North Harris Montgomery Community College District

As Fiscal agent for the

Gulf Coast Tech Prep School-to-Careers Partnership
 
 
 
 

Application for Projects Funded Under

The School-to-Work Opportunities Act

April 15, 1998-September 31, 1998
 
 

Splendora Independent School District____________________________________

Applicant: ISD or Community College Name
 
 

23411 FM 2090 East____________________________________________________

Mailing Address
 
 

Splendora, Texas 77372_________________________________________________

City, State, Zip
 
 

Rhea Young___________________________________________________________

Contact Person Signature
 
 

"garwega@tenet.edu."___________281-689-8008_____________281-689-8675___

E-mail Telephone No. Fax No.
 
 

$ 122,250_________

Amount Requested
 
 

The authorized signature below indicates that all the assurances and provisions included herein will be followed and that the institution to which the grant is assigned will assume the necessary responsibilities to identify document, and track all the funds provided by this grant.
 
 

Ed Smith Board President________________________________________________

TYPED NAME AND TITLE OF FISCAL AGENT REPRESENTATIVE
 
 

Title: School to Careers

Applicant: Splendora Independent School District

23411 FM 2090 West

Splendora, Texas 77372

Contact Person: Rhea Young 281/689-8008

Need: During the last five years our survey of graduates shows that after graduation our students are having problems choosing a career that suits them. We have determined that we currently lack career education which would help guide students in their future plans. Many of our students do not attend college after high school and need to be aware of all of the options that are available to them upon graduation.

Objective: All participants who successfully complete the School to Careers program will have been exposed to a number of different career options and will be able to choose a career best suited to them.

Program: The School to Career program will offer the following:

• career awareness for grades 1 through 12
• career exploration through job shadowing, internship, and internship
• teacher training
• development of curriculum
• strategies for reaching at-risks students

Cooperating Agencies: Splendora ISD

Cleveland ISD

New Caney ISD

Tarkington ISD

Kingwood College

Local Rotary Clubs

One Stop Career Center

WalMart

Education America

Texas Rehabilitation Commission

Budget: The first year total direct and indirect costs $122,250
 
 

Needs Statement

Goals and Objectives

Project Design

Budget and Budget Narrative

Addenda
 
 

Zach is a recent graduate from Splendora High School. Zach was a typical student, making C?s and B?s in most of his classes. Zach chose not to go to college, but instead immediately enter the workforce. Unfortunately for Zach he is not prepared to get a job that will support him so he has to settle for a minimum wage paying job sacking groceries with no hope for advancement.

Justin is a recent graduate from Willis High School. Justin was a typical student, making C?s and B?s in most of his classes. While in high school Justin participated in the School-to-Careers program. Justin was given an opportunity to investigate a variety of careers and begin job shadowing to help him zero in on the career best suited to him. Justin gained a great deal of experience throughout this program, as well as a number of potential employment contacts for future purposes. Justin was just hired at the Compaq Computer Company with the potential for advancement within the company.
 
 

Choosing a career has always been an important decision. Today more than ever choosing a career must begin before a person ever graduates from high school. In the United States the job market has become increasingly competitive and requires specific skills from potential employees. In Texas the number of high school graduates who attend college has decreased and more students are immediately entering the job market. The students from Splendora High School and surrounding rural districts are at a disadvantage. During the last five years our surveys of graduates show that after graduation our students are having difficulties choosing a career that suits them. We have determined that we currently lack career education which would help guide students in their future plans. Many of our students do not attend college after high school and need to be aware of all of the options that are available to them upon graduation. The School-to-Careers program will help prepare our students for the future they deserve.
 
 

Goal: The goal of the School-to-Careers program is to prepare graduating students for successfully entering the work force.

Objectives: The objectives of the School-to-Work program is to provide a number of career experiences for every participating student. This program will offer job shadowing, internships, and field trips to a variety of career opportunities. The students will complete an interest survey to help guide them to a career suitable for them. By the end of the school year each student who has successfully completed the program will have skills, knowledge, and contacts to take with them when they leave high school.
 
