2001 Award Winners
Academy for Learning
13813 South Western Avenue
Blue Island, Illinois 60406-3228
Abstract
The Academy for Learning is a special public day school
that serves severely emotionally disturbed, behavior disordered, and at-risk
junior high and high school students from a variety of school districts in the
Blue Island region. The academy is
unique because of its long-term commitment to service through its link to the
national service project of Habitat for Humanity, as well as to other community
service affiliates.
Many of the students at the academy hail from dysfunctional
families that for generations have been socialized to depend on entitlement
programs for their very sustenance. Many incoming students exhibit a low level
of self-respect, a loss of personal competence, and an inheritance of
resentment. Students in the program
move outside the walls of the traditional school and, through the vehicle of
service learning, reconnect to school and learning.
Service learning provides the avenue students need to experience
meaningful academic and emotional growth.
The service learning program involves all students in the
ninth through 12 grades in instruction through the core curriculum of English,
mathematics, science, social studies, and personal and social responsibility.
To support the program, a unique service learning curriculum aligned with
the Illinois State Standards has been written and implemented to parallel the
regular curriculum.
Among our most successful service learning ventures is the
continuing involvement with the Habitat for Humanity organization.
Since 1994, 11 homes have been completed and occupied with the assistance
of students from the academy. The
service learning component of the program allows classroom instruction to be
carried right to the sites where engaged learning takes place.
At the site, students apply their classroom skills to their service
learning tasks. Upon returning to
the school, students take time to reflect on their accomplishments and celebrate
their successes.
Presently 75 percent of all academy students are
participating in service learning projects, including volunteering at Habitat
for Humanity, local nursing homes, a local day care center, a special education
elementary school, a soup kitchen, and a shelter for battered and abused people.
(To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Bradley East Elementary District 61
610 East Liberty Street
Bradley, Illinois 60915
Abstract
“Corn to Taco Bell” is a multidisciplinary unit
developed by a team of second grade teachers who used resources found in their
own backyard. The inspiration for
this unit of instruction came from a local newspaper article that described how
Taco Bell taco chips were being made from locally grown and milled corn.
The unit provided students with a firsthand understanding of the
exchange, production, distribution, and consumption of goods.
The initial activity in this unit asked students to
interview parents about locally grown or produced products.
Teachers and students also made contacts through the Bradley-Bourbonnais
Chamber of Commerce and Education-to-Careers office to identify additional
information for the project. After a lengthy discussion outlining production and
transportation, all second grade students went on a two-part field trip.
The first stop was at Milton Farms to observe corn being combined, to
talk to farmers, and to see the corn transported to the mill. After visiting the farm, students visited the J.R. Short
Milling Company. Short Milling set
up an interesting display of milled corn and products in which our local corn is
used. Employees discussed their
jobs, demonstrated forklift operations, and pointed out the trucks and rail
transportation used on site. The
field trip ended with students sampling the products made from local corn.
Following the field trip experience, the students recreated
their experience through written and pictorial communication assignments.
This multidisciplinary unit allowed the second grade students at Bradley
East Elementary to integrate academics and work-based learning while creating a
close link to the local community. (To go to the Index, hit your
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Bradley East Elementary District 61
610 East Liberty Street
Bradley, Illinois 60915
Abstract
“Economics in Our Community” is a multidisciplinary
unit of instruction developed and taught by second grade teachers at Bradley
East Elementary. The project was
designed to address the Illinois State Standards in the area of economics while
integrating workplace skills. By
involving business partners and parents in the education unit, teachers are able
to make the educational experience relevant to the lives of second grade
students.
Each year, the project begins with the students
interviewing their parents to gather information about different careers.
During the interviews, students try to determine what their parents like
about their careers, the hardest part of their job, and how they use reading,
writing, and math in their work. Following
the interviews, students give a short oral report of their findings.
The reported information is categorized into different career
opportunities by using the Career Development Wheel used by the
Iroquois-Kankakee Education-to-Careers Partnership.
The children investigate each pathway through hands-on
activities. Students are then asked
to write a paragraph justifying a career choice for themselves.
The culminating activity involves giving students a career and salary.
They then participate in a “real-life game,” making purchases of
housing, vehicles, food, clothing, and entertainment packages after paying taxes
and utility bills. The students are
also required to save 10 percent of their salary.
They are responsible for using a calculator to make deductions from their
salary and have to end with a positive balance.
Local businesses participated by setting up booths with
real products to sell, answering questions about their business, and helping the
students make wise purchasing choices. Parent
volunteers assisted in guiding students through the “real-life store.”
This multidisciplinary unit succeeds in the attempt to make learning
real, integrate workplace skills, teach the economic standards and involve
parents and business in the education of our youth. (To go to the
Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Carl Sandburg High School
133rd Street and LaGrange Road
Orland Park, Illinois 60462
Abstract
Students in a sophomore biology class at Carl Sandburg High
School recently had the unique opportunity to assess their personal impact on
the planet Earth. Through this
project, the students utilized a Palm IIIe handheld computer to obtain
information and collect data concerning their own ecological footprint.
An ecological footprint is the amount of space an individual requires to
live on the planet. To calculate the footprint, students must consider resources
such as food consumption, clothing, housing, transportation, and utilities.
In the world today, there exist 2.2 hectares of usable
space for the survival of each person on the planet.
A hectare is equivalent to two football fields.
Meanwhile, the average American has an ecological footprint of 7
hectares. The project begins with
students making predictions about the size of their ecological footprint.
This prediction is then compared to their actual footprint, which is
determined as a result of this project.
By using handheld computers, students were able to collect
data and research at home and at school. Students
also used the handheld computer to assist them during interviews to record
individual reactions to ecological facts. As
the unit progressed and students became more familiar with the technology,
course instructors were able to “beam” information and homework assignments
directly to the handheld computers. The
handheld computer also contributed to the overall validity and reliability of
the research project. Although this
was the first time this technological tool had been utilized at the school,
students experienced a great deal of success with the instrument.
At the end of the unit, students entered their calculations
into a spreadsheet template at the “Ecological Footprint” Web site to
receive their actual footprint. A
follow-up activity allowed each student to determine methods of lowering his or
her footprint. The project allowed
students to assess their personal ecological impact on Earth while learning to
utilize one of the latest technological tools available to the researcher.
(To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology
Illinois State University
Campus Box 5960
Normal, Illinois 61790-5960
Abstract
The IMaST (Integrated Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Education) program was developed at Illinois State University as part of an
effort to provide an integrated middle-level curriculum that promotes teamwork
among teachers from three or more disciplines.
The project is part of a nationwide effort aimed at raising the standards
of mathematics, science, and technology education in school and improving the
quality of teaching in these subjects.
The IMaST program emphasizes active participation of
students in learning by providing hands-on activities.
It strives to get away from the traditional teacher-centered strategies
in which students are passive learners. The
constructivist approach utilized in the IMaST program requires innovative
methods of teaching in which teachers must focus on helping students to
construct the concepts themselves. Being
an integrated program, it also gives teachers an alternative to separate
mathematics, science, and technology courses.
The IMaST program assesses students’ skills by evaluating how well they
can apply concepts and skills to situations rather than simply examining whether
they can recall certain facts and demonstrate certain skills.
