Organizing Cooperative Education

1
Organizing Cooperative Education

• What it is!
• How to do it!

2
Work-Based Learning in Illinois

• Work-based learning academically and
  occupationally integrated learning activities and
  content needed to obtain and maintain employment
  in an occupational cluster

3
Work-Based Learning in Illinois

• Work site learning component coordinated and
  integrated with school-based learning
• Learning at work site
• Experiences ranging from occupational orientation
  through skill preparation

4
Work-Based Learning in Illinois

• Occupational Cluster includes a number of
  occupations with similar job skill requirements

5
Cooperative Education Definition

• Program of occupational education for persons
  who, through written cooperative agreements
  between school and employers, receive
  instruction, including required academic courses
  and related classroom instruction by alternation
  of study in school with a job in any occupational
  field
• Experiences planned and supervised by school

6
Cooperative Education Definition

• Instructional method combining efforts and
  resources of employment community and LEA for
  purpose of providing students with learning
  experiences that lead to development of entry or
  intermediate level job skills (Illinois Handbook)

7
Cooperative Education Characteristics

• Prepare students for realities of work
• Help them adjust and make transition from school
  to work
• Planned career development program, designed at a
  minimum to produce entry-level competence

8
Cooperative Education Characteristics

• Opportunity for employers to assist in training
  for themselves and for the occupational world
• Method whereby instructors of in-school
  occupational courses can get feedback from
  potential employers of trainees

9
Cooperative Education Characteristics

• Logical approach for pre-employment program
  designed to break poverty cycle of some youth
• Means of providing realistic opportunities to
  apply and test skills and knowledge learning in
  school

10
Work-Based Career Education Plans

• Cooperative EducationUsed in agriculture
  business, marketing, and management FCS, health,
  and technology
• Agricultural Cooperative Education (ACE)
• Cooperative Office Occupations (OO)
• Cooperative Marketing Occupations (MO)
• Health Occupations (HO)
• Home Economics and Related Occupations (HERO)
• Industrial Cooperative Education (ICE)

11
Work-Based Career Education Plans

• Work Experience and Career Exploration Program
  (WECEP)For 14- and 15-year-old at-risk students
• Special Education CoopAllows special education
  students to acquire marketable skills and
  knowledge in an occupation

12
Work-Based Career Education Plans

• Cooperative Work Training - Designed to give
  students work experience without specific career
  direction
• Interrelated Cooperative Education - All career
  areas are included in same related class and are
  coordinated by one coordinator
• Apprenticeship - Entry level employment training
  toward a career in cooperation with a labor union

13
Work-Based Career Education Plans

• Internships Work experience required in
  professional degree programs for post-secondary
  programs
• Job shadowing School-sponsored and supervised
  program in which students are placed with one or
  more employers for short period of time
  secondary and post-secondary students

14
Non-cooperative Work Programs

• Work Observation
• Observes different work for few weeks
• Not paid
• May or may not be tied to a class
• Work Exploration
• Briefly try out number of jobs
• General Work Experience
• No related class and limited school supervision

15
Decision Regarding Type of Program

• What occupational areas provide greatest
  opportunity for student employment in region?
• What occupations seem to be of greatest interest
  to students?
• What type of cooperative education will best
  serve agency students?

16
Key Characteristics of Cooperative Plans

• Refer to handout

17
History of Cooperative Education

• 1906 - Started at University of Cincinnati in
  engineering
• 1909 - HS cooperative education program started
  in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, in cooperation with
  General Electric
• 1910 HS cooperative courses established in
  Cincinnati public schools

18
History of Cooperative Education

• 1911 Experimental HS program established in
  York, Pennsylvania
• 1912 First retail cooperative training program
  in Boston HS
• 1914 Cooperative instruction established in
  Dayton Cooperative High School
• 1915 Programs established in ten New York City
  schools

19
History of Cooperative Education

• 1917 - Smith-Hughes Act
• Provided 7 million for vocational education in
  agriculture, trades and industry, home economics,
  and teacher training
• 1929 - George-Reed Act
• Authorized an increase of 1 million annually for
  four years to expand voc ed in agriculture and
  home economics

