Steps on a Pathway:

Building Pathways to Nontraditional,

High-wage, High-demand Careers

www.jspac.org
 Joint Special Populations
Advisory Committee
 Stan Schroeder, Project Director
 Tammy Montgomery, Program Coordinator
 Tammy.Montgomery@gcccd.edu
 Grossmont-Cuyamaca CCD Auxiliary
 8800 Grossmont College Drive
 El Cajon CA 92020
 Office:  619-644-7713
 JSPAC project and fiscal management provided by
Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

A partnership between the California Department of Education (www.cde.ca.gov) & the

California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (www.cccco.edu)
 Nontraditional Careers Statewide
Leadership Project

 San Diego County Office of Education

 Maureen Gevirtz, Consultant
 nontrad@sdcoe.net
 858-268-9726
 www.nontrad.info
Special Populations Collaborative

 West Hills Community

College
 Laurie Harrison
 laurierharrison@gmail.com
 530-265-8116
Introductions
 Who are you?
 What is your title or job?
 With what segment or organization do

you work? (K-12, adult education, CC,

social services…?)
 What do you hope to get out of
today’s professional development
activity?
Presenter Information

 Elizabeth Wallner
 Wallner Consulting Services
 916-455-4643
 eawallner@sbcglobal.net
Students from Special Populations
 Individuals with disabilities
 Individuals from economically disadvantaged
families; including foster children
 Single parents, including single pregnant
women
 Displaced homemakers,
 Individuals with limited English proficiency
The Way Out
 Individuals that
are preparing for
Nontraditional
fields

Image from www.gettyimages.com

 Schools: Creating Solutions

Guide for Program Improvement Perkins IV: NT CTE Program Participation and Completion
National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity: www.napequity.org. Slides 9-18
Step 1: Document Performance Gaps
 NT CTE Programs are defined by employment
numbers NOT enrollment numbers
 Accountability measures have meaning when
the data is used for program improvement
 What are you looking for?
 80/20 rule
 +/- 10% rule
 Over/under representation
ABC Secondary School District Enrollment
Comparison 06-07 Gender, Auto Tech Secondary
Total # % %
Course Enrolled # Females Males Females Comment
Males
Auto Tech I 63 42 21 66.67 33.33 OK

Auto Tech II 58 41 17 70.69 29.31 OK

Auto Tech III 41 33 8 80.49 19.51 Over M

Auto Tech IV
23 21 2 91.30 8.70 Over M

Total Program 185 137 48 74.05 25.94 OK

Guide for Program Improvement Perkins IV: NT CTE Program Participation and Completion
National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity: www.napequity.org
XYZ Secondary School District Enrollment Comparison
‘06-07 -- Hispanic Students Enrolment
Program Total # # Hispanics % % Hispanics Between
Enrolled M&F Hispanics enrolled/Dist 18.34% &
38.34%?
Agriculture 225 19 8.44 28.34% No, Under
Auto Tech 185 47 25.40 28.34% Yes

IT Academy 24 1 4.17 28.34% No, Under

Nurses Aide 35 9 25.71 28.34% Yes

Bus. & Off. 145 47 6.21 28.34% No, Under

Marketing 176 35 19.89 28.34% Yes

Total 790 158 20.00 28.34% Yes

 Step 1 continued
 What does the data indicate?
 Can you trust the data?
 Concerns?
 Timing of measurement?
 Reliability?
 Coverage?
 What else is needed?

Guide for Program Improvement Perkins IV: NT CTE Program Participation and Completion
National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity: www.napequity.org
Step 2: Identify Root Causes
 Ways to search for Root Causes Don’t Settle for
 Brainstorming Conventional
 Literature Review Wisdom and
 Analyzing Student Data Symptoms—Never
 Focus Groups Stop Asking Why
 Reviewing Program/Institutional Evaluations & Effectiveness
Reviews
 Peer Benchmarking
 Develop an exhaustive list of Root Causes affecting
recruitment/retention/participation/completion of SP
students in _____ CTE program are:
 Pick three and analyze them further
Guide for Program Improvement Perkins IV: NT CTE Program Participation and Completion
National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity: www.napequity.org
Identify Root Causes Continued
 Identify Potential Causes
 Analyze and Evaluate Potential Causes
 Causes Within Control
 Student Motivation and Engagement
 Effective Instructional Practices
 Teacher Training/Education
 School Expectations/Incentives
 Perceived Career Relevance
 Causes Outside Control
 Student Transfer/Mobility Levels
 Family Income
 Parents’ Education
 School Resources
 Organize Your Theory & Select Most Critical Root Causes
Guide for Program Improvement Perkins IV: NT CTE Program Participation and Completion
National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity: www.napequity.org
Step 3: Select Effective Solutions
 Things to think about in selecting strategies:
 Sound theory – does it make sense to all?
 Strong evidence – has it worked elsewhere?
 Cost and time of testing – can our site afford to test
solution!
 Resources and support – can we afford the solution?
 Stakeholder support – do we all agree?
Step 4: Pilot Test and Evaluate Solutions
 … create an evaluation approach that will
allow you to assess how well the improvement
strategies and models are working.
 Choose a study design Make sure your
improvement strategy
 Select pilot sites works somewhere before
 Select outcome measures you attempt to apply it
everywhere…
 Identify data sources
 Grades, surveys, interviews, classroom visits,
 Train staff
Step 5: Implement Solutions
 Move from pilot site to sphere of influence
 Monitor Implementation
 Adjust as needed!
Don’t say you’ve
addressed the problem
until you’ve fully
implemented solutions
and achieved results!