The IMaST curriculum is built on major themes that are
presented in learning modules. Having
all disciplines focus on several key concepts that lead toward the same module
objective develops each theme. Benchmarks,
national standards, and state frameworks are used to give directions to the
development of separate activities for mathematics, science, and technology
education. These activities are all
carefully coordinated to help students grasp the many natural connections among
disciplines. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
College of DuPage
425 22nd Street
Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137
Abstract
The Summer of Service (SOS) program at the College of
DuPage provides training and service learning opportunities to youth in the
seventh to 10th grades. Started
in 1999 with a two-year grant from the American Business Collaboration for
Quality Dependent Care, SOS day camps have involved more than 240 youth in
leadership training, team-building, and active community service.
In addition to community service, the program provides youth who may be
too young to get a summer job with valuable work experiences both in terms of
college admissions and eventual employment.
SOS involves partnerships with a wide variety of
organizations in DuPage County that benefit by the program.
Agencies such as Campfire, Naper Settlement, People’s Resource Center,
and Ray Graham Association provide unique service and leadership opportunities
for SOS campers. In collaboration
with these agencies, campers are trained for leadership and teamwork in a broad
range of human services, including senior day care, programs for children with
disabilities, community theatre, children’s museums, computer reconditioning
and distribution to families in need, adult literacy programs, and recycling.
Each weeklong camp involves at least one day of training
and three days of service. Participants
work in teams of two to six, led by a facilitator. Daily activities include team-building exercises, travel to
service sites, service activities, and debriefing during which leadership issues
and problem solving are discussed. Fun
Fridays conclude each session, a time for campers and staff to reflect on their
accomplishments and enjoy recreation and entertainment activities together.
Camps are held seven to eight weeks during June, July, and
August, and meet from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For the summer of 2001, Summer of Service will be self-supporting, and
the grade limit will be raised at the request of older students who wish to
continue their participation. (To go to the Index, hit your
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Crete-Monee 201-U School District
760 West Exchange Street
Crete, Illinois 60417
Abstract
Established in 1998, the Crete-Monee Business-Education
Partnership offers students vibrant learning opportunities that link the school
world and the work world. Currently
34 businesses are involved in career development activities, including applying
business expertise across the curriculum, integrating workplace skills, and
offering career awareness opportunities.
In one project developed through the partnership, three
business partners, including a florist, a landscape nursery, and a lawn
maintenance business, have developed multilevel learning experiences that
involve fourth grade and high school students.
While completing the program, high school horticulture students teach the
fourth grade students selected content, and both groups of students attend
professional field trip sites. Another project involved teachers from consumer
math, prealgebra, and algebra. These
teachers developed lesson plans based on workplace math applications provided by
business partners. Meanwhile, other
business partners were assigned to each of five freshman teams and served as
resource people for the career-planning unit.
During this project, the business partners introduced common workplace
skills such as interviewing, teamwork, and problem solving.
In addition to the direct classroom interaction, business
partners have also been active in several successful career awareness events
held in the district. One project
allowed middle school students the opportunity to participate in a career day
that highlighted more than 40 careers. Another
project allowed sixth grade students the chance to participate in “Reality
Store,” an experiential learning activity to gain awareness of financial
requirements for living.
The Business-Education partnership is an integral component
to the education of Crete-Monee students. Each
business partner directly affects student learning.
Through curriculum development, integration of workplace skills, and
career awareness, businesses help make education relevant, and students are more
prepared for their world after high school. (To go to the Index, hit
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Danville High School MERIT Academy
202 East Fairchild Street
Danville, Illinois 61832
Abstract
Although mentoring programs are prevalent in many high
schools today, the mentoring program at Danville High School has set the
standard for community involvement. The
Danville High School mentoring component creates a network of professional
references and resources that help our students in AIMS (Academy in Medical
Sciences) and the Academy of MERIT (Manufacturing, Engineering, Robotics,
Industry, Technology) make realistic connections between school and the
workplace.
The first unique element of the mentoring program is
community involvement. Almost all
program mentors are recruited from and by members of the community.
For example, the AIMS program is supported by a group of doctors who make
mentoring arrangements with medical professionals ranging from nurses and
surgeons to veterinarians and dentists. Meanwhile,
MERIT receives its mentors through the efforts of the Danville Area Economic
Development Corporation and the Danville Metals Cluster.
After mentors are selected, the mentors and students
participate in training sessions, and a job fair is conducted. Students prepare resumes in their English classes and bring
them to an interview. After
one-on-one interviews are conducted, mentors rank their interviewees, and
students rank their mentor preferences. Core
academy teachers then meet to discuss and pair up suitable mentors with
students. To insure that all
meetings throughout the year will be successful, each mentor is required to
designate an alternate or backup mentor in case there is a scheduling conflict
on “power lunch” day.
Power lunches provide mentors and students the opportunity
to ask and answer questions in a well-planned and productive environment.
Using the Power Lunch Guidebook, mentors and students ask a
variety of questions and complete activities that help to focus the conversation
and drive the interaction. In
addition to the regularly scheduled power lunches at the high school, students
are required to make on-site visits once a month and report their findings on a
reflective worksheet.
The AIMS and MERIT learning communities take great pride in
what they have accomplished in two years and are eager to share their
experiences with other academies in Illinois. (To go to the Index,
hit your browser's back button.)
DePue High School Unit District 103
204 Pleasant Street
DePue, Illinois 61322
Abstract
The “Education-to-Work and Careers Class” at DePue High
School is a one-semester course designed to help students focus on setting
personal goals, explore careers, and develop job skills necessary in today’s
world. Through the course, students
are exposed to a full range of career options available to them by using
materials such as Magellan Computer Software, Vocational Biographies, and Enter
Here Videos. Students also
participate in field trips, the Career Fair at Illinois Valley Community
College, and job shadowing experiences.
The course is targeted toward students who are at risk for
failure in the school. Many
participating students have Individualized Education Plans, are in the
“English as a Second Language” program, or are in the school’s reduced
lunch program. In fact, 80 percent
of the students are on free or reduced lunch.
Due to the large number of bilingual and special education students
enrolled in the class, additional bilingual and special education teachers are
assigned to assist students in the class. This
ensures that all students will have the opportunity to achieve high standards
regardless of their special needs.
The course includes a heavy emphasis on the use of guest
speakers. Guest speakers provide
the students with information on nontraditional occupations and to help answer
questions about more traditional career paths.
The guest speakers also participate in a community roundtable seminar
that allows students to examine additional career choices.
Follow-up studies on the program for the past two years
indicate that all completers have remained in school or graduated.
Student and community response to the program has been very positive.
Incoming freshmen ask about the program, and there is currently a waiting
list to enroll in the 2001-2002 class. (To go to the Index, hit your
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Education for Employment System 330
400 East Wabash Street
Rantoul, Illinois 61866
Abstract
The Curriculum Alignment Project began in April 1999 in
response to current Perkins III requirements.
The legislation requires that career and technical education curricula
improve student academic and technical competencies and align with rigorous
state and national standards. The
federal legislation also promotes student transition to work or continuing
education as well as nontraditional employment.
These requirements presented an opportunity for career and
technical programs in the Education for Employment System 330.
Career and technical instructors often work in relative isolation, since
they may not have local counterparts to help with curricula development
activities. By entering into a
working partnership with the local community college, secondary instructors were
provided with new opportunities to work with peers to develop regional curricula
outlines that are aligned between systems.
In addition to the development of curricula materials, the project
facilitated six meetings between secondary and postsecondary English instructors
in the region. Through participation in these meetings, postsecondary and
secondary instructors were able to align curricular offerings to ensure that
both systems were focused on common targets and goals.
