Pam Leconte, CVE

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Career Assessment An Intervention of for
Secondary Students

• Pam Leconte, CVE
• George Washington University
• National Community of Practice on Transition
• Lisa Blakeney, CVE
• Vocation Validation
• Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance
  Network
• Hershey, PA
• April 16, 2009

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Learning Objectives

• Participants will
• Learn about the career assessment process
• Learn assessment techniques for career
  exploration in partnership with CTE instructors
• Practice informal assessment activities
• Describe the necessity of triangulating
  information for validity
• Share career assessment techniques used in
  Pennsylvania and elsewhere

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Self Awareness through Career Assessment
Evolving Spiral Of Growth
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Schools are preventing students from evolving in
their spirals of growth

• Students are not engaged in relevant activities
• They do not see connections between what is being
  taught and what they want to do
• They are being discouraged from participating in
  CTE
• They have less options/course alternatives in
  school
• Schools focused on competency and exit exams are
  not integrating career development transition
  into curricula
• Career education, counseling, and development
  have lost ground in todays schools

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System Change is Needed

• Most students do not participate in career
  assessment processes
• Schools do not have a systematic, responsive
  process
• Administrators are focused elsewhere
• Counselors have some training, but are too busy
  (Hughes Karp, 2004)
• Teachers do not have training (personal
  communications) and are too busy
• Families struggle to know what to do
• Many youth are floundering and failing

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Status of Students in U.S. Schools

• Floundering far into adulthood regarding career
  goals, direction, and development
• Disengaging from formal learning

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Why do we need career assessment?
www.edweek.org
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What is Career Assessment?

• Someone volunteer..

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Career Assessment

• A process of gathering relevant information to
  plan, evaluate, or make career decisions.
• Data can be derived from a number of sources
  over a period of time.
• Occurs within a career development
• context and involves multiple sources!

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Three Levels of Assessment(Originates from
vocational assessment)

• Screening and Needs Assessment
• Exploration
• Comprehensive Assessment (e.g., vocational
  evaluation)

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Level OneScreening and Needs Assessment
For everyone

• The initial process designed to arrive at a
  decision for providing additional services. This
  assessment typically consists of interviews,
  limited psychometrics (e.g., questionnaires,
  inventories), and reviewing background
  information.
• If more information is needed or questions
  emerge, Level Two should be initiated.

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Level TwoExploratory For some

• This intermediate process involves detailed
  review of background information, in-depth
  vocational interviewing and counseling, and/or
  additional psychometrics or career exploration.
  It may also include transferable skills analysis,
  job matching, and labor market investigation,
  and/or community mapping.
• If more information is needed or questions
  emerge, Level Three should be initiated.

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Level ThreeComprehensive Assessment (vocational
evaluation) for individuals facing the greatest
transition, career, and vocational challenges or
barriers. (according to national reports, we
have many)

• This process systematically uses real or
  simulated work or real-life experiences as the
  focal point for assessment and career
  exploration. One purpose is to assist individuals
  in career and vocational development. The
  profiler(or vocational evaluator) synthesizes
  data from all team members, including if
  necessary, medical, psychological, economic,
  cultural, social and
• vocational information.

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Levels of Transition, Career Vocational
Assessment

• Levels of Service
• Level III comprehensive career
  assessment/vocational evaluation.
• Level II diagnostic and prognostic,
  exploration, go onto next level if more
  information is needed to make decisions.
• Level I make quick decisions minimal
  assessment required, go on to next level if more
  information is required.

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Who Provides Three Levels of Services?

• Counselors
• Teachers, including CTE Instructors
• Community service providers
• Employers or service learning supervisors
• Work experience coordinators
• Vocational Evaluators or Assessment Specialists
• Transition coordinators (for students with
  disabilities)
• Parents and family members
• Youth
• Others who have relevant experience, vested
  interest in the
• student, and have received some type of
  orientation or
• training.

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Which levels of career assessment do you provide
and to which students?

• Level I??
• Level II??
• Level III??