20
History of Cooperative Education

• 1934 - George-Ellzey Act
• Replaced previous legislation.
• Authorized an appropriation of 3 million
  annually for three years for agriculture, home
  economics, and trades and industry
• 1936 - George-Deen Act
• Authorized, on a continuing basis, an annual
  appropriation of 14 million for the previous
  three occupations, but added distributive
  occupations (marketing)

21
History of Cooperative Education

• 1946 - George-Barden Act
• Authorized larger appropriation (29 million) for
  voc ed in agriculture, home economics, trades and
  industry, and distributive occupations
• 1956 - George-Barden Amendments
• Added practical nursing
• Added fishery occupations

22
History of Cooperative Education

• 1958 - National Defense Education Act
• Funded technical occupations necessary to
  national defense
• Response to Sputnik I
• 1962 - Manpower Development Training Act
• Eased dislocated workers
• Assisted economically disadvantaged

23
History of Cooperative Education

• 1963 - Vocational Education Act
• Maintained, extended, and improved existing
  programs
• Provided instruction so persons of all ages would
  have access to vocational training.
• Added business education
• 1968 Vocational Education Amendments
• Mandated programs for disadvantaged and
  handicapped
• Provided consumer homemaking by contract

24
History of Cooperative Education

• 1973 - Comprehensive Employment Training Act
• Replaced Manpower Development Training Act
• Transferred decision making from DC to local and
  state governments
• 1976 - Vocational Education Amendments
• Extend, improve, and maintain existing programs
• Develop new programs
• Develop programs to overcome sex discrimination
  and stereotyping

25
History of Cooperative Education

• 1982 - Job Training Partnership Act
• Establish programs to prepare youth and unskilled
  adults for entry into labor force
• Afford job training to economically disadvantaged
  facing critical barriers to employment

26
History of Cooperative Education

• 1984 - Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act
• Expanded and enlarged existing programs and
  programmatic opportunities
• Economic goal improve skills of labor force and
  prepare adults for job opportunities
• Social goal provide equal opportunities for
  adults in vocational education
• Switched from expanding programs to improving
  programs and addressing at-risk populations

27
History of Cooperative Education

• 1990 - Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied
  Technology Education Act
• Emphasized
• Integration of academic and vocational education
• Articulation between segments of education
• Closer linkages between school and work
• Requires states to develop systems of performance
  measures and standards

28
History of Cooperative Education

• 1994 - School-to-Work Opportunities Act
• Addressed national skills shortage
• Emphasized preparing students with knowledge,
  skills, abilities and information about
  occupations and labor market to help make
  transition from school to employment
• Elements included collaborative partnerships,
  integrated curriculum, technological advances,
  adaptable workers, career guidance, work-based
  learning

29
History of Cooperative Education

• 1998 - Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical
  Education Act
• Encourage career and technical education reform,
  innovation, and improvement
• Tech prep was reauthorized
• Strengthen academic, vocational, and technical
  skills
• Provide students with strong experience in and
  understanding all aspects of an industry
• Develop, expand, or improve use of technology
• New accountability measures - performance

30
History of Cooperative Education

• Each year, the appropriation is in jeopardy and
  career and technical educators fight for their
  existence.

31
Cooperative Education

• Time for a question and answer break

32
Cooperative Education

• Shifting gears!!

33
Some Purposes of CE

• Career orientation
• Work exploration
• Economic awareness
• Work adjustment and/or personal life adjustment
• Skill development
• Upgrading skills
• Skill application
• Job placement

34
Advantages of Cooperative Education

• For the Student
• Provides closer integration of theory and
  practice
• Increases student motivation
• Develops responsibility and maturity
• Provides closer association with adults
• Establishes a base of occupational experience
• Develops work skills that cant be developed in
  school

35
Advantages of Cooperative Education

• For the Student (cont.)
• Augments financial resources
• Improves job entry and advancement
• Decreases number of early school leavers
• Enables some students to stay in school
• Offers organized plan of training in actual
  business settings
• Eases transition from school to work
• Offers career exploration
• Provides awareness of civil and social
  responsibilities

36
Advantages of Cooperative Education

• For the Employer
• Provides source for full-time employees
• Benefits from tax dollars expended
• Provides direct input into training programs
• Could reduce employee turnover
• Reduces costs of training
• Improves image and prestige
• Increases student buying power, thus sales base