The process began with secondary and postsecondary
instructors reviewing college course syllabi, including course objectives,
outcomes, and assessments. The
secondary instructors next defined their regional course outlines, agreeing that
a minimum of 80 percent of their instruction would address the college
objectives. After instructors
agreed upon the regional course outlines, the group divided into subcommittees
responsible for cross-referencing the outlines to the Illinois Learning
Standards, Occupational Skills Standards, and Workplace Skills.
These subcommittees then reported their documentation before the full
group for discussion, revision, and adoption.
The final curricula outlines became the basis for articulation agreements
between the community college and the secondary schools. (To go to
the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Edwards County CUSD 1
105 East School Street
West Salem, Illinois 62476
Abstract
The Warriors Rampage newspaper program began as an
idea in the minds of a few eighth grade students in the fall of 1999.
Through hard work and dedication, it has evolved into an eight-page
newspaper published eight times throughout the school year.
It has become something in which the students can truly take pride.
The most important aspect of the Warriors Rampage is that it is
written, published, and marketed by a class of twelve seventh and eighth graders
at West Salem Grade School.
At the beginning of each academic year, the advertising
department solicits advertisements from local businesses.
The students then contribute to the design and layout of these ads.
After completing the advertising layouts, students begin to take pictures
and write articles. All pictures
that appear in the Rampage are digitally photographed, downloaded, and
edited by the participating students. The
edited photographs are printed on a laser printer and are ready to go to pasteup.
Students are required to write two to three articles each week and take
appropriate photographs to accompany the stories.
Once an article is completed, it is turned in to the editor.
The editor proofreads the article and notes any needed corrections.
Before an article is considered complete, it must be free of spelling and
grammatical errors.
Once the class completes articles and pictures, they are
sent to the Edward County Times Advocate for pasteup and finishing
touches. After pasteup, the paper
is printed and distributed compliments of the Advocate.
Currently the Warriors Rampage has a circulation of 1,800.
Once an issue has gone to press, it brings a sense of
relief to the students, but it is a feeling that they do not have long to enjoy.
Work on the next issue commences the following day. Through the hard
work, dedication, and positive attitude of the staff of the Warriors Rampage,
it has become something in which an entire community can take pride.
(To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Edwardsville Middle School
145 West Street
Edwardsville, Illinois 62025
Abstract
Teachers at Edwardsville Middle School use an integrated
approach to help their students develop an answer to that age-old question,
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
The project is initiated each year with eighth grade
students completing the Career Opportunity Placement Screening Survey.
The results are used to help students create a list of possible career
options. By using the results of
these survey, students are able to narrow down career options to areas which
best fit their aptitudes and interests. From
the options list developed by the student, one job is chosen and the research
begins. A worksheet of questions relevant to all jobs is completed.
Questions range from the thought-provoking “Where could this job be
located?” to the most common, “How much money will I make?”
Students also calculate their take-home pay after taxes.
Following this career education exploration activity,
students use the “Envision Your Life” questionnaire to predict and project
their life choices at the age of 28. This
includes everything from marriage choices and children to what kind of housing
they will have and how they will dress. With their background information and choices completed,
career week begins near the end of second trimester.
On a rotating schedule, students listen to guest speakers from the
community discuss their work, experience the “Game of Life,” and review
other career-oriented materials. Students
also visit the “Reality Store,” which provides students with an opportunity
to pay their monthly bills and see if they can afford the cost of the real
world. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Gage Park High School
5630 South Rockwell Street
Chicago, Illinois 60629
Abstract
The Gage Park High School/Jewel-Osco and Target Stores
Institute of P.R.I.D.E. was established in 1998. The mission of the program is to provide a cohort group of
180 students in grades 10 through 12 with an accelerated, integrated, academic
and vocational curriculum in a small-school community. The program goal is to ensure that participants fulfill their
potential by meeting or exceeding high academic and vocational standards,
including the employability skills needed to ensure success in the world of
retail employment.
Special population students (English language learners and
academically disadvantaged) are encouraged to join the institute and are
provided with support to ensure their success.
In order to be accepted into the institute, students must be passing all
of their subjects, have a good attendance record, and have no serious
disciplinary record. The program
includes a series of work-based experience seminars, field trips, guest
speakers, job shadowing, mentorships, and paid internships. Participating
students attend community college classes after their regular high school day as
well as during the summer in order to earn up to one year of college credit in
postsecondary courses recommended by business partners. Students who complete
the program are guaranteed employment following graduation.
The institute is based upon the tripartite apprenticeship
model prevalent in industrialized countries such as Denmark and Japan.
The institute partnership includes secondary and postsecondary educators,
business partners, and a facilitating organization – the National Center on
Education and the Economy – which acts as a liaison between the partners and
provides training, support, and program implementation expertise.
The instructional team includes high school teachers of English,
mathematics, chemistry, physics, and social studies as well as two vocational
instructors. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Heartland Region EFE 390
300 East Eldorado Road
Decatur, Illinois 62523
Abstract
Careers on Wheels is a career exploration activity for
elementary students in the Heartland Region EFE 390. Choosing an occupation is always a difficult decision, but by
introducing sixth graders to a variety of careers, businesses, and services,
they can start to focus on areas of interest early in their educational
preparation. Knowledge of possible
career choices helps students select the right classes in middle school and high
school in preparation for future education, training, and work.
On may 10 and 11, 2000, Decatur Aviation hosted almost
1,100 sixth grade students from 18 Decatur public elementary schools and five
private elementary schools. During
the event, students completed tours of 16 “vehicles” showcasing careers in
agriculture, arts and communication, business and marketing, health and human
services, technology, and engineering. Participating
students stopped at each vehicle to hear about the career that is associated
with the vehicle. Students toured
vehicles from the American Red Cross, Aramark, AT & T Internet and Broadband
Services, Caterpillar, Decatur Fire and Police Departments, Decatur Ambulance,
Decatur Aviation, Illinois Power, Sanitary District of
Decatur, St. Mary’s Hospital, Tater’s, U.S. Army, U.S. Postal
Service, and WAND-TV. Careers
represented included firefighter, delivery driver, lineworker, police officer,
airplane pilot and fueler, caterer, sanitation worker, and road construction
worker.
The students received “job cards” as they left the
event to reinforce discussions at each vehicle.
The job cards included information regarding the salary, education
requirements, job duties, and work environment. Careers on Wheels is a joint project between the Heartland
Region Education for Employment System and Junior Achievement of East Central
Illinois. St. Mary’s Hospital is
also a major sponsor. This event
will be expanded for May 2001 to include all sixth grade students in the
Heartland Region Education for Employment System. (To go to the
Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Heyworth High School
308 West Cleveland Street
Heyworth, Illinois 61745
Abstract
Greetings, an investigation into art entrepreneurship, is
an ongoing project at Heyworth High School designed to create a cross-curricular
experience between upper-level art classes and computer application students.
Assisted by the expertise of a local business partner, the Heyworth Star
Publishing company, students have the opportunity to transform individual
artwork into the medium of greeting cards using computer application classes and
available technology.
Computer application classes are an essential part of the
cross-curricular project as they utilize digital cameras, scanners, and desktop
publishing software to produce the greeting cards for marketing.
After all design work is completed, the final product is mass-produced,
packaged, and marketed. Many of the
cards are marketed through student-operated stores managed by Tech Prep students
in the area.
