School-to-Careers and Workforce Development in Austin, TX
An American Youth Policy Forum Field Trip — March 19-21, 1997
In recent years, Austin, Texas has emerged as one of the nation's leaders in implementation of school-to-careers, having engaged large numbers of employers and young people in comprehensive education and career preparation programs. The American Youth Policy Forum site visit provided participants the opportunity to meet with local leaders and visit sites across the city, each with a crucial yet distinctive role in Austin's school-to-careers and workforce development effort.
The site visit offered critical insight into how school-to-careers can go "to scale" by providing students with necessary skills while, at the same time, enhancing local workforce and economic development. Local leadership, schools and, most notably, employers work closely together to develop and promote school-to-careers activities that work for their students and their community-at-large. Key findings from the trip:
- Austin's "industry-led" approach has been instrumental in obtaining the active support of school and city leadership. School-to-careers has grown out of the recognition by employers that to maintain a competent and highly-skilled workforce, employers and educators must work together to create relevant and highly challenging learning opportunities. The active involvement of local employers--the lifeline of any community--caught the early attention of city and school officials, including the Mayor, Chamber of Commerce and School Superintendent, helping school-to-careers begin with a strong base of political support.
- School-to-careers must go beyond simply identifying work placements for young people to develop true partnerships through collaboration with educators and community leaders. Front-line workers can double as supervisors and mentors to students; work with teachers to create authentic performance assessments and evaluations; and introduce teachers to the reality of the workplace by developing worksite "externships."
- Austin demonstrates that an intermediary organization can be invaluable in creating the initial connection between employers and schools. The Capital Area Training Foundation, an industry-led non-profit organization, has brought together industry leaders to determine their needs, and sought out the support of educators in preparing students to meet these demands.
- Austin's assumption that school-to-careers is appropriate for all students and its inclusion of a strong academic component has helped convince students, parents and community leaders that work-based learning must be central to any school reform effort. As a result, school-to-careers has been integrated into all key reform areas, such as curriculum, professional and standards development, leading to a school system that is coordinated and, therefore, more efficient in serving its young people.
- The "alternative" methods of education found in Austin have been powerful in assisting at-risk and out-of-school youth to re-enter the education and training system. Charter schools, YouthBuild and AmeriCorps programs, and local service sector employers are providing opportunities for youth with a poor academic track record to learn in experiential ways. In doing so, they are helping to meet the needs of industry. Employers, ranging from large construction firms to small law practices, are finding that even the most at-risk youth can, when challenged properly, achieve and excel at extremely high levels.
- Rural and semi-rural/suburban school districts are utilizing local employer resources to drive curriculum redesign and career development programs.
- A supportive state government has set a state-wide framework for school-to-careers, providing Austin with the resources and programmatic independence necessary for the initiative to thrive at the local level. State efforts to streamline the state job training system, create a network of one-stop education and training centers, coordinate local workforce development efforts and engage postsecondary institutions in school-to-careers has helped Austin leaders expand their base of schools, employers and community organizations involved in school-to-careers.
Meeting with City Leaders, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
Key to Austin's success has been the active support of the city's leaders. Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce President Glenn West welcomed Forum participants to Austin with an overview of the active role of the business community in school-to-careers and workforce development. West noted that Austin is growing rapidly; its population has a higher level of education, per capita, than any other city in the nation; and it serves as a hub of the high tech industry. Home to over 1,200 hi-tech firms (400 of which are software companies), Austin has a great demand for highly skilled, highly trained technical workers. Its rapid growth demands a steady supply of new, well-trained employees. Recognizing this need, the Chamber worked to involve local businesses in "growing" the new workforce. One of its top priorities is "the development of a market-ready, regional workforce."
The Capital Area Training Foundation (CATF) serves as "the glue" to turn this supportive employer environment into substantive partnerships with Austin schools. As explained by Robert Rutishauser, Executive Director, CATF organizes its work around the development of five "industry steering committees," each charged with developing partnerships between schools and employers in their respective industry. These steering committees have driven the development of meaningful, self-sustaining partnerships between schools, community organizations and the business community. Currently, the steering committee industries are: Construction, High Tech, Criminal Justice, Consumer Services Management, and Business Services/Insurance.
The steering committee structure enables employers to present information about their workforce needs and strategies and to join together as a sector to help develop or identify resources for a new Career Pathway, and to conduct outreach for work-based learning opportunities according to the specifics of that industry sector. This structure provides information for both in-school and out-of-school programs, thus helping to create a true system for workforce development which includes School-to-Work. Members of ALL the committees have provided work-based learning opportunities for students in that industry's career pathway.