Guide for Program Improvement Perkins IV: NT CTE Program Participation and Completion
National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity: www.napequity.org
Students: Creating a Game Plan
 Students MUST have a goal
 Know income requirements for their life
 Know their strengths
 Assessment, assessment, assessment
 LMI
 Learn about the career
 Growing? Declining
 Tasks?
 Income?
 Choose a school
 Setting Goals
 Insight: Center For Community Economic
Development
 Californians for Family Economic Self-Sufficiency
 Insight is a network that works towards:
 Advancing policies and programs that allow working families to
move out of poverty
 Measures income needed for a family to adequately meet their
needs – without public or private assistance.
 70 different family compositions
 Each California county
 http://www.insightcced.org/
Where Do My Strengths Lie?
 Assessment
 Where does a student’s interests lie?
 What is s/he good at?
 What are her or his transferable skills?
 Nontrad102 chapter on assessment
www.nontrad.info
 Online resources
 Exploring Careers & Training Opportunities
 Labor Market Information
 Identify high-growth, high-employment, high-
wage occupations
 Identify specific information about various
occupations (i.e. wages, skills, training,
employment projections etc.)
 Locate additional help and LMI links
http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/
Creating a plan
for all students
will create the
best opportunity
for success for all
students
http://www.ncld.org/content/view/403/456/
What is your greatest
Barrier to Success?
Change?
Adventure?
Low Income

All photos from Microsoft clip

art
 Guiding Individuals from
Low Income Homes
 Provide key person to monitor & guide
 Provide Financial Support
 Community resources
 Assist with fees, transportation, daycare etc.
 Provide Emotional Support
 Role models, mentors, support groups
 Provide Career Support
 Insight
 Nontraditional careers information
 Career and interview clothes
Single Parents &
Displaced Homemakers

All photos from Microsoft clip

art
 Effective Strategies
Single Parents
o Get to know the parents and remember that
their task is difficult.
o Know Your Campus:
o Coordinate, collaborate & confer!
o Buddy Systems Work
o Facilitate student collaborations for: co-op daycare,
car-pooling, note-taking, studying, etc.
o Look For Signs
o Burn-out, falling grades, poor attendance, etc.
o Keep your expectations high but be flexible!
Effective Strategies
Displaced Homemakers
 Guide Displaced Homemakers in identifying
skills from the home environment that
translate into workplace skills
 Provide Mentors, Mentors, Mentors (and role
models)!
 Link students to “Dress for Success” or
“Clothes Closets”
 Explore distance learning options
 English Language Learners

All photos from Microsoft clip

art
Effective Practices
When Mentoring Individuals Learning English
 Create opportunities for all learners to gain recognition and
overcome hardships
 Group projects, flexible seating arrangements
 Don’t assume that the LEP speaker has limited education or
knowledge – they can often teach others and don’t need
assistance just time
 Write lesson objectives on the board
 Learn basic words in the students language
 www.freetranslations.com or www.babelfish.altavista.com
 Identify possible school or community sources of assistance
 Learn about the culture of LEP students, and how that
affects classroom interactions
 Individuals with Disabilities