Profits from the sale of the greeting cards are used to
restock supplies and to add new technological equipment and software needed to
produce the greeting cards in a mass-production operation.
Students in the class have also been able to combine the Greetings
project with a community service project by producing and marketing a greeting
card to raise funds for St. Jude’s. This
arm of the project has special meaning for one of the participating students who
had been recently hospitalized at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in
Memphis during her sophomore year.
Greetings provides students with an ownership experience in
a real-world business that is small in nature, but which serves as a place to
learn about the world of manufacturing, marketing, and sales.
Greetings also provides art students with an outlet for displaying and
marketing their original artwork and designs.
Greetings are available for $5 a package and can be ordered by contacting
the Tech Prep Committee at Heyworth High School. (To go to the
Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Jacobs High School
2601 Bunker Hill Drive
Algonquin, Illinois 60102
Abstract
Although the block scheduling system at Jacobs High School
created a number of new scheduling opportunities for high school students, the
schedule also allowed for the development of an open semester in the foreign
language sequence. This open
semester often occurred during the final semester of high school, allowing time
to pass before continuing studies at the university level. “Spanish V” was a new course offering in 2000, written to
fill this void created by the block schedule.
By creating this additional course in the Spanish program students are
now allowed the opportunity to remain current with Spanish skills learned
throughout high school.
“Spanish V” was developed to be more than simply
another Spanish course. In an
effort to meet state foreign language conversational goals, enhance the course,
motivate the students, and fill a need in the district, the 44 students enrolled
in the course completed an extension project.
The extension project allowed participating students the opportunity to
travel to Westfield School during April 2000 to conduct an “Exploratory
Spanish” course for 135 seventh grade students.
Prior to the extension project, Westfield did not offer any
exploratory foreign language programs. The
“Spanish V” students taught 10 lessons covering topics such as the alphabet,
basic grammar, colors, and foods. All
lesson writing, worksheets, teaching, and assessments were completed by the
“Spanish V” students. Through
the experience, both the high school students and the seventh grade students
became more proficient in the language. The
“Spanish V” students improved and practiced their skills, and the seventh
grade students began to speak in the target language.
The experience also allowed the senior students an
opportunity to write and execute a lesson plan. This activity gives the seniors who are considering a career
in education some valid experience in the classroom. The program may also motivate students to enroll in studies
in education upon entering college. A
final outcome of the Spanish Exploratory 2000 program is the opportunity for the
high school students to serve as role models for quality learning, behavior, and
foreign language study. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back
button.)
Kankakee Community College
River Road, Box 888
Kankakee, Illinois 60901
Abstract
The Executive for a Day (EFAD) program was developed as a
joint project by the Iroquois-Kankakee Education-to-Careers Office and both the
Kankakee River Valley and Bradley-Bourbonnais Chambers of Commerce.
The program is designed to complement the Principal for a Day (PFAD)
program, which the community began in 1999 and which was patterned after the
successful Chicago PFAD effort. In
PFAD, business and community leaders visit local schools and spend a day as
principal. The goal is to provide business leaders an inside look at the
challenges of running a school and to foster a working relationship between
business and education leaders.
Project designers indicated that they felt it was just as
important to have principals visit local businesses, as it was to have business
and community leaders visit local schools.
The project allows business executives to participate in the PFD program
in the spring and principals to participate in the EFAD program in the fall,
keeping the same partners for at least one school year.
During the past academic year, more than 90 percent of local principals
participated. The program has been
successful in creating a closer relationship between the business and
educational communities.
Recently the combined PFAD/EFAD program has been approved
for Administrator Academy credit. (To go to the Index, hit your
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Limestone Community High School
4201 South Airport Road
Bartonville, Illinois 61607-2199
Abstract
Presently there exists a national shortage of more than
90,000 automotive technicians. Realizing
the gravity of the situation, Ford Motor Company executives recently began
investigating avenues for recruiting trained and skilled technicians.
Through local dealerships (i.e., Velde Lincoln/Mercury), the company
initiated efforts toward recruiting young high school students to enter
automotive servicing careers.
The Limestone Dealership Partnership was initiated when the
service director of Velde Lincoln/Mercury contacted teachers in the automotive
program at Limestone Community High School and asked how they could help recruit
students into auto servicing careers. The
initial phone conversation grew into a creative partnership between Ford Motor
Company, Velde Lincoln/Mercury, and Limestone Community High School.
A number of project goals and objectives have been
developed through the Limestone Dealership Partnership.
Some of those goals include:
- Working
as a collaborative team to seek solutions, raise concerns, and address
issues common to all team members;
- Allowing
business partners the opportunity to review or modify the existing
automotive servicing curriculum so all graduates obtain viable skills prior
to graduation;
- Allowing
teachers and students in the program the use of donated vehicles, as well as
the use of diagnostic equipment, to perform hands-on and engaged-learning
activities;
- Providing
the school with updated training manuals, reference material, and software
to present in the classroom for real-world visualization;
- Providing
participating students the chance to participate in the Ford ASSET Program;
and
- Providing
the school with financial and grant assistance to obtain needed supplies and
equipment.
The partnership has provided numerous opportunities for
expanding and extending the program at Limestone. Ford Motor Company and Velde Lincoln/Mercury have provided
field trip site locations, guest speakers, job shadowing experiences, co-op
sites, and instructor VIP summer training, as well as future employment sites
for students. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Lincoln Land Community College
5250 Shepherd Road
Springfield, Illinois 62794
Abstract
MOUS (Microsoft Office User Specialist) certification has
become an industry standard in validating the computer end user’s high degree
of understanding and proficiency with the Office Suite using real world
situations. Anyone can achieve MOUS
designation by successfully passing a hand-on computer test over a software
application in the Microsoft Office Suite.
A person can also receive the designation of MOUS master for both the
Microsoft Office 97 and 2000 suites by completing the Word, Excel, Access,
PowerPoint, and Outlook exams at the required expert or core levels.
The Computer and Office Information Systems Department at Lincoln Land
Community College has planned, designed, and implemented a MOUS Academy to meet
the college’s unique circumstances without creating or developing any
additional courses. Although there
was a pilot program during past semesters, fall 2000 was the first semester for
the Lincoln Land MOUS Academy.
Leaders in the academy used a 4 X 4 X 4 method to
conceptualize the certification program so that each component would not have to
be offered as a separate course. Students
go to class four hours a day for four days a week for four weeks to complete one
3-credit-hour class. This pattern
is repeated four times during the semester for four separate classes.
Using this method, participants can learn all five software applications
and sit for all five exams in one semester.
The unique arrangement for the MOUS Academy provides a
means of learning from both instructor and administrator points of view.
The academy provides an unusual self-paced learning experience for the
students – one that allows participants the chance to learn and proceed at
their own pace. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back
button.)
Maine West High School
1755 South Wolf Road
Des Plaines, Illinois 60018
Abstract
The Maine West High School Freshman Academy is in its third
year of operation. The academy was
designed to raise the achievement level of students entering high school two or
more years below grade level in reading and mathematics.
The academy combines the best qualities of team teaching, individualized
attention, and integrated curriculum in order to connect the students to school
in a positive manner.
Members of the academy faculty are responsible for
planning, organizing, and delivering instruction designed to improve student
performance on clearly stated goals such as improving academic achievement in
both reading and mathematics, speaking and writing more effectively, using
technology, and developing problem-solving skills.
