Inside this issue
Important Upcoming Events/Meetings
May 5, 2017: ADSIS Teachers/Coaches PLC May 8 - 12, 2017: Teacher Appreciation Week May 10, 2017: National Bike to School Day May 17, 2017: Superintendents Council May 19, 2017: EL PLC May 21, 2017: National Take your Parents to the Playground Day May 25, 2017: School Psychologist Cohort May 25, 2017: National Red Nose Day May 26, 2017: Instructional Coaches PLC May 30 - 31, 2017: Instructional Coaches - Year End Data Dive May 31, 2017: National Speak in Sentences Day |
The Progress, May 2017: Volume 2, Issue 9
The Progress archive
Click here to view past issues from the current school year. Comments? Suggestions for new articles?
Contact Jillynne Raymond, Editor, The Progress, jraymond@gced.k12.mn.us ![]() Spring Assessment Window May 8 - 19, 2017 |
Student Educational Adventures (SEA)
By Carrie Groth, Katie Kennedy, Lori Nicolai
Student Educational Adventures (SEA) is an experiential education project through GCED, for students whose most successful mode of learning is not the traditional classroom setting. SEA is targeted for students with an identified emotional/behavioral concern or other social challenge. Students served in special education in grades 9 through 12 are eligible to participate. Students’ case managers or school social workers make a referral and complete and application. Due to the nature of the learning activities, SEA is for students who have the physical and cognitive abilities to work in a group setting, in outdoor environments, in all weather conditions. SEA is for students who are committed to working on personal goals and completing and participating in the course expectations. Students have an opportunity to earn credit for their participation.There is no cost for students to participate in the SEA courses thanks to a grant through United Way, the primary funding source for the program. SEA courses are designed with a variety of outcomes that encourage and support personal growth and team collaboration. A sample of outcomes include:
That is the big picture. |
"In its simplest form, experiential learning means learning from experience or learning by doing. Experiential education first immerses learners in an experience and then encourages reflection about the experience to develop new skills, new attitudes, or new ways of thinking.” |
By Brian Cashman
Starting with the Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act of 1917, the federal government has had a role in shaping Career and Technical Education (CTE). Currently, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 provides both federal dollars and accountability to state education agencies. In Minnesota, these federal dollars are dispersed to consortia throughout the state. A consortium is made up of at least one post-secondary institution paired with local high schools. All GCED-member school districts are part of the Southeast Consortium.
Cannon Falls, Goodhue, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Lake City, Red Wing, and Zumbrota-Mazeppa join 18 other school districts in southeastern Minnesota that are paired with Minnesota State Southeast to form the Southeast Consortium. The two education districts in Southeastern Minnesota - GCED and the Hiawatha Valley Education District (Winona) are part of the consortium as well. The consortium runs from Red Wing (its northernmost school) down to Iowa (Mabel-Canton, Spring Grove) and is bordered on the west by Rochester and the east by the Mississippi River. In 2016-2017, the consortium received $163,663.82 worth of state funding to use towards developing, refining, and supporting high-quality CTE programs in the consortium high schools. My role is to facilitate the most appropriate use of these dollars, as well as to be a support to local school districts in their CTE efforts.
As with other Federal and State initiatives, there is accountability paired with the funding. In particular, Perkins funding requires that consortia focus their efforts on five goal areas:
Accountability measurements include : having at least 7 career pathways programs (called Programs of Study) in place in the consortium, MCA (Reading and Math) results, graduation rates, non-traditional participation (gender), and performance on Technical Skill Assessments.
The state also collects data on CTE participation numbers by course, program, and career cluster. Just to give an idea of some of the more populated courses across the consortium, the following chart lists all the CTE courses that had at least 90 enrollments in the 2015-2016 school year. Two caveats with this data: (1) this list does not represent every CTE course offered last year – just the courses with a total of 90 or more enrollments and (2) to be counted in this data, the course must be part of a state-approved CTE program – because of this, there are some course enrollments not represented on this list.
Starting with the Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act of 1917, the federal government has had a role in shaping Career and Technical Education (CTE). Currently, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 provides both federal dollars and accountability to state education agencies. In Minnesota, these federal dollars are dispersed to consortia throughout the state. A consortium is made up of at least one post-secondary institution paired with local high schools. All GCED-member school districts are part of the Southeast Consortium.
Cannon Falls, Goodhue, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Lake City, Red Wing, and Zumbrota-Mazeppa join 18 other school districts in southeastern Minnesota that are paired with Minnesota State Southeast to form the Southeast Consortium. The two education districts in Southeastern Minnesota - GCED and the Hiawatha Valley Education District (Winona) are part of the consortium as well. The consortium runs from Red Wing (its northernmost school) down to Iowa (Mabel-Canton, Spring Grove) and is bordered on the west by Rochester and the east by the Mississippi River. In 2016-2017, the consortium received $163,663.82 worth of state funding to use towards developing, refining, and supporting high-quality CTE programs in the consortium high schools. My role is to facilitate the most appropriate use of these dollars, as well as to be a support to local school districts in their CTE efforts.
As with other Federal and State initiatives, there is accountability paired with the funding. In particular, Perkins funding requires that consortia focus their efforts on five goal areas:
- Designing and implementing career pathways programs (pathways to a career via secondary and post-secondary course sequencing, assessments, skill development, etc.).
- Effectively utilizing employer, community, and education partnerships.
- Improving service to special populations.
- Providing a continuum of service for enabling student transitions.
- Sustaining the new consortium structure of secondary and post-secondary institutions.
Accountability measurements include : having at least 7 career pathways programs (called Programs of Study) in place in the consortium, MCA (Reading and Math) results, graduation rates, non-traditional participation (gender), and performance on Technical Skill Assessments.