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The Assessment Framework

• The Individual and his or her attributes
• Present, past, future ecologies
• Congruence or Positive Matches
• Known as compatibility or discrepancy analysis
  process.

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Framework for Transition and Career Assessment

• Examples of an Individuals Attributes
• Interests
• Level of Career Development
• Level of Career Maturity
• Temperaments
• Skills
• Preferences (Learning styles, etc.)
• Needs
• Strengths
• Attitudes
• Aptitudes
• Values Satisfiers

• Examples of Ecological Attributes
• Environments
• Circumstances
• Relationships
• Situations
• Resources (including support
• networks)

• Individual Ecology Congruence

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Assessment is an Intervention in and of
itself

• Definition of intervention the action or
  process of coming between or altering a result
  or course of events action being taken to
  improve a situation. Individuals change as a
  result of assessment.

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Assess the individual and all attributes

• Goals
• Values
• Temperaments
• Strengths
• Needs
• Functional levels
• Level of self-determination
• Level of career development maturity
• Self-concept esteem

• Motivators
• Interests
• Abilities and can dos
• Learning style preferences
• Multiple intelligences
• Worker traits and behaviors
• Aptitudes
• Potential barriers to goals

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(No Transcript)
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Assess the individuals ecologies

• Present, Past, and Future
• Environments
• Circumstances
• Situations
• Relationships
• Personal Support Systems
• Resources (vocational, community, financial,
  governmental, educational, etc.)

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Ecological Career Assessment

• Finances and/or means for living
• Scholarships, loans, etc.
• Transportation
• Social Support Networks
• Living situation
• Advocate(s) Touchstone
• Employment
• Healthcare

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What process do you have in place currently?

• To assess the students attributes?
• To assess the students present and future
  ecologies?
• To determine if assessment was useful and
  generated needed information for planning and
  decision making?
• Who can provide this data?

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Environment   Observations Interviews Labor
Market Inventory Task Analysis Training
Analysis Community Resource Survey Job
Analysis Community Living Analysis
Individual   Background information Interviews Sta
ndardized tests Curriculum based assessment
techniques Performance samples Behavioral
observation techniques Situational Assessments
Congruence   Behavioral Observation Assistive
Technology Situational Assessment OJE OJT Vocation
al Profiling Follow-up Generalized Skill
Assessment
 
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Methods of Career Assessment

• Use of computerized data bases www.doleta.gov,
  ONET, OASYS, etc.
• On-going feedback, interaction with the evaluee
• Vocational profiles
• V.E. Reports conferencing

• Computerized exploration and assessments
• Computerized assessment batteries
• Web searches for labor market information,
  research on the individual and potential matches

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Methods (continued)

• Commercially-produced evaluation systems MECA
• New Concepts
• VALPAR
• VIEWS
• KEVAS
• SAGE, etc.

• Community-based assessments
• Job shadowing
• Situational assessment
• On-the-job evaluations
• Job Try-outs
• Functional Skills assessments

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Methods of Career Assessment

• Support network analysis
• Community-mapping
• E-assessments via the web (interests,
  temperaments, values)

• Multiple intelligence assessments
• e-portfolios

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Triangulation of Methods and Information
Expressed
Tested
Current Relevant Valid
Demonstrated
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• ALL assessment results must be validated!

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Triangulation in Community Based Vocational
Assessment
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Universal Guidelines for Assessment

• Principles of Vocational Evaluation
• Use a variety of methods techniques
• Triangulate findings
• Behavior observation personal interaction are
  essential to the process
• Process is on-going developmental
• Is required to make decisions plan
• Never stands aloneit is integral to larger
  service systems or processes

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Universal Guidelines for Assessment

• Principles of vocational evaluation
• Results must be used to have value for consumers
• Requires collaboration multiple sources of
  input
• Must be current, valid, and relevant
• Must be grounded in vocational work contexts
• Is a process, not a product
• Is systematic and organized, but flexible
• Position Paper of the Interdisciplinary Council
  on Vocational Assessment and Evaluation
  www.vecap.org

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Essentials of Career Assessment

• Multiple factors of the individual and his/her
  ecologies will be assessed
• The individual will participate, provide input,
  and help direct the assessment process
• The process will be sensitive to cultural,
  linguistic, ethnic and other environmental
  considerations
• The process will include vocationally relevant
  observations and temperament factors
• Assessment will be provided in a universally
  designed framework (this includes provision of
  assistive technology if necessary)
• Results will be synthesized and interpreted in
  written and oral forms that are understandable to
  the individual

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How does it help students?