Student self-esteem is an important component in the academy and is
addressed in small group settings in conjunction with curriculum.
Students enrolled in the academy receive individual
attention and special tutorial support designed to remediate poorly developed
skills. The extra efforts of the
faculty and staff have made this an exemplary program after which several
schools have modeled their own programs. Because
the academy addresses the individual learning needs of all students,
participants in the program have consistently improved up to two grade levels
while in the program. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back
button.)
Midwest Central High School
910 South Washington Street
Manito, Illinois 61546
Abstract
Each year, several graduating seniors declare that they
intend to study engineering in college, even though they have never taken a
hands-on class in high school. To
tackle this dilemma, members of the faculty at Midwest Central High School
conducted brainstorming sessions to determine what could be done with a great
deal of creativity and little monetary support. The result of these brainstorming sessions is known as the
“Engineering Experience,” a course designed to prepare students with both
academic rigor and realistic hands-on experience in a full spectrum of
preengineering activities.
The course began in 1999 with five seniors who had taken
“Biology I” as freshmen, “Chemistry” as sophomores, and “Physics I”
as juniors. To solve scheduling
conflicts, the teachers created a modified/rotating block schedule (using study
hall, lunch, and classroom time) for those students and four teachers (one each
from science, graphic design, technology education, and computer/Web page
design). Students spent six weeks
with each teacher, rotating through the various competency areas.
The results of this original experiment in 1999 were beyond
the expectations of the participating teachers. Three students from the program went directly into the
nationally ranked engineering program at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
(and all three reported great success during their freshmen engineering
classes). Following this successful
first year, the participating teachers further developed the tech prep side of
the course instruction and have added a robotics unit, which is cotaught by an
agriculture teacher.
The innovative new class has resulted in greatly enhanced
student and parent enthusiasm for completing hands-on coursework as a component
of the college prep program, innovative new teaching materials for all courses,
the procurement of advanced placement materials, and closer connections to the
Illinois Learning Standards and the Occupational Skills Standards.
(To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Mount Pulaski Grade School
119 North Garden Street
Mount Pulaski, Illinois 62548
Abstract
The A.D.I.D.A.S. Company (All Day I Dream About School), as
named by the student participants, was established to develop career-oriented
skills in students (grades six through eight) who were failing one or more
subjects. These struggling students
were presented the opportunity to develop career skills and receive help with
their assignments for 75 minutes after school Monday through Thursday.
The Program promoted career education by assigning tasks to
“employees” (students at-risk), encouraging teamwork, and by rewarding
employees for completing their tasks and reaching their goals.
During the after-school sessions, participating students were instructed
to work on homework or study for tests. Those
who had common assignments were allowed to work in groups, compare answers, and
educate each other.
The teachers (“employers”) who supervised the employees
provided support as needed. The
employees were to have their homework assignment books checked daily, work on
homework for the next day, study for tests, and exhibit a good work attitude.
Students received points (salaries) from the employers for completing
each expectation. These points
could be redeemed for snacks, pens, pencils, books, CDs or even “vacation”
from the program. These incentive
points taught the students that they could achieve their goals through hard
work. The small steps required to
earn points helped build study skills and self-esteem as well as the chance to
understand how work is related to reward. The
reward system also allowed students the opportunity to closely examine the
relationship between work and money as well as the concept of delayed
gratification (CDs cost six to eight weeks’ worth of points).
As a result of their participation, 11 of the 12 students
who started in the program were able to achieve passing grades and continue on
to the next grade level. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's
back button.)
O’Fallon Township High School
600 South Smiley Street
O’Fallon, Illinois 62269
Abstract
The Forensic Mock Trial projects at O’Fallon Township
High School are interdisciplinary (biotechnology, anatomy, and physiology)
activities that cause students to analyze evidence from a fictional crime scene
and then present findings at a mock trial conducted by members of the
“American Legal System” (ALS) class. The
ALS students play the parts of the judge, lawyers, jury, suspect, and witness at
trials. The first semester trial is
a kidnapping case, and the second semester trial is a homicide case.
The project begins each semester with science students
being placed into analysis groups and given evidence “collected” from the
crime scene. Evidence may include
latent fingerprints, ink chromatography, handwriting, DNA analysis, blood
typing, genetic disorders, and an autopsy report.
For each trial the science students are given little more than
suggestions of what tests to conduct and how to conduct them, as well as a time
frame of when results and visual aids are due for the lawyers.
Given this lack of direct guidance, the students must collaborate with
group members to establish the best scientific strategies and techniques to
analyze the evidence and report findings.
Meanwhile, students enrolled in the ALS course are provided
with a news summary of the case, prosecution and defense theories, witness
statements, and forensic analysis results.
These social studies students must develop theories, develop strategies,
and prove their case.
Once the analysis is complete and the lawyers are prepared,
the classes meet for the trial. There
is no right or wrong verdict in either case.
The outcome of the trial depends upon the analysis results (right or
wrong) and how the lawyers utilize the findings. The evidence is such that both the prosecution and defense
have enough evidence to “prove” their case.
The “jury” decision depends upon how well the prosecution and defense
use the evidence to their advantage and cast doubt on damaging information.
(To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Parkland College
2200 West Bradley Street, X218
Champaign, Illinois 61821
Abstract
The “Classroom Assessment and Research” course at
Parkland College is designed to teach faculty how to use Classroom Assessment
Techniques (CATs), which are quick, anonymous, ungraded feedback tools.
CATs help faculty understand how their students actually experience
learning in their classrooms. This
course is designed to support career and technical education faculty and
teaching assistants as they investigate the student’s learning process.
The Classroom Assessment and Research course is based on
the concept of classroom assessment as described by Ahngelo and Cross in Classroom
Assessment Techniques: A Handbook
for College Teachers. Classroom
assessment helps teachers better understand what students are learning in their
classrooms, how they learn, and what methods work best for facilitating learning
in a given classroom.
Faculty using CATs solicit anonymous feedback from students
and analyze those responses to gain insight into the learning process.
The feedback is designed to be formative, and both faculty and students
are encouraged to make adaptations during the semester in response to student
feedback. By following the process
included in the course, faculty receive feedback from the student through CATs,
share the results with their students, and then both teachers and students adapt
their teaching/learning strategies in response to that feedback.
The intent of this course was to provide support for
faculty supervisors and their teacher’s assistants to promote effective
communication and teamwork and to gather ongoing feedback from students.
In order to qualify for this course, career and technical education
faculty supervisors were required to participate together.
Funding for this opportunity was provided through the Carl D. Perkins
Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 and made available through the
Illinois State Board of Education.
The fall 1999 component of the course met six times for two
hours each. Each faculty supervisor
participant received the Classroom Assessment and Research text, a
notebook with materials generated during nine semester.
The course took place in a supportive atmosphere, and the participants
were honored at the December Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
celebration. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Peoria Educational Region for Employment and Career
Training
2000 Pioneer Parkway, Suite 19C
Peoria, Illinois 61615
Abstract
The Teen Parent Summit is a fun and innovative program for
single teen parents designed to assist them in understanding the economic
realities of supporting a family, to provide an informative and interactive
forum for exploring careers, and to connect them with resources to continue
their education and training beyond high school. This all-day conference is held on the campus of Illinois
Central College and represents a collaboration of the Peoria and Tazewell
Education for Employment Systems with funding provided by the Central Illinois
Education-to-Careers Partnership.