--Capital Area Training Foundation
Programs Serving Out-of-School Youth
Upon checking in to the South Austin Holiday Inn, Forum participants were presented with an overview of the "Check-In Program," operated jointly by the hotel and CATF. The program, started by CATF's Consumer Services Management Steering Committee, is designed to provide at-risk and out-of-school youth with job skills and a career path, while meeting the needs of the hotel and hospitality industry for new workers.
The program has been beneficial to the hotel as well as the participants. According to Daryl Crawford, General Manager at the hotel, Austin's low unemployment often makes it difficult to identify good workers in the service and hospitality industry. The Check-In Program has helped overcome this problem by providing a cadre of "great employees," and has started young people in careers in the expanding hospitality industry.
According to Jim McClure, CATF and the class' teacher, the young people enrolled in the course are, for the first time, obtaining the skills necessary to participate in the workforce. The five-week program consists of 60 percent classroom work and 40 percent hands-on training, and develops competency in a wide range of areas, including business, math and communications. The job areas include every aspect of the hotel, from laundry to sales to convention work. From the first class of seven, four young people were hired full-time by the hotel. One is currently on an exchange program in Koblenz, Germany (Austin's sister city), and two are seeking employment outside of the consumer services industry.
School-to-Careers at Advanced Micro Devices
Austin's commitment to providing high quality workforce preparation programs for young people is demonstrated by the work of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), which has a long and active involvement with schools and school-to-careers in Austin. Home to over 3,000 employees, AMD manufactures the semiconductors that go into personal computers, then sells them to large computer and communications firms, which requires a continuous supply of highly trained, technical employees.
Allyson Peerman, AMD's Community Affairs Manager, described the Accelerated Careers in Electronics (ACE) program, designed to increase the proportion of "home-grown" employees to help grow the local workforce and reduce the significant costs associated with recruiting employees from out of town (or even out of the country). Started in 1995, ACE consists of a partnership between AMD, two local high schools (Del Valle High School and Johnston High School), Austin Community College (ACC) and CATF. High school sophomores and above can enroll in ACE, which connects the high school curriculum to postsecondary electronics programs (ACE participants receive 16 tuition-free credit hours at ACC once they complete one semester).
ACE enrolls students in high school coursework based heavily in electronics. In addition to an Industrial Electronics course at the ACC campus, the partnering high schools use the CORD-developed Principles of Technology course, an applied physics course (at Johnston, Principles is taught by the physics teacher). AMD offers internships to participating students and has outfitted the high school classrooms and ACC with the equipment necessary to support the curriculum. The schools have furthered this effort by conducting comprehensive outreach activities, targeting students and their parents to gain support and increase ACE enrollment.
To date, over 100 students have completed at least the school-based component of ACE at their high school, and 50 have interned at AMD. AMD interns go through the standard hiring procedures, which Peerman believes is important because it represents "a first time through the process for many of these kids." ACE students who show a strong desire for a career in science, math or technology (SMT) are eligible for an AMD Scholarship, which covers all tuition, fees and books for one year in ACC's SMT program. As AMD's resources allow for only 24 interns each year, the scholarships allow AMD to expand its ability to help young people obtain the skills required of entry-level engineers and technicians.
ACE students are prepared for substantive and economically rewarding jobs. In addition, ACE offers a generous tuition program under which some participants can earn two and four year degrees in an applicable subject matter. Students who participate in ACE and earn their associate's degree are eligible for employment as wafer fab technicians at $25,000+ per year. Students who continue on to earn a bachelor's degree (which AMD encourages) generally earn $42,000+ per year. Through ACE, students are obtaining the skills required to secure good jobs and access postsecondary education.
American Institute for Learning, Casa Verde Green Builders AmeriCorps YouthBuild Program
The American Institute for Learning Casa Verde program, which serves at-risk and out-of-school youth, many with criminal histories, is effective at serving young people. Casa Verde participants spend half of their time building energy-efficient houses for low-income families and half their time in educational activities. Participants range from 18 to 25 years old, 75 percent are high school dropouts, and 65 percent have been in trouble with the law. Of the 64 first-year participants, 28 stayed for one year and 13 stayed for six months before moving on to higher wage jobs. They obtain construction and building skills and the broad academic, critical thinking, communication and problem-solving skills that address many of the obstacles young people face to becoming self-sufficient. The program is supported by a combination of HUD YouthBuild and AmeriCorps funds.
