Career Assessment: The Ongoing Journey

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Career Assessment The Ongoing Journey

• Dr. Pamela Leconte, CVE
• The George Washington University
• Washington, DC
• Lecester Johnson, Ed.S, CVE
• Career and Skill Enhancement, Inc.
• Washington, DC

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Objectives

• Provide participants with an overview of career
  assessment
• Share strategies, tools and methods of career
  assessment.
• Discuss promising practices in career assessment
• Lay foundation for continued collaboration

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Interpreting IQ Results

• Number Correct
• 12 16
• 8-12
• 1-7

Endless Career Options
Exceptional
Average or Above
Many Career Options
Very Limited to No Career Options
limited
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Coordinating Themes

• Achieve quality transition outcomes for consumers
• Facilitate ongoing career development
• Maintain focus on empowerment of the consumer
• Assessment happens anywhere at anytime

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Assessment Defined

• A process of gathering data to plan, evaluate, or
  make decisions. Data can be derived from a number
  of sources over a period of time.

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Continuum of Assessment
Informal Assessment Any assessment that involves
collection of data by anything other than a
norm-referenced (standardized) test. Salvia/Ysseld
yke- Assessment, 1995
Formal Assessment
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Levels of Assessment

• Level 1 - Screening
• Level 2 - Clinical
• Level 3 Vocational Evaluation

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Level I Screening

• Informal Assessment
• Entails a review and compilation
• of existing data related to
• Student.

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Level II Exploratory

• Formal Assessment
• Follows Level 1 and entails gathering more
• information
• Components
• Standardized test batteries related to interests,
  values, personality and aptitudes

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Level III Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation

• Information from Level I and II
• Components
• Standardized test instruments
• Interest inventories
• Aptitude tests
• Hands-On work samples
• Exploration activities

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Vocational Evaluation

• A comprehensive process that systemically uses
  work either real or simulated, as a focal point
  for assessment and vocational exploration, the
  purpose of which is to assist individuals in
  vocational development.
• Vocational Evaluation incorporates medical,
  psychological, social, vocational educational,
  cultural and economic data into the process to
  attain goals of evaluation.
• Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment
  Association (VEWAA) Glossary, pg. 14, 1988

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Guiding Principles of Career Assessment

• Vocational evaluation should use a variety of
  methods, tools and approaches to provide accurate
  vocational evaluation and assessments.
• Vocational evaluation and assessment information
  should be verified using different methods, tools
  and approaches. Using alternative methods or
  approaches to validate findings can usually be
  achieved by
• Behavioral observation is essential in any
  vocational assessment process. Behavioral
  observation occurs throughout the assessment
  process.
• Vocational evaluation and assessment may be an
  on-going and developmental process in career
  development.
• Vocational evaluation and assessment should be an
  integral part of larger service delivery systems.
  Vocational evaluation and assessment requires the
  collection of input from a variety of individuals
  and requires an understanding of how to use the
  results of the assessment process. Vocational
  evaluation and assessment should be current,
  valid and relevant.
• Position Paper of the Interdisciplinary Council
  on Vocational Evaluation and Assessment bySmith
  F., Lombard R., Neubert D., Leconte P.,
  Rothernbacher C., Sitlington, P.

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Dimensions of Vocational Evaluation

• Individual
• Interests AbilitiesLearning StylesGoalsEmploy
  ment
• History
• Ecology
• Support NetworksTransportationTrainingExperienc
  eWork Culture
• Congruencies and Discrepancies
• IndividualEcology

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Environment   Observations Interviews LMI Task
Analysis Training Analysis Community
Resource Survey Community Mapping
Individual   Observations Background
Information Interviews Psychometric Testing Work
Samples Work Tasks Transferable Skill
Assessment Screening
Congruence   Behavioral Observation Assistive
Technology Situational Assessment OJE OJT Vocation
al Profiling Follow-up Generalized Skill
Assessment
 
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Dimensions of Assessment Activity
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Typical Methods of Assessment

• Review background information
• Observation of behavior
• Interview (individuals and others)
• Administer psychometrics
• Hands-on (work-samples)
• Conduct situational assessments/Job Tryouts
• Complete job/task analysis

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Additional Tools and Strategies for Assessment

• Types
• Portfolios
• Performance-based assessments
• Labs/experiments
• Journaling
• Project based

• Tools
• Rubrics
• Observations
• Checklists
• Integrated tasks
• Standards/criteria for success

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Promising Practices

• KWL Pre Assessment activity
• Employability checklists/evaluations
• Discrepancy Analysis
• SCANS/Equipped for the Future
• Ongoing feedback (student surveys)

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Assessment is an integral part of the career
development process. It is ongoing and can
happen anytime and anywhere.
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Career Exploration
Self Awareness
Research Internships Volunteer
OJT LMI Information Interviews
Discrepancy Analysis
Ongoing nature of career development and
assessment
Side by side comparison of self, skills, and
abilities to requirements for career of
interest.
Decision Making
Make final career decision with plan to address
discrepancies
Self Awareness
Preparation
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Individual Roles in Career Assessment
I. Make a Prediction IndividualCounselor
TeacherVocational EvaluatorFamily member II.
Assess Vocational EvaluatorIndividualCounselorT
eacherJob Coach III. Guide Job
coachTeacher IV. Instruct Job coachEmployer V.
Coordinate CounselorFamily Job CoachVocational
Evaluator Based upon The Magic Model by Richard
Lombard
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Facilitating Transition Through Career Assessment

• Determine consumer life and career goals
• Assess current vocational interests, abilities
  and daily living skills
• Share assessment results with student and key
  people to validate information
• Identify potential barriers and support needs
• Determine what is negotiable an non-negotiable
• Develop a plan to achieve goals

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Characteristics of Good Vocational Evaluation

• Is driven by and tailored for the consumer.
• Is continuous and ongoing.
• Progress toward achieving outcomes.
• Is driven by the labor market/Non-traditional
  outcomes
• Integrates assessment of functional and
  employability.
• Is collaborative

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Group Discussion and Wrap-up

• Whats working?
• What not working?
• How do we resolve whats not working or improve?
• Future of the learning community
• Communities of practice and sharing solutions