Transcript Super Senior Project

Iowa’s Career Connections Program:
Building Satisfying Careers through
Person Centered Planning &
Intensive Community-Based Training
A Partnership between:



Grant Wood Area Education Agency
Goodwill Industries of SE Iowa
The University of Iowa Center for Disabilities &
Development
 Advancement Services of Jones County
 Rural Employment Alternatives
 Local School Districts served by GWAEA
Post High School Employment
Outcomes for SCI Program Grads
Employment
Year 1 Grads
Status of SCI (17 mo post HS)
Program Grads
Unemployed
42.9%
Employed Part
Time
Employed Full
Time
Ave. Mo./job
Year 2 Grads
(5 mo post HS
30.8%
14.3%
23%
42.9%
46.2%
7.2 mo./job
2.6 mo./job
Factors Contributing to
Disappointing Employment Outcomes
 Insufficient
work
experience
 Poor job matches
 Lack of assistance in
finding, learning and
keeping a job
What Can We Do About It?
Iowa’s Career Connections Program

21 High Schools in 19 Rural, Urban and
Suburban Iowa School Districts
 Transition services designed to produce longterm employment outcomes through:
 Person-centered planning,
 Extensive community based training and
 Individualized supports to find, learn & keep a job

Initially funded by grants from the US Dept.
of Education, Office of Sp. Educ. Programs
How is Career Connections Organized?





Program administered by Grant Wood AEA
Community agencies provide transition services through a
subcontract with Grant Wood AEA
– Goodwill Industries of SE Iowa
– UI Center for Disabilities & Development
– Advancement Services of Jones County
– Rural Employment Alternatives
Program serves students in the “Middle Range” of the
disability continuum
Transition services begin in students’ senior year and
continue into a 5thyear
Districts billed for services provided to 5th Yr students
Career Connections Referral Considerations
CC serves students in the “Middle Range” of the
disability severity continuum
 Participants must:






Have an IEP
Need short-term (<12 mo) additional job training
Learn multi-step tasks thru modeling/verbal cues
Want to work in a community job
Participants should NOT:
 Require long-term training/support to learn/keep employment
 Require academic training alone to learn/keep employment
 Exhibit noncompliance or aggressive verbal/physical behavior
CC Elements & Process
Last Q of Senior Yr


Career Interest
Inventories/
Assessments
Person Centered
Career Planning
(PCCP)
5th Year
 Job shadows/tryouts w/updated
PCCP
 Short-term work experiences
w/updated PCCP
 Ideal Job Match ID’d
 20-40 hr/wk paid internship, with
coaching & employer support
 Additional courses/job training
tailored to ideal job
 Off-site support/training
/counseling
 Time limited follow-along support
 Graduation; Maintenance of job
into adulthood
Additional CC Services
•
•
•
•
•
Resume Writing
Job Search/Apps
Interview Skills
Travel Training
Nutrition
•
•
•
•
Budgeting Help
Meds Mgmt
Assistive Tech
Link to Comm.
Resources
• Daily Living Skills
Who Gets What Services?
Percentage of Students Receiving Career Connections Services
100%
95%
89%
90%
82%
84%
89%
91%
84%
78%
80%
71%
70%
65%
58%
60%
50%
40%
30%
25%
20%
13%
13%
9%
7%
10%
0%
As
T
st
h
ec
s
ed
M
t
gm
M
tin
B
ge
ud
g
g
in
n
N
io
rit
ut
ly
i
Da
v
Li
p.
s
an
Tr
in
T
in
ra
l
.
t
s
s
g
lv
an
ps
ch
ip
en
in
rra
ow
Pl
ar
w
m
So
Ap
fe
d
sh
e
r
e
e
e
a
i
n
e
S
b
r
R
ob
ac
rv
b
re
Sh
te
Jo
Pr
te
Pl
ce
In
Jo
Ca
In
vi
r
Se
ng
g
C
i
ch
oa
Meet Ryan:
A student with an “unattainable” career goal

Ryan had wanted to be
an Air Force pilot since
he was 5 years old.

When the Air Force did
not accept him he
became depressed about
his future.

He thought he wasn’t
good enough for any job
and wouldn’t enjoy what
he’d wind up doing.
Helping Ryan Explore His Interests

Ryan and CC staff explored Ryan’s hobbies,
interests, learning styles, & work preferences.

Through discussions and interest inventories,
Ryan realized why he liked the Air Force:
– wearing a uniform
– having rules and structure
– serving the community

Job shadows offering those elements were
arranged:
– refueling airplanes,
– following a security alarm technician
– fire fighters, construction workers & others

Ryan also visited the local community college to
learn of other opportunities.
Helping Ryan Achieve His Vision
…But in a Different Way

Shadowing helped prioritize job preferences.
 Ryan learned to complete job apps, set up
interviews, and interview.
 Ryan interviewed & was hired by a security firm
 He worked at a manufacturing plant, wore a
uniform, had a structured routine and was
responsible for company safety
 He earned $9.00/hour & worked 28-32 hrs/week.
 He took an art class at the Kirkwood CC
 He began saving money for pilot training.
 Ryan became a valuable employee & increased
his self-confidence.
What Made CC Work for Ryan?