Students start the program by selecting a career and
participating in “Welcome to the Real World,” a successful hands-on career
exploration, money management, and choice evaluation simulation composed of area
business booths. Students use their
monthly salary to pay their taxes, buy a car, insurance, childcare, utilities,
groceries, clothing, and entertainment. Developed by the University of Illinois Cooperative
Extension, this program helps students understand the economic realities of
maintaining a household and providing for a family in our community today.
By evaluating their choices after this experience, students are able to
see firsthand how career choice will affect their quality of life.
Representatives are available from the community college, area health
departments, community organizations, and child care referral agencies to
describe services available to single parents to help them take care of their
families while continuing their education and training.
A luncheon presentation on image and attitude provides the
high school participants an opportunity to hear how attitude affects all aspects
of their life, including confidence and self-respect.
The marketing coordinator for a city workforce development department
shares her experience in this area, encouraging participants to increase their
personal power by choosing an attitude that will lead to both personal and
professional success.
A tour through the industrial technology building at
Illinois Central College gives students an opportunity to explore several
nontraditional career programs. Tour
guides include both former and current students of industrial technology
programs as well as faculty of the college.
Closing the event is a motivational presentation by a human resource
manager of a national corporation. (To go to the Index, hit your
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Peoria Educational Region for Employment and Career
Training
2000 Pioneer Parkway, Suite 19C
Peoria, Illinois 61615
Abstract
Central Illinois educators donned hard hats and spent a
week immersed in union construction June 19-22, 2000, for the first-ever
Construction Industry Educator Job Shadow hosted by the Tri-County Construction
Labor-Management Council (TRICON) and the Peoria Educational Region for
Employment and Career Training (PERFECT). Educator
job shadowing provides educators an opportunity to explore various careers,
observe and learn valuable workplace skills, and, in turn, integrate career
awareness and skills into course curricula.
Twenty-three K-12 teachers, administrators, and counselors signed up for
this event through “Vocational Instructor Practicum” (VIP), “Academic
Instructor Practicum” (AIP), and “Elementary Instructor Practicum” (EIP).
They were provided a stipend for their experience and could apply for
continuing education credits through several universities.
The educators’ five-day journey into union construction
included many opportunities for hands-on learning: welding, building scaffolding, wiring circuits, operating a
backhoe, laying brick, cutting interior trim, and much more.
They also learned about OSHA regulations and the importance of safety on
the job. Throughout the week the
educators visited numerous construction sites and learned about construction
careers, apprenticeship training, and the construction union’s
labor-management relationship. Educators finished the week with a longing to share their
newly found skills and knowledge with their students.
The event received rave reviews from the educators and
business/industry partners alike. The
AFL-CIO newsletter and the “labor paper” were on hand to take the event to
press. WMBD Channel 31 (CBS) and
WEEK Channel 25 (NBC) captured the educators working at construction sites and
aired the event during local news broadcasts.
This event models the kind of partnership between education
and business/industry needed to bring career awareness into the classroom.
(To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Rend Lake College
468 North Ken Gray Parkway
Ina, Illinois 62846
Abstract
The “Portfolio Review” course at Rend Lake College was
designed to better serve the needs of students in the graphic communication
programs of architectural technology and graphic design at the college.
Students in the two programs are typically required to provide examples
of their work during job interviews and when transferring to senior
institutions. This course provides
students with the skills and insight to create better portfolios or examples of
their work.
With the evolution of digital media and its inclusion into
architectural technology and graphic design, the use of digital photographs and
compact disks will be the preferred media for portfolios.
Compact disks have the advantage of being inexpensive to produce and hard
to damage, unlike typical portfolio media of paper and photographs.
The benefits to the student include improved transferability by providing
concrete examples of their abilities to various senior institutions and
prospective employers. Employers
benefit from being better able to view and assess the creativity of potential
employees.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that students who have
completed the electronic portfolios have developed heightened interviewing
skills, improved oral communication skills, effective presentation skills,
improved business writing communication skills, and expanded creativity skills.
The benefits to the programs include the ability to evaluate the quality
of overall student work and elements of individual courses that may need to be
modified or improved. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back
button.)
Rock Valley College/Tech Prep/CEANCI
4151 Samuelson Road
Rockford, Illinois 61109
Abstract
The Business and Financial Services Virtual Company Project
was designed to provide career exploration in the classroom and in the work site
for high school juniors and seniors interested in careers in business,
accounting, and finance. Students
at Rock Valley College are exploring global trade, international marketing,
strategic planning, and the day-to-day operation of a business through an
interactive team environment called the Virtual Company.
This program gives area youths the chance to reach their potential in
their chosen contemporary career and to learn specialized technical skills.
The association between learning specialized technical
skills through the work site experience in local companies has allowed
Rockford’s youth to be better prepared to step into fulfilling career
opportunities. The Virtual Company
is providing a unique opportunity for community, business, and education
partnerships. Through the project,
Rock Valley College Tech prep/CEANCI has been able to partner with other college
virtual companies as well as Century Tool and Manufacturing Company and other
business leaders in the community.
The Virtual Company project was recently added as a
requirement for all first-year Business and Finance Services youth apprentices.
Students adopt goods or services from sponsoring companies and then
conduct trade with other virtual ventures around the globe, largely through
electronic commerce. The
“virtual” aspect of the program is actually the students’ creation of an
“international business practice firm,” a concept that began in Germany 25
years ago as a training curriculum for displaced workers.
These virtual companies communicate back and forth, conduct business
transactions through virtual banks, buy each other’s products, and sell to
each other – all of which occurs in the real world of business.
(To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Rockton School District 140
1050 East Union Street
Rockton, Illinois 61072
Abstract
Forensics for Kids is a three-week program enhancing the
language arts curriculum by involving children (grades one through five) in
public speaking in a way that is interesting and fun. Although the components of good public speaking are
introduced in the classroom setting, most of the practice time is supervised by
teachers and parents after school. The
goal of the program is to enhance students’ abilities to speak publicly in a
clear, informative, and interesting manner.
In addition, students decrease their fear of standing before an audience
while communicating a message.
The program is designed to provide all participants with
some measure of success. Certificates
and ribbons are given to children who complete public speaking during
competitions. After competing in
public speaking contests within the grade level, the participating student may
compete in interschool competitions. On
the first Saturday in April, Forensics for Kids participants compete against
students from other local schools. Many
children invite family members to cheer them on.
And, why not? Who wouldn’t
love to hear his or her child provide a public speech about something of great
interest, such as “Why a Kid Should Have a TV in His Room,” “Why Recycling
a Sister is a Good Idea,” or “How to Make a Nutritious Snack.”
Every year the written and oral comments from audience
members suggest that the project is having a positive impact on members of the
community as well as on the participating students. The event has also attracted widespread attention in local
media. In addition to numerous
newspaper accounts of the event, two local television stations covered the
story. Teachers associated with the
program believe that the experience makes a significant difference in the
speaking abilities, confidence and attitudes of participating students
throughout the remainder of the school term. (To go to the Index,
hit your browser's back button.)
South Fork District 14
Box 20, Dial Street
Kincaid, Illinois 62540
Abstract
Kindergarten students at South Fork Elementary School are
experiencing careers that might be in their future through “Career Bags.”
