Chapter 2: Standards The Role of Standards

The mission of Job Corps is to teach students “the skills they need to become employable and independent.” To teach the skills required for employment and independent-living, Job Corps professionals need to focus on what students need to know and be able to do. Standards (technical, career success, and academic) help Job Corps perform its mission by telling us what students need to know and be able to do. They are the voice of the employer telling academic and technical teachers the knowledge, skills, and behaviors required for our students to be hired, re-trained, and ready to advance in an occupation. They are the competencies grounded in extensive research that students need to master to lead independent and productive lives.

It is important to remember that standards are the “what” and not the “how.” Standards are learning goals, but they do not tell us how to reach these goals. We see this relationship in our own lives. A common New Year’s goal is to resolve to lose ten pounds. While more than one person may adopt this goal, each individual plans her/his own path to achievement. Some may join a gym, while others join Weight Watchers. The chapters in this guide are dedicated to “how” to design and deliver standards-based instruction to meet the needs of all students. This chapter provides a description of standards and shares the information we learned through the standards development process.

The Relationship Between and Among Standards

The following illustration presents a visualization of the associations between and among standards and certifications adopted by Job Corps, as well as the relationship between standards and the TABE and the GED. As indicated, all paths lead to the success of each Job Corps student.

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Industry/Technical Academic Standards Applied Standards Standards

TABE Pre-requisite Knowledge & Skills

Within the past year, Job Corps updated its national Training Achievement Records (TAR’s) to reflect industry standards and certification requirements. The updated TARs were used to associate academic standards in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Critical Thinking with the duties and tasks in 11 industry areas. From these academic standards, applied standards specific to each industry and to each TAR were then developed, and the prerequisite knowledge and skills for each of the applied standards were identified. Finally, the following relationships were determined:

 Relationship of TARs to certification  Relationship of TARs to applied standards  Relationship of academic standards to GED test objectives  Relationship of academic standards to Career Success Standards  Relationship of prerequisite knowledge and skills to the TABE

MidContinent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), one of the ten Regional Educational Labs funded by the U.S. Department of Education, completed the academic standards development work and created the relationships described above. At the McREL facility, representative Job Corps Career Technical Training instructors from each of the 11 industry areas worked with academic teachers to conduct a line-by-line review of the McREL findings. These teams analyzed the work of the standards developers in identifying the correct applied standard for each TAR item and made adjustments as needed.

Guide to Standards-based Instruction Chapter 2: Standards Page 2 of 10 Workgroup Draft (5.9.11) The representative instructors also helped to identify the 10 most important or key academic standards in each of the 11 industry areas. These key standards are the 10 standards in each industry that are critical to successful TAR completion and certification attainment. They are standards associated with critical technical duties and tasks. Identification of the key standards will help Job Corps focus its initial implementation efforts on standards that return the highest dividends in terms of student success. A list of the 10 key academic standards in each industry area is found in appendix E. Part II of the guide includes sample lesson plans for each of these key academic standards. We will discuss two standards that made the top ten list for every industry in greater detail later in this chapter.

The following sections provide a more detailed analysis of the relationship among and between standards and the other Job Corps benchmarks of learning.

Industry Standards

As previously mentioned, Job Corps has updated its national TARs to reflect industry standards. While a few industry organizations provide a list of academic skills associated with a training area, the list is not comprehensive, and it is not always clear where academic skills are applied. To effectively support technical skill attainment, academic and technical teachers need to know the academic underpinnings of TAR technical tasks. So, McREL identified the academic tools required to complete each technical task.

The Automotive General Service Technician (GST) TAR provides us with an example of an academic tool. To be proficient in more than 30 of the line items in this TAR, students need to be able to read and interpret charts, tables, or graphs. To diagnose and complete repairs on an automotive system, GST students need this academic tool along with critical thinking skills such as problem solving and the traditional tools of the trade (wrenches, sockets, etc.)

Academic & Applied Standards

The academic underpinnings for each technical task are written as academic standards in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Critical Thinking. These standards become applied standards when associated with specific TAR line items. For example, Automotive students completing the General Service Technician (GST) TAR need to demonstrate proficiency in the following TAR line item:

Diagnose electrical/electronic integrity of series, parallel and series-parallel circuits using principles of electricity (Ohm’s Law).

Construction students completing the Plumbing TAR need to demonstrate proficiency in the following TAR line item.

Install a DWV [Drainage, Waste and Vent] system using appropriate hangers and correct grade or slope.