The young people at Casa Verde indicated that they have stayed for more than the wage, child care and college tuition reimbursement that the program provides. For many, Casa Verde provided their first opportunity to get off the street and "do something" with their lives. One participant, a former drug dealer, said "It's easy to make lots of money for doing nothing, but here it is better because even though you work hard you actually get to see what you are doing." Others want to open their own construction businesses or go on to college because of their Casa Verde experience.
The houses are designed to be both affordable for low-income families to purchase and affordable to maintain. For example, Casa Verde selects plots with trees, and retains these trees to shade the house, reducing air conditioning and landscaping costs. The program is located in the "Springdale Weberville" neighborhood of East Austin, a predominantly African-American community fraught with crime. In addition to building houses, Casa Verde works closely with neighborhood and community leaders to make the area safer to live. Buyers, who must be first-time home owners with a family income under $25,000 per year, are required to work on their own landscaping, and must present a plan of neighborhood involvement before they can close on the house. Such practices allow the work of Casa Verde to go beyond simply providing training opportunities for young people to ensure that the quality work of its participants will lead to broader community growth and development.
Luncheon, Bowie High School
Local Leadership Driving Reform
While employers and teachers in Austin clearly have a strong ability to advance school-to-careers, none of the city's efforts would be possible without the heavy support of local leadership. Austin Mayor Bruce Todd, Austin Independent School District (AISD) Superintendent Dr. James Fox, and AISD School-to-Careers Executive Director Dr. Diane Hodges all emphasized the importance of school-to-careers in the city's economic and community development and school reform efforts. As Todd noted, "there is nothing more important in Austin than building human resources through school-to-careers programs." An ardent supporter of school-to-careers, Todd stressed that although much has been done in Austin, there is "lots more to do, and things will only get better."
Fox explained that Austin presents many opportunities for young people with the right skills. As Austin continues to grow, adding facilities such as a new airport and medical center, school-to-careers ushers in the attitudes and values necessary to support such community and economic development. Hodges more fully described the district's school-to-careers efforts. In Austin, the basis of school-to-careers is "career development--we want all students to go through the decision-making model." Local employer and community support has helped the schools prepare students for work, with over 2,300 businesses involved in an "adopt-a-school" program, and a significant number involved in connecting activities, such as developing guidelines for student portfolios, conducting mock interviews and visiting schools as guest speakers.
Criminal Justice
Lanier High School (LHS) provides comprehensive career preparation opportunities for its students through the operation of 11 "career pathways" in: law enforcement and criminal justice, cosmetology, construction, hospitality, computer network systems, agricultural mechanics, animal science, horticulture, business and office systems technology, marketing (retail) and welding technology.
According to Principal Ruth Kane, LHS broke new ground by opening the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Academies in Fall 1994. In addition to expending school resources and staff time on the Academy (as well as on its other career pathways), LHS has worked with Capital Area Training Foundation board member and Austin attorney John Blazier to develop partnerships with many Austin-area employers, including the Austin Police Department, District Attorney's Office and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. These organizations work with Lanier to help design the Academy's curriculum and provide meaningful internship and employment opportunities for young people.
At Lanier, school-to-careers often serves as a path back to school and postsecondary education for many at-risk students. Two Lanier students discussed the different paths that each took to the Academy. The first, a senior, dropped out of high school as a freshman and entered the world of gangs and drugs. After being sent to juvenile detention for stealing a car, he re-enrolled at Lanier, joining the Academy as well as the school's Safety Force. Now an intern at the Travis County Sheriff's Office, he graduated from LHS and plans to attend Austin Community College on a scholarship. He hopes to become a police officer, a career path that he claims would be unimaginable without his school-to-careers experience.
While a student at the LBJ Science Academy (an Austin magnet school), the second student, currently a junior, was also mixed up with gangs, and after some minor trouble was sent back to his home high school. His gang problems from LBJ followed him, however, and he enrolled in the Lanier Academy to avoid the gangs and get a fresh start on his education. Like his classmate, he hopes to attend college and eventually join the FBI's SWAT Team.
Culinary Arts
Throughout the session at Bowie High School, Forum participants were treated to a lunch prepared and served by students in Bowie's Culinary Arts Program, connected to the Consumer Services Management Steering Committee. According to Pat Bell, Culinary Arts Instructor, students are involved in every aspect of preparing and planning luncheons and similar events, including ordering food, setting up the room and serving. Students were also instrumental in obtaining a corporate sponsor, Adams Extract, for their class. Adams provides cooking products and financial resources for the school- and project-based activities.
The course also integrates a number of business-related components. One senior, in her fourth year in the program, noted that she enrolled in the course to learn more about cooking and its wider applications. The broad nature of the course, however, exposed her to additional career opportunities, and she now wishes to pursue a career in hotel management.
