Instructional Toolkits

This document provides information that Local Education Agencies (LEAs) may use when establishing or expanding independent study programs.

Independent study allows high school students to pursue knowledge that is not offered in an existing course with less supervision than is provided in a regular classroom setting. Successful completion of an independent study generally results in credit toward graduation.

Pennsylvania School Code regarding independent study programs does not exist.

Independent study programs are designed to offer students an opportunity to further their knowledge in a topic that is not offered within the school’s curriculum. Students elect to engage in an independent study; administrators do not mandate it as a decision of last resort. Students who choose an independent study must be self-motivated and able to meet all stated outcomes with minimal supervision. Generally, the student proposes a topic and outlines the way in which he/she will acquire and demonstrate the knowledge. A credentialed staff member is assigned to act as an advisor for the project.

State policy for independent study does not exist in Pennsylvania; however, it appears that most districts offer independent study to high school students only. Students choose independent study in lieu of attending a class. In other words, independent study is not used for scheduling purposes but rather is an opportunity for students to pursue knowledge that is not offered in an existing class. Further, independent study programs in Pennsylvania are not a full-time option nor do they override compulsory attendance requirements. Students in Pennsylvania who are unable to attend school due to health problems or other qualifying issues are offered homebound instruction . Students who wish to pursue independent study full-time as an alternative to required school attendance should consider home education.

The number of credits assigned to an independent study is determined by the advisor or is stated in the district’s school board policy. In either case, it is based on the nature and scope of the planned work.

Independent study is an instructional approach that puts the student in charge of his or her learning, allowing the student to select and study a topic in order to strengthen a college application, prepare for a future job, or pursue a personal interest. Independent study responds to students’ interests, aptitudes, and abilities within the confines of school board policy and allows students to learn at an accelerated or slower pace than is possible in a classroom setting. Independent study is especially appropriate for seniors who have exhausted the available course offerings in their desired area.

However, independent study is not a viable option for all students. In fact, an independent study may be more challenging than a traditional course because the student is working without peer support and is responsible for staying on track without teacher reminders or outlines. In California, where independent study is a full-time option, it “…is expected to be equal or superior in quality to classroom instruction.” Those interested in pursuing independent study should ask themselves the following questions:

• How motivated am I?
• Do I know what my curriculum will be? Am I prepared to design my own course?
• Do I have time to complete the work?
• Am I able to work and learn alone?

The range of independent study topics is as broad and diverse as students’ interests. Following are independent study examples from Phillips Academy Andover:

• English – The completion of a short novel that centers on youth, rejuvenation, and new horizons.
• Psychology – Exploring attitudes toward eating disorders and how they adversely affect the treatment of eating disorder patients.
• History – An examination of genocide in the 20th century through the work of those who spoke out against it, including Samantha Power.
• Foreign Language – Through the reading of three novels and analysis of relevant films, tracing the concept of the prostitute in the pages of Arab literature and the eyes of the culture itself.
• Chemistry – Study the synthesis of organic materials and the reaction mechanisms behind the synthesis, including nucleophilic substitution, reactions involving enolates, cycloaddition reactions, and actions involving aromatic heterocycles.
• Art – Create small-scale special effects in film, focusing primarily on Adobe After Effects, and briefly exploring the power of Autodesk Maya and/or 3D Studio Max.
• Math/Computer Science – The learning of Object Oriented Programming languages by familiarization with the programming language Objective C (the language of iPhone/iPod touch application development).

Data is unavailable to report the number of Pennsylvania students who engage in independent study each year. The six districts that were contacted for the purposes of obtaining data were unable to provide definitive numbers and reported that zero to 10 students each year complete an independent study.

Pennsylvania legislation does not address independent study programs. The development of such programs is accomplished at the local level where the school board’s authority to approve the program exists. Further, it is the school board’s authority to determine the credit that is awarded for the program based on students’ performance.

School-Level Implementation.

This section includes information and suggestions for implementing effective independent study programs.

A review of high school independent study programs across the country indicate that the following components may be considered best practice:

• A district’s independent study program is clearly defined in writing and includes expectations, procedures, and assessment; the program has school board approval.
• Independent study is not imposed on students; students elect to engage in this instructional approach.
• Students propose the topic, learning objectives, and learning approach/activities.
• The independent study is substantially equivalent to or exceeds the quality and quantity of classroom instruction. Students’ work should reflect an alignment with academic standards.
• A written agreement is developed and approved by the school board. All students engaging in independent study must complete and fulfill the agreement.
• Independent study does not replace an existing course nor is it an alternative curriculum.
• A credentialed staff member acts as the students’ advisor throughout the independent study. If an independent study advisor is expected to have several advisees, he/she should have scheduled time to meet with each of the students or be provided with a stipend to meet with each of the students after school.
• Students engaged in independent study should have ample opportunities to communicate with their advisor.

Within Pennsylvania, there appears to be little to no cost associated with independent study programs.

Fulfilling Equity Goals

Independent study programs must be equally accessible to all students provided they demonstrate the ability to work independently and are motivated to gain knowledge in an area that is not offered through a school course. A written recommendation from at least one current teacher is advised. School districts should determine a minimum grade level for eligibility.

To ensure that all students have equal access, districts should sufficiently share the independent study program with parents and include it in the school’s catalog of courses.

Student Supports

Students engaged in independent study have access to the existing services, resources and equality of rights and privileges as other students. Students have ample access to their advisor as outlined in the independent study agreement that may include a combination of one-on-one meetings, email, and other forms of communication. The frequency of student-advisory meetings may be increased or decreased based on the advisor’s assessment of progress.

In Pennsylvania, many districts have an independent study program in place. Examples include the following:

Central York High School

“The Independent Study Program is designed for students who have demonstrated a high degree of motivation and the ability to work independently, and who have interest in furthering their knowledge in a specific area.

For a student to qualify for Independent Study, the student must have successfully completed all courses in the Core Academy, and have progressed to the Career Academy of his or her choice.”

Conestoga High School

As part of the district’s “…commitment to the empowerment of self-directed learners, independent study allows students to pursue topics not offered within the regular Conestoga High School curriculum. A preapproved Independent Study Agreement is a commitment between a student and a teacher that establishes learning outcomes, timeline of study and how the learning will be assessed. Typically, an independent study course is graded on an O, S, N, U basis and is awarded .25 or .5 credit.

Students must consult a faculty member in the department from which an independent study is being sought, the school counselor, and his/her parent or guardian. It is then the student’s responsibility to develop a proposal according to the outline on the back of this form. When the student has completed the proposal, an appointment must be made with an assistant principal to explain the purpose of the independent study.”

Parkland School District

“Independent study programs are intended to supplement the curriculum already established by each of the major discipline areas at Parkland High School. An independent study is intended to encompass rigorous learning activities for students who have a strong desire to study a subject in depth. Students interested in securing an independent study must contact prospective teachers to collaborate on a proposed course outline including goals and objectives that must be accomplished by the end of the course. The independent study contract must also identify appropriate resource materials and define strategies by which the student can successfully master the stated objectives. The following guidelines must be followed when requesting independent study programs:

1. Independent study programs will not be approved for courses that are already offered in the master schedule.
2. Independent study programs will not be assigned a weighted grade unless the program being offered is an advanced placement or honors course not offered through the master schedule. Administrative approval is required for all independent study course requests.
3. Independent study program contracts must be completed prior to the start of the semester in which the course is being taught.
4. Only one independent study program will be approved for a student each semester.
5. Independent study programs do not replace selected courses on a student’s academic schedule. An independent study is considered an addition to the required courses needed for a complete academic schedule.

All independent study programs will operate under the supervision of a faculty member with prior written approval of the principal or counselor. Requests for independent study programs should be submitted to your school counselor during the regular registration period established for all course selections for the upcoming school year. Credit will be granted for the independent study program only if an approved contract is on file in the Counseling Office. Independent study program grades will be recorded each marking period and a final grade will appear on the student’s high school transcript.”

Pennsbury School District

“Independent Study is a series of learning experiences, activities and/or projects by self- motivated students who are eager to learn on their own with the supervision of a professional staff member. The student interested in Independent Study must be willing to accept responsibility, be intellectually curious, and have goals that extend beyond meeting minimum requirements in and out of school. In order to receive a grade all course work must be completed according to the course guide.

Independent Study is utilized when a student has exhausted the available course offerings within the requested content area. By providing for the interest and needs of individuals, independent study allows students the opportunity to pursue topics, interests, or experiences beyond the present course offerings. In addition, independent study should broaden the students’ horizons and offer them the opportunity to make valuable independent decisions.

All applications for independent study must be made by May 1. A student interested in independent study picks up the Independent Study Information Packet in the School Counseling Office.

Students are encouraged to discuss the independent study option with their school counselor before submitting an application. After reviewing this packet, a student completes the Independent Study Application form and should identify the staff member being requested to serve as the mentor. The student submits the application form to his or her counselor. If the application falls within the approved parameters of independent study, the counselor forwards the form to the prospective staff member. If the counselor has concerns about the application, he or she will conference with the student.

After the application is forwarded to the staff member, he or she will decide whether to serve as the student’s mentor for the independent study. Staff members are not obligated to participate in independent study and cannot be directed to provide independent study for students. If the staff member approves the application, he or she will forward the application to the Curriculum Coordinator for approval. Upon review the Coordinator will return the application to the counselor for final review by the Principal. If the application is declined at any level, the counselor will notify the student.

Students should keep in mind that because of illness, resignation or retirements, there is no guarantee that a staff member will be able to fulfill the role of mentor in an independent study. In cases where the staff member is no longer available, the counselor will contact the student. The student will have to schedule a traditional course or pursue another mentor.”

Other states have similar independent study programs as illustrated by the following examples:

Montville Township High School, New Jersey

Following is information taken directly from the Montville Township High School website: The district promotes their independent study program as “…an educational experience based on self-motivation, personal commitment, and in individualized approach to learning. It provides students with the opportunity to work in areas and in a depth that would be impossible in the regular classroom setting. Independent Study is designed for those students who wish to pursue advanced or additional study in a particular subject area where they have exhausted all course offerings or the study of interest in not available through a course offering.” Further, independent study is available only to “…students who have demonstrated academic or skill proficiencies, maturity of judgment, a strong motivation to learn, and self-reliance…” Students may engage in an independent study alone or with a group of students and the project must relate directly to at least one of the New Jersey Core Content Standards. The following procedures are outlined for students:

1. Students who are interested in pursuing Independent Study/Research should discuss this with their counselor during course selection. The counselor will verify that the student qualifies for Independent Study by checking grades in the respective subject area. The student must have A’s and B’s (or high performance indicators) in all related courses.
2. The counselor will provide the student with the Independent Study application and explain the process.
3. The student must recruit a teacher who is willing to advise and supervise his/her Independent Study. Teachers who assume this responsibility do so in addition to all their normal teaching responsibilities. This is a voluntary option for teachers and they are in no way obligated to participate. The student and teacher/advisor will work jointly to develop a plan for the Independent Study.
4. The applicant and teacher/advisor will develop work and evaluative schedules in which the student’s Independent Study will be monitored from beginning to end.
5. The applicant must fill out the Independent Study application in consultation with the teacher/advisor. The application must be typed. A copy of the plan, along with appropriate documentation is to be given to the student’s school counselor after the application/proposal is complete with appropriate signatures (see deadline dates).
6. The student must obtain the approval of his/her parents/guardians, and the case manager (if applicable) before submitting to the school counselor. The school counselor will review the application to determine accuracy and that all information is complete before signing and submitting to the Department Supervisor. If the application is not complete and/or accurate, it will be returned to the student for revisions.
7. The Department Supervisor will share the completed application with the Director of School Counseling for approval. Once this is done, the Director of School Counseling will forward the application to the Principal for final approval. The student must receive written approval before starting an Independent Study.
8. Approval of the Independent Study will be sent to the Director of School Counseling who will advise the school counselor. The school counselor will notify the student and the teacher/advisor. Approval is required prior to starting the Independent Study.
9. Credits for Independent Study will be awarded on the following basis:
   • Semester Course: 2.5 credits
   • Semester Course in Music during Lunch: 1.25 credits
   • Full Year Course: 5.0 credits
   • Full Year Course in Music during Lunch: 2.5 credits
10. Grades earned in an Independent Study Program will not be calculated in a student’s Grade Point Average (GPA).
11. A student may take a maximum of five credits per year through Independent Study.
12. Deadline Date for Application Submission:
    • A completed application is due to the student's counselor on or before:
    • June 1: For Full Year or Fall Semester
    • November 1: For Spring Semester

Special Notes:

• It will be up to the discretion of the teacher/advisor and the student to work collaboratively to execute a plan to include assignments and deadline dates.
• Teachers/advisors are required to submit progress reports and marking period grades (and exam grades if applicable) based on regular MHS submission guidelines/timelines.
• The student will be scheduled for Independent Study during a period when the teacher/advisor has a scheduled class and feels it would be most appropriate for the student to be scheduled. The teacher/advisor will work with the school counselor and student to determine this.
• The Independent Study will be part of the 35 credits the student will be scheduled for. The music independent study during lunch will be the only exception, if the student cannot fit it into their schedule.