 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 1: Connecting Activities:

1. Membership criteria met:

 

 
 
 

Membership includes representatives from four independent school districts (Cleveland,

New Caney, Splendora, and Tarkington), a local public post-secondary institution (Kingwood College), the involvement of all businesses in the local Rotary Club, a representative of the One Stop Career Center in Conroe, Texas, employee representative from Wal-Mart in Cleveland, a non-public post-secondary institution (Education America) representative, a Texas Rehabilitation Commission representative, a vocational adjustment coordinator for special needs students, and the Dean of Community Education Programs at Kingwood College who develops and coordinates adult literacy programs.

(See attached membership forms, Addendum A)

2. Description of how Local Implementation Partnerships will implement School to Careers

1. How will the STW Partnerships work and plan with the regional School to Careers Partnership?

 

 
 
 

Cleveland ISD, New Caney ISD, Splendora ISD, and Tarkington ISD plan to follow and modify

the Job Shadowing Academy that was piloted last year by Huntsville ISD, New Waverly ISD, and Willis ISD. Training is planned for 1998-1999 school year for integrated teams of academic and career and technology teachers to attend workshops provided by the Gulf Coast Consortium with topics related to contextual learning, improved career decision-making and team building. These teams of teachers will then participate in job-shadowing experiences and curriculum writing aimed at providing the framework for a student shadowing and mentoring program to be implemented in the fall of 1999. Participation by Louisiana Pacific Corporation, Conroe Welding, Northeast Medical Center Hospital, and Mike Smith Insurance Company is expected.

2. What will each partnership member contribute to the STW implementation?

 

 
 
 

The EASTWAY Partnership has agreed to "pool" the employer resources and training facilities in

This area to train the trainers. The teachers participating will be trained as multi-district teams. Each of these teachers will then supervise up to five students in the job-shadowing experiences or internships.

Local business will provide training sites, speakers and mentors for school districts. The One Stop Career Center will provide information, technical support and speakers. The post-secondary schools will function not only in the advisory capacity, but also as providers of continuing education for teachers and students and will conduct on-site workshops for teachers and students. Articulation agreements and curriculum issues among ISD'’ and post-secondary schools will continue to be updated as needed.

3. What will be the plan for recruiting additional stakeholders?

 

 
 
 

Additional stakeholders will be invited to attend the monthly meetings of the EASTWAY

Partnership. These meetings are held at various rotating sites throughout the region and consist of monitoring compliance with the grant, an educational component (site tour) and social component (networking, refreshments). These stakeholders will be recruited by all current members of the partnership. Planned press releases will announce the existence, purpose and successes of the EASTWAY Partnership. A website will be developed by students and mentors that will post a member ship roster and calendar of teacher training, meeting times, and student job-shadowing and internship locations and dates. This website will be found at Eastway.careers.fun@nhmccd.edu.

4. How will independent school districts (ISD’s), colleges, community-based organizations, local chambers of commerce, and local government in the partnership participate in the plan?

 

 
 
 

Participation in the EASTWAY Partnership is a collaborative effort in terms of the teacher job-shadowing experience, curriculum writing, and student job-shadowing and internships. ISD’s will provide the teacher teams and students. Colleges will provide support in terms of consultation and training, and local chambers of commerce and local government will provide continuing good public relations and training sites for the operation of the program.

5. What is the plan for funding local schools, businesses, and community organizations?

 

 
 
 

Funding provided by the grant will provide for stipends to teachers for the job-shadowing and curriculum writing, transportation for students and teachers for the job-shadowing and internship phase, public relations, website development, marketing materials, educational support materials for program development and teacher training.

6. Describe how partners will work together to link interested, participating students with

1. Description of governance, decision-making and funding process. How will your partnership insure that funding is equitably distributed among the educational partners?