Foreign Exchange with Koblenz, Germany
Austin has also been involved in a student exchange program with its sister city, Koblenz, Germany. Renata Anderson, Chair of the Austin-Koblenz Sister City Committee explained that the Exchange Program, part of the Mayor Todd's Task Force on Career Pathways, sent 13 students to Koblenz in January, 1995, where they participated in either culinary arts or automotive apprenticeships in the German "dual system." At the same time, five Koblenz students traveled to Austin, two of whom are enrolled in Bowie's Culinary Arts Program. These students doubled as translators for the Mayor of Koblenz during his visit to Austin, and plan to open their own American-style restaurant in Germany.
The Texas State Workforce Development System
While Austin's efforts demonstrate the importance of local leadership in developing a school-to-careers system, the state of Texas has also implemented significant reforms aimed at cultivating Austin-style initiatives across the state. An afternoon session at the University of Texas provided a brief glimpse into the statewide school-to-careers and workforce development efforts. Key leaders from government and industry highlighted legislation, programs and policies designed to create meaningful education and training opportunities for young people.
According to Ara Merjanian, Director, Government Services, Office of Governor George Bush, "workforce development is one of the central issues facing the state." This is demonstrated by the Governor's support of Senate Bill (SB) 642 and House Bill (HB) 1863, which consolidated 27 employment and training programs and created the Texas Workforce Commission. The Commission will oversee the integration of a wide variety of programs and services, including JOBS, Food Stamps, child care, JTPA and school-to-careers, with an emphasis on devolving much responsibility for design and implementation to local service delivery areas (SDAs). Thus far, 23 of the state's 28 SDAs have been certified by the Governor as eligible for Commission funding.
Will Reece, Department Director for Educational Initiatives, Workforce Development Division, Texas Workforce Commission, spoke about the role of the Commission. From this perspective, school-to-careers is "a great framework for ensuring that we do what needs to be done in this country, providing rigorous academics with connections between high school, postsecondary schools and the workplace." Although the Commission will be responsible for consolidating and integrating a number of programs, school-to-careers can provide leadership in all critical areas. Currently, the Commission is working with SDAs and other local leaders to ensure that local concerns are considered by state policymakers and integrated into state policy.
Margarine Beaman, Beaman Metal Company and Chair, Capital Area Workforce Development Board, described the role of the Board created under SB 642 and HB 1863--to carry out the work of the commission and to bring together all employers, regardless of size, to address the needs of both industry and the current and future workforce in a local SDA. Currently, the Board is developing a planning and evaluation system to determine what "first steps" must be taken to engage employers at a high level across the state and working on a system of "one-stops," which will provide a range of employment and training services at central locations.
Barbara Bolin, Dell Computers and Chair-elect, Capital Area Workforce Development Board, detailed the specific projects to be led by participating employers. Central to a comprehensive workforce development effort is collaboration between schools and employers. Recognizing this, the Board will engage employers in a series of activities designed to align the work of schools and educators more closely with the demands of the workplace. Employees will serve as mentors to young people, help design faculty and professional development programs, construct and develop performance- and standards-based evaluations and assessments, and design teacher "externships" to expose classroom teachers to the reality of the non-academic workplace. Doing so will engage employers, and employees, in the "nuts and bolts" of school-to-careers, making them more responsible for and committed to school-to-careers. The Board also operates a Planning Committee, chaired by Ron Lehman, IBM Corporation and Member, Capital Area Workforce Development Board. According to Lehman, the committee is charged with identifying new areas for the Board to address, and is currently working on the one-stop centers mentioned above as well as an "Employability Core Skills" program.
Bob McPherson, Research Scientist, Center for the Study of Human Resources, University of Texas, concluded the session by placing the comments of the other speakers into a broader perspective. The current workforce development consolidation effort came in "two waves," through SB 642 in 1993 and HB 1863 in 1995. This "set a framework for a single, integrated workforce development system" in Texas. The goal is "to create a system where you bring the maximum resources possible to a single point in a service delivery system." This mentality now serves as the driving force behind workforce development efforts in Texas and Austin.
Conversation with Ray Marshall
American Youth Policy Forum participants were treated to an after dinner conversation with Ray Marshall, Secretary of Labor in the Carter Administration and currently Professor, Audre and Bernard Rapoport Centennial Chair in Economics and Public Affairs, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas. This session examined school-to-careers and workforce development at the federal level and connected them to local reform efforts in Austin.