The Montville Township High School Independent Study Application requests the following information:

• A detailed description of proposed independent study and the rationale for wishing to pursue it.
• Course objectives/goals including measurable performances, proficiencies and/or products/projects and the relevant New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards.
• Method of study including specific activities and/or strategies to be implemented.
• Resources to be used to obtain information.
• Timeline and important deadlines.
• Evaluation component.
• Signatures of the student, parent, teacher/advisor, and school counselor; approval by a department supervisor, director of school counseling, and principal.”

Marysville High School, Ohio

The district provides the following information regarding its independent study requirements: “A student may undertake an independent study for academic credit under the following stipulations:

For each 0.5 academic credits to be earned (except for physical education, which by law can only be 0.25 credits), there must be at least twenty (20) hours of direct instruction, and at least forty (40) hours of independent activities performed by the student. All Independent Study classes are graded pass/fail (P/F). Normal letter grades will not be recorded and these courses will not count in the student's GPA and Class Rank. Any exceptions MUST have the approval of an Administrative Committee prior to the start of any educational option or independent study experience.

• The student must be under the direct supervision of a teacher holding a valid Ohio teaching certificate.
• That teacher is responsible for:
  • Making certain that the Educational Option Form and the related Educational Option (Instructional) Plan are completed and submitted for approval prior to the student beginning work on the plan.
  • Providing the 20 hours of direct instruction to the student, or for making sure that a qualified individual provides direct instruction. It may be required of the individual to submit credentials for inspection by and approval of an administrative committee.
  • Making certain that the student completes the required minimum of 40 hours of approved independent activities.
  • Collecting all of the completed documentation submitted by the student at the conclusion of the independent study, evaluating it, and issuing a grade for the independent study (through the Guidance Office).
  • An Independent Study in Physical Education must include at least five (5) different types of activities.

The California Department of Education provides its Independent Study Operations Manual (2000 Edition).

This toolkit provides a resource that school entities can review and consider when developing and implementing the International Baccalaureate Program in their elementary, middle, high school, or career and technology center.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program is a rigorous standardized international education curriculum and pedagogy for students aged 3 to 19 years old. Through four organized programs, IB encourages personal, emotional, social, and academic achievement. The four programs are Primary Years Program, Middle Years Program, Diploma Program and Career-related Program.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education is considering how to provide incentives to schools that offer Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or College Course in the secondary school and enrollment in core academic subjects. This toolkit assists school entities by providing implementation strategies for the International in Geneva, Switzerland with three regional Global Centers located in The Hague (Africa, Europe and the Middle East); Bethesda, Maryland (the Americas); and Singapore (Asia-Pacific). The organization originated more than 30 years ago in Europe as an effort by international schools to assure quality educational standards for students and to provide continuity of education for children of individuals employed by their government’s foreign services. The organization uses educators from around the world to update curriculum, train teachers, assess student work and evaluate the program.

The IB curriculum design ensures a cohesive, comprehensive education for students, no matter where they lived in the world. Students who complete this program are preparing not only for success in college, but for success in life. Students gain a broader world view; follow in-depth approaches to the academic disciplines; and develop time management, problem-solving, research, and organizational skills. IB programs assess a student’s work throughout the year by looking at papers and portfolios, instead of one final assessment at the end of the year. They also focus on the development of skills and not just content understanding.

Schools that wish to implement any of the four IB programs follow a multi-year process of application, consultation, an onsite visit and then a periodic cycle of self-study and site visitation. Schools must receive approval from the International Baccalaureate Organization before implementing the program.

Currently, 26 school entities in Pennsylvania are authorized or in the process of gaining approval to offer IB programs.

• Four public schools offer, or are candidates to offer, the primary years program.
• Eight public schools offer, or are candidates to offer, the middle years program.
• Nineteen schools offer, or are candidates to offer, the diploma program. this includes four private schools.
• One school offers the career-related program.

Research conducted by the International Baccalaureate does demonstrate that students in the IB Primary Years Program (PYP) and Middle Years Program (MYP) performed better than non-IB students in a global international schools’ assessment study that ran from 2009-2011. Their research indicates that Diploma Program (DP) graduates complete college faster than their peers, feel more prepared for college-level coursework involving research, and are better able to cope with demanding workloads and time management challenges.

Taylor, from University of Colorado’s Office of Academic Affairs, prepared a Survey of Research on Post-Secondary Outcomes for International Baccalaureate Students (Taylor, 2015). This document provides a synopsis of the research on IB. The summary from the document follows. Refer to the original document for the research references contained in the Survey Summary:

“A small body of research has focused on postsecondary enrollment and outcomes for students who participated in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program during high school. Research indicates that IB students generally have higher enrollment rates, higher retention and/or persistence rates, and higher graduation rates than the college population overall (Halic, 2013; Bergeron, 2015; Caspary 2011). Studies that attempt to control for academic achievement have yielded similar results (Shah, Dean, & Chen, 2010; Coca, et al., 2012; Conley, et al., 2014).

A small number of studies have examined student performance in particular subject areas and sought to identify differences based on exam score or type of exam (standard level or higher level). In their study of Florida IB students, Caspary & Bland (2011) found that IB students generally do well in their first college course in a subject area in which they have taken an IB exam. Higher IB exam scores were correlated with higher course grades and, in most cases, course grades showed little variation based on whether a student had taken the standard level or higher level exam. The exception was math, where students who took the higher level exam earned considerably higher course grades than students who took the standard level exam. Caspary & Bland also found that IB diploma recipients earned higher grades than students who participated in the IB diploma program but failed to earn the credential.

Shah, Dean, & Chen (2010) reached a similar conclusion in their study of University of California students. IB diploma recipients outperformed IB students who didn’t earn the diploma. They found that IB exam scores were the best predictor of college GPA; but unlike Caspary & Bland, they did find a difference in GPA between students who took the higher level versus standard level exam, determining that the higher level exam score was a better predictor of GPA.

It should be noted that there is a limited body of research related to the post-secondary outcomes of IB students and much of the work that does exist has been prepared for the International Baccalaureate Organization.”

In a 2007 study designed to determine whether IB courses represent a gold standard for high school coursework, the Fordham Institute examined the content, rigor and clarity of four core subject IB courses:

• Language A1 English-Standard Level
• Math-Standard Level
• World History-Standard Level
• Biology-Standard Level

For these courses, the researchers of the 2007 study conducted by the Fordham Institute identified an overall grade for each IB course and summarized the strengths and weaknesses of each course. These summaries follow:

• “Language A English SL: Grade B+
  • Strengths: Rigorous and comprehensive exam; a detailed and rigorous expectations for literary analysis skills
  • Weaknesses: U.S. students in IB programs might miss exposure to core U.S. literature
• Math SL: Grade B
  • Strengths: Curriculum guide clearly written; rigorous, comprehensive assessments
  • Weaknesses: Reliance on technology, resulting in a de-emphasis on analytical skills; some important pre-university content missing
• World History SL: Grade B
  • Strengths: Demanding, well-constructed, content-rich exams; strong content within the narrowly defined course parameters
  • Weaknesses: U.S. students in IB programs could miss exposure to almost all core U.S. History content; even as a world history course, its 20th-century focus is too narrow; lacks emphasis on important chronological knowledge
• Biology SL: Grade A
  • Strengths: Depth and coverage of content in curriculum guide; comprehensive assessment system
  • Weaknesses: “Systematization” of the program could confuse or overwhelm teachers or stifle curricular inventiveness (Byrd, Ellington, Gross, Jago, & Stern, 2007)

Research also shows that more than 70 percent of students pursuing Career and Technical Education (CTE) continue on to a two or four year college. Pennsylvania data shows that students exiting secondary CTE are prepared technically for postsecondary opportunities but would benefit from increased academic rigor. The Career-related Program is one avenue to provide increased academic rigor.

The four program components that schools can offer under the umbrella of International Baccalaureate are:

• Primary Years Program (PYP). This IB program is for students aged 3 to 12 and focuses on the development of the whole child in the classroom and in the world outside.
• Middle Years Program (MYP). The Middle Years Program is for students aged 11 to 16. It provides a framework of academic challenge and life skills through embracing and transcending traditional school subjects.
• Diploma Program (DP). The IB Diploma Program is a rigorous two-year curriculum with final examinations that prepare students aged 16 to 19 for postsecondary education and beyond. Students achieving sufficient exam scores may qualify for college credit.
• Career-related Program (CP). The IB Career-Related Diploma Program is for students aged 16 to 19 who wish to engage in career-related education as well a benefit from the IB Diploma Program.

Schools and career and technical centers can decide to offer any of the four International Baccalaureate programs. Current state regulation does not prohibit schools from offering the programs.

Pennsylvania regulation allows students who are eligible to take an International Baccalaureate exam to fulfill graduation requirements by obtaining a high score on an exam in a related content area. See 22 Pa. Code 4.24(c)(1)(iii)(C). The table that follows answers the following question: What scores for IB exams are comparable to the proficient level on the Keystone Exams for the purpose of meeting state graduation requirements?

Schools with a Diploma Program and the Career-related Program can be approved as a PDE Career and Technology Education Program of Study to meet the requirements of The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006.

Schools in Pennsylvania are permitted to offer IB programs. Any school, or group of schools, wanting to offer IB programs must first be authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer the programs. The requirements are the same for all schools. The authorization procedure is designed to ensure that schools are well-prepared to implement the IB program(s) including both curriculum and pedagogy. The process can take two to three years to complete. Schools, once authorized by IB to offer the programs, can award certificates and diplomas and can use the IB logo.

Authorized schools are known as “IB World Schools”. All IB World Schools are required to participate in an ongoing process of review and development, using the same program standards and practices that mimic accreditation processes of self-study and site visitations. IB requires school administration and staff to participate in professional development as part of the application and candidacy process. In Pennsylvania, in 2016, there are 26 authorized IB World Schools offering one or more of the four available programs.

International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement (AP). The IB is a comprehensive curriculum that requires students to demonstrate knowledge and skills through both in-class and outside assessments in six academic areas. A school entity that offers IB must be prepared to provide the total program upon initial implementation. Advanced Placement, on the other hand, permits a school entity to pick and choose from over 30 offerings. While neither program is better than the other, they each have different outcomes for students. Students whose main goal is college credit should probably choose AP because colleges offer credit on a more widespread basis for satisfactory AP test scores than for IB scores. Students whose main goal is preparation for either a career with an international perspective or college in another country may prefer IB because of its recognition at overseas universities. Also, IB diploma students who plan to attend selective colleges may receive preferential admissions consideration and/or college credit for satisfactory IB exam scores. See Appendix A for a listing of Pennsylvania colleges and universities that recognize International Baccalaureate courses in their admissions process.

A school entity can offer any one of three of the programs without offering other IB programs. However, to offer the Career-related Program, a school entity must first offer the Diploma Program since students enrolled in the Career-related Program must also enroll in two of the Diploma Program courses.

Typically, a school entity will stagger the implementation of different IB programs, adding additional programs as each program is successfully implemented. For a fall implementation within three school years, the school should begin the process in January at the latest.

If a school entity offers the Primary Years Program, the Middle Years Program and the Diploma Program, it is considered a continuum school. Professional development for continuum schools helps educators and administrators facilitate the articulation between programs, promote intercultural understanding and global engagement and develop practical ways to integrate the IB learner profile in the classroom.

The requirements to become an IB World School, regardless of program, address standards in the following areas:

1. Philosophy: The school’s educational beliefs and values reflect IB philosophy that the curriculum is a continuum of international education that encourages both personal and academic achievement, challenging students to excel in their studies and personal development.
2. Organization
   1. Leadership and structure: The school’s leadership and administrative structures ensure the implementation of the IB program(s).
   2. Resources and support: The school’s resources and support structures ensure the implementation of the IB program(s).
3. Curriculum
   1. Collaborative planning: Collaborative planning and reflection support the implementation of the IB program(s).
   2. Written curriculum: The school’s written curriculum reflects IB philosophy.
   3. Teaching and learning: Teaching and learning reflect IB philosophy.
   4. Assessment: Assessment at the school reflects IB assessment philosophy.

Details about implementing the four International Baccalaureate Programs follow. For detailed information about gaining authorization to be an IB World School in each of the four programs, visit the links in the Helpful Links section of this document.