 

 
 
 

The EASTWAY Partnership has established a steering committee composes of representatives from the mandatory membership roster. This committee has appointed Splendora IDS as the fiscal agent for the grant. It was agreed that any pruchases made with grant funding must be approved by this steering committee. Funding is to be distributed to each partner based on the number of teachers and students involved from each district with each district receiving funding based on a percentage of participation. Expenses incurred are monitored by the steering committee at monthly meetings.
 
 

2. Evidence of existing partnership working together.

The Rotary Club has been instrumental in the development of student interact clubs and junior achievement and has encouraged higher education by providing scholarships. The local Workforce Development Board’s One Stop Career Center has provided speakers and workshops. The North Harris Montgomery Community College District has provided a liaison counselor for students involved with dual credit, a career counselor to work with the ISD’s, has hosted a county-wide job fair, and has provided scholarships for qualified students. Of the businesses represented at the job fair, many expressed an interest in a deeper involvement with secondary education.

The EASTWAY Partnership was formed in May of 1998 and has increased the number of partners to include a broader representation from the business community and service organizations in the summer of 1998. At the time of the writing the EASTWAY Partnership has held five meetings. The local Work Force Development Board will host workshops and send speakers to the ISD’s.
 
 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 2: School-Based Learning

1. Career Awareness

 

 
 
 

How do you plan to utilize employer partners to assist in career awareness activities in the elementary and middle schools.

Employers have agreed to provide classroom speakers at the elementary and middle school level. Additionally the job-shadowing and field trip experiences will be implemented at the middle school level through the career investigation classes. At the high school level, employers will speak in career education classes, offer field trips, participate in career days, and provide job shadowing and internships.
 
 

2. Career Exploration, Interest and aptitude testing, and Counseling

 

 
 
 

Describe you plan to utilize employer partners and work-based experience such as job shadowing to implement career exploration, interest and aptitude testing, and Counseling in the elementary and middle schools in your partnership.

Career awareness activities will be carried out through the curriculum in the elementary grades with the help of local business partners as speakers and field trip sites. The social studies curriculum will be infused with material relevant to career decision-making foundations. Materials developed and selected by the curriculum teams will be available for parents prior to their use in the classrooms. The COPS and CAPS are used throughout the schools in the partnership as a means of assessing interest and aptitude at the middle and high school level. A pictorial version of COPS is available from the publisher for elementary use. Counseling at the elementary and middle schools should include information for parents as well as students on labor market statistics and projections for employment for the Gulf Coast area. Participation by parents and employers as Career Day speakers is planned.
 
 

3. Career Concentrations and a rigorous program of study

 

 
 
 

How will you utilize employer partners and work-based experience in establishing career concentrations in the elementary and middle school in your partnership?

Students will take field trips to businesses as a culminating activity in the elementary school

Following the study of the different career concentrations. The job shadowing experience will occur at the middle school level. Field trips, job shadowing and internships will be used at the high school level. These experiences will be coordinated and monitored by the trained teachers.
 
 

4. Regularly scheduled evaluations with interested, participating students and school dropouts.

 

 
 
 

What methods are in place or planned to hold regularly scheduled evaluations with interested, participating students and school dropouts?

Interest and aptitude assessments are scheduled each semester. Students not enrolled in Career Investigations or Career Connections classes are invited and encouraged to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) which is given annually. In addition those students who have dropped out of school are invited through press announcements to participate in the ASVAB and will have access to Career Centers in each secondary and post-secondary institution in the partnership as well as access to the One Stop Career Center in Conroe. At these sites career assessment and guidance are available, as well as job information. Local employers may use the job bank at the One Stop Career Center to advertise openings.
 
 

5. Articulation

 

 
 
 

How do you plan to utilize employer partners to develop articulation agreements with post-secondary institutions in your region?

