after graduation.
Oregon school districts are creating career programs that best fit their students and their communities. Each district, however, must insure that their graduating seniors have:
- Developed an education plan and build an education profile.
- Demonstrated extended application of their knowledge and skills through a collection of evidence.
- Demonstrated career-related knowledge and skills in these six areas: personal management, teamwork, communication, problem solving, employment foundations, and career development
- Participated in career-related learning experiences as outlined in their education plans.
Parents and communities are critical to the success of career-related learning.
High school career-related learning
High school is the time for building both academic knowledge and career-related skills. Regardless of your child's career direction, good foundation skills are critical. Development of these foundation skills - reading, writing, math, speaking, listening, use of technology, problem-solving, critical thinking, decision-making, reasoning, responsibility, self-esteem, self-management, integrity, and teamwork - comes only in part from academic classes. Oregon's career-related learning requirements also foster the development of these skills and prepare your children for a world that is changing and challenging.
What will my child do in addition to required and elective coursework?
The high school's career-related learning requirements will most likely be infused within class work. However, you will probably see your children learning differently than you did. They may be engaged in group projects, working with community groups or businesses, or completing a complex project that takes more than one term to finish.
In addition to updating the education plan begun in 7th grade, your children will be working on the following:
- As part of updating their education plan, they will review their accomplishments annually. This is called their education profile.
- Through class participation, projects, and other experiences, they will demonstrate and document the six career-related learning standards - personal management, teamwork, communication, problem solving, employment foundations, and career development.
- Through a portfolio or project, they will demonstrate that they can use their skills and knowledge to address real-world issues. This is called extended application.
- They will further explore the career interests and goals in their Education Plan through career-related learning experiences. These experiences will take place at school and in the community. They may be volunteer or paid.
You can support career-related learning at your children's high school by:
- Finding out about the career-related learning goals and programs at the school.
- Reviewing your children's Education Plans with them regularly.
- Looking at your children's progress (their Education Profile) and helping them consider new options as appropriate.
- Asking your children to share their research about their options and making suggestions about additional sources of information.
- Being aware of requirements for their post high school plans, such as college, financial aid, apprenticeships, and helping them stay on track.
- Reaching out to your children's guidance counselor when you have questions or concerns about their goals and plans.
- Helping your children find and connect to adults who can help them with their assigned projects and experiences.
- Participating in career events and activities as a volunteer.
- Talking to your employer and other acquaintances when the school needs the larger community to participate in an event.