These bags have been created by the high school childcare class to
provide young children with information about careers in each of the six career
clusters. Each bag contains
information about a particular career cluster with activities for parent and
child to complete as well as a book to read about careers or groups of careers
in that cluster. The parents are
encouraged to work with their child to complete the various activities and to
assist the student in writing in a journal about their experiences with the
bags.
Each Friday six kindergarten students take home a bag and
then return the bag to their teacher on Monday. The completed activity sheets are returned in the bags, and
the teachers compile these activities in the students’ portfolios.
By the end of the year, each student has had the opportunity to
experience each of the six bags and compile a portfolio of possible career
choices.
During the course of the year, an individual from the
community whose career falls into one of the career clusters will visit the
classroom to give a presentation to the students on what he or she does on the
job. The involvement of parents and
community members in the Career Bag project is making a difference in providing
these young students with a beginning in the quest for making a career choice.
(To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Southwestern Illinois College
2500 Carlyle Avenue
Belleville, Illinois 62221
Abstract
Recognizing that transition to the community college is
sometimes a missing link, the Southwestern Illinois Tech Prep Consortium
received a monetary award from the Illinois State Board of Education titled
“Postsecondary Transition of High School Tech Prep Students.”
This transition project was the catalyst that provided two significant
opportunities for tech prep students.
More than 400 secondary students were able to experience a
day at the community college campus. During
this daylong event, workshops and breakout sessions were offered at all three
college campuses. Approximately 50
college faculty, staff, and administrators participated in the five tech prep
workshops for the high school students. The
activities provided college staff the opportunity to become more familiar with
the benefits of tech prep, plus the chance to interact with high school
students. In addition to the
college staff, many labor/industry/business representatives became involved.
The experience provided students with opportunities for smoother
transitions and encouraged better career choices and will ultimately impact the
economic and human development of the community.
Although transition opportunities for students were the
primary goals of the event, the involvement of the community college staff and
community representatives was an added bonus. (To go to the Index,
hit your browser's back button.)
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School
225 46th Avenue
Bellwood, Illinois 60104
Abstract
Career awareness in the elementary setting should be
designed to help each student expand self-awareness, understand different life
roles, learn to make effective decisions, learn to get along with others,
develop an awareness of the importance of school and work, and learn about
career choices. The Jefferson
School Career Week seeks to assist students in planning successful school and
work experiences.
In a weeklong, school-wide focus on careers, teachers use
age-appropriate career awareness activities to pique student interest.
Participating students learn about various careers and also the personal
skills needed to be successful in those careers.
Teachers and students display what they have learned on bulletin boards
and in work displayed in the classroom. At
the fourth grade level, teachers complete a yearlong project that is designed to
integrate career awareness with the core curriculum using games and children’s
literature. In planned expansion of
the program, teachers in the first through third grades will link the core
curriculum to career awareness. The
school counselor presents career awareness activities to all students through
direct counseling services. The
classroom guidance lessons focus on gaining self-awareness, learning to talk to
others with respect, listening to others, resolving conflicts, learning
responsibility, and exploring career choices.
Following the week of classroom career awareness lessons,
parents and guest speakers are invited to speak to classes about their jobs.
Speakers receive guidelines to help them prepare information suitable for
the interests and levels of the student audiences.
Sharing professional experiences and expertise, guest speakers provide
information about the type of work being performed, the amount of school needed
for their job, factors that influenced their job choice, and other jobs they
have held throughout their life. (To go to the Index, hit your
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Triton College
2000 Fifth Avenue
River Grove, Illinois 60171
Abstract
Partners in Extended Learning for the Mars Millennium
Project and Beyond began as a demonstration project under an Institute of Museum
and Library Services’ National Leadership Grant.
A community college library/learning resource center is in partnership
with the college’s space exploration museum to provide leadership in the
education of lifelong learners in the 21st century.
This is a model program of cooperation between a library and a museum
with emphasis on how the community is served, technology is used, and education
is enhanced for K-12 students and community adults.
The project provides opportunities for adults, educators,
community leaders, and professionals in many fields to work with school children
to design a human community for the year 2030 on the planet Mars.
Program participants use the college library/learning resource center,
public libraries, museums, and Triton’s Cernan Earth and Space Center to
research topics to aid them in designing a community on Mars that is
scientifically sound and offers a high quality of life and in which the
developers would be proud to live. Various
databases, Web sites, and print and electronic resources are used for
researching topics. Scientists and subject experts conduct conferences with
participants using distance-learning technologies, including the Internet.
The overall goal of this project is to demonstrate the connections
between technology and the educational process through formal and informal
educational opportunities.
In its second year, Triton’s Mars Millennium Project
continues to build upon the extended learning model established with the Summer
Bridge Program and Tech Prep Transition Program. This after-school and weekend program is a major tech prep
program for K-12 students who are interested in science, math, engineering, or
technical careers. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back
button.)
Triton College
2000 Fifth Avenue, Office R-201
River Grove, Illinois 60171
Abstract
Education is the primary tool for enabling impoverished
citizens to obtain suitable employment and to become self-sufficient.
Through collaboration with the U.S. Human Resource & Service
Administration, the Illinois Community College System is increasing employment
in the field of allied health in counties with the highest concentration of
impoverished citizens and welfare recipients in the state of Illinois.
This demonstration project has produced a model to provide training in
several entry-level and higher positions in allied health occupations.
The objectives of the project are to train and prepare welfare and
working-poor individuals to be employed in medically underserved areas of the
state and to develop model, articulated programs at each of the community
colleges participating in the grant.
The original participants in the existing demonstration
project, Malcolm X College, Triton College, and the College of Lake County, have
designed a program to provide short-term training that leads to immediate
entry-level employment in such areas of allied health as pharmacy assistants,
dietetic assistants, surgical technicians, and phlebotomists.
These three colleges have developed an integrated, collaborative system
to identify, assess, train, and place these targeted populations in meaningful
employment. The program is designed
around three components of training and placement:
preprogram enrollments, academic and program support, and employment and
job retention.
During the second year of this demonstration project, the
Illinois Community College Board will field-test the model developed by the
three colleges involved in the project in two new locations:
East St. Louis and Morton. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's
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Unity Elementary School
6846 Unity School Road
Brookport, Illinois 62910
Abstract
Learning about the world of work and careers can be
incorporated into most school curricula with a little creativity.
Seventh and eighth grade teachers at Unity Elementary School worked
cooperatively to develop an integrated curriculum that stresses core subject
areas as well as the fine arts. Through participation in the project, students are exposed to
workplace concepts such as cooperative teamwork, strategy development, task
analysis, and skill prioritization within a simulated workplace atmosphere.
Students also used technical skills and a variety of technical equipment
in order to accomplish their tasks.
The project centered on the Renaissance and, in particular,
on the time William Shakespeare was writing plays. Students worked both cooperatively and individually on
different assignments that covered the core subjects.
Students completed packets in reading on material related to the
Renaissance and Shakespeare. During
the project, students developed essays for language assignments as well as job
application letters. Students
completed posters on occupations of the Renaissance for social studies, floor
plans and blueprints for mathematics assignments, and used the scientific method
to develop construction plans for the marketplace. The project culminated with students using technical
manufacturing skills to design a set for a performance of a Shakespearean play.