37
Advantages of Cooperative Education

• For Labor
• Enables labor to help guide program with
  representation on advisory committee
• Helps assure labor market isnt flooded
• Offers pre-apprenticeship training
• Opens opportunities for part-time and evening
  classes for apprentices and journey people

38
Advantages of Cooperative Education

• For the School
• Increases working relationships with business
  community
• Adds relevance to the on-going program
• Provides facilities and equipment not in LEA
• Improves placement of program completers
• Helps to ensure program validity with regard to
  labor market demand
• Develops partnerships between community and LEA
• Expands the curriculum

39
Advantages of Cooperative Education

• For the Community
• May keep graduates in home community
• Involves community in meeting own training needs
• Reduces community problems by reducing dropout
  rates
• Produces more responsible citizens
• Improves economic climate by increasing student
  buying power
• Improves school-community relationships

40
The Teacher-Coordinator

• Effective teacher-coordinators
• Are self-starters who plan their work
• Organize time and manage resources to achieve
  objectives identified in planning process
• Bring about action to achieve those objectives
• Evaluate to determine if objectives are being
  achieved
• Manage several diverse functions simultaneously

41
The Teacher-Coordinator

• Responsible for
• Planning,
• Developing,
• Implementing,
• Operating,
• Evaluating, and
• Adjusting cooperative education plans
• AND

42
The Teacher-Coordinator

• Describing and interpreting cooperative education
  to
• Administrators,
• Faculty,
• Students,
• Staff,
• Parents, and
• The Community

43
The Teacher-Coordinator

• Administrative Duties
• Conduct annual follow-up surveys of students
• Conduct community surveys
• Complete forms and reports
• Organize and participate on advisory committees

44
The Teacher-Coordinator

• Coordination Activities
• Locate training stations
• Evaluate prospective training stations
• Student placement
• Visit training stations
• Develop training plans
• Assess student performance
• Keep log of coordination activities
• Prepare students for employment interviews

45
The Teacher-Coordinator

• Coordination Activities (cont.)
• Write letters of recommendation
• Conduct home visits if needed
• Solve student problems

46
The Teacher-Coordinator

• Public Relations Activities
• Inform civic and business groups about program
• Implement a training sponsor program
• Inform students about program
• Develop and disseminate promotional materials
• Prepare news releases
• Conduct employer-employee activity
• Complete annual reports on students

47
Teacher-Coordinator Qualifications

• Valid teaching certificate
• 24 hours in area of specialization including a
  methods course
• 2,000 hours work experience in related occupation
• Licensure, if required by law
• Six semester hours of CE coursework

48
Starting a New Program
49
New Program Activities

• Initial Planning
• Timeline for planning will be about one year
• Secure administrative approval
• Determine needs and interest in program
• Appoint steering committee
• Ascertain student interest
• Evaluate employer need, interest, and support
• Identify employment trends
• Review existing programs
• Make a decision

50
Planning a CE Program

• Step I - Secure administrative approval to
  investigate need
• Step II - Appoint steering/advisory committee
• Step III - Determine needs and wants of students
• Step IV - Determine employer needs, interests,
  and support
• Step V - Determine labor market demands and
  trends
• Step VI Consider current programs in the region

51
Step II Advisory Committees

• Types of Advisory Committees
• General Advisory Committee
• Concerned with total program
• Craft Committee
• Represents skill area
• Task Committee
• Appointed for specific purpose and for limited
  time period

52
Purposes of Advisory Committees

• Help improve public relations
• Assist coordinator in community
• Help evaluate program

• Recommend and advise
• Help determine community needs
• Explain program to public

53
How to Kill an Advisory Committee

• Choose members who have no real interest in
  program
• Do not prepare members for their role
• Let one or two people talk the meeting to death
• Fail to ask them for advice and help
• Fail to prepare an agenda
• Fail to thank them for their work

54
Advantages of an Advisory Committee

• Link between school and community
• Brings prestige to work education
• Provides opportunity to determine real training
  needs of community
• Keep your program up-to-date
• Give support and advice