The Primary Years Program (PYP) for pupils aged 3 to 12 focuses on the development of the whole child in the classroom and in the world outside as an inquirer. The authorization is linked to the building location, hence, in most cases, multiple elementary school buildings within a single district are required to each be authorized.

The Primary Years Program:

• Addresses students’ academic needs and their social and emotional well-being;
• Encourages students to develop independence and to take responsibility for their own learning;
• Supports students’ effort to gain an understanding of the world and to function effectively within it; and
• Helps students to establish personal values as a foundation on which international-mindedness will flourish.

The curriculum embraces five essential elements: the understanding of concepts, the acquisition of knowledge, the mastering of skills, the development of positive attitudes and the ability to take responsible action. These essential elements are assessed using a broad range of assessment strategies. The IB does not set examinations or moderate grades in the PYP.

Collaboration is an essential part of planning for schools implementing the PYP. All teachers are engaged in the planning process, defining the curriculum’s central ideas, discussing how best to bring inquiry into those ideas in the classroom, and finding ways to meet the needs and interests of every student.

Teachers must attend training in order to implement the PYP. The IB offers a broad range of professional development to support educators in gaining a deeper understanding of the program.

To be eligible to implement the PYP, schools must:

• Have at least two consecutive grades/years;
• Appoint a PYP coordinator to lead the program and communicate with the IB;
• Commit to the mandatory professional development of PYP teachers;
• Engage all students in the building in the program;
• Ensure that students spend the majority of their time with one classroom teacher; and
• Ensure that the student experience is continuous, with students moving from one program to the next without any gap, in cases where a school chooses to offer other IB programs consecutively with the PYP.

The MYP is designed for students aged 11 to 16. It provides a framework of learning which encourages students to become creative, critical and reflective thinkers. The MYP emphasizes intellectual challenge, encouraging students to make connections between their studies in traditional subjects and to the real world. It fosters the development of skills for communication, intercultural understanding and global engagement, qualities that are essential for life in the 21st century.

The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program comprises eight subject areas. Click on the links below for detailed information about each subject area:

• Language acquisition
• Language and literature
• Individuals and societies
• Sciences
• Mathematics
• Arts
• Physical and health education
• Design

The MYP requires at least 50 hours of teaching time for each subject area in each year of the program. In years 4 and 5, students have the option to take courses from six of the eight subject areas within certain limits, to provide greater flexibility in meeting local requirements and individual student learning needs.

Each year, students in the MYP also engage in at least one collaboratively planned interdisciplinary unit that involves at least two subject areas. MYP students also complete a long-term project, where they decide what they want to learn, identify what they already know, discover what they will need to know to complete the project, and create a proposal or criteria for completing it. Students aged 13 to 14 pursue service learning through a community project while students in year 5 of the program complete a personal project.

Student candidates for the internationally-recognized IB Middle Years Program (MYP) certificate must complete eight eAssessments.

There are on-screen examinations in:

• Mathematics
• Language and literature
• Sciences
• Individuals and societies
• Interdisciplinary learning

ePortfolios (coursework) in:

• Language acquisition
• Physical and health education, arts, or design
• The MYP personal project

Candidates also must meet school requirements for participation in community service (known as “service as action”).

For a student to receive the MYP certificate, the student’s scores on each of the eight assessments must be 3 or higher (on a scale of 1-7), and the total score must be at least 28 points.

Any school with students aged 11 to 16 can apply to be an IB World School. Starting in 2016, the MYP can be implemented in partnerships between schools or by individual schools in abbreviated formats. The rule change allows schools to implement the MYP in any consecutive two-, three-, four- or five-year form, regardless of other IB programs offered. Schools that apply for MYP authorization after October 2016 will be able to use the flexibility of the new rule to initiate their MYP implementation.

The MYP can accommodate flexible models of implementation that reflect unique local contexts. New scenarios for flexible implementation of the MYP include:

• A school district or group of schools might offer the MYP for four or five years, in partnership with multiple campuses. The MYP strengthens teacher collaboration and curriculum alignment and helps create a consistent educational experience for students aged 11 to 16.
• An IB World School that enrolls students for four years of secondary education might implement two years of the MYP for 14 to 16 year-olds. The MYP prepares students effectively for the Diploma Program, Career-related Program or other challenging senior secondary curriculum options. Plus, MYP eAssessment for 15 to 16 year-olds provides an internationally recognized qualification that helps inform university admission decisions.
• A stand-alone middle school might offer a two- or three-year MYP for students aged 11 to 14. In this way, the school provides a framework for an international education.
• A school that provides secondary-or both primary and secondary-education as a single legal entity might use the MYP for two, three, four or five years. The MYP may be used alone or in combination with other curriculum frameworks that meet community needs or local/ national requirements. This approach covers the spectrum of student options while providing a superior international education.

The Diploma Program for students aged 16 to 19 is a demanding two-year curriculum that meets the needs of highly motivated students and leads to a qualification that is recognized by leading universities around the world. It has been designed to address the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of students.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (DP) curriculum sets out the requirements for the study of the DP. The curriculum is made up of the DP core and six subject groups.

The DP curriculum core aims to broaden students’ educational experience and challenge the student to apply their knowledge and skills. The three required core elements are:

• Theory of knowledge, in which students reflect on the nature of knowledge and on how we know what we claim to know.
• The extended essay, which is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper.
• Creativity, activity, service, in which students complete a project related to those three concepts.

The six subject areas are:

• Studies in language and literature
• Language acquisition
• Individuals and societies
• Sciences
• Mathematics
• The arts

There are multiple courses within each subject group.

In selecting the student’s scope and sequences of courses in the DP program, the student may opt to study an additional science, individuals and society, or language course instead of a course in the arts. Students will take some subjects at higher level (HL) and some at standard level (SL). HL and SL courses differ in scope but are measured according to the same grade descriptors, with students expected to demonstrate a greater body of knowledge, understanding and skills at the higher level.

Each student takes at least three (but not more than four) subjects at higher level and the remaining at standard level. Standard level subjects take up 150 teaching hours. Higher level comprises 240 teaching hours.

The International Baccalaureate assesses student work as direct evidence of achievement against the stated goals of the Diploma Program (DP) courses. DP assessment procedures measure the extent to which students have mastered advanced academic skills in fulfilling these goals, for example:

• Analyzing and presenting information;
• Evaluating and constructing arguments; and
• Solving problems creatively.

Basic skills are also assessed, including:

• Retaining knowledge;
• Understanding key concepts; and
• Applying standard methods.

In addition to academic skills, DP assessment encourages an international outlook and intercultural skills, wherever appropriate. Student results are determined by performance against set standards, not by each student's position in the overall rank order.

For most courses, written examinations at the end of the DP form the basis of the assessment. These examinations have high levels of objectivity and reliability.

Externally assessed coursework, completed by students over an extended period under authenticated teacher supervision, forms part of the assessment for several program areas, including the theory of knowledge (TOK) essay and the extended essay (EE). In most subjects, students also complete in-school assessment tasks. These are either externally assessed or marked by teachers and then moderated by the IB.

In the DP, students receive grades ranging from 7 to 1, with 7 being highest. Students receive a grade for each DP course attempted. A student’s final Diploma result score is made up of the combined scores for each subject. The diploma is awarded to students who gain at least 24 points, subject to certain minimum levels of performance including the successful completion of the three essential elements of the DP core.

Any school with students aged 16 to 19 can apply to offer the demanding two-year Diploma Program curriculum. To provide the DP, schools must demonstrate that the infrastructure and pedagogical skills are in place to deliver the program to the IB’s high standards. Schools must also:

• appoint a DP coordinator, to lead the program and communicate with the IB;
• commit to the mandatory professional development of DP teachers; and
• ensure that the student experience is continuous.

If a school chooses to offer other IB programs, then students must move from one program to the next, without any gap.

The Career-related Program is designed for students aged 16 to 19 interested in pursuing a career-related education in the final two years of secondary school. Each school works within the IB framework to create its own vision of the CP. The CP was specifically developed for students who wish to engage in career-related learning while gaining transferable and lifelong skills in applied knowledge, critical thinking, communication and cross-cultural engagement. The career-related study prepares students for higher education, an internship or apprenticeship, or a position in a designated field of interest.

The IB CP is a three-part educational framework. It consists of:

• courses from the IB’s Diploma Program (DP)
• the CP core
• career-related studies

The CP incorporates the vision and educational principles of the IB into a unique program specifically developed for students who wish to engage in career-related learning. The CP’s flexible educational framework allows schools to meet the needs, background and interests of students.

The curriculum for CP students is a minimum of two IB Diploma Program courses, a core consisting of four components and a career-related study. In Pennsylvania, the career-related study can be a PDE approved career and technical education Program of Study.

For CP students, Diploma Program courses provide the theoretical underpinning and academic rigor of the program; the career-related study further supports the program’s academic strength and provides practical, real-world approaches to learning; and the CP core helps the student develop skills and competencies required for lifelong learning.

Students complete at least two DP courses in any of that program's subject areas. Career-related Program students can enroll in the authorized DP courses online. These courses are offered, for a fee, via the student's IB World School, by Pamoja Education Ltd. All fees are found on the Pamoja Education Ltd website.

The CP core components give context to the Diploma Program courses and the career-related study, drawing all aspects of the framework together. The core consists of four interrelated components: personal and professional skills; service learning; a reflective project produced over an extended period of time; and language development. Through the CP core, students develop personal qualities and professional skills, as well as intellectual habits required for lifelong learning.

Each school chooses the career-related study most suited to local conditions and the needs of its students. The career-related study must satisfy IB criteria for accreditation, assessment and quality assurance.

CP students are assessed both internally by the school and externally by the IB.

Diploma Program courses within the CP are assessed in accordance with rigorous international standards. Students take written examinations at the end of their courses, which are marked by external IB examiners. The marks awarded for each course range from 1 to 7.

Every CP student must complete the four elements of the CP core: the reflective project; service learning; personal and professional skills; and language development. The reflective project is assessed by the school and moderated and graded by the IB. They are graded from A to E, with A being the highest. The school is responsible for confirming with the IB that students have completed the requirements for service learning, approaches to learning and language development. These are assessed by the school.

The career-related studies component is assessed by the school.

Schools pay different fees depending on their status with the IB. Schools can be either authorized schools or candidate schools.

Candidate Schools

Candidate schools are in the process of becoming authorized and pay fees used to meet the cost of administering the authorization process. Schools pay an application fee when they submit their application to become an IB World School. They also pay a fee during each year they remain a candidate school.

PYP, MYP, DPA: A school applying to implement the Primary Years Program (PYP), Middle Years Program (MYP) or Diploma Program (DP) pays a one-time $4,000 application fee before the Application for Candidacy can be uploaded. This fee covers the review and processing of the application for candidacy and advice and guidance on program implementation during candidacy.

Annually, as long as the school is a candidate, the school pays a fee of $9,500. The fee covers such items as access to the Online Curriculum Center, advice from the IB regional office or approved consultants, 20 hours of remote consultancy per candidate year, review and processing of the Application for Authorization and the two-day on-site verification visit including travel, incidental costs, and writing and processing the report. The local school must provide accommodations for the site visit team.

CP at approved DP schools: Fees are different for schools wishing to offer Career-related programs. The fees vary based on whether the school already offers the Diploma Program.

CP schools already offering the DP and Continuum schools are charged a candidate fee of $8,500 when applying for the CP program but do not pay an annual candidate fee in the subsequent years until authorization. This fee covers access to curriculum materials and updates, advice from the regional IB office or from approved IB consultants, 10 hours of remote consultancy, review and processing of the Application for Authorization, and the one-day on-site verification visit including travel, incidental costs, and writing and processing the report. The local school must provide accommodations for the site visit team.

CP at schools not approved for DP: Until 2018, the application fee for CP schools without an authorized Diploma program is waived. Annually the school must pay the candidate fee which is $9,500. The waived application fee covers the review and processing of the Application for Candidacy and provides advice and guidance on program implementation. The annual Candidate Fee covers such costs as access to curriculum materials and updates, advice through the regional IB office or approved IB consultants, 10 hours of remote consultancy, review and processing of the Application for Authorization, and a one-day on-site verification visit including travel, incidental costs, and writing and processing the report. The local school must provide accommodations for the site visit team.

Application and Candidate Deadlines. For schools beginning the IB program in August or September, the application deadline is April 1. Schools should anticipate the candidacy process will entail two years with the program being implemented in the third calendar year. For example, if a school applies for candidacy in April 2017, the school should plan on the program being implemented in August/September 2019. The annual candidate fee is due September 1 of each year.

Authorized IB World Schools

Authorized IB World Schools are approved to deliver the various IB programs. Each year, an IB World School pays a fee for each program they are authorized to teach. There are other services available for a fee, but only one fee payment is required to deliver an IB program. The IB also conducts periodic evaluation visits, which have an additional fee attached.