As in a workplace atmosphere, students had to establish
priorities, analyze the task, and decide what would be needed to accomplish the
goal. Deadlines and requirements
had to be met in order to stage an Elizabethan marketplace. (To go
to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Waukegan High School
2325 Brookside Avenue
Waukegan, Illinois 60085
Abstract
Teamwork that Counts was the slogan that a group of
Waukegan High School students elected to use in working with the Cherry
Corporation – their business partner. The
partnership includes students enrolled in four high school classes:
computer assisted drafting, office practice, word processing, and
sales/retailing. Members of these
classes worked as large teams to design a new cordless computer mouse called the
RAT. Teachers collaborated with the
Cherry Corporation to develop an integrated project that included an
interdisciplinary, problem-based initiative designed to connect content in
mathematics, English, workplace readiness, computer applications, and business.
Each class involved in the project had a vital role to play
in the completion of the project. The
computer-assisted drafting class developed and designed the plans for the RAT.
Class members met with an engineer from the company who helped refine the
RAT and built a prototype model. When
the prototype was completed, the computer-assisted drafting students presented
it to the students enrolled in the office practice class.
These students used their word processing skills to create an owner’s
manual and a one-page advertisement for the product.
Meanwhile, the sales/retailing class conducted research to determine
current market trends and surfed the Internet to find information about who is
buying computer mice and what the market cost should be for the sale of the RAT.
The word processing class prepared a PowerPoint slide show to present the
product to students in the business and technology education classes, an
executive team from the Cherry Corporation, invited community leaders, members
of the local school board, and to others attending the Business/Education
Partnership Breakfast.
Students worked in teams on the project and were able to
incorporate skills that were originally held in strict disciplinary boundaries,
making results from each class vital to the next class’s part of the RAT
project. The students learned
firsthand about human engineering and how vital it is to the completion of the
project. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Will-Grundy Transition Conference Committee
611 West Fort Beggs Drive
Plainfield, Illinois 60544
Abstract
Most educators work diligently to prepare students for the
day when they leave high school and become active members of their communities.
There is a heightened emphasis on helping students to identify areas of
occupational interest and to prepare them for a well-rounded/independent
lifestyle. However, for many
students, particularly those with disabilities, this process is much more
difficult. The Success after High
School Transition Conference (offered annually in the Will-Grundy County area
for the past three years) has been designed to connect students and parents with
a wealth of resources needed to facilitate successful integration into adult
life.
The Will-Grundy Transition Planning Committee, area high
schools, and Joliet Junior College have brought together service providers,
college representatives, and employers for the purpose of helping students and
parents learn much needed information about post-high school life.
Conference sessions have included topics such as college
services for students with disabilities, apprenticeships, employment trends, and
recreation. Representatives from
service agencies meet one on one at exhibitor tables to discuss individual
needs. There are also local
employers available to talk with students about current and future job openings.
College representatives share detailed information about their programs.
Through this experience, students and their parents learn more about the
three Rs after high school: rights,
responsibilities, and resources.
Through a community effort to raise funds for the
experience, the conference has been offered to students and parents at no
charge. Schools contributed by
producing and mailing out information to the parents. Joliet Junior College supported the program by providing the
facility and partially funding the food provided, and Education-to-Careers, the
Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, and local area businesses contributed funds
as well.
As administrators, counselors, psychologists and special
educators know, changes in special education law require that much greater
attention is given to the transition process.
Implementation of this type of program is a powerful way to aid in the
transition process. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back
button.)
William Rainey Harper College
1200 West Algonquin Road
Palatine, Illinois 60067
Abstract
William Rainey Harper College has entered into a
partnership with 3Com Corporation to offer both high school and college students
the NetPrep Network Technology program. This
curriculum prepares students for a variety of high-demand careers with lifelong
potential for advancement in the information technology industry.
Certified by the National Association of Communication Systems Engineers
and developed by 3Com Corporation and curricular experts, the standards-based,
platform-independent NetPrep curriculum prepares students for entry-level
positions as network technicians or for more advanced technology training
leading to industry certification. The
3Com Corporation provided computer equipment, trained faculty, and made the
curriculum available to Harper College. As
the regional training center for NetPrep, Harper College will train other
instructors in the region.
The curriculum consists of eight courses that provide an
in-depth understanding of the theory, hardware, and software used in computer
networking. NetPrep’s delivery
formats are designed to complement the varied learning styles and schedules of
all learners. The courses are
offered virtually as well as in traditional instructor-led formats and focus on
the design, implementation, management, and integration of computer networks.
The curriculum is also offered to high school students in a dual-credit
format in which the students may earn both high school and college credit for
each of the first four courses. Currently
there are 200 high school students enrolled in the dual-credit program.
All NetPrep students are eligible for two levels of
industry standard certification upon completion of four or eight courses.
Students may also earn an Associate in Applied Science degree in
microcomputers in business with a specialization in NetPrep Network Technology
Harper College offers students training to compete
successfully in one of the economy’s fastest-growing careers.
NetPrep prepares students at all stages of their careers for information
technology positions and lays the foundation for continued growth.
(To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Woodruff High School
1800 N.E. Perry Avenue
Peoria, Illinois 61603
Abstract
“Grammar for Life” teaches students the connections
among various grammar concepts. Numbering
and questioning techniques provide logical connections to complex elements of
grammar such as creative ways to use clauses and phrases.
Proper uses of grammar, punctuation, and creative sentence structure are
natural byproducts of this instructional unit.
Furthermore, this cyclical “accelerated” learning approach touches
special, regular, and gifted students simultaneously.
Lower-level learners tackle challenges of discovering newly introduced
(advanced) concepts. At each
learning rate, every student connects essential language arts concepts to
sustain “Grammar for Life!”
Students begin learning the eight parts of speech by using
very understandable definitions and examples.
In some cases, parts of speech divide into subcategories.
For example, adverbs have three uses that answer one of five questions
about the modified word. Notice the prevalent use of numbering.
Next, students learn 10 ways to use a noun or pronoun in a
sentence. Use of pronouns indicates
nominative or objective case. Questioning
techniques provide discovery of key sentence components.
For example, students locate verbs by asking, “Can you (blank)
something?” Next, they locate the subject of the verb by asking,
“Who” or “What” before the verb. Each
new use leads to investigative questions.
As a result of participation in the project, students
enthusiastically work to discover the uses for words, phrases, clauses, etc.
They constantly refer to “Grammar for Life” to facilitate their
discovery. (To go to the Index, hit your browser's back button.)
Alternative Optional Education Center
1020 Glen Rock Avenue
Waukegan, Illinois 60085
Abstract
The Alternative Optional Education Center in Waukegan
provides middle school students with a second chance. The program, based on the Nova-Net system, provides an
innovative set of learning and teaching strategies.
The Nova-Net system utilizes the latest education technologies to deliver
a strong on-line component, which is directly correlated with the Illinois State
Board of Education curriculum guidelines. These
curricular activities are supplemented by offline assignments utilizing word
processing and multimedia software.
The program is designed for students from five
participating school districts in the Waukegan area.
These students, who have not been successful in the traditional
classroom, study four core subjects in the innovative classroom.
These subjects are language arts, mathematics, science, and social
studies. By delivering the content
of these courses in an alternative manner, students who have not previously
expressed an interest, often exhibit dramatic successes in the classroom.
 These
at-risk, former dropout, and otherwise previously unsuccessful students flourish
as they become personally invested in their own education.
Participating students operate their own student government, construct
and manage student behavior guidelines, and participate in cocurricular
activities of their own design. Students
leave the program with the skills and confidence needed for their future along
with new hope and high expectations for life. (To go to the Index,
hit your browser's back button.)
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