Guide to Standards-based Instruction Chapter 2: Standards Page 3 of 10 Workgroup Draft (5.9.11) The same academic standard in mathematics is associated with both of these TAR line items. In other words, both the Automotive and the Construction Trades students need the same academic tool to complete their respective technical tasks. The academic tool specified as an academic standard is:

Simplifies expressions and solves simple algebraic equations.

Because the two students will apply the academic standard or “tool” differently, the applied standard specifies how the academic standard is applied or used to complete the technical task. The GST student completing the sample TAR item will use the academic standard in equations that solve for voltage, current, or resistance, while the Plumbing student will use it to calculate grade or slope. Notice in the examples below how the applied standard provides specific information on how the academic standard is used.

The GST student will diagnose electrical problems by using the following applied standard in math:

Manipulates equations or substitutes measured values for variables in formulas to solve for voltage, current, or resistance (Ohm's Law).

For instance, a GST student needs to know why a 15 amp fuse keeps blowing after new driving lights are installed on a 12 volt system. He concludes that he has 0.4 ohms of resistance. To determine if the fuse is properly rated for the new lights, he must substitute the known values for the variables in the Ohm’s Law formula and determine the current (Amperes). Ah ha! A 30 amp fuse is needed to handle the lights. The applied standard was the tool needed to diagnose the problem. The same tool will be used to determine current or resistance and to solve other automotive problems.

However, the student completing the Plumbing TAR will install a DWV system with the correct grade or slope by using the following applied standard in math:

Manipulates and uses formulas to solve for the fall, run, grade (slope), and/or percent grade of a pipe.

For instance, a Construction Trades student is installing a DWV system and needs to determine the fall or “drop” for a drainage pipe. She knows that the run (or horizontal distance) from the house to the city sewer line is 60 feet. City code requires a minimum grade or slope of ¼ inch per foot of run. In order to figure the fall for the drainage pipe, the student uses the formula (F)all = (S)lope x (R)un and determines that the fall needs to be 15 inches. The formula is the Plumbing student’s multi-purpose tool. When two of the variables are known, she can use the same formula tool to find the value of the unknown variable.

The prerequisite knowledge and skills are not written as standards. They are statements that specify what students should already know or be able to do in order to benefit from instruction in the applied standard. In the examples above, both the GST and the Plumbing student would need to have mastered the following prerequisite skills:

Guide to Standards-based Instruction Chapter 2: Standards Page 4 of 10 Workgroup Draft (5.9.11)  Adds, subtracts, multiplies, or divides whole numbers, decimals, or fractions.  Understands how written symbols represent mathematical ideas.  Understands the concept of multiplicative inverse.  Understands operations on algebraic expressions.  Understands that variables can be used in many ways, can be placeholders for specific values, and can represent a range of values.

The academic standard and the prerequisite knowledge and skills used in the examples above relate to the TABE and the GED test objectives. In other words, students need to be able to simplify expressions on the TABE and solve algebraic expressions on the GED. Teachers can provide significant support for technical skill attainment while preparing students for the GED and the TABE when they:

 know the relationship of academic standards to the GED test objectives and the TABE, and  know the relationship of the prerequisite knowledge and skills to the academic and applied standards.

This information also helps academic teachers immediately engage students in technical content and create relevancy in the curriculum.

Guide to Standards-based Instruction Chapter 2: Standards Page 5 of 10 Workgroup Draft (5.9.11) Career Success Standards

Industry standards do not include the social and behavioral skills required to succeed in a training area and to live independently. Job Corps’ Career Success Standards help students to obtain the social, independent living and employability skills necessary to lead productive professional and personal lives. Where applicable, the Career Success Standards are associated with the academic standards. For example, the applied standards tell us that Homeland Security students need to know how to:

Record information clearly and accurately on incident reports, log books, and other pre-printed forms associated with the security industry.

The Career Success Standard for Information Management requires students to know how to:

Organize, maintain and use information.

Therefore, we can see that the two standards are associated. Understanding how academic, technical, and Career Success Standards are associated helps both academic and technical teachers develop lessons that model authentic work. The lessons integrate academic, technical, and social competencies and demonstrate how standards in all three areas join together to complete real-world tasks.

Standards Development Findings

Analysis of the standards produced the four findings discussed below. These findings will help Job Corps better align its academic and technical programs and develop an efficient and effective program delivery system.

Finding 1: Explicit instruction1 in trade vocabulary and in following multi-step instruction is important. Two of the ten key academic standards identified by Job Corps’ representative instructors are clearly consistent across all industry areas. The student must know and be able to:

 Define vocabulary common to the industry; and  Follow multi-step instructions, make adjustments and seek clarification as required.