The following fees are valid from September 2016 through August 2017.

In future years, schools will be able to offer CP without providing the Diploma Program. For those schools, the annual school fee will be $8,500.

If a school offers a combination of the Primary Years Program (PYP), the Middle Years Program (MYP) and the Diploma Program (DP)-or offers all three-that school pays a reduced fee, to reflect their commitment to the IB.

IB Examination Fees

In the Middle Years Program (MYP), Diploma Program (DP) and Career-related Program (CP), students take exams. Schools pay registration fees for each student and exam fees for subject areas tested. The costs of registration varies from $51 (MYP)-$168 (DP) per student. Subject examination fees vary from $72–$116 with core fees per student varying from $10-$89. Comprehensive information about examination fees can be found on the International Baccalaureate Organization website.

Schools and students receive a variety of services as a result of these fees. Schools receive a coordinator’s handbook, access to IB answers, access to the IB information system, and teacher feedback including subject reports. Students receive the assessment, access to results, a printed certificate and transmission of results to universities worldwide, upon request.

Pennsylvania International Baccalaureate Exam Fee Reduction: For 2016-17, Pennsylvania will provide financial support per International Baccalaureate Exam for qualifying low-income students on a first-come, first-serve basis until funding is exhausted. The most recent information on funding is found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s website.

There are various ways schools can help prepare students to be ready to enroll in International Baccalaureate programs. A school district can become a continuum school with programs at multiple grade levels. Or, a middle school can focus its curriculum on courses that are scaffolded to prepare students for the rigor of an IB Diploma program or Career-ready program.

Fulfilling Equity Goals

Before embarking on a program to address equity goals, best practice encourages the examination of school collected data to inform the decision-making process on the root causes of IB participation inequities. It is most critical to ensure that student admission criteria to the program are not unnecessarily disqualifying students, who, with proper extra supports, could reasonably be successful in an IB program.

Low-income and Minority Students: IB programs have shown growth in the numbers of low-income and minority students enrolled. These students have performed well post-graduation with college persistence and graduation. Hence, building a program that provides supports for these student populations can result in significant advantages for these students.

• Develop a curriculum pathway that includes IB preparation content to increase the number of students qualified to register.
• Remove school-based barriers that prohibit true open-enrollment.
• Make IB the default pathway (an opt-out rather than an opt-in model)
• Focus on mastery and deeper learning in DP courses by covering fewer topics in greater depth increases access for more student populations.

There are various ways schools can help prepare students to be ready to enroll in International Baccalaureate programs. A school district can become a continuum school with programs at multiple grade levels. Or, a middle school can focus its curriculum on courses that are scaffolded to prepare students for the rigor of an IB Diploma program or Career-ready program.

Student Supports

The IB curriculum is rigorous. Studies have found that successful students struggle to find a balance between academic and personal/social life while enrolled in the program. By providing robust supports for students, students can increase their success in the program. Potential supports include:

• nstitute peer and professional tutoring;
• Build peer support networks including peer and community mentors;
• Proactive and ongoing monitoring of individual student progress and tailored interventions;
• Establish wrap-around services to prevent or respond to factors that might interfere with student’s ability to focus on academics;
• Build a culture of high expectations for all students;
• Emphasize time management skills;
• Emphasize academic and study skills to prepare students for college success;
• Create systematic college planning processes for all students by focusing on the PA Career Education and Work Standards; and/or
• Proactively provide information to parents and families about college including an early focus on financing college through multiple avenues.

IB provides an online forum for schools and teachers. Schools and organizations participating in the IB are encouraged to exchange ideas and good practice in the development and delivery of IB education and to promote student exchanges, either face-to-face or electronically, to enhance students’ international understanding.

IB also provides a digital toolkit. The digital toolkit is designed to provide authorized IB World Schools with a range of communications materials that can be used to present the IB and its programs to stakeholders such as students, parents, teachers and school boards as well as universities and government bodies.

Each authorized IB World School has a primary contact that is listed on the IB website. Questions can be directed to these contacts.

• Chambersburg Area School District-Chambersburg Area Senior High School offers students the ability to enroll in an IB program. The IB Program offers a continuum of programs that is holistic and challenging for the highly motivated student. Students gain rigorous and balanced academic preparation while learning how to think critically and apply what they have learned in different contexts. CASHS will be offering the Diploma Program to 11th and 12th-grade students. The first cohort began in August 2015. The Program will only be offered at CASHS and will be taught by certified IB trained teachers who are currently successful CASHS teachers. A student may choose to enroll in the full Diploma Program or take specific IB courses to earn an IB Certificate.
• Harrisburg Academy-Harrisburg Academy is the first school in the Harrisburg area to receive IB World school accreditation and offers the IB Diploma Program to its Upper School students. The IB Diploma Program aligns with the Academy's high-quality college preparatory format and globally minded mission. Academy high school students may choose to pursue a full IB Diploma or may enroll in individual IB courses to earn a Certificate. At the successful completion of the program, students receive an IB Diploma in addition to their Harrisburg Academy diploma, which may also result in advanced placement in college or credits. Since 2009, Harrisburg Academy has awarded 55 IB Diplomas to its students.
  
  Harrisburg Academy's one-of-a-kind International Baccalaureate (IB) Scholarship for Summer Study provides up to four high school students travel funds for national or international travel and summer study to an academic or service learning program. Tenth-grade students pursuing a full IB Diploma or planning to take four or more IB Certificate classes at the Academy are eligible to apply for the award. This scholarship is awarded to both new and returning students.
• J.P. McCaskey High School–School District of Lancaster is the only district in Pennsylvania that has an authorized IB Career-related Program. The district also has an authorized Diploma Program and is currently working on adding a Middle Years Program. CP students can select a career focus from any of the career and technology education PDE-approved Program of Study offered by the district. While the CP program is only a small portion of students enrolled in IB programs at the district, the CP program adds a rigor and pedagogy for students who aspire to attend college and who have a career focus.
  
  CP students must take the required two-year IB Approaches to Learning courses to be prepared for the CP certificate. In addition to the Approaches to Learning (ATL) curriculum, the students explore ethical dilemmas within their career and technology field, culminating in the Reflective Project. The students achieve a minimum of 50 hours of extended world language instruction. The ATL class coordinates and monitors the service project hours. CP students must also elect two IB courses from the Diploma Program

• Program Authorization Booklets–Each of these booklets provide detailed information to aid a school seeking authorization to become an IB World School
  • Primary Years Program
  • Middle Years Program
  • Diploma Program
  • Career–related Program
• International Baccalaureate Organization–Information on IB around the world
• IB Americas (IBA)–Information about IB World Schools in Central, North and South America, including professional development workshops.
• Association of IB World Schools–The Associations of IB World Schools in the Americas are organizations of schools within a given geographic area.
• IB Digital Toolkit–The digital toolkit contains IB promotional resources (e.g., brochures, presentations, logos, etc.) for students, parents, teachers and others.

Below is a partial listing of PA colleges and universities that accept IB credits. The links provided direct you to the particular online resource that identifies that institution’s credit acceptance process or policy. Students should always ask admissions offices if they have a policy on accepting IB credits, even if it is not stated in the institution’s catalog or on their website.

Albright College
Art Institute of Pittsburgh
Bucknell University
Bryn Mawr College
Carnegie Mellon
Cedar Crest
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Drexel University
Duquesne University
Elizabethtown College
Gettysburg College
Grove City College
Juniata College
Kings College
Lehigh University
Mercyhurst University
Messiah College
Millersville University
Moravian College
Muhlenberg College
Pennsylvania State University
Slippery Rock University
Temple University
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Scranton
University of Sciences in Philadelphia
Ursinus College
Villanova University
Washington and Jefferson College
West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Job shadowing is a career exploration activity. Students gain exposure to careers that they are interested in pursuing by working with business volunteers. For a short period of time, up to several days, students spend the work day as a shadow to a competent worker. By visiting a workplace, investigating a career field and industry, and experiencing a typical day on the job, students can determine if the career and industry fits their interests and career aspirations (PA Department of Education: PA Career Standards; Electronic Toolkit).

Job shadowing allows students to clarify their career goals and understand how knowledge learned in the classroom translates to their ability to be successful in the workplace. An employer demonstrates the connection between academics and careers, inspiring students to learn by making their coursework more relevant. It also exposes students to career settings within their interests and offers firsthand knowledge about different career fields. Job shadowing should provide exposure to the day-to-day work environments, job characteristics, and responsibilities to assist them in determining a career fit and create a better understanding of the workplace and types of skills needed for specific occupations (PA Department of Education: PA Career Standards; Electronic Toolkit). However, these connections only happen if there is instruction aligned to the experience supporting the transfer of knowledge which assists students in making these connections.

Teachers sometimes are provided job shadowing opportunities as part of professional development activities in their districts. This helps teachers assist students in making real world connections.

In Pennsylvania, as school districts create comprehensive career development program linked to the Academic Standards for Career Education and Work, job shadowing is an essential activity (PA Department of Education: PA Career Standards). Job shadows are planned for both middle and high school students, and provide a foundation for middle school students to be ready to select either curricular pathways or career and technical education options, or for high school students to assist the student in confirming career plans that are beginning to be formed.

In programs where the district includes classroom-based activities, the additional instruction before and after the job shadow are helpful to the student. Students may struggle to understand the academic and career linkages from observing a worker or a workplace, unless the connections for the student are clearly illustrated. Prior to the job shadowing experience, students should assess their interests and personality. Using the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s free resource, PA CareerZone (PA Department of Education: Career Zone), students can discover their Holland personality type linked to work environments, find jobs and industries that match their interests, and explore their skills.

Job shadowing is part of the continuum of work-based learning, representing the least intense, shortest term workplace experience available to students. As such, though researchers identify job shadowing as an important career exploration activity, no research has been conducted to determine its impact. Practitioners report that students who participate in job shadowing show increased understanding of the world of work (Junior Achievement).

“Shadowing is learning through observation and is a way to form partnerships between employers and the local schools. Shadowing is an opportunity for a student to spend a limited amount of time with an individual in a chosen occupation in order to become familiar with the duties associated with that occupation, the physical setting of the occupation, and the compatibility of the occupation with his or her own career goals” (Kentucky Office of Career and Technical Education, 2015, pp. 4-1).

State professional certification: Although there are no state professional certification requirements for the category of job shadowing or internships, it is highly recommended that persons working with students in these areas be professionally prepared. Any form of student job shadowing or internship should be addressed and adopted as part of the school entity or career and technical center strategic plan (PA Department of Education, 2014, p. 71).

Wages: The legal ramifications for unpaid learning experiences per Labor and Industry regulations fall under the Fair Labor Standards Act (Wages-Hour Law) and Child Labor Law. It is imperative to apply the six criteria for students who are not considered employees. It would be advisable to have the school solicitor assist in the preparation of a comprehensive school policy regarding potential liability in case of an accident or injury to a student participating in an unpaid worksite experience (PA Department of Education, 2014, p. 70).

Clearances: Employers participating in the program are required to obtain school volunteer background clearances. School volunteers are required to have a Pennsylvania State Police criminal history check, child abuse history certification, and if the mentor has resided in Pennsylvania for fewer than 10 years, a federal criminal history check. If the child interacts with other workers at the employer’s job site, only the assigned employee is required to have clearances as long as that employee remains in the immediate vicinity of the student and is identified as the responsible adult (PA Department of Education, n.d.).

There are two excellent work-based learning toolkits that have comprehensive school level implementation strategies, checklists and forms for job shadowing. The suggestions in these two documents are exhaustive and are highly recommended to schools to examine prior to implementing a job shadowing program. Kansas City, Kansas’ Toolkit includes discussion of the program, tools to use in working with stakeholders, and factsheets (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, 2003, pp. 50-58; Tools 15, 19 & 25; Factsheet #15) and Kentucky’s Office of Career and Technical Education’s Manual also provides checklists and forms (Kentucky Office of Career and Technical Education, 2015, pp. 4-1 to 4-11).

The school-level implementation steps have been adapted from Kentucky’s Work-Based Learning Manual, Chapter 4 (Kentucky Office of Career and Technical Education, 2015).