According to Marshall, educators should focus curricula and learning activities on careers, and ensure that all students are engaged in meaningful activities while in school. While Austin provides a wonderful setting for creating such opportunities, it is not representative of the nation-at-large. In many cities and towns, the multitude of Austin's employment opportunities simply do not exist. By systematically integrating education and workforce development and by expanding learning opportunities in jobs normally available to the teenage labor force, a cadre of meaningful school-to-careers experiences can be created. The dual focus on supply and demand is key to sustaining school-to-careers efforts.
Marshall: implementation of national standards would greatly strengthen school-to-careers: "Standards are key. They set a level of expectation and, more importantly, make students and teachers allies who team up to meet and beat the standards." Standards provide more information for educators, students and employers, provide motivation to learn and, as a result, increase efficiency. Any national standards should be completely voluntary; "National--not federal--standards provide a solid benchmark, but allow states and local school districts to implement them at their own pace and with their own refinements."
School-to-careers and national standards can also direct needed resources toward non-college-bound youth. As Marshall noted, "the ability to grow the economy depends on what happens to those who don't go to college, [and] in the U.S., we do less for those who don't go to college than any other industrialized country." For these young people, school-to-careers can help them identify career pathways and interests prior to graduating from high school, aiding them in moving into meaningful jobs.
Addressing the skill deficiencies of America's young people, with an emphasis on non-college-bound youth, will also enhance the role of the manufacturing sector in the U.S. economy. Marshall: "Manufacturing is critical to the success of the economy; that's where you keep your technological advantage." The development of new and leading-edge technology is a value-added way of doing business. School-to-careers and national standards can equip the U.S. economy with a workforce prepared to develop new and innovative technologies and products, leaving developing countries to operate more standardized technologies and manufacturing.
American Institute for Learning Charter School
The American Institute for Learning (AIL) Charter School serves 600 students a year (64 of whom participate in the Casa Verde Builders Program described earlier). AIL has worked for 15 years with at-risk and out-of-school youth, and in 1992 became one of Texas' first charter schools. The school is considered a local education agency and reports directly to the state rather than the Austin Independent School District. The school's focus, according to Penny Weibly, Chief Program Officer, is for the students' "education to start with an awareness of the future--where they are and where they want to go with their careers." This is done with an emphasis on school-to-careers activities, culminating with a Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM). [1]
Students design their own career path plan, choosing among six performance-based learning areas (business, professional computing, construction, environmental science, multimedia design and theater). Students split time between classroom and project-based learning, spending four hours each day on their "project" and four hours each day in the "learning laboratory" (classroom). In addition to obtaining a CIM, students also graduate with a completed portfolio, a collection of their work which demonstrates their job skills and career interests to employers. The CIM itself is linked to SCANS skills, national academic standards in the social sciences and job skills. To earn a CIM, the student must meet three main requirements:
- GED attainment (or high school diploma)
- Completion of a pre-designed "career plan," as well as a development plan for the "next steps" to be taken
- Completion of all three levels of a performance-based training: coursework, an internship and a job
Most AIL students have not succeeded in other school settings and many are high school dropouts. Some are teen parents or former drug abusers who view AIL as an opportunity to re-enter the education system. Rather then viewing these students as failures, AIL challenges them to meet their full potential and overcome the many obstacles to success. As a result, students not only learn but also produce top-level products, including an organizational newsletter and World Wide Web Home Page (http://www.ail.org). One student summarized the benefits of AIL:
For me, this is better than a public school because I can go at my own pace--and I actually learn more because I work more on a one-on-one basis with my teacher. Performance-based learning is also better because they teach you stuff you need to know in the real world.
Overview of Other Austin-Area School-to-Careers Activities, Austin Community College
The final session of the visit at Austin Community College (ACC) highlighted other Austin-area school-to-careers initiatives and programs not visited during the trip. Dr. Richard Fonte, President of ACC, opened the session by outlining the college's commitment to school-to-work and the ACC's plan of involvement. The session also examined Motorola's work in school-to-careers, the Construction Steering Committee's "Gateway Program" and Construction Academies, and the impressive efforts of semi-rural and suburban school districts.
Motorola's Involvement in School-to-Careers
Motorola, Austin's largest employer, has been very involved in school-to-careers and workforce development. Motorola "feels a real need to get involved in school-to-careers," and is actively involved in a broad range of activities, stated Dr. Sharon Knotts Green, Motorola's External Education Coordinator. From providing general information at career fairs to substantive internships for high school and college students, Motorola views its involvement as a way of preparing young people for careers and/or postsecondary education, not a method of competing with other businesses for talented new employees. "There is a role for every employer, regardless of size," argued Green, and each should do their share to expand school-to-careers opportunities to as many young people as possible. Although Motorola's vast resources allow its investment to be more comprehensive, small employers are needed for input on reform issues such as curriculum development or to provide meaningful internships and mentors.