The EASTWAY Partnership has been using the advice of local employers for at least six years and has members actively serving on advisory committees for Tech Prep articulation agreements. Regularly scheduled meetings of the advisory committees are planned to review the new articulation agreements and Tech Prep plans. The articulation agreements in our region are coordinated by the Director of Articulation Services at North Harris Montgomery Community College District who schedules annual updates and meetings which bring all partners (secondary and post-secondary) together for the purpose of review and collaboration.
 
 

6. Strategies for reaching hard-to-serve youth, low-achieving youth, academically talented youth,

What are your strategies for reaching hard-to-serve youth, drop-outs, academically

talented youth and historically underserved youth populations and provide support services

these interested, participating students.

EASTWAY Partnership offers career and technology education programs in Health Science Technology, Automotive Technology, Business Education, Computer Maintenance Technology, Engineering Computer Assisted Design, Communications Graphics Technology, Agricultural Science and Technology and Home Economics. Admission to these programs is open to all students enrolled in Cleveland ISD, New Caney ISD, Splendora ISD and Tarkington ISD. Additionally all students have the opportunity to take Career Investigations at the middle school and Career Connections at the high school. A follow-up career and technology survey has been developed by the state of Texas and can be modifies to send to all drop-outs to encourage them to contact the EASTWAY Partnership for information concerning continuing education and job opportunities.

It is the policy of the EASTWAY Partnership not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or handicap in its career and technology programs, services, or activities as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

The EASTWAY Partnership will take steps to assure that lack of English language skills

will not be a barrier to admission and participation in all educational and career and

technology programs.

All students participating in these programs will have the opportunity to attend a field trip or job shadowing and apply for internships when in high school. Non-discriminatory selection criteria for students’ internship will be developed in cooperation with local business partners and educators during the summer of 1999.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 3: Work-based learning component

1. Workplace experiences:

A commitment was given during the previous meetings of the EASTWAY Partnership by the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce to specifically participate by involving members from these organizations actively in marketing the concept of the EASTWAY Partnership. Direct solicitation of involvement in the job shadowing for teachers and students and internships as promised. An appreciation breakfast where awards bearing the name of the business partner and EASTWAY@careers.fun logo are presented to businesses will be held at the end of the school year 2000.

Students will be linked with businesses based on the results of meeting the selection criteria established by the trained teachers and the student aptitude and interest assessment results.

Which of the following workplace experiences will be emphasized?

The students selected for the job shadowing experiences will be middle and high school students from the four participating school districts. Their experience will involve a minimum of five days in local businesses, and they will rotate through the different participating businesses. The internships will be available to students in high schools and will consist of a minimum of five days in local businesses selected from a catch based on interest and aptitude test results.

A project will be required at the completion of each job shadowing experience. This required component will be developed by the teacher trainers in the curriculum writing workshops. Students involved in clinical rotations and on-the-job training will be trained in general workplace readiness skills prior to their entry into their work-based experience.

A uniform code of appropriate dress and conduct will be taught. A trained teacher will accompany a maximum of five students to any particular worksite. The teacher may supervise students from a neighboring district if those students are interested in that particular worksite.

Transportation will be provided to all worksites by the ISD’s. Participation by mentors and business leaders as speakers in classes and at career days will aid in the decision-making process for students.

Teacher shadowing will take place as a part of the teacher training process and as a part of the supervision of the student shadowing. Continuing good relations with area businesses depends on a positive relationship between all parties.
 
 

1. Methodology

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA EVALUATION

1. Evaluation criteria, including and Employer/Student Satisfaction Survey

 

 
 
 

How will program quality be evaluated and improve over time? What criteria will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the School-to-Careers activities?