To implement a job shadowing program that will meet student needs and build partnerships with the local business community, the following steps should be considered:

• Discuss and identify the goals and policies of the shadowing program.
• Select the teacher(s)/other personnel who will be working with the shadowing program inside the school system.
• Gain school board approval.
• Develop and launch a media campaign.
• Develop selection criteria for both students and employers.
• Develop selection criteria and documents explaining the employer’s role. These roles include:
  • Organize a half or full of day of activities or assignments for the student and remain available during the student’s shadowing assignment.
  • Clarify any behavioral issues, rules, permissions, clothing, and safety requirements.
  • Provide the hours of the day and the contact information to the schools.
  • Provide an overview of the organization and industry, and share career advice and tips on work and life balance.
  • Help students understand the required skills and attitudes needed for the job.
  • Demonstrate and explain effective work methods and show a desire to work with students.
  • Introduce the student to a realistic view of their career area and work roles.
  • Welcome questions and provide students with constructive feedback, especially as it relates to realistic expectations of the student.
  • Encourage students to talk about their interests and abilities. Incorporate that information into discussions regarding career or industry employment choices.
  • Organize a tour of your office and facility.
  • Engage in brief discussion of different departmental functions, job titles, educational preparation, and pay ranges.
  • Discuss the relationships between suppliers and customers.
  • Introduce the student to the mission of the workplace: What do you do?
  • Give a personal note: Why is my job important to me? Why do I like my job? How did I get to my current job?
  • Discuss a student’s career interests and plans. Offer suggestions for appropriate training or experience.
  • If applicable, involve the students in a “hands-on” project or assignment.
  • Discuss math, science and communication foundations of the job (PA Department of Education: PA Career Standards; Electronic Toolkit).
• Develop application materials for interested students and employers.
• Recruit students (along with their parents), and employers to participate in the program.
• Select the individual students and employers who will be participating in the shadowing program.
• Discuss and identify where and when the shadowing will take place.
• Discuss and determine transportation needs for the shadowing experiences.
• Hold a training and orientation session for the employers and their staff involved in the shadowing experiences. Topics should include:
  • An explanation of the goals, procedure for setting up shadowing event, evaluation procedures, and expectations of the school and student
  • How to develop a day agenda
• Hold a training and orientation session for the school staff involved in the shadowing experiences. Topics should include:
  • An explanation of goals and standard procedure to be followed for the shadowing day
  • A review of instructional pre-shadow activities and materials students are to bring back by lead teachers
  • Requesting teachers to integrate the experience into their classroom discussions
  • Presenting a class make-up plan
  • Reviewing safety precautions
• Hold a training session for the students involved in the shadowing experience to discuss. Topics should include:
  • Expectations for making up missed class materials
  • Proper dress
  • Conduct Holland Personality Inventory assessment or similar personality assessment (PA Department of Education: Career Zone). Have students link job shadow selection to assessment results.
  • Research careers relating to shadowing experience
  • Knowledge of workplace etiquette
  • Knowledge of safety practices/procedures
  • Explanation of the evaluation
  • Plans for transportation
• Select an employer and a shadowing site compatible with student interest.
• Facilitate the shadowing sessions.
• Develop evaluation forms to monitor the success of the program for each stakeholder group.
• Evaluate the shadowing experience to improve program outcomes (students, teachers, and employers).
• Send notes of appreciation to the employers who were involved in the shadowing experience.

Pennsylvania’s Ready to Learn Block Grant (2016-17) provides formula driven allocations distributing funds to school districts and charter schools in Pennsylvania. Proven practices are considered acceptable expenditures. Career awareness activities such as career mentoring are eligible. Included in acceptable uses of funds are

“(k) Establishing, maintaining or establishing career awareness programs.

(n) Establishing, maintaining or expanding programs to strengthen high school curricula by providing college and career programs, school-based counseling and professional development and offering AP courses to increase academic achievement” (PA Department of Education, 2016).”

In most instances, there is school board policy making the student and parent/guardian responsible for transportation. There are, however, situations where the school district provides the transportation, such as busing an entire class of students to an off-campus learning site or providing transportation for special needs students. The district is advised to develop a board-approved policy for student transportation to an off-campus learning site (PA Department of Education, 2014, p. 75).

All students including special populations are encouraged to participate in job shadowing. In cases when students are responsible for finding their own job shadowing employer, care should be taken to provide extra help in site recruitment for students who come from high-poverty areas, are foster children, or who have limited community resources.

Helping students develop a context for the job shadow maximizes their learning once the students are in the workplace. Building the classroom connection provides greater detail on several of the activities listed below. Recommendations from the Kansas City Public School Toolkit include the following: (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, 2003):

• Discuss student expectations of the experience and what the student may want to learn.
• Discuss what students know about the company and how it impacts them.
• Support students in researching the company and the industry so that they can ask meaningful questions during the job shadow.
• Have students prepare questions and learning objectives that they would like to accomplish during the job shadow.
• Introduce frameworks and materials that will help students organize what they learn in the workplace. These frameworks include the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) (Academic Innovations) and All Aspects of an Industry (New Hampshire Department of Education).
• Instruct students in appropriate dress, language, and behavior expected in a place of business.
• Discuss behavioral expectations that will allow students to make the most of the job shadow.

Curricular Integration: After the job shadow, integrate the job shadowing experience into the classroom learning. Reflection promotes self-awareness and personal assessment and helps students internalize the learning that has occurred during the job shadow. When you provide for adequate reflection, you ensure that students have the opportunity to examine the experience, form an understanding of what they have observed and extend that understanding to other situations. Reflection helps students to "own" the knowledge they have acquired (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, 2003, p. 56).

Job shadowing provides students an opportunity to discover the elements of building a career. After a job shadow and reflection activities, students can articulate the next level of questions that this visit has inspired, identify other workplaces they would like to visit and make the educational plans they need to move toward the career of their choice (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, 2003, p. 57).

Students and job shadow hosts can provide feedback on the experience that will help support them more effectively in the future. Job shadows can be low-stress and high-impact when structured carefully to support student learning, workplace partner participation, and your own curriculum goals for your class (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, 2003, p. 57).

• Warrior Run School District

  As part of Warrior Run School District’s Comprehensive Career Development Program, eighth-grade students participate in a job shadow every spring. Every student shadows a community member. Before students go to their job shadow, they complete a Holland Personality Survey and research careers. The information the students learn from this experience is then used to assist them in their ninth-grade career readiness class (Warrior Run School District).

• Greater Latrobe School District

  Greater Latrobe School District uses an online form for community partners to express interest in partnering with the school for either their tenth-grade job shadowing or elevnth-grade mentorship program. Developed as part of their Comprehensive Career Development Program, the district’s goal is to have all students in these grades participate in worksite activities. Community partners are asked to contribute at least two hours to the activity and request that the mentor provide an opportunity for the student to observe the roles and tasks of a professional and engage in conversation concerning career paths, courses that would assist in following this career path, and any desired or required skills needed within the industry (Greater Latrobe School District).

• Avon Grove School District

  The Avon Grove Job Shadowing Experience immerses students into the world of work, where they can acquire first-hand information about job skills and careers. From experiencing the workplace, realistic and tangible career options come alive for students. Job shadowing involves student visits to a variety of career areas of interest during which time they can observe and ask questions of their shadowing hosts. This structured worksite experience provides students with a preview of the “real” world of work and the range of career opportunities available to them.

  Avon Grove High School Job Shadowing Experience student benefits:

  • Provides an up-close look at workplaces and careers
  • Demonstrates the link between education and future career success
  • Provides essential information to shape future career decision-making
  • Creates new networking opportunities for future career planning
  • Assists in developing a Career Action Plan for postsecondary goals
  • Introduces students to the requirements of professions and industries to help them prepare to join the workforce of the 21st century

  Avon Grove High School students meet with the Career Counselor to discuss interest and participation in a Job Shadowing Experience. Students who participate in a Job Shadowing Experience are excused from school [on the day(s) of the experience] but are expected to make up all required assignments, quizzes, projects, and tests. (Avon Grove School District, p. 38).

• Pennsylvania Career Zone

  The Pennsylvania Career Zone is a free online career development tool to help prepare students for selecting and researching their job shadowing experiences. This password-protected site allows students to assess themselves by completing a questionnaire that will determine their Holland personality code, explore job families and occupations with Pennsylvania-specific data that match students’ Holland code, and relates their interests in the world of work to a realistic personal budget. This free resource is provided by the PA Department of Education.

• New Ways to Work

  New Ways to Work is a consulting, technical assistance, and training organization that helps communities build comprehensive local youth-serving systems, develop new programs and partnerships, and improve practice in the organizations that serve young people. Detailed, high-quality resources available free to download can be found on this site. Topics include career development approaches, employer engagement, and high-quality work-based learning. The Kansas City, Kansas Work-Based Learning Toolkit is amongst the free resources available on this website (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, 2003, pp. 50-58, Tools 15, 19, 25; Factsheet #15).

• Kentucky Office of CTE Work-Based Learning Manual

  Chapter 4 of this manual provides job shadowing how-to advice and useful forms to assist in program development and employer recruitment and evaluation.

• Academic Innovations. (n.d.). Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS): Overview. Retrieved from http://www.academicinnovations.com/report.html
• ACE Mentor Program: Architecture, Construction, Engineering. (2016). Pennsylvania Affiliates: Central, Eastern, Lehigh Valley, Western. Retrieved from http://www.acementor.org/affiliates/pennsylvania/
• Alfeld, C., Charner, I., Johnson, L., & Watts, E. (2013, February). Work-Based Learning Opportunities for High School Students. Retrieved from National Research Center for Career and Technical Education: http://www.nrccte.org/sites/default/files/publication-files/nrccte_work-based_learning.pdf
• Arkansas Department of Career Education. (n.d.). Bridging the Gap: A Community Mentoring Program for High School Home Room Advisory Groups. Retrieved from https://www.acteonline.org/uploadedFiles/Assets_and_Documents/Global/files/Policy/Mentoring_Program_Bridging_the_Gap.pdf
• Avon Grove School District. (n.d.). 2016-17 Curriculum Planning Guide. Retrieved from https://www.avongrove.org/uploaded/Schools/High_School/Guidance_Department/2016-17_Curriculum_Planning_Guide_FINAL.pdf
• Darche, S., Nayar, N., & Bracco, K. R. (2009, November). West Ed-Focus Research Report: Work-Based Learning in California - Opportunities and Models for Expansion. Retrieved from https://www.wested.org/online_pubs/workbasedlearning.pdf
• Greater Latrobe School District. (n.d.). Resources: Community Partners - Job Shadow & Mentorship. Retrieved from http://www.glsd.us/domain/611
• Halpern, R. (2006). After School Matters in Chicago: Apprenticeship as a Model for Youth Programming. Youth and Society, 38, pp. 203-235. Retrieved from http://yas.sagepub.com/content/38/2/203.abstract
• Hanover Research. (2013, December). Best Practices in High School Work-Based Learning Programs. Retrieved from District Administration Practice : http://tinyurl.com/z64hcw2
• Junior Achievement. (n.d.). JA Job Shadow. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/jashadow
• Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. (2003). Quality Work-Based Learning Toolkit Including how-to guides, tools, factsheets and resources. Retrieved from New Ways To Work: http://www.newwaystowork.org/mastertools/guidebooks%20and%20toolkits/kcktoolkit/Print_Toolkit.PDF
• Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. (n.d.). Career Mentoring - Fact Sheet: Quality Work-Based Learning Toolkit. Retrieved from New Ways to Work: http://tinyurl.com/jgj5cvl
• Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. (n.d.). Internship - Factsheet #4. Retrieved from New Ways To Work: http://tinyurl.com/zlt4f22
• Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. (n.d.). Workplace Partner Guide to Successful Internships, Tool #34. Retrieved from New Ways to Work: http://www.newwaystowork.org/qwbl/tools/kcktoolkit/Tools/Tool_34.PDF
• Kentucky Office of Career and Technical Education. (2015, March). Work-Based Learning Manual. Retrieved from https://www.education.ky.gov/CTE/cter/Documents/Work-Based_Learning_Manual.pdf
• Lehigh Carbon Technical Institute. (n.d.). Internships: Get real work experience and start planning for the future. Retrieved from http://www.lcti.org/uploads/Internships.pdf
• Lewis, M. V., & Stone, J. R. (2011, March). Should Your School Offer Apprenticeship Training? Techniques, 86(3), pp. 17-21. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ926063.pdf
• National Academy Foundation. (n.d.). Guide to Work-Based Learning: A Continuum of Activities and Experience. Retrieved from http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2016/NationalAcademyFoundationGuidetoWorkBasedLearning.pdf
• National Mentoring Partnership. (2016). The National Mentoring Partnership: Program Resouces. Retrieved from http://www.mentoring.org/program-resources/start-a-program/
• New Hampshire Department of Education. (n.d.). All Aspects of the Industry. Retrieved from Division of Career Technology and Adult Learning, Bureau of Career Development: http://education.nh.gov/career/career/aaoi.htm
• New Ways To Work. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.newwaystowork.org/
• New Ways to Work. (n.d.). Apprenticeship Factsheet. Retrieved from Work-Based Learning Resources (California): http://www.newwaystowork.org/qwbl/tools/caltoolkit/Factsheets/apprenticeship.pdf
• New York State P-TECH. (2016, July). P-TECH Work-Based Learning Toolkit. Retrieved from P-TECH 9-14 Model: http://www.ptech.org/docs/tools/P-TECH_WBL_Toolkit_JUL15_v2.pdf
• PA Department of Education. (2014, March). Cooperative Education Guidelines for Administration: How to Comply with Federal and State Laws and Regulations. Retrieved from https://www.education.pa.gov/Documents/K-12/Career%20and%20Technical%20Education/Teacher%20Resources/Cooperative%20Education/Cooperative%20Education%20Guidelines%20for%20Administration.pdf
• PA Department of Education. (2016). Ready to Learn Block Grant. Retrieved from http://www.education.pa.gov/Teachers%20-%20Administrators/School%20Finances/Pages/Ready-to-Learn%20Block%20Grant.aspx#tab-1
• PA Department of Education. (n.d.). Background Checks, Frequently Asked Questions concerning Act 15 of 2015. Retrieved from http://www.education.pa.gov/Teachers%20-%20Administrators/Background%20checks/Pages/Act-15-Faqs.aspx#tab-1
• PA Department of Education. (n.d.). Pennsylvania Child Labor Law: General Information and Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from http://www.education.pa.gov/Pages/Codes%20and%20Regulations/Child-Labor-Law.aspx#tab-1
• PA Department of Education: Career Zone. (n.d.). Career Zone PA: Assess Yourself, Explore Job Families; Budget Your Life. Retrieved from https://www.pacareerzone.org/
• PA Department of Education: PA Career Standards. (n.d.). Electronic Toolkit - Implementation Resources. Retrieved from http://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/PACareerStandards/Pages/default.aspx#tab-1
• PA Department of Education: PA Career Standards; Electronic Toolkit. (n.d.). Partners: Resources for Employers: Job Shadowing Guide. Retrieved from http://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/PACareerStandards/Partners/Pages/default.aspx#tab-1
• PA Department of Labor and Industry. (n.d.). Regulations Governing the Employment of Minors in Industry. Retrieved from http://www.dli.pa.gov/laws-regs/regulations/Pages/Minors-in-Industry.aspx
• Pennsylvania Apprentice Coordinators Association. (n.d.). Regional Chapters, Union Careers, Videos, and Occupations with Apprenticeship Programs. Retrieved from http://www.apprentice.org/
• P-TECH 9-14 Model. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ptech.org/tools-sitemap
• Smart Futures. (2016). Career Mentoring for Teens and Young Adults. Retrieved from https://pa-ementor.org/#4
• Souderton Area School District. (n.d.). SAHS Pathways: Goals, Career Pathways and Milestones in the Pathway Process. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/a/soudertonsd.us/pathways/
• Souderton Area School District. (n.d.). SAHS Pathways: Mentorship Resources and Senior Presentation Samples. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/a/soudertonsd.us/pathways/internship
• Stasz, C., & Stern, D. (1998). Work-Basked Learning for Students in High Schools and Community Colleges. Berkeley: National Center for Research in Vocational Education: Centerpoint. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED425352.pdf
• Symonds, W., Schwartz, R., & Ferguson, R. F. (2011, February). Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the challenge of preparing young Americans for the 21st Century. Retrieved from Harvard Graduate School of Education, Pathways to Prosperity Project: http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:4740480
• The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry. (2016). Women in Business Mentoring Program: Making Career Connections. Retrieved from http://www.lancasterchamber.com/article.aspx?page=women-in-business-mentoring-program#.WCxsD_krJEa
• The Principal's Partnership. (n.d.). High School Student Mentoring Program: Research Brief. Retrieved from http://oemanagement.com/data/_files/mentoring.pdf
• U.S. Department of Labor. (2010, April). Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Retrieved from Wage and Hour Division (WHD): https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.pdf
• U.S. Department of Labor. (n.d.). Apprenticeship Basics: Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/apprenticeship/toolkit/toolkitfaq.htm#1f
• U.S. Department of Labor. (n.d.). Apprenticeship: Disability Employment Policy Resources by Topic. Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/youth/Apprenticeship.htm
• Warrior Run School District. (n.d.). Middle School 8th Grade Job Shadow Day. Retrieved from http://www.wrsd.org/userfiles/53/My%20Files/WarriorRunMSJobShadowParentStudentPacket%202016.pdf?id=4462
• Youth Works, A program of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania. (2016). Youth Works Programs: HIRE Me Mentoring. Retrieved from http://www.youthworksinc.org/for_youth/youthworksprograms/youthworksprograms.html