The Gateway Program and Construction Academies, Construction Steering Committee
Al Iannone, CATF Construction Industry Liaison outlined the role of the CATF's Construction Industry Steering Committee and its flagship programs, the Gateway Construction Program and the Construction Academies. Gateway is a "hands-on basic awareness construction program" for underemployed, unemployed and incarcerated adults (approximately one-quarter of Gateway participants are enrolled in the Del Valle Institute Criminal Offenders Re-entry Program). Young people are trained through a combination of commercial construction projects and classroom-based activities at ACC. The Construction Academies, housed at Lanier High School (in Austin) and Round Rock High School (in neighboring Round Rock County) are in-school school-to-careers programs in construction.
The Gateway Program targets unemployed adults (age 18 and above) and matches them with local construction firms. Local organizations, led by SER Jobs for Progress, are involved in the recruitment, fiscal management, case management and job training aspects of the program, while the ACC component covers career counseling, curriculum design, safety and certification issues. Of the program's 190 graduates, 156 are currently working (129 in construction jobs), five are enrolled at ACC and only 28 are either unemployed, reincarcerated or unable to be located--a phenomenal success rate of nearly 84 percent.
The Construction Academies at Lanier High School and Round Rock High School began in the last six months and are similar in structure to the Criminal Justice Academy at Lanier (discussed earlier). As with the Gateway Program, industry representatives were instrumental in getting the program off the ground. According to Steering Committee member Kathey Gillispie, Executive Director of the Central Texas Association of Builders and Contractors, a group that represents Austin-area construction employers, the industry has convened around school-to-careers to "not only help the community but also because we need the qualified workers."
Rural and Semi-Rural/Suburban School-to-Careers Efforts
Smithville High School:
Smithville High School (SHS), 40 miles southeast of Austin, is a small school (450 students in grades 9-12) in a small town (population 3,500). Given its small employer base, SHS relies on entrepreneurship and school-based enterprises to provide its students with real-world learning experiences. SHS students operate a travel agency, which plans class trips and markets their services to other area schools; run their own vending machine company to finance extracurricular activities; and produce weight sets and gymnasium equipment which are sold to local residents and organizations. In the 1997-98 school year, students will staff an on-site child care center for the children of teachers and other Smithville residents. All of these services are marketed through another school-based enterprise which focuses on radio and television advertising. This project helps the students take their work "way outside our market area to help produce revenue that exceeds program costs," according to SHS Principal Michael Cunningham.
SHS has articulation agreements with 14 postsecondary institutions across Texas. Students who participate in one of SHS' career majors and continue on into a partnering college can earn up to 18 college hours for their work at SHS. More formal agreements have been reached with Austin Community College (ACC) and Blinn Junior College (BJC) in nearby Brenham, Texas. SHS students can attend ACC for vocational coursework or BJC for academic coursework. Such links are made even stronger through ACC and BJC's articulation agreements with local four-year colleges (ACC with the University of Texas and BJC with Texas A&M University).
Elgin High School:
Elgin High School (EHS) is located only 25 miles outside the Austin border, but the distance is enough to keep EHS out of the stream of local resources available to Austin City High Schools. EHS has, however, established a local partnership with the MD Anderson Cancer Research Facility, which houses one of the nation's top veterinary clinics. MD Anderson provides job shadowing and internship opportunities for EHS students and has been instrumental in developing the "Animal Biomedical Class" at EHS.
Two EHS students, Rebecca Gomez and Nicole Wiseman, described how this school-to-careers course has enhanced their academic learning while expanding their career aspirations and horizons. At MD Anderson, young people complete job shadowing activities and get "hands-on" experience in the key departments, including the radiology department and veterinary clinic. These experiences are reflected and built upon in the Animal Biomedical Class at EHS, as the course curriculum is designed to develop the math, science and communications skills required to hold the various jobs available at MD Anderson. As Gomez stated:
We learn things [at MD Anderson] that you just couldn't learn from someone with a degree in education. It's really interesting because you never know what you're going to see that day--and that's what life is like.
Wiseman emphasized the academic rigor of participation, explaining that the course requires students to combine the knowledge gained in all of their other courses. A little bit of math and science is not enough--students must have completed algebra, geometry, biology and chemistry just to enroll in the course.