All photos from Microsoft clip

art
*Success for All
 Disabled individuals are the most likely
special population students to leave
school with an AS degree
 Disabled students have the lowest post
college earnings of any Special
population group
 www.vteabp.org
The Risks
 Limited Educational Opportunities
 People with disabilities may become frustrated and fail
 This may cause them to drop out of educational programs
 Limited Vocational Options
 People with disabilities may have trouble finding and keeping a job.
 Limited literacy skills and poor organizational skills can lead to low job
satisfaction and underemployment.
 Isolation
 Adults with disabilities may misinterpret others' gestures, facial expressions
and tone of voice. Adults with LD may feel inadequate and incapable and
they may remember being teased, criticized, or even rejected by their peers.
 Difficulty with Independent Living
 Adults with severe disabilities may have difficulty with tasks such as
writing checks, filling out forms, taking phone messages and following
directions.
 http://www.ncld.org/content/view/403/456/
The Rewards
 Creative Problem-Solving
 … must learn to work around their disabilities. … allows them to think
"outside the box," often leading to more creative solutions and
imaginative answers to problems.
 Outgoing Personality
 … some compensate for their learning problems.
 Strong Compensatory Skills
 … many people develop strong skills in other areas.
 Persistence
 … many do not give up when attempting a difficult task. Despite
frustrations, they keep trying until they meet with success.*
 Empathy
 … often provide support and understanding for others. … have
experienced the frustration of having a disability, they can be that much
more supportive of others.
 http://www.ncld.org/content/view/403/456/
Working with Students with Disabilities
 Meet with the student
 S/he is the best “authority” on what s/he can or can’t do
 Disseminate class materials
 Allow for advanced preparation time
 Describe and summarize
 Tell students where you’re going and remind them where
you’ve been!
 Recognize differences
 All students are unique – including “disabled”
 Communicate with the student not the
student’s assistant
Things to Think About When Counseling
Individuals With Disabilities
 Should accommodations have an impact on
how assignments are graded?

 What if accommodations don't seem to be

helping?
Individuals who are Training in
Nontraditional Careers

Images purchased from www.gettyimages.com

Why focus on Nontraditional?
 Women have a 90% chance of becoming sole
support of themselves and/or their family at
some time in their lives.
 Girls and Women Today, JSPAC, www.jspac.org
 Approximately twice as many female headed
households are in poverty as opposed to male
headed households.
 http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032007/pov/new02_1
00_01.htm
, US Census Bureau
 Gender is not a good predictor of academic
skills, interests, or emotional characteristics
 http://www.napequity.org/pdf/Stereo.pdf, NAPE
Images purchased from www.gettyimages.com
Myths and outcomes…
 Girls learn better from female
teachers
 There is a biological basis for sex
differences in math and science
 It’s not necessary to look at the
interaction of gender and race when
dealing with girls in math and
science
 Effective Practices
for Guiding Students in Nontraditional Programs
 Evaluate teaching styles, classrooms, materials
 Achieving Gender Equity: Strategies for the Classroom
by Dianne D. Horgan
 Achieving Diversity: The Sociopolitical Concept of Multicultural
Education by Sonia Nieto
 Recruit in groups, develop support groups
 Nontraditional newsletter, address harassment issues, address
barriers, professional development for all staff
 Market Programs
 Role models (gender, disabled & culturally diverse)
 Photos of former nontraditional students
 Invitations to nontraditional classes
 Initiate the participation of students in
 Other nontraditional classes, mentoring, job shadowing, tutoring
opportunities, career days
 Nontraditional Careers
Leadership Project
 www.nontrad.info
 Non-Trad 101
 Learn the basics about students from special
populations and how to serve them
 Non-Trad 102
 Continue the journey to understanding the barriers and
remedies of serving students from special populations
 http://cteach.nontrad.info
 One stop site to download helpful resource materials.
See FREE Teacher Resources section.
 Workshops
 Resources
Nontrad 101
 Better success for your students
 Increased enrollments
 A better understanding of nontraditional
careers and how they impact student lives
 Tools to better interact with, prepare for, and
assist, students who choose nontraditional
careers
 A certification of completion for 15 hours of
professional development credit
Nontrad 102
 Upon completion of this course, you will be able to
assist students, participants, and/or make effective
transitions into nontraditional careers or training
programs. Chapters include:
 Assessment
 LMI
 Media Influences
 Academic Support, & Best Practices, including
Apprenticeship
 Support Services
 Role Models
 Transitional Plan and more…
Success For All
 Despite economic, academic, and demographic disadvantages,
special population students who receive vocational training
were able to successfully narrow the earnings and employment
gap.
 The more education attained, the more stable the employment!
 Special population women increased their median annual
earnings by 182%, men by 149%.
 Special population students increased their year-round
employment rates over time and narrowed the gap with non-
special population students
 www.vteabp.org
Perkins IV
 Ongoing and significant professional
development
 Focus on NT
 Accountability on ALL SP groups
Other California Resources
 STEM Equity Pipeline Project
 National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity
 mimilufkin@napequity.org
 www.napequity.org

 Women Tech Train-the-Trainer Workshops

 www.iitts.com
 Donna_milgram@iwitts.com
 510-749-0200 ex. 101
 Save the Date!
 JSPAC Special Populations Conference
 Help us plan the conference, click here to take
a 10 minute survey and tell us what you
would like to see, hear, do in Sacramento:
www.deadsmall.com/32F
 December 3-4, 2008
 Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza
 Sacramento, CA 95814
Workshop Evaluation & Sign-in Sheets
 Grant requires them…
 What parts of the workshop were useful to you?
 What parts… not so much.
 What would you like to see included in future
JSPAC/NTCLP workshops?

Thank You!