Career mentoring is a career exploration component of work-based learning. Career exploration is one of the three developmental stages of career development and is a core element of the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Career Education and Work. Career mentoring is one instance of youth mentoring which has a long history of success with at-risk students, students in the child welfare system, and diverse populations. Career mentoring should focus on career exploration, training, and related education.

Career mentoring occurs when a student is matched one-to-one with an adult professional in a chosen field of interest to explore a career, career interests, and related workplace and career development issues. The career mentor serves as a resource for the student by sharing insights and providing encouragement and guidance about the workplace, work ethics, careers, and educational requirements. The one-to-one relationship goes beyond the formal obligations of a teaching or supervisory role.

Building a trusting relationship between the student and the mentor is the key to a successful experience. This trusting relationship gives the mentor an opportunity to have a positive influence on the development of a young person. For the student, the mentor can be someone to look to for support and guidance in the complicated processes of growing into adulthood and making quality career decisions.

Career mentoring experiences promote exploration of a field of interest and increase students’ exposure to jobs, careers and adult role models in the workplace. Students can develop pre-employment and work maturity skills while building professional knowledge. Building a relationship with an adult aids students in expanding their ability to develop positive relationships.

A cost-effective tool that has gained popularity in Pennsylvania is electronic mentoring or e-mentoring. Students and mentors exchange electronic communications on a regular basis and can include career mentoring as well as other issues critical to school and academic success. Ideally, electronic mentoring is part of a committed relationship that includes time spent in face-to-face contact (The Principal's Partnership).

Research shows that career mentoring relationships should be at least six months in duration and include structured activities as well as career and education related activities agreed to by the school, the workplace, and the student (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, pp. 1, Factsheet #2).

Mentors participating in the program are required to obtain school volunteer background clearances. School volunteers are required to have a Pennsylvania State Police criminal history check, child abuse history certification, and if the mentor has resided in Pennsylvania for less than 10 years, a federal criminal history check. If the child interacts with other workers at the mentor’s job site, only the mentor is required to have clearances as long as that mentor remains in the immediate vicinity of the student and is identified as the responsible adult (PA Department of Education, n.d.)

Successful career mentoring programs have a well-organized structure, are carefully planned to include the needs of the mentor and student, have approval by parents and provide ongoing support and training. Mentoring should take place at the school, workplace, or an approved outing. Career mentors that participate in activities with students outside the school must be approved by the principal and the parents. Specifically, the program should incorporate the following:

• Develop clear, written policy and procedures materials for all parties.
• Match students with career mentors based on career interest and personality.
• Allow the mentor and mentee to interview and select each other.
• Have the student and career mentor set and communicate expectations that are assessed on a regular basis.
• Provide ongoing support and training for career mentors. (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, pp. 1, Factsheet #2)

Some schools use their school alumni as the source of their mentors. Online intake systems can help find matches between students and mentors.

Ages of mentees vary by programs. Schools can start as early as tenth grade with their career mentoring program. In those cases, mentors often are encouraged to remain in contact with their mentees throughout their high school experience.

The Kentucky Office of Career and Technical Education has developed a listing of the steps required for implementing a career mentoring program for students:

• Discuss and identify the opportunities of the mentoring program.
• Discuss and determine where and when the mentoring will take place. (e.g., school/off-campus)
• Develop application materials for interested students and mentors.
• Develop selection criteria for both students and mentors.
• Develop an evaluation form to monitor the success of the program.
• Recruit students (in collaboration with their parents) and mentors to participate in the program.
• Select the teacher(s)/other personnel who will be working with the mentoring program in the school system.
• Select the individuals (students and mentors) who will be participating in the mentoring program.
• Match the student with a compatible mentor based on career interest.
• Conduct a training and orientation session for mentors, students and school staff involved in the mentoring program.
• School Staff: In these sessions, review
  • goals of the program
  • procedures to be followed for the mentoring sessions based on site-based policies
  • evaluation procedure
  • expectations for staff members
  • safety procedures
• Mentor(s): In these sessions, review
  • goals of the program
  • procedures to be followed for mentoring sessions
  • necessary information about the school and the school routine such as beginning and ending time, days off, and school sign in and out policy
  • evaluation procedure
  • expectations for mentors involved in the program
  • information on school resources, cultural sensitivity, the profile of students, liability, safety, etc.
• Students: In these sessions, review
  • expectations
  • proper dress
  • careers relating to mentoring experience
  • safety practices and procedures
  • evaluation procedures
  • transportation for off-campus sessions
• Facilitate meetings between the mentor and student.
• Evaluate the mentoring program to continually improve the program outcomes (students, teachers, and mentors each complete an evaluation).
• Organize an appreciation meeting for mentors.

Career awareness programs such as career mentoring are funded out of school district operating funds. The program is often administered by the school counseling office but might reside in a business program, industrial arts, or other school office and might be in partnership with a community-based organization such as a school-business partnership, workforce investment board or school-to-work program. The activities support the implementation of the Career Education and Work Standards and can often be included in the development of the school’s Comprehensive Career Development Program. The Career Development Advisory Council can serve as the advisory body to the career mentoring program.

Pennsylvania’s Ready to Learn Block Grant (2016-17) provides formula driven allocations distributing funds to school districts and charter schools in Pennsylvania. Proven practices are considered acceptable expenditures. Career awareness activities such as career mentoring are eligible. Included in acceptable uses of funds are

“(k) Establishing, maintaining or establishing a career awareness programs.

(n) Establishing, maintaining or expanding programs to strengthen high school curricula by providing college and career programs, school-based counseling and professional development and offering AP courses to increase academic achievement (PA Department of Education, 2016).”

Career mentoring is an outgrowth of youth mentoring programs that have assisted at-risk students and special populations for many years. Programs should carefully evaluate the need to put performance criteria on student participation. Performance criteria such as attendance or GPA might restrict the neediest students from participating in the career mentoring program.

Mentors should be recruited who are willing to work with at-risk students. Ensuring that the mentor fully understands the strengths and weaknesses of their match will assist in creating successful pairs, even for the most troubled and needy student.

Care should be given to providing mentors of both genders so that a variety of role models can be found within career clusters.

• Students might need transportation assistance.
• Students should be provided with school time to meet with mentors on a regular basis.

• PA eMentoring

  The PA eMentoring program allows schools to provide their students, grades 8-12, with an online career mentor within the classroom. eMentors communicate with students through email and online curriculum that leads to a college and career plan for each mentee. PA eMentoring offers working and retired adults, parents, and mature college students a flexible alternative to traditional face-to-face mentoring and offers employers a way to establish meaningful connections with youths and schools within a community. PA eMentoring is a program of Smart Futures, a 501 c-3 nonprofit organization based in Pittsburgh. School districts or a sponsoring organization pays a fee for this service. Schools and organizations that have used the program include Beaver Falls High School, Belle Vernon Area High School, and over 30 additional districts across Pennsylvania. Belle Vernon Area High School has implemented the program in their business programs (Smart Futures, 2016).

• Architecture, Construction and Engineering Mentor Program

  ACE is a national not-for-profit organization with affiliates in southcentral PA, eastern PA, the Lehigh Valley, and in western PA. Under the mentorship of experienced professionals from leading building industry firms, students work in teams to pursue a range of informative and stimulating after-school activities, including field trips to “in-progress” construction sites, discussions with project managers, tours of professional offices, and more. In addition, each team works on a project that addresses “real-life” situations and issues. Teams have worked on a variety of projects that represent all facets of the design and construction industry. Each team produces seven items (site plans, models, elevations, perspectives, etc.) from a list of required deliverables. The teams then used these things to demonstrate their project solutions during a special event for mentors, peers, and other guests. Students can then apply for postsecondary scholarships. Amongst the schools with ACE programs are School District of Philadelphia, Pottsgrove School District, and Parkland School District (ACE Mentor Program: Architecture, Construction, Engineering, 2016).

• Women in Business Mentoring Program

  The Women in Business Mentoring Program is sponsored by the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The program includes one-on-one mentoring, job shadowing, special learning and professional growth opportunities. Students participate from 13 high schools (private and public) located in Lancaster County (The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2016).

• Youth Works

  Youth Works is a program of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Hire Me mentoring is a free career preparation after-school program that provides work-readiness training, career mentoring, service learning opportunities and career exploration experiences. Requiring mentors to make a one-year commitment, the mentor serves students between the ages of 12-17 with monthly outside activities and weekly electronic correspondence (Youth Works, A program of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, 2016).