• discover and explore their career interests
  hands on

• make a direct connection between current work
  behaviors and the working world

• gain an understanding of their unique vocational
  strengths

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Life Transitions

• Participants remember
• Someone shares
• Each juncture on the Universal Career Pathway
  denotes a transition

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Types of Assessment

• Transition Assessment relates to all life roles
  and the supports needed before, during, and after
  transition to adult life it serves as an
  umbrella for career and vocational assessment and
  evaluation.
• Career Assessment relates to life-long career
  development, which affects life roles, and is
  ongoing throughout ones life.
• Vocational Assessment and Evaluation relate to
  the role of the potential worker (and employment).

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National Attention to Transition for All Students

• Freshman Transition Initiative
• Replacing no child left behind with student
  self-sufficiency
• Promoting self-sufficiency in 8th 9th grades
  with a 10-year career and life plan
• http//www.freshmantransition.com

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Diploma Counts Report

• College Readiness
• Work Readiness
• No mention of career readiness
• (www.edweek.org)

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Domains/Content of Transition Assessment
Adulthood
Home and Family
Leisure and Pursuits
Self Determination
Personal Responsibility and Relationships
Community Involvement
Physical andEmotionalHealth
Cronin, M. E. Patton, J. R. (1993). Life skills
instruction for all students with special needs
A practical guide for integrating
real-life content into the curriculum. p 13.
Austin TX PRO-ED.
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Domains/Content of Transition Assessment
Adulthood

• Conducted within a Career Development Context
  Knowing where to begin

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To Understand Career Assessment, Learn Career
Development

• .is a lifelong process of developmental
  experiences that focuses on seeking, obtaining
  and processing information about self,
  occupational educational alternatives options
  life styles, and role options. Hansen, 1976
• is the process through which people come to
  understand themselves as they relate to the world
  of work and their role in it. NOICC, 1992

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Career Development in Education

• When provided in schools integrated in learning
• Career awareness
• Career exploration
• Career preparation
• Career synthesis and assimilation
• Career advancement and change
• Not always linear, but mosaic within spheres of
  change

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The following slides are examples of work, real
or simulated equating the third level of
assessment.

• These were provided by Nancy Scott of Portsmouth
  Public Schools in Virginia

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Electrician Work Sample
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Web Page Design
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Floral Design
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Carpentry
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Cosmetology
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Plumber
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Masonry
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Cashier Checker
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Tune-Up Mechanic
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Auto Servicing
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Work Sample Resources

• Career Tech Center Instructors
• Vocational Evaluation site visits
• VECAP Work Sample Exchange
• Web Resources

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How are the results communicated?

• Vocational Evaluation Report
• Background information
• Results of work sampling
  and testing
• Behavioral observations
• Recommendations

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Study of Vocational Evaluation Outcomes in
Virginia

• Does It Matter What Program Is Recommended ?

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Study of 2686 Students

• Completed a comprehensive vocational evaluation
• Timeframe 1987-1999
• Data from 4 sites in Virginia including Virginia
  Beach, Newport News, Suffolk and Henrico County
• Examined if the student was placed in a program
  recommended as a result of the evaluation

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Data Examined

• of students enrolled in recommended program,
  who earned grades of C or higher
• of students enrolled in programs other than
  those recommended, who did not earn grades of C
  or higher
• of students enrolled in programs other than
  those recommended, who earned grades of C or
  higher, and
• of students enrolled in programs other than
  those recommended, who did not earn grades of C
  or higher

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Results

• 1850 (68.9) were placed in program consistent
  with recommendation
• Among students placed in recommended program
  74.1 (1371 out of 1850) received a C or higher
• In contrast, students placed in non-recommended
  programs, only 53.7 (449 out of 836) earned a
  C or higher

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Virginia Follow-up Study 1999-2000
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In answer to the question of this study, Does it
Matter?