Through the objective use of the Employer/Student Satisfaction (ESS) Survey the program and curriculum will be monitored, evaluated and adjusted to meet the needs of the students and community. Continuing education and expansion of the program is planned to increase the involvement of more teachers, students and businesses. The effectiveness of the program will be evaluated by an instrument to be developed by the trained teacher, student and business contact. This instrument, in addition to the performance criteria set forth by the classroom teacher and the results of the ESS Survey, will guide the EASTWAY Partnership in the design and implementation of future program development.
 
 
 
 

2. Sharing of systems or curriculum that is developed.

Any materials developed by the EASTWAY Partnership are in the public domain and will be made available to any and all interested parties.
 
 

Please briefly state amounts your partnership would spend in the appropriate budget categories and the purpose for which the funds would be used:

Please note: Equipment purchases and out of state travel (including the national and state School-to-Careers Conferences) will not be funded.
 

	CFDA Number 84.278E
Cost Category	Amounts	Purpose: Examples include professional development, curriculum development, release time for recruitment of employers, development of workplace experiences, and educational materials. Please be specific.
Curriculum         Materials	60,000	Purchase curriculum materials for four high schools and four middle schools. Subscriptions from Career Communications Inc., Hearligy Career Exploration Modules, Career Guidance Information and tracking software, Gale Research Software, Marshall Cavendish software (Encyclopedia of Careers), Video Library Materials, Additional Pring Career Materials for classroom and library
Printing	12.000	Binders, Tab Notebooks, Secretarial Assistance for printing of career development curriculum, teacher and student resource handbook for job shadowing program. Marketing materials for business recruitment.
Consultants         Include Curriculum Stipends	35,000	Stipends for thirty-five teachers for curriculum development and teacher training workshops for teacher teams from four school districts.
Substitute          Pay	5,250	Substitute pay for thirty-five teachers for job shadowing, mentoring student interns, and teacher training.
Local         Mileage	6,000	Payment for transportation to job shadowing experiences teacher training and workshops.
Other	4,000	Materials for marketing, networking, awards for business, logos, uniforms for student interns (reusable blazers).
Total Estimated Cost	122,250

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Addendum A: Local Implementation Partnership Members

? Business or industry representative

? Elementary, middle school, secondary representative

? Representative from a Gulf Coast Workforce Development Board Career Center

? Labor or non-managerial employee representative

? Representative from Public Post-secondary institution

Encouraged

? Service provider or representative of Community Based Organization

? Representative from the Texas Rehabilitation Commission

? Representative from local literacy provider

? Representative from local government

? Representative from non-public post-secondary institution

? Other representative who specializes in working with students with unique needs

? Other
 
 
 
 

Addendum A: Local Implementation Partnership Members

? Business or industry representative

? Elementary, middle school, secondary representative

? Representative from a Gulf Coast Workforce Development Board Career Center

? Labor or non-managerial employee representative

? Representative from Public Post-secondary institution

Encouraged

? Service provider or representative of Community Based Organization

? Representative from the Texas Rehabilitation Commission

? Representative from local literacy provider

? Representative from local government

? Representative from non-public post-secondary institution

? Other representative who specializes in working with students with unique needs

? Other
 
 

? Business or industry representative

? Elementary, middle school, secondary representative

? Representative from a Gulf Coast Workforce Development Board Career Center

? Labor or non-managerial employee representative

? Representative from Public Post-secondary institution

Encouraged

? Service provider or representative of Community Based Organization

? Representative from the Texas Rehabilitation Commission

? Representative from local literacy provider

? Representative from local government

? Representative from non-public post-secondary institution

? Other representative who specializes in working with students with unique needs

? Other
 
 

? Business or industry representative

? Elementary, middle school, secondary representative

? Representative from a Gulf Coast Workforce Development Board Career Center

? Labor or non-managerial employee representative

? Representative from Public Post-secondary institution

Encouraged

? Service provider or representative of Community Based Organization

? Representative from the Texas Rehabilitation Commission

? Representative from local literacy provider

? Representative from local government

? Representative from non-public post-secondary institution

? Other representative who specializes in working with students with unique needs

? Other