1 CEC's DCDT FAST FACTS: Work Study The National
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CEC's DCDT FAST FACTS: Work Study Prepared by the DCDT Publications Committee
The National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) has identified evidence-based predictors of post-school success for students with disabilities based on a systematic correlational literature review (Test et al., 2009). Findings indicate that students with disabilities, who participated in work study or internships while in high school, are more likely to be engaged in post-school employment experiences (Baer et al., 2003; Fabian, Lent, & Willis, 1998; Lueking & Fabian, 2000). Recently, Rowe et al. (2014) conducted a Delphi study to add specificity to the existing predictor definitions identified by Test et al. (2009) and operationally defined the predictors so local educators understand the components necessary to develop, implement, and evaluate secondary transition programs based on predictor research. Work study has been operationally defined as “a specified sequence of work skills instruction and experiences designed to develop students’ work attitudes and general work behaviors by providing students with mutually supportive and integrated academic and vocational instruction” (Rowe et al., 2014, p. 7). Student support should include the following essential program characteristics as identified by Rowe et al. (2014): • Provide options for paid and nonpaid work experiences both on and off-campus with options for gaining high school credit for completing program requirements in all 16 occupational clusters. • Develop a plan for earning academic credit on the job through an integrated curriculum focused on work-related skills with school personnel, the student, and his/her parents. • Provide supervision and guidance during the development of work behaviors and skills to address problems, concerns, insights, and learning. **Consider culturally responsive behaviors and skills that address cultural concerns of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students • Develop business/school partnerships, by educating employers about the resources of potential employees to set up training sites. **Provide businesses with culturally responsive strategies to understand the cultural needs, behaviors, and practices of students from CLD backgrounds. • Develop policies to address liability, including student insurance and other Department of Labor issues/concerns. • Develop a process to match student interests with available sites both on and off campus. **Increase the number of available sites by recruiting site partners that reflect the cultural backgrounds of students. • Provide experiences in applied real-work settings supported by instruction. • Place students in work settings that match their preferences, interests, needs, and skills. **Consider partnerships with businesses owned by CLD communities • Provide transportation to vocational training sites.
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Provide, or partner with adult services to provide, qualified trained staff to job coach as needed. **Staff qualification should include some cultural competencies or training Provide self-evaluation and monitoring instruction to students. Provide students with school-based opportunities to reflect, discuss, and share their work placement experiences. Have school personnel and site employees assess and monitor students’ progress by using job duty forms and task analysis for various sites.
Application to Teachers • Evaluate work study experiences for students to ensure essential program characteristics are included. • Provide opportunities for students to learn about various career areas (e.g., online career searches, structured interviews with employers). • Assess students in areas related to work style and preferences. • Include opportunities for job shadowing, job sampling, and internships in a students’ course of study. • Conduct community mapping to identify available work experiences. • Conduct ecological assessments to determine the required skills necessary for job attainment and retention. • Address work skill development through the establishment of school-based enterprises. • Collaborate with families to identify how the school and family/guardian can support the student in achieving their desired employment goals. Application to Administrators • Use the predictor self-assessment to evaluate work study programs (http://psocenter.org/content_pages/56 ). • Provide career guidance, counseling, and placement services. • Promote partnerships with business community. • Assess school policy and programs related to providing work experiences for students with and without disabilities (e.g., providing academic credit for job experiences, scheduling, transportation). Application to Families • Collaborate with school personnel to identify how to support students in achieving their desired employment goals (e.g., CTE, school based enterprise, working students to set goals). • Collaborate with schools to identify community partners and resources to support job skill development. • Extend job skill instruction at home by providing students opportunities to learn about, and participate in, paid or non-paid work experiences (e.g., household chores, talking about careers, sharing own work experiences). • Engage in transition assessment with students to assist in defining career goals.
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Where to go for Additional Information Websites • • • •
Youth to Work Coalition: http://nsttac.org/ytw/home Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP): http://www.dol.gov/odep/categories/youth/career.htm National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD): http://www.ncwdyouth.info/innovative-strategies/practice-briefs/engaging-youth-in-work-experiences Youthhood.org: http://www.youthhood.org/index.asp
Books, Newsletters, and Research Articles Baer, R. M., Flexer, R. W., Beck, S., Amstutz, N., Hoffman, L., Brothers, J., …& Zehaman, C. (2003). A collaborative followup study on transition service utilization and post-school outcomes. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 26, 7–25. Fabian, E., Lent, R., & Willis, S. (1998). Predicting work transition outcomes for students with disabilities: Implications for counselors. Journal of Counseling and Development, 76, 311–316. Luecking, R. G., & Fabian, E. S. (2000). Paid internships and employment success for youth in transition. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 23, 205–221. Rowe, D. A., Alverson, C. Y., Unruh, D., Fowler, C., Kellems, R., & Test, D. W. (2014). A Delphi study to operationalize evidence-based predictors in secondary transition. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/2165143414526429 Test, D. W., Mazzotti, V. L., Mustian, A. L., Fowler, C. H., Kortering, L. J., & Kohler, P. H. (2009). Evidence-based secondary transition predictors for improving post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 32, 160-181. Although permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be: Council for Exceptional Children’s Division of Career Development and Transition Publications Committee (DCDT: November, 2014). Fast Facts: Work Study.