• According to the results of this study, the
  answer is a resounding YES!.
• Students placed into career education programs
  recommended as a result of the evaluation were
  much more likely to earn satisfactory grades than
  students placed in non-recommended programs

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Implications

• Results demonstrate the importance of placing
  special need students into programs consistent
  with the results of the vocational evaluation
• It is critical for decision-makers involved in
  the transition and educational process to become
  aware of the recommendations and understand the
  importance of following the recommendations

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Implications (continued)

• Given the potentially great costs of failure for
  students with special needs, it seems wise to
  channel significant resources into comprehensive
  vocational evaluations
• Our special needs students deserve their best
  chance for success lets be sure that we can
  help them to get that chance.

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Collecting Data-- Strengthening Youth Sense of
Self

• Values Activity
• Financial gain
• Friendships and relationships
• Change and variety
• Freedom
• Security
• Creativity
• Independence or autonomy
• Responsibility
• Recognition
• Moral fulfillment
• Status
• Challenge

• What other values would be important to youth?

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Collaboration in Career Assessment

• With students
• With general and special education teachers
• With school counselors
• With parents
• With CTE counselors and administrators
• With adult agency personnel (e.g., VR, community
  college, university)
• With CTE instructors
• With Work Experience/Study Employers

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Collaboration between Evaluators and CTE
Instructors

• Determine academic, behavior, and
  CTE/vocationally specific requirements
• Entrance criteria, participation requirements,
  and exit competencies
• Evaluator read texts and other materials and
  participate in entry level tasks and activities
  (e.g., how to run a bead or set hair)
• Together develop work samples (including academic
  skills requirements) and situational assessments
• Ask the CTE instructor to annually review or
  evaluate work samples or situational assessments
  to update
• Develop sequencing (simple to complex) of work
  samples or situational assessments

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Questions to Guide the Career Assessment Process

• Ask specific questions several times a year
• do we have plans for it? What are they?
• what do we assess?
• how often will we assess?
• how will we assess? What will the student
  experience?
• who is responsible and for what parts?
• is it customized for the individual student?
• do we have checkpoints and benchmarks for the
  on-going process?
• are we doing whatever it takes to assess?

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Keep Assessment a Priority

• If interested, please sign up for the National
  Career and Transition Assessment Practice Group
  
• Joan Kester
• Center for Rehabilitation Counseling Research
  Education Technical Assistance Continuing
  Education, Region 3The George Washington
  University2011 Eye Street, NW, Suite
  307Washington, DC 20052202-489-7112/202-775-0053
  (Fax)/jkester_at_gwmail.gwu.edu 
• Go to www.sharedwork.org
• Go to Transition Community of Practice
• One time only register by scrolling down
• Click PA, see it on left hand side
• Click Career Assessment).

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Career Assessment

• A process of gathering relevant information to
  plan, evaluate, or make career decisions.
• Data can be derived from a number of sources
  over a period of time.
• Occurs within a career development
• context!

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Phases of Career Assessment

• Assessment prior to planning
• On-going assessment throughout planning,
  instruction, career development, employment, and
  post-secondary preparation.
• Assessment and review to identify what worked,
  what didnt, and what to do next.
• instruction includes all school curricula,
  extra-
• curricular activities, community
  participation, etc.

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Assess within a Career Development Context
Career Journey
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Contact Information

• Michael D. Thompson
• Director of Counseling and Career Development
• Middletown Area High School
• 1155 North Union Street
• Middletown, PA 17057
• 717-948-3333, ext. 6006
• mthompson_at_raiderweb.org
• Pam Leconte, CVE
• Department of Teacher Prep Special Education
• The George Washington University
• 2134 G Street, N.W., Suite 416
• Washington, DC 20052
• pleconte_at_gwu.edu
• 202-994-1534
• Lisa Blakeney, CVE
• Vocation Validation
• P.O. Box 1147