Salem High School
Salem, Missouri
Teacher: John
Hendricks
West Canada Valley
Central School District
By Cori Davidson
Through a cooperative effort, parents, community, and the West
Canada Valley School District are committed to preparing responsible, caring, and
productive citizens. With a commitment to
excellence, they will provide an atmosphere in which all students can reach their highest
potential. The West Canada Valley School
District School-to-Work Program will prepare all students from kindergarten to 12TH. The students will learn to understand the positive
connection between education, gainful employment, career advancement and living productive
lives.
The West Canada Valley School-to-Work Plan is to have all
teachers be aware of the district’s School-to-Work goals in order to build upon and
enhance existing programs. They want to
provide on-going teacher training in School-to-Work, cooperative learning, technology and
portfolio development to assist teachers in helping students accomplish their goals. The
School also wants to provide opportunities for teachers and staff to gain awareness on
various aspects of the world of work perspectives. The school district wants to expand
opportunities for students to become involved in community School-to-Work programs. They
also want to provide the necessary course work and instructional programs to ensure
student success in the School-to-Work program. One more thing the school district wants to
do is provide School-to- Work program coordination and guidance services to all students.
On the Elementary level the students have to understand the role
of work and understand their role as workers. They also have to acquire basic knowledge
about different occupations and become aware of community workers. Another thing the
students have to do on the elementary level is visit community sites. The teacher on the
elementary level has to introduce the concept of school as work and students as workers.
They need to provide connective activities which bridge school to work, and simulate a
work environment through cooperative learning strategies.
On the Middle School/Jr High level the students need to discover
their abilities and interests and understand how to make decisions. They also need to know
how to formulate educational plans and understand the relationship between working and
learning. Students at this Middle School/Jr High level need to expand their understanding
of job opportunities through exploration activities. The teachers on this level need to
integrate career development and continue to develop professional knowledge of economic
employment situations. Teachers need to also integrate academic and vocational education
and implement career competencies program by area and level
On the High School level students need to occupationally
specific skills, master workplace basics, and apply academic theory to real work
situations. The teachers need to incorporate career development activities of general
value within the classroom and continue to develop knowledge and training. Teachers need
to collaborate with the school counselor. The teachers also need to connect work-based
learning with school-based learning.
This project covers a region known as the Mohawk Valley in
Central New York. Six Counties are included: Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison,
Montgomery, and Oneida. The problem is the
United States lacks a formal school-to-work transition system. For most young people this transition is becoming
more difficult. Some young people cannot
understand the relevance of their classroom instruction to jobs or careers. To help smooth
the transition from school-to-work and improve long-term employment opportunities,
Congress passed the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. This act emphasized the integration
of classroom instruction with work-based learning. The
act provides states with funds for designing school-to-work systems to better prepare all
students for their education and future careers. [Back]