CEC's DCDT FAST FACTS: Work Study Prepared by the DCDT Publications Committee
The National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) has identified evidence-based predictors of post-school success for students with disabilities based on a systematic correlational literature review (Test et al., 2009). Findings indicate that students with disabilities, who participated in work study or internships while in high school, are more likely to be engaged in post-school employment experiences (Baer et al., 2003; Fabian, Lent, & Willis, 1998; Lueking & Fabian, 2000). Recently, Rowe et al. (2014) conducted a Delphi study to add specificity to the existing predictor definitions identified by Test et al. (2009) and operationally defined the predictors so local educators understand the components necessary to develop, implement, and evaluate secondary transition programs based on predictor research. Work study has been operationally defined as “a specified sequence of work skills instruction and experiences designed to develop students’ work attitudes and general work behaviors by providing students with mutually supportive and integrated academic and vocational instruction” (Rowe et al., 2014, p. 7). Student support should include the following essential program characteristics as identified by Rowe et al. (2014): • Provide options for paid and nonpaid work experiences both on and off-campus with options for gaining high school credit for completing program requirements in all 16 occupational clusters. • Develop a plan for earning academic credit on the job through an integrated curriculum focused on work-related skills with school personnel, the student, and his/her parents. • Provide supervision and guidance during the development of work behaviors and skills to address problems, concerns, insights, and learning. **Consider culturally responsive behaviors and skills that address cultural concerns of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students • Develop business/school partnerships, by educating employers about the resources of potential employees to set up training sites. **Provide businesses with culturally responsive strategies to understand the cultural needs, behaviors, and practices of students from CLD backgrounds. • Develop policies to address liability, including student insurance and other Department of Labor issues/concerns. • Develop a process to match student interests with available sites both on and off campus. **Increase the number of available sites by recruiting site partners that reflect the cultural backgrounds of students. • Provide experiences in applied real-work settings supported by instruction. • Place students in work settings that match their preferences, interests, needs, and skills. **Consider partnerships with businesses owned by CLD communities • Provide transportation to vocational training sites.
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•
• • •
Provide, or partner with adult services to provide, qualified trained staff to job coach as needed. **Staff qualification should include some cultural competencies or training Provide self-evaluation and monitoring instruction to students. Provide students with school-based opportunities to reflect, discuss, and share their work placement experiences. Have school personnel and site employees assess and monitor students’ progress by using job duty forms and task analysis for various sites.
Application to Teachers • Evaluate work study experiences for students to ensure essential program characteristics are included. • Provide opportunities for students to learn about various career areas (e.g., online career searches, structured interviews with employers). • Assess students in areas related to work style and preferences. • Include opportunities for job shadowing, job sampling, and internships in a students’ course of study. • Conduct community mapping to identify available work experiences. • Conduct ecological assessments to determine the required skills necessary for job attainment and retention. • Address work skill development through the establishment of school-based enterprises. • Collaborate with families to identify how the school and family/guardian can support the student in achieving their desired employment goals. Application to Administrators • Use the predictor self-assessment to evaluate work study programs (http://psocenter.org/content_pages/56 ). • Provide career guidance, counseling, and placement services. • Promote partnerships with business community. • Assess school policy and programs related to providing work experiences for students with and without disabilities (e.g., providing academic credit for job experiences, scheduling, transportation). Application to Families • Collaborate with school personnel to identify how to support students in achieving their desired employment goals (e.g., CTE, school based enterprise, working students to set goals). • Collaborate with schools to identify community partners and resources to support job skill development. • Extend job skill instruction at home by providing students opportunities to learn about, and participate in, paid or non-paid work experiences (e.g., household chores, talking about careers, sharing own work experiences). • Engage in transition assessment with students to assist in defining career goals.
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Where to go for Additional Information Websites • • • •
Youth to Work Coalition: http://nsttac.org/ytw/home Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP): http://www.dol.gov/odep/categories/youth/career.htm National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD): http://www.ncwdyouth.info/innovative-strategies/practice-briefs/engaging-youth-in-work-experiences Youthhood.org: http://www.youthhood.org/index.asp
Books, Newsletters, and Research Articles Baer, R. M., Flexer, R. W., Beck, S., Amstutz, N., Hoffman, L., Brothers, J., …& Zehaman, C. (2003). A collaborative followup study on transition service utilization and post-school outcomes. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 26, 7–25. Fabian, E., Lent, R., & Willis, S. (1998). Predicting work transition outcomes for students with disabilities: Implications for counselors. Journal of Counseling and Development, 76, 311–316. Luecking, R. G., & Fabian, E. S. (2000). Paid internships and employment success for youth in transition. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 23, 205–221. Rowe, D. A., Alverson, C. Y., Unruh, D., Fowler, C., Kellems, R., & Test, D. W. (2014). A Delphi study to operationalize evidence-based predictors in secondary transition. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/2165143414526429 Test, D. W., Mazzotti, V. L., Mustian, A. L., Fowler, C. H., Kortering, L. J., & Kohler, P. H. (2009). Evidence-based secondary transition predictors for improving post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 32, 160-181. Although permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be: Council for Exceptional Children’s Division of Career Development and Transition Publications Committee (DCDT: November, 2014). Fast Facts: Work Study.