The state also collects data on CTE participation numbers by course, program, and career cluster. Just to give an idea of some of the more populated courses across the consortium, the following chart lists all the CTE courses that had at least 90 enrollments in the 2015-2016 school year. Two caveats with this data: (1) this list does not represent every CTE course offered last year – just the courses with a total of 90 or more enrollments and (2) to be counted in this data, the course must be part of a state-approved CTE program – because of this, there are some course enrollments not represented on this list.
Work Experience - Handicapped
Work Experience: 32 F, 59 M, 91 Total Agriculture Combined Program Recreational & Companion Animal Science: 62 F, 33 M, 95 Total Agricultural Exploration I: 52 F, 104 M, 156 Total Ag Careers / Resource Management: 57 F, 86 M, 143 Total Small Gasoline Engines I: 5 F, 111 M, 116 Total Ag Welding Technology I / Metals I: 11 F, 95 M, 106 Total Wildlife / Natural Resources / Forestry: 38 F, 89 M, 127 Total Wildlife I / Fish Conservation Management I: 29 F, 110 M, 139 Total Ag Coop Work Experience OJT: 47 F, 53 M, 100 Total FACS-Interpersonal Communications Courses Independent Living: 113 F, 75 M, 188 Total Investigating Careers: 74 F, 84 M, 158 Total Personal Finance & Management: 43 F, 54 M, 97 Total Housing & Interior Design I: 100 F, 38 M, 138 Total Beginning Foods: 65 F, 44 M, 109 Total Creative Foods and Meals: 72 F, 66 M, 138 Total Foods and Nutrition I/Food Science I: 85 F, 98 M, 183 Total Baking: 119 F, 82 M, 201 Total Administrative Support Occupations Accounting I: 44 F, 54 M, 98 Total Business Careers: 52 F, 60 M, 112 Total Career Exploration/Business Careers: 140 F, 139 M, 279 Total Personal Finance & Money Management I: 105 F, 106 M, 211 Total Computer Applications I: 209 F, 254 M, 463 Total Construction Occupations--Finishing Woods, Construction & Finishing I: 37 F, 198 M, 235 Total Woods, Construction & Finishing II: 14 F, 128 M, 142 Total |
Community Transition Interagency Committee (CTIC)
By Mick Wendland and Abby Wiley
This year's focus in the CTIC meetings has evolved around the new law, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act or WIOA. Minnesota's goal is to have 50% of students in the DCD eligibility category between the ages of 19 and 21 gainfully employed for a minimum of 3 months by January. For those that are employed with sub-minimum wages, they must now go through Vocational Rehabilitation process to determine whether or not they are adequately employed. All of this places increased responsibility for high school and middle school teachers to exposed students to pre-employment transition services or Pre-ETS (see Right column). The focus of our group is to collaborate with Voc Rehab, educators, community support professionals, and employers to figure out how to meet the legislation and what supports are needed from each group. Our next steps are to look at the Pre-ETS more to determine what schools are already doing and what gaps there are, including the lack of work experience coordinators, especially in the smaller districts. For GCED, RBEC and RW have a work experience coordinator, though not with a primary focus of that role. Part of the plan for the WBL Coordinator monthly meetings is to share curriculum resources; then send out to underrepresented schools that don't have work experience programs. The focus of other groups' work toward the mission includes: Employment Capacity Building Cohort (ECBC):
County case management:
Vocational Rehab Services (VRS):
Work Skills Challenge 2017:
PAES
College Programs (specific to those with disabilities):
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Note: Earlier in the year you read about Minnesota's Olmstead Plan. The Community Transition Interagency Committee is just one vehicle to help all adults with disabilities live the most rich life possible. Mick Wendland and Abby Wiley represent GCED at quarterly CTIC meetings in our region. Below is a summary of their work this year.
Pre-Employment Transition Services:
________________________________ ________________________________ Professional Development Opportunities (“wish list”)”:
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For the 2017-2018 school year, the plans include: create bylaws, discuss regional needs, explore and offer professional development opportunities. The work continues.
GCED is so fortunate to have dedicated staff members committed to serving our students, our member districts, our communities. Thank you all. We would like to recognize Jesse Duden, nominated for and recipient of our Extra Distance award.
Jesse Duden is the essential Team Player. She is the first person to put herself out there to help others, to build and support the team. This comes naturally for Jesse whose dedication and persistence to meet students' needs is phenomenal. Jesse always remains focused on what is best for kids and families, while maintaining a positive view. Her positive attitude is contagious; it also results in positive interactions with colleagues, students, families, and the general public. Thank you Jesse!
Jesse Duden is the essential Team Player. She is the first person to put herself out there to help others, to build and support the team. This comes naturally for Jesse whose dedication and persistence to meet students' needs is phenomenal. Jesse always remains focused on what is best for kids and families, while maintaining a positive view. Her positive attitude is contagious; it also results in positive interactions with colleagues, students, families, and the general public. Thank you Jesse!
GCED understands a challenge, and yes we are up to it! The 31st annual Challenge Games are hosted by the Red Wing YMCA. The event provides a wonderful team-building opportunity for fifteen local organizations. Teams compete in an array of high-stakes activities: golf, kickball, log rolling, trivia, darts, checkers, and more.
GCED Captain Cindy Luhman loves this event and what it has to offer. "It is just a great way to get everyone together to have some fun." For an organization like GCED, this type of event brings together staff members that do not always see each other. Team members from around the county pitched in to the collective efforts. Highlights include:
The collective fun created awesome memories, which makes everyone winners. Go GCED! |