55
Appointments to Advisory Committee

• Should be made by administration (however, you
  will recommend members)
• Members will come from (you name them)
• Local Chamber
• Professional organizations
• Civic clubs
• Labor organizations
• Faculty
• Students or former students
• Community, business, or industry

56
Activities of an Advisory Committee

• Help locate training stations
• Develop employment opportunities
• Set criteria for student selection
• Recommend instructional materials

57
Activities of Advisory Committee

• Set local training standards
• Help relate instruction to community needs
• Assist with training plans and agreements
• Publicize program
• Set evaluation criteria

58
Policies for Advisory Committee

• Profile of school and student body
• Philosophy regarding Career and Technical
  Education
• School policy regarding advisory committees
• Outline of purpose and function of different
  types of advisory committees
• Duties of advisory committee

59
Policies for Advisory Committee

• Criteria and selection method for members
• Number and term of members
• Channels of communication
• Duties of chairperson
• Duties of school representatives
• Number of meetings (usually three)
• Handling of committee minutes

60
Number of Members

• Not more than 12, including ex-officio school
  members
• Small committees typically meet more often and
  accomplish more work
• Some members may serve on general and
  occupational advisory committees

61
Duties of Members

• Chairperson - Should be a community member who
  will work closely with coordinator to plan and
  who will conduct effective meetings
• Vice-Chairperson - Should work closely with chair
  so that he/she can take over in absence of chair

62
Duties of Members

• Secretary - Usually furnished by school and is
  not a member of committee
• Takes minutes and works with coordinator to
  disseminate minutes
• Performs other duties to assist chair, vice
  chair, and coordinator

63
Advisory Committee Meetings

• Schedule meetings well in advance
• Mail agenda at least two weeks before
  meetinggive details of meeting location, time,
  and other important information
• Check meeting room and arrangements
• Secure equipment and supplies needed
• Prepare name cards or name tags

64
Advisory Committee Meetings

• Preparing an agenda
• Make an agenda for the first advisory committee
  meeting that you will have to determine if a
  cooperative education program would be beneficial
  for LEA

65
Advisory Committee Meetings

• Preparing an agenda
• Make an agenda for the second advisory committee
  meeting that you will have to follow up the first

66
Regular Advisory Meetings

• Prepare an agenda for a regular advisory
  committee meetingthis would be like one used
  after the program is up and running

67
Initial Meeting Agenda

• Call to Order..Temporary Chair
• Welcome School Official
• Introductions.. Members
• Purpose of Committee. Coordinator
• Orientation to CE.. Coordinator
• Elect Officers..... School Official
• Appoint Subcommittees...Coordinator
• Date for Next Meeting. Coordinator
• Adjournment. Coordinator

68
Second Meeting Agenda

• Call to Order. Chair
• Employment Subcommittee Report SubCmte Chair
• Student Subcommittee Report. SubCmte Chair
• Discussion and Vote on Desirability of Offering
  CE.. Chair
• Develop CE Philosophy and Goals. Chair
• Identify Students to be Served.................
  ... Chair
• Generate Recommendations on Staffing, Scheduling,
  and Facilities Chair
• Develop Recommended Plan of Action... Chair
• Next Meeting. Chair
• Adjournment.. Chair

69
Regular Meeting Agenda

• Call to Order Chair
• Progress Report.. Coordinator
• Committee Reports Chairs
• Next Meeting Dates .. Chair
• Assignment of Tasks .... Chair
• Adjournment Chair

70
Problems Suited to Committee Action

• How to proceed when an objective has been
  determined and the course of action must be
  decided
• Areas of technical assistance where solutions are
  being sought
• Areas where members have a professional or
  economic interest
• Assignments which result in concrete results
  public relations or evaluation

71
Tips on Creating Activities

• Give the group something to do
• Recognize large committees do not function well
• Dont belittle ideas of business representatives
• Have selected cooperative students meet with
  committee

72
Activities for Committee

• Speakers - Prepare list of resource people
• Expansion Suggest and arrange contacts for
  business people in which good training stations
  may be developed
• Equipment Instructional Materials Locate new
  and unused equipment. Can also arrange to
  collect instructional materials from
  businesspeople handbooks, manuals, trade
  journals, etc.