The career aspirations of both have expanded through school-to-careers. Gomez, who joined the class because she "loved animals," found that the class increased her options; she plans to attend Texas A&M University to study veterinary science. Wiseman will attend either the University of Texas or the University of Colorado-Boulder to pursue a career in medicine or medical research. Her experiences in the Animal Biomedical Class and at MD Anderson showed her that while she was interested in working with animals, her skills might be better suited to other work in the medical field.
Leander High School:
Since 1987, Leander High School (LHS) has worked to make school-to-careers a central component of the education of "each and every student--we do not differentiate in this system," according to Mark Kincaid, LHS Technology Coordinator. Similar to other Austin schools, LHS developed six distinct career pathways: communication, business, technology, service, science and fine arts, with each of these pathways having a subset of more specific majors. For example, students in the Technology Pathway can "major" in electronics. Students are offered the opportunity to explore each pathway before choosing one (prior to their junior year).
Located 18 miles northwest of the Austin border, Leander is home to many Austin employees but few Austin employers. Only four major research and development companies are located in Leander, far too few to support school-to-careers programming for LHS' 2,450 (and growing) students. Still, LHS has worked to take school-to-careers "to scale," stated Kincaid. With its limited community resources, LHS invested both time and resources in taking students outside the school district to "where the employers are."
Central to this strategy is LHS' "COOL (Career Opportunities on Location) Week." Since 1995, LHS has sent juniors and seniors each spring to visit and work for one week with employers in and outside Leander. This year, teams of three students visited 287 employers, who conducted mock interviews, created job shadowing experiences and developed projects for the students to complete. One LHS senior present at the session described his experience at a local state park. He and his two student partners were assigned to study the park's water and sewer lines, which are over 60 years old. During the course of the week, the students designed a series of possible solutions to the problem, requiring them to integrate their classroom knowledge of math, science and the environment. At week's end, the students presented their findings to park staff, who used the suggestions to implement the eventual solution.
Hays School District:
Located south of Austin, the Hays School District created its own definition of "utilizing local resources" by using its own high school (home to 1,700 students) as the platform for the work-based learning component of school-to-careers. Hays High School (HHS) developed a two-pronged school-to-careers strategy around "career technology." First, HHS created partnerships with technological firms, such as Dell and Motorola, located outside of Hays, who "adopt" each classroom at HHS. These firms provide the equipment required to keep HHS up to speed technologically, their employees visit the school to meet with students and teachers, and students job shadow at the workplace. Second, HHS students are planning the renovation of HHS itself. Specifically, the business class worked on the financial plan for renovation, while other technology-based courses constructed a real-scale model of the future facility.
The support of large employers is important to the development of school-to-careers at HHS. According to John Hall, Technology Director, however, its success is due to an emphasis on helping students through the career development and education process while still providing them the supports necessary to succeed. It is like a "hand-holding situation" where teachers serve as guides, but let the students take the lead as often as possible. This allows HHS to expose students to a range of career and skills building opportunities while providing them the opportunity to develop their own interests.
Conclusions
The Austin site visit highlighted a number of key components of effective school-to-careers system building. Area employers, from hotels to high tech firms, have come together to jointly address the needs of their industries and the local labor market; a local intermediary organization, the Capital Area Training Foundation, has developed key connections between employers and schools; city leaders have widely supported industry efforts; and the school system has thrived in this new environment. Also striking was Austin's effort to make these opportunities available to all its students, from academically successful, college-bound youth to at-risk youth with criminal histories.
The visit also offered critical insights into the role of state workforce development systems. Local and state officials agreed that while Austin's school-to-careers system is exemplary, the state's work in consolidating the maze of job training programs and creating a broader network of service providers has been essential to Austin's success. Together, state and local leaders are working to improve both education and the economy.
The central ingredient, however, seems to be an unflinching commitment to school-to-careers. Employer, city and school leaders have been willing to learn from mistakes in order to create a better environment to prepare young people for work and for life. Austin has shown that this method of "learning by doing" holds true not just for students, but for practitioners, employers, schools, city leaders and policymakers as well.