• National Mentoring Partnership

  The National Mentoring Partnership helps children by providing a public voice, developing and delivering resources to mentoring programs nationwide and promoting quality for mentoring through standards, cutting-edge research, and state of the art tools. This site focuses on general youth mentorship programs of which two exist in Pennsylvania sites (National Mentoring Partnership, 2016).

• Community Mentoring Program for High School Homeroom Advisory Groups

  This handbook provides a 7-step guide to building support for students using community mentors, educators, and parent volunteers. Detailed instructions on creating the infrastructure, creating the pilot program, creating a mentor database, preparing the student body and faculty for the program, delivering the first pilot mentoring session, evaluating the program, and funding the program are included. A variety of templates and forms is also provided. This resource provides the how-to for starting a new program (Arkansas Department of Career Education).

• Kentucky Office of CTE Work-Based Learning Manual

  Chapter 3 of this manual provides career mentoring how-to advice and useful forms to assist in program development and mentor recruitment and evaluation.

• NYS P-TECH Public Private Partnerships for College and Career Success

  The P-TECH 9-14 School Model Playbook website is designed to serve as the central hub for public-private partnerships interested in learning about and implementing this groundbreaking school reform model. The site focuses the partnerships on the key elements that characterize the P-TECH model and provides action-oriented guidance and tools to enable them to implement the model with quality and fidelity. The site features a toolkit that includes a section on career mentoring (New York State P-TECH, 2016, pp. 16-23).

Internships are career preparation work-based learning experiences in a particular occupational area that assist the student in developing technical competencies while they earn school credit. It is a short-term practical experience, giving the student a broad overview of the career area, and is supervised by an employer and a teacher. These experiences are especially useful when they supplement the technical competencies that the school can deliver by providing access to tools, equipment, facilities, and expertise that generally are not available at the school. The work experience is evaluated by the teachers and employers, with input from the student.

Internships differ from cooperative education in Pennsylvania in that a cooperative education program is integrated into a Career and Technical Program of Study with the development of specific technical skills linked to task lists as the goal, offers employability skills training to the student as part of the school-based program, works under a training plan and agreement, and is supervised by a certified Cooperative Education Supervisor. Students receive wages and school credit for cooperative education experiences (PA Department of Education, 2014, pp. 64-65).

An internship is a highly-structured, sustained career preparation activity in which students are placed at a workplace for a defined period of time to participate in and observe work firsthand within a given industry. Learning objectives are specified, and student performance is assessed. The longer time period in the workplace deepens the learning experience for the student. This deepened experience enhances the transferance of employability skills and increases the acquisition of technical skills through hands-on experiences. Internships may be paid or unpaid, depending on whether the student is performing productive work for the employer (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010).

Research on the impact of work-based learning, and specifically internships, is rare. Hanover Research found:

Reliable data that accurately quantify the efficacy of specific practices in work‐based learning are scarce. Because rigorous longitudinal studies of work‐based learning programs are exceedingly difficult to conduct, much of the available data must be viewed and interpreted cautiously. However, even though the scarcity of reliable data precludes a set of strictly evidence‐based best practices, work‐based learning experts are able to point to numerous best practices that have demonstrated efficacy (Hanover Research, 2013, p. 3).

Essential characteristics for work-based learning internships include:

• “Direct and systematic employer and community input
• Depth of experience and engagement
• Connection to the curriculum” (Darche, Nayar, & Bracco, 2009, p. 5).

Without the link to the curriculum, work-based learning experiences are equivalent to regular employment and offer students no additional knowledge or connections to the world of work, academic or technical content knowledge nor to their career aspirations. An internship’s links to the curriculum are the value-added to the student’s career journey.

An internship is a career preparation activity in which students are placed in a workplace for a defined period of time to participate in and observe work within a given industry and occupation. Internships are highly structured, time-limited experiences that occur at a worksite. Unlike work experience, internships often allow students to rotate through a number of departments and job functions. Internships may be paid or unpaid, depending on whether the student is performing productive work (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). They are designed to give students hands-on experience, providing them a deeper understanding of the occupation and industry (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, pp. 1, Factsheet #4).

State professional certification: Although there are no state professional certification requirements for the category of job shadowing or internships, it is highly recommended that persons working with students in these areas be professionally prepared. Any form of student job shadowing or internship should be addressed and adopted as part of the school entity or career and technical center strategic plan (PA Department of Education, 2014).

Fair Labor Standards Act: Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) , internship programs must evaluate whether the interns need to be paid the minimum wage and overtime for the services they provide to for-profit, private sector employers.

“The following six criteria must be applied when making this determination:

1. The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;
2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
3. The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion, its operations may actually be impeded;
5. The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and
6. The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010).

Additional considerations about wages:

• If the student is paid by the workplace, the employer is responsible for all wages and taxes as well as liability and workers’ compensation coverage.
• If the school pays the student, the school district is responsible for all wages and taxes as well as liability and workers’ compensation coverage.
• If the student is unpaid, the school district is responsible for liability coverage.

Clearances: Worksite employees participating in the program are required to obtain school volunteer background clearances. School volunteers are required to have a Pennsylvania State Police criminal history check, child abuse history certification, and if the employee has resided in Pennsylvania for less than 10 years, a federal criminal history check. If the child interacts with other workers at the employee’s job site, only the employee is required to have clearances as long as that employee remains in the immediate vicinity of the student and is identified as the responsible adult (PA Department of Education, n.d.)

Safety: Interns should receive training about potential workplace hazards and how to protect themselves. The school entity must provide basic safety instruction, and the workplace must supplement this training with location-specific and occupation-specific instruction.

Internships are intended to enhance workplace knowledge and awareness. They help build the skills required for specific occupations by exposing students to all aspects of the industry (New Hampshire Department of Education) and the multiple career options available. Internships engage students in their own learning and provide numerous opportunities for reflection on the experience, both verbally and in writing. Quality internships are designed to support academic learning directly.

All internships should include structured activity before, during, and after the program. These activities help ensure that all involved parties have meaningful, productive experiences that result in enhanced student learning. Proper planning and preparation, attention to legal and safety details, maximization of learning potential, and communication and support for the student and worksite supervisor will help ensure success (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, pp. 1, Tool #34).

Steps in Planning an Internship Program

1. Identify and develop goals, policies and procedures for the internship program. Identify a teacher leader. Seek school board approval of the program.
2. Develop selection criteria for student participation and internship mentors. Take care to be inclusive in the participation guidelines. Special education students, as well as regular education students, should be eligible to participate.
3. Build a partnership with the community and community-based organizations. Work with the community to identify prospective sites for student internship experiences.
4. Publish information in school handbook including strategies for scheduling the internship while still maintaining enrollment in rigorous academics at the school (Kentucky Office of Career and Technical Education, 2015, pp. 7-1).

Success Factors

• Provide a classroom orientation and concurrent activities that support workplace learning.
• Obtain clear and precise information from workplace partners about the expected projects and duties the intern will perform.
• Develop a specific learning plan and a contract that details learning objectives and roles of all parties.
• Link workplace learning specifically to classroom learning by showing the integration of workplace knowledge with challenging academics.
• Maintain ongoing communication with workplace partners. (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, 2003, p. 211)

Assessing Quality Teaching and Learning at Work

Assessing the quality of the teaching and learning in the workplace is a concern for educators and administrators. Aspects of the workplace learning environment differ from the school setting and coordinators should consider the issues as they evaluate the effectiveness of the program in increasing the knowledge of students.

Social Context: Not only are the tasks performed in the workplace important, but the social context of these functions impacts the student’s experience. To best match students with employers and jobs, determining the social context of work is important. Specifically, is the student in a work-role that is typically highly-supervised or one that has some discretion over tasks? Greater choice provides more opportunity to learn (Stasz & Stern, 1998).

The Community of Practice: Students enter a set of relations among people, activities and their work setting called the community of practice. A quality learning experience will include opportunities to participate in the work community by being involved in such things as staff meetings, company training opportunities and any other activities in which junior-level employees would be expected to attend (Stasz & Stern, 1998).

Pedagogy of the Worksite: Asking the right kinds of questions can help program developers determine whether a work setting will provide opportunities for students to learn the kinds of skills or attitudes that they want them to learn.

• Will the job give students opportunities to take responsibility, make decisions, learn technical skills, or work in teams?
• Does the setting provide the social supports that students need to learn?
• Will students get adequate feedback on their performance to help them learn?
• Who teaches at work?
• Does the employer want workers who take the initiative, or workers who take orders?

School learning does not always instill an appropriate orientation toward learning at work. To learn on the job, students must interact in a social setting to learn their tasks with the goal of eventually carrying them out on their own. Students must know when to ask questions, have the confidence to solve problems, and know how to work with others (Stasz & Stern, 1998).

Who Is Involved and What Do They Do?

Role of Students (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, 2003, p. 19):

• Actively participate in their school and workplace experiences
• Develop meaningful learning objectives
• Participate in reflection activities that help them process what they have learned

Role of Teacher-Coordinator (Kentucky Office of Career and Technical Education, 2015, pp. 7-5)

As supervisor of the program, the teacher or coordinator generally will:

• Provide information about the program to students, parents or guardians, and employers
• Keep the school and community informed regarding all aspects of the program
• Set up an advisory council to promote internships and to involve parents and business leaders in the design and implementation for the program. In Pennsylvania, this advisory committee could be a subcommittee of the career development program advisory council
• Identify potential internship sites, contact persons, and hosts
• Visit training sites to meet personnel, observe the work performed at the worksite, and check for appropriate safety practices and safety training
• Provide orientation for parents/guardians and students
• Select dates for internship experiences
• Guide the student in researching background on the company and industry
• Develop appropriate forms, such as a Parent or Guardian Consent Form and Student and Teacher Consent Form, in conformity with school policies
• Work with students in the selection of their placements, considering student interests, the personality of students and hosts, and other factors. The placement should match career goals and interests as identified in the student’s career portfolio
• Develop a Work-Based Learning Plan and Agreement in consultation with the student and the employer
• Orient worksite personnel to policies, procedures and guidelines
• Teach students proper dress and behavior skills
• Make transportation arrangements
• Identify and coordinate insurance and liability issues
• Collaborate with teachers if students are to miss a class
• Observe students at their worksites
• Stay in contact with employers
• Integrate the student's worksite learning with school-based learning through regular seminar and classroom instruction
• Provide recognition and appreciation for business/industry and school personnel involved in the program

School Districts (National Academy Foundation, p. 11):

• Maintain and support policies and protocols that make work-based learning a viable structure what helps students meet academic standards
• Support teachers’ professional development to ensure they can maximize the opportunities at the workplace
• Leverage available resources to make sure that work-based learning is supported within small learning communities at the high schools

Workplace Partners and Worksite Supervisors (National Academy Foundation, p. 11):

• Collaborate with school staff to create learning opportunities for students at the workplace
• Help students write learning objectives
• Train, coach, and guide students while they are involved
• Evaluate student progress toward learning objectives and on workplace skills
• Maintain ongoing communication with teachers

Community Partners (National Academy Foundation, p. 11):

• Serve as an intermediary to connect teachers and other school personnel and students with businesses
• Provide student referrals to work-based learning activities, including work experience and internship opportunities
• Assist in preparing youth for the workplace
• Assist in supervising student workplace experiences
• Subsidize work experience and internships for eligible students
• Support the development of work-based learning experiences tied to classroom-based academic and technical learning

Forms and Checklists

A variety of toolkits and model programs exist that have created forms and checklists for school districts to use. Exploring these forms provides an opportunity to create tools that fit the school entity’s context. The links to each of these toolkits and documents can be found in the reference section. The following are the relevant citations

• (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, 2003, pp. 4-1 to 4-13, Tools 7-14)
• (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, pp. 1, Tool #34)
• (Kentucky Office of Career and Technical Education, 2015, pp. 7-7 to 7-11)
• (New York State P-TECH, 2016, pp. 34-37)

Staffing is critical for a quality program to be delivered. The teacher-coordinator must be able to make visits to the workplace while the student at the worksite. Many programs only visit the workplace once during an internship; however, additonal visits can ensure success for struggling students.

Providing funding for student transportation expands the range of students who can participate and could broaden the geographic region where students can find interested employers. In urban areas, providing subsidies for public transportation is an option. In rural school districts, vans or buses are options.

Scheduling challenges often restrict a student’s access to internships. In smaller schools, building schedules that permit students to be at a workplace during the school day and enrolling in rigorous classes requires a keen awareness of potential scheduling conflicts. Internships that are for small groups of students to a single workplace can help build teamwork skills as well as make scheduling easier at the school.

Schools can improve student success in internships by providing:

• Thorough orientations to the world of work and to the workplace experience for the student and their parent/guardian.
• A planned seminar for students to discuss internship challenges.
• A comprehensive career development program in which the student has created a career portfolio based on an assessment of their vocational and occupational skills including personality tests (such as the Holland test), performance tests, career maturity assessments, and exploration of vocational interests.