Career Connections helped
Ryan see that he had
capabilities & interests that
would prove valuable in a
number of different jobs.
 Career Connections
challenged Ryan when he had
self-defeating thoughts and
actions, and he eventually
learned to believe good things
about himself.
Meet Wesley

Began with a career
interest working
around cars, based on
his dad’s job as a car
salesman
 Had several HS work
experiences, but still
unable to identify
elements of a good job
match
Helping Wesley Develop His Vision

Wesley shadowed variety of job sites
to learn about different work
environments
 3 month internship with
professional car detailer, completed
his training program
 2 month landscaping internship
 Forklift training
 Part time dishwasher job
Wesley’s Vision
Wesley wanted:
 To work around machinery
 Physical work
 a “tough guy” job where he could get dirty
 mostly repetitive tasks with opportunities to
learn new things
 to be independent in his job, but a
co-worker close by is helpful
WESLEY”S DREAM JOB- A Dairy Farm

milks cows w/machine
 feeds calves
 moves feed & stacks hay
 operates skid loader
 checks cows for mammary diseases
 reports signs of disease, discards milk,
tailors milking system to cow’s status
 artificial insemination
 co-worker works next to him
Wesley Today






Wesley works 50 hours a week
Starts work at 3:45 am
Perfect attendance
Takes great pride in his job
Uses SCL services, funded by MR
Waiver
Plans to Exit Social Security
Benefits
Frequently Asked Questions

When are students referred to Career Connections?
– Generally, no later than February of their Senior Year

How much time do students spend in CC?
– As little as 1-3 hours per week during last trimester senior year
– 5th year varies, with goal being 20-40 hr/wk internship

Do 4th Yr students participate in graduation?
– Yes, but they remain on an IEP as a district student & do not
receive a diploma

Do students balk at not receiving diploma after 4th Yr?
– Generally not, especially once program is established

On whose roster do 5th Year students appear?
– On the roster of their 4th Year IEP manager
FAQs, Continued




Who develops & monitors the 5th Yr IEP?
– CC staff help teacher and IEP team develop 5th Yr IEP, CC
staff give teacher progress updates
– Teacher shares with parents as per IEP schedule
Do students attend the school during their 5th Year?
– Generally not, unless taking a vocationally-related high
school course or they are to touch base with teacher
What if students wish to drop out of CC during Yr 5?
– The IEP team convenes to determine if alternative
services are needed
What does the program cost?
– Varies on basis of student weighting in our system
– $6,000/$9,900/$19,800/yr for Levels 1, 2 & 3,
respectively
Summary of Outcomes

87% who enter CC stay through their 5th yr

83% who stay for 5th Year exit with a job

Only 32% who don’t complete 5th year exit with a job

59% of those who exit employed hold full-time jobs

50% of the employed exited students receive benefits
CC Outcomes: Jobs Obtained
• Concrete Finishing
• Automotive
• Drywall
• Retail
• Carpentry
• Animal Care
• Welding/Heavy Equipment
• Telemarketing
• Metal Prep/Painting
• Childcare
• Masonry
• Food Service
• Graphics
• Health Care
• Pharmacy Technician
• Janitorial
• Security Officer
• Computer Repair
Pre/Post CC Employment Outcomes:
Hours/Week Worked
35
31.5
30.5
29.2
30
25
20
Pre CC Hrs/wk
15
10
5.6
5.8
5.8
Post CC Hrs/wk
5
0
CC North
CC South
CC Average
427% Increase
Pre/Post CC Employment Outcomes:
Hourly Wage
$8.34
9
$8.02
$7.68
8
7
6
5
Pre CC Hrly Wage
Post CC Hrly Wage
4
3
2
$2.52
$2.15
$1.81
1
0
CC North
CC South CC Average
272% Increase
Pre/Post CC Employment Outcomes:
Monthly Wages
$1175
1200
$1093
$1025
1000
800
Pre CC Monthly
Wages
Post CC Monthy
Wages
600
400
200
$148
$147
$150
0
CC North
CC South
CC Average
628% Increase
How To Start Career Connections







Convene a work group of school & community stakeholders
Review Career Connections materials provided
Visit to Career Connections program/Invite presentation
Determine who will administer program & provide services
 School district?
AEA?
 Community College?
Adult service agency?
Identify potential candidate pool & sp. ed. weighting level
Project first year costs
Determine how you will fund the program
– Weighted special education dollars?
– At-risk funding?
VR funding?
Other ?
Billing Districts for CC Services


Unit Cost Multiplier based on student
weighting & service time (chart right)
Determine single unit cost:
Student Level
– Multiply # 5th Yr students @ L1, L2, L3 by
unit multiplier & sum # units
– Divide program cost by number of units to
derive Single Unit Cost (SU Cost)
– Multiply SU Cost by 1.0 for L1 billing rate,
1.65 for L2 and 3.3 for L3 (lower chart right)

Interagency Agreement specifies:
– School/CC Program responsibilities
– Billing process & rate for half-Yr students

Bill districts as per agreement
stipulations
UC Multiplier
L1
1.0
L2
1.65
L3
3.3
Level:
L1
Billing:
$6,006
Districts Get
$9,173
L2
$9,910
$11,786
L3
$19,820
$20,052
Interested In Starting Your Own
Career Connections Program?
We Can Provide:





Site Visit Opportunities
Phone/E-mail
consultation
Written Information
Funding Information
Planning Assistance






Contact Information:
Lauri Jennisch
[email protected]
319.358.6263
800-854-0446 ext 6263
200 Holiday Road
Coralville, IA 52241-1178
Career Connections was supported in part by grant # H324R010020 and H324M010097 from the US
Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs to Grant Wood Area Education
Agency. No official Endorsement of the opinions expressed here should be inferred