Contact Information
Ms. Renata Anderson
Chair
Austin-Koblenz Sister City Committee
6600 West Courtyard Drive
Austin, TX 78730
Ms. Margarine Beaman
Chair
Capital Area Workforce Development Board
5930 Middle Fiskville Road, 5th Floor
Austin, TX 78752
Pat Bell
Teacher
Culinary Arts Program
Bowie High School
1403 W. Slaughter Lane
Austin, TX 78749
Mr. John Blazier
Blazier, Rutland, and Lerner
1500 Bank One Tower
221 West Sixth Street
Austin, TX 78701
Dr. Barbara Bolin
Coordinator
Industry-Education Initiatives
Dell Computers
2214 W. Braker Lane, Suite D
Austin, TX 78758-4053
Mr. Daryl Crawford
Manager
South Austin Holiday Inn
3401 South Interstate Highway 35
Austin, TX 78741
Mr. Michael Cunningham
Principal
Smithville High School
P.O. Box 479
Smithville, TX 78957-0479
Dr. Kent Ewing
Principal
Bowie High School
1403 W. Slaughter Lane
Austin, TX 78749
John Fitzpatrick
Capital Area Training Foundation
5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Suite 507.6
Austin, TX 78752
Phone: 512-323-6773 x110
johnfitz@win.esc13.tenet.edu
Dr. Richard Fonte
President
Austin Community College
5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Fifth Floor
Austin, TX 78752
Dr. James Fox
Superintendent
Austin Independent School District
1111 West 6th Street
Austin, TX 78703-5399
Kathey Gillispie
Executive Director
Central Texas Association of Builders and Contractors
1033 Laposada #145
Austin, TX 78752
Dr. Robert Glover
Center for the Study of Human Resources
The University of Texas
107 West 27th Street
Austin, TX 78712
Phone: 512-471-2194
bglover@uts.cc.utexas.edu
Dr. Sharon Knotts Green
External Education Manager
Motorola
One Texas Center
505 Barton Springs Road, Suite 404
Austin, TX 78704-1294
Mr. John Hall
Hays Consolidated Independent School District
215100 IH 35
Kyle, TX 78640-9530
Mr. Richard Halpin
Founder, President, and CEO
American Institute for Learning
204 East 4th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Dr. Diane Hodges
School-to-Work Director
Austin Independent School District
1111 West 6th Street
Austin, TX 78703-5399
Mr. Don Hudson
Career and Technology Director
Elgin High School
P.O. Box 311
Elgin, TX 78620
Mr. Al Iannone
Industry Liaison-Construction
Capital Area Training Foundation
5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Suite 507.6
Austin, TX 78752
Dr. Ruth Kane
Principal
Lanier High School
1201 Payton Gin Road
Austin, TX 78758
Dr. Cassy Key
Executive Director
Capital Area Tech Prep/School-to-Work Consortium
5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Fifth Floor
Austin, TX 78752
Mr. Mark Kincaid
Transition Coordinator
Leander High School
3301 S. Bagdad Road
Leander, TX 78641
Mr. Ron Lehman
Manager
Community Education Partnership Initiatives
IBM, Inc.
Mail Drop 1171
11400 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78758
Professor Ray Marshall
Audre and Bernard Rapoport Centennial Chair in Economics and Public Affairs
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78713
Mr. Jim McClure
Instructor
Check-In Program
Capital Area Training Foundation
5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Suite 507.6
Austin, TX 78752
Mr. Robert McPherson
Center for the Study of Human Resources
107 West 27th Street
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78712
Mr. Ara Merjanian
Group Director
Budget and Planning
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, TX 78711
Ms. Allyson Peerman
Manager
Community Affairs
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
5204 E. Ben White Blvd.
Mail Stop 529
Austin, TX 78741-9983
Mr. Will Reece
Department Director
Educational Initiatives
Workforce Development Division
Texas Workforce Commission
101 East 15th Street, Room 338
Austin, TX 78778-0001
Mr. Robert Rutishauser
Executive Director
Capital Area Training Foundation
5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Suite 507.6
Austin, TX 78752
The Honorable Bruce Todd
Mayor of Austin
P.O. Box 1088
Austin, TX 78767
Dr. Penny Weibly
Chief Program Officer
American Institute for Learning Charter School
422 Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701
Mr. Glenn West
President
Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 1967
Austin, TX 78767
Ms. Nicole Wiseman
Student
Elgin High School
P.O. Box 311
Elgin, TX 78620
[1] According to the Texas State Skill Standards Research and Communication Project, "a Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM) indicates that a student has met educational performance standards benchmarked to the highest average achievement of students in other nations. The CIM is a new kind of high school credential that all students would be expected to earn at, or near, the age of sixteen... The specific competencies, standards, and assessments which lead to a CIM would be developed by groups of teachers in a consortium of participating school districts with involvement of parents, administrators, employers, and community groups... The CIM is better suited to a competency-based educational system, while the high school diploma is better suited to the time-based educational system. The CIM makes the assumption that all students can achieve at high levels and that assessments should be linked to instruction with learning outcomes that are clearly communicated to students and parents."