• Souderton Area School District

  Souderton Area School District has adopted a pathways model which provides students with career development processes through course selection and workplace experiences. Their design includes four pathways, career exploration in 9th grade, job shadowing in 10th grade, a pathway internship in 11th grade and a senior presentation of their career development journey in the 12th grade (Souderton Area School District). Their internship is called a mentorship with guidelines, forms, employer contracts, and other support materials available on their pathways website (Souderton Area School District).

• Lehigh Carbon Technical Institute

  During the 2013-2014 school year, Lehigh Carbon Technical Institute (LCTI) instituted the Rotational Internship Program within the manufacturing sector to address the shortage of skilled workers, specifically in electromechanical and mechatronics. This innovative program was entirely driven by employer B Braun Medical, Inc. and was designed in partnership with LCTI and the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board. Unlike cooperative learning experiences in which students are placed in one job for a semester or longer, the Rotational Internship Program requires students to work in several different manufacturing environments. However, like cooperative learning experiences, students in the Rotational Internship are paid. Per Ms. Jan Klevis, supervisor of LCTI’s Adult Education, the program has been very successful as measured by student and employer feedback, student placement after graduation, and student and mentor engagement. During the 2014-2015 school year, the program was expanded to include two additional Lehigh Valley career and technical centers and additional employers. In addition, the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board is providing partial funding through a PA JOBS1st grant to offset employer costs (Lehigh Carbon Technical Institute).

• New Ways to Work

  New Ways to Work is a consulting, technical assistance, and training organization that helps communities build comprehensive local youth-serving systems, develop new programs and partnerships, and improve practice in the organizations that serve young people. Detailed, high-quality resources are available free to download on this site. Topics include career development approaches, employer engagement, and high-quality work-based learning. The Kansas City, Kansas Work-Based Learning Toolkit is amongst the free resources available on this website (Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, 2003, pp. 4-1 to 4-13, Tools 7-14, Factsheet 4).

• NYS P-TECH Public-Private Partnerships for College and Career Success

  The P-TECH 9-14 School Model Playbook website is designed to serve as the central hub for public-private partnerships interested in learning about and implementing this school reform model. The site focuses partnerships on the key elements that characterize the P-TECH model and provides action-oriented guidance and tools to enable them to implement the model with quality and fidelity. The site also features a series of case studies from P-TECH model schools to ground the key elements in practice. Under the tools and sitemap section of the website, resources are available supporting work-based learning, internships, and mentoring programs (P-TECH 9-14 Model, n.d.) (New York State P-TECH, 2016, pp. 32-37).

Apprenticeship is a career preparation activity designed to prepare an individual—generally a high school graduate—for careers in the skilled crafts and trades. However, some apprenticeship programs accept high school students between the ages of 16 and 18 so that the student can get a head start on completing the program. Apprenticeships consist of paid, on-the-job training, supplemented by related classroom instruction. Apprenticeship training usually requires one to five years to complete, depending on which occupation is chosen (New Ways to Work).

Apprenticeship is a career preparation activity designed to prepare an individual—generally a high school graduate—for careers in the skilled crafts and trades. However, some apprenticeship programs accept high school students between the ages of 16 and 18 so that the student can get a head start on completing the program. Apprenticeships consist of paid, on-the-job training, supplemented by related classroom instruction. Apprenticeship training usually requires one to five years to complete, depending on which occupation is chosen (New Ways to Work).

State and federal registered apprenticeship programs are work-based education partnerships between industry, labor, education, and government. Apprenticeship is industry-driven and provides an effective balance between on-the-job training and the classroom and laboratory instruction that is needed to develop marketable knowledge and skills in one of the many programs sponsored nationally. There is a broad span of occupations from low tech to high tech in fields including medical, trades, crafts, and technology. Apprenticeships can be offered in almost any occupation in which an employer wants to have thoroughly knowledgeable and skilled employees who desire to climb the career ladder via the earn-and-learn apprenticeship model (New Ways to Work).

Registered apprenticeships ensure quality learning by combining on-the-job training with theoretical and practical classroom instruction to prepare exceptional workers. Classroom and laboratory instruction are required in all registered apprenticeship programs. This document focuses on the registered apprenticeship programs wherein the apprentice is trained, paid and receives benefits according to state and federal apprenticeship laws.

“The most intensive forms of workplace learning—apprenticeship and sustained internships—are especially effective in meeting the developmental needs of young people. They provide a structure to support the transition from adolescence to adulthood which is lacking for the majority of young people in the U.S. apprenticeships provide increasingly demanding responsibilities and challenges in an intergenerational work setting that lends a structure to each day. Adult relationships are built on support and accountability, mentoring and supervision.” (Symonds, Schwartz, & Ferguson, 2011)

Most research on apprenticeships has focused on adult apprenticeships and may not be applicable to high school programs. Adults, on average, start their apprenticeship training at age 27 – 29 (Lewis & Stone, 2011). Other researchers report that the breadth of research on all work-based learning lacks rigorous longitudinal studies. A summary report of available qualitative and quantitative research was completed by the National Institute for Work and Learning under contract for the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (Alfeld, Charner, Johnson, & Watts, 2013).

Symonds reported outcomes from an exemplary youth apprenticeship program in Wisconsin. “The Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program began in the early 90s, and has since matured into the nation’s largest apprenticeship opportunity for high school students. Under the two-year program, high school juniors and seniors complete up to 900 hours of work-based learning and related courses. Many also earn college credits. Apprenticeships are now offered in fields ranging from healthcare and manufacturing to IT, hospitality, and agriculture. Apprenticeships are available in nearly half of Wisconsin’s school districts, and the program serves about 2,000 students at a time. Over 75 percent of youth apprenticeship graduates enroll in a technical college or university, and over 60 percent complete their degrees, which is far higher than the national average. What’s more, over 85 percent of graduates are employed after leaving high school, and a stunning 98 percent of participating employers say they would recommend it to others (Symonds, Schwartz, & Ferguson, 2011).”

Halpern draws on a study of an after-school initiative serving inner-city high school students to describe and reflect on ways in which apprenticeship-like experiences support work on a variety of developmental tasks. Key dimensions of the apprenticeship experience, challenges faced by instructors, and possible effects on participants are examined. “Findings suggest that, in addition to strengthening discipline-specific knowledge and skills and, more selectively, skills needed for carrying out complex tasks, apprenticeship-like learning experiences have interesting self-effects. These experiences lead at least some apprentices to take more responsibility for themselves, to learn to attend more deeply, to learn about themselves, to learn that it is OK to do new things, and to learn that expressing one's thoughts, emotions, or doubts honestly will not have negative consequences. At the same time, apprentices' growth is tentative. Shifting habits, predispositions, and dominant feelings (about oneself and others) is difficult work (Halpern, 2006).”

Apprentice: “A minor of 16 years of age or over who is employed in a craft recognized as an apprenticeable trade where the work in an occupation or process otherwise prohibited is incidental to the apprentice training, is intermittent and for short periods of time, and is under the direct and close supervision of a journeyman, and who is registered with the Pennsylvania Apprenticeship and Training Council or employed under a written apprenticeship agreement under conditions which conform to the Federal and State standards of apprenticeship training,” (PA Department of Labor and Industry, n.d.)

The PA Department of Labor and Industry and the PA Department of Education regulate the employment of minors in industry. Each agency has a role in defining the structure of the work experience, the provision of work permits, the enforcement of child labor laws, and other relevant requirements (PA Department of Education, n.d.). Apprenticeships for youth between the ages of 16 and 18 fall under their regulations. These regulations also define specific prohibitions and specification for work within specific occupational areas (PA Department of Labor and Industry, n.d.). Visit the referenced websites for the most up-to-date guidance on laws on the employment of minors in Pennsylvania. Note that some occupations and industries have restrictions on allowable participation by minors.

Understanding the five building blocks of an apprenticeship program is critical to the successful implementation of the program at a school or career and technology center. Since apprenticeships tend to be industry-driven and on an individual student level, the role of the school often is secondary to the role of the business offering the apprenticeship.

There are five components to apprenticeship programs (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.). These components are:

1. Business Involvement: Employers are the foundation of every apprenticeship program. They play an active role in building the program and remain involved every step of the way. Employers frequently work together through apprenticeship councils, industry associations, or other partnerships to share the administrative tasks involved in maintaining apprenticeship programs. Often the greatest challenge for a high school based apprenticeship program is finding a match between the employer and an interested student. (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.)
2. Structured On-the-Job Training: Apprenticeships always include an on-the-job training (OJT) component. A written training plan is developed between the business, the student, and the school entity. Apprentices receive hands-on training from an experienced mentor at the job site. OJT focuses on the skills and knowledge an apprentice must learn during the program to be fully proficient on the job. This training is based on national industry standards and customized to the needs of the employer (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.). The training is evaluated by a school-based supervisor and journeyman. This focus on national standards aligns well with state requirements for high school career and technical programs. The student receives high school credit for this training.
3. Related Instruction: One of the unique aspects of apprenticeships is that they combine on-the-job learning with related instruction on the technical and academic competencies that apply to the job. Education partners collaborate with business to develop the curriculum, which often incorporates established national-level skill standards. The related instruction may be provided by community colleges, technical schools, or apprenticeship training schools – or by the business itself. It can be delivered at a school, online, or at the job site (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.). For high school level students, this instruction occurs at the high school partner’s location and should meet both state education requirements and the needs of the occupation. The student receives high school credit for this instruction.
4. Rewards for Skill Gains: Apprentices receive wages when they begin work and receive pay increases as they meet benchmarks for skill attainment. This helps reward and motivate apprentices as they advance through their training (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.). Apprenticeship programs that permit students between the ages of 16 and 18 to participate must remain aware of hour restrictions and workplace safety restrictions defined by the PA Child Labor Law .
5. Nationally-Recognized Credential: Every graduate of a registered apprenticeship program receives a nationally-recognized credential. This is a portable credential that signifies to employers that apprentices are fully-qualified for the job (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.).

Apprenticeship programs generally are coordinated as part of a career and technical education program. Careful adherence to state and federal child labor laws are critical to ensuring that neither the school entity nor employer is at risk of being fined. A cooperative education certified teacher to coordinate the apprenticeship is highly recommended.

Care should be taken in finding a match between the employer and a student who is interested in an apprenticeship commitment. Many occupations have an overrepresentation of a single gender. Nontraditional careers are those occupations in which one gender comprises less than 25% of the current workforce. Workbased learning experiences can be used to promote nontraditional career preparation.

The U.S. Department of Labor encourages apprenticeships for people with disabilities (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.). An apprenticeship could be considered as part of a student’s transition plan, a required component of the youth’s Individual Education program beginning at age 16.

• Philadelphia Works: Southeast PA Region Apprenticeship Initiative

  This $2.9 million project strengthens the pipeline of motivated, qualified youth who can be directed into American Apprenticeship programs. The project will develop and implement innovative, hybrid, or competency-based pre-apprenticeship curricula to ensure participants’ employability aligns with available apprenticeship positions and results in portable credentials that are recognized by multiple providers and employers. Three hundred and ten apprenticeship positions will be created: 170 IT apprentices and 140 behavioral health technicians. A new governing body, the SEPA Region American Apprenticeship Collaborative, and dedicated staff oversee all registered apprenticeships to share learning, identify synergies, and develop meaningful work-based experiences for apprentices and pre-apprentices.

• Forbes Road Career and Technology Center

  Apprenticeship: This is a one or two-year secondary program with technical training. Students begin work-site learning as youth apprentices during their junior or senior year of high school. Students spend three days per week in technical and applied academics classes at Forbes Road Career and Technology Center. The other two days, students will work at a work-site under the supervision of a mentor. Following high school graduation, the apprentice will continue training in an adult apprenticeship program or in post-secondary education.

• Cooperative Education: Guidelines for Administration

  This Pennsylvania toolkit provides details as to how to comply with federal and state laws and regulations related to cooperative education including apprenticeships (PA Department of Education, 2014).

• Pennsylvania Apprentice Coordinator's Association

  The Pennsylvania Apprentice Coordinators Association (PACA) was developed to provide a medium for the exchange of ideas and the methods and information relative to apprenticeships in Pennsylvania. PACA exists to collectively assist in improving its members’ registered programs and the skills of their instructional staff and to inform and promote apprenticeship; especially in the unionized building trades. Lastly, PACA will inform its members of the latest laws, regulations, and pending legislation that affect apprenticeship and apprenticeship training in Pennsylvania as well as North America. This resource provides a listing of apprenticeships in Pennsylvania and provides contact information for chapters throughout the commonwealth (Pennsylvania Apprentice Coordinators Association, n.d.).