73
Making the Committee Function

• What are some suggestions that you might have to
  make your advisory committee an effective and
  functioning body?

74
Changing Gears Again!!!
75
Step IIIConducting a Student Needs Assessment
76
Student Needs

• Former Students (graduates and dropouts)
• Occupations held
• Periods of unemployment
• Income level
• Education/training attained after high school
• Would they have participated in CE?

77
Student Needs

• Current Students
• Career plans
• Education plans
• Occupational goals
• Financial needs
• Jobs currently held
• Do current programs meet students needs?

78
Student Needs

• Future Students
• What are they interested in studying?
• What are their career goals?
• What are their financial needs?
• What are their favorite subjects?
• How many are interested in work?
• Where would they like to work?
• How do parents/guardians feel about work
  education?

79
Develop a Student Interest Survey(Sample on CD)
80
Steps IV and V Conducting a Community Survey

• Community surveys are used to determine need and
  support in local community
• A good survey instrument is
• No more than a couple of pages
• Doesnt take too long to complete
• Logical and easily understood

81
Basic Items on a Community Survey

• Employment status of business
• Number of workers
• Demographics of workers
• Annual replacements
• Recruitment sources
• Employment needs in next five years

82
Basic Items on a Community Survey

• Employment opportunities in area
• Number of employees currently needed
• Number of employees needed in next five years
• Wage and hour information
• Union restrictions
• Skills and requirements
• Advancement opportunities

83
Basic Items on a Community Survey

• Placement opportunities for coop students
• On-the-job training opportunities
• Trainee requirements

84

• Develop a Community Survey
• (Sample on CD)

85
(No Transcript)
86
Labor Market Demands Trends

• Secondary Sources
• Illinois Occupational Information Coordinating
  Committee
• Dept. of Commerce and Community Affairs
• Dept. of Employment Security
• Illinois Job Service
• Illinois State Board of Education
• Labor Unions
• Chamber of Commerce

87
Step VI Consider Current Programs

• Will the proposed program supplement, complement,
  or compete with other programs already offered in
  region?
• Research should have determined need
• Keep in mind decision should be based on student
  need and community resources

88
Long Range Planning/Policy Setting

• Gather background data from experts
• State Board of Education
• Consultants
• National organizations
• Research centers

89
Long Range Planning/Policy Setting

• Gather local information
• Employment trends (more than just interest
  surveys)
• State and local job service information
• Job analysis surveys

90
Long Range Planning/Policy Setting

• Develop program goals/objectives
• What the expectations are for the program
• Utilize the data gathered previously

91
Long Range Planning/Policy Setting

• Identify resources
• Sources of revenue and amounts
• Sources of people power
• Determine facilities available
• Identify equipment needs

92
Long Range Planning/Policy Setting

• Develop a systematic plan
• How do we get to where we want to go?
• What activities are needed?
• What policies need to be established?
• How do we evaluate progress?
• How do we change plans?
• What are our deadlines?

93
Long Range Planning/Policy Setting

• Make assumptions about program
• Enrollments
• Community needs
• Changing technology
• Occupational growth
• Special populations
• Funding
• Personnel

94
Long Range Planning/Policy Setting

• Plan time lines
• Determine start and finish times for activities
• Plot time lines on a chart
• 12 month chart
• Gantt chart
• Flow chart
• Activity chart

95
Long Range Planning/Policy Setting

• Resource planning chart
• Used to plan for resources needed to operate
  program
• Activities and procedures
• Activities and action steps to accomplish
  objectives

96
Program Planning Time-Line

• An example of a program planning time-line can be
  found on your materials CD. It is the time-line
  printed in the Illinois Handbook.

97
Policy Statements

• Policies guiding operation of program could
  include following types
• What to do if a student misses school but goes to
  work
• Minimum and maximum number of hours to work (10
  and 20)
• Granting of credit
• Consent to change jobs
• What to do if a student is fired

98
Policy Statements

• Work requirements on holidays and when school is
  not in session
• Reports to be filed by the teacher/coordinator
• Travel reimbursement
• Advisory committees
• Assignment of grades
• Training station visits at least once a month
• Coordinator contracts - extended
• Required records of activities by T/C

99
Group Activity

• Issues That May Arise

100
End of Power Point One