Vocabulary standard: There are several reasons why the vocabulary standard shows up in industry ranking of the Top 10 standards. Remember, the Top 10 standards are the 10 most important or key academic standards in each of the 11 industry areas. These key standards are the 10 standards in each industry that are critical to successful TAR completion and certification attainment. They are standards associated with critical technical duties and tasks.

Vocabulary mastery is required for students to understand a technical area. Here is something to think about: A student must learn more words in a Job Corps technical training area than in the first year of a foreign language class. Each industry area has its

Guide to Standards-based Instruction Chapter 2: Standards Page 6 of 10 Workgroup Draft (5.9.11) own language, and our students need to be fluent in this language to be successful in the industry.

Vocabulary terms can be used to organize instruction that meets the needs of all learners. Vocabulary terms specify the key concepts or “big ideas” in academics as well as in technical training. When teachers organize instruction around the terms that specify the “big ideas,” all students, including low achieving and learning disabled students, are more likely to master a complex subject matter. For example, “infection” is a major concept taught in Clinical Medical Assisting (CMA). A large number of vocabulary words are associated with this term including pathogen, parasite, contamination, virus, and bacteria. When students memorize the terms as discrete facts on a vocabulary list, they may gain only a superficial understanding and are less likely to connect the terms back to the “big idea.” On the other hand, when the CMA instructor provides explicit instruction in the associated terms and consistently helps students make connections with the major concept, students are more likely to gain a deep understanding of the causes of “infection.” And, if the academic teacher is involved, the student has the advantage of additional repetitions and connections.

Vocabulary mastery is strongly associated with increased reading comprehension.2 Increased reading comprehension is associated with positive outcomes for students such as TABE gains, GED completion, industry certification, and state licensure. Explicit vocabulary instruction in technical terms can support technical skill attainment and, at the same time, generate literacy gains. While reading is directly assessed on the TABE, it is indirectly assessed on all written exams including the GED, industry certification exams, and state licensure tests exams. For example, students must know the technical vocabulary and comprehend the test question in order to perform well on a certification exam.

Because mastery of trade vocabulary is absolutely essential for success, Chapter 6 of this guide provides specific recommendations and methods for teaching vocabulary so students learn, retain, and become fluent with the terms of the industry.

Follows Multi-step Instructions Standard: Similarly, the ability to follow multi-step directions is key in nearly every industry for these key reasons.

To successfully complete a training area and earn education credentials, a student needs to be able to perform hundreds of procedures. A procedure is an operation or a series of acts involved in a particular form of work. Technical training examples include machine tool operations and operations involved in building a house. Education examples include the order of operations for math calculations and the steps to writing an essay. Instructions are used to communicate what series of acts need to be performed in order to complete the procedure or operation. Instructions have multiple steps because more than one act needs to be performed to do so.

Instructions are not cast in stone. They frequently need to be adjusted based on conditions, circumstances and other factors. For example, Culinary Arts students need to

Guide to Standards-based Instruction Chapter 2: Standards Page 7 of 10 Workgroup Draft (5.9.11) know how to adjust their cake-baking procedures when working in high altitudes. Furthermore, instructions may not always be clear or make sense, particularly when the reader is not familiar with the technical terms and acronyms and/or when novice learners are not yet fluent in the operation. For example, “use a spark plug gapping tool to check the measurement between the electrodes” may only make sense to the Automotive student experienced in following instruction to change spark plugs.

The importance of knowing how to follow multi-step instructions is reflected in the fact that it is both an academic standard and a Career Success Standard. While not explicitly stated as a duty and task, it is implied in every TAR. Furthermore, Job Corps students cannot complete education and training requirements, live in a dormitory setting, or transition into employment and higher training without mastering this skill. The ability to follow multi-step instructions is required in every aspect of life from driving a car to ensuring our own safety and the safety of others. However, despite its importance, we seldom teach students how to follow multi-step instructions, make adjustments, and seek clarification as required. Chapter 7 of this guide provides specific help in teaching students to master multi-step directions.

Finding 2: Science is important. Job Corps provides instruction in technical areas that are science intensive. For example, Automotive and Construction each have more than 90 applied science standards, and Health Care has over 60. However, science instruction is not a significant part of the academic program within Job Corps.

The reality is that the GED science test is primarily a measure of reading comprehension and does not require a significant understanding of scientific principles to answer the vast majority of questions. Few, if any, high school diploma students complete upper-level courses that teach the physical sciences applied in Automotive and Construction or the life sciences applied in Health Care. Given rapid technological advancements and an emphasis on green technologies, science requirements will likely continue to grow. Centers will need to determine how and where these science standards will be taught.

Finding 3: Speaking, listening, and writing skills are important. Job Corps provides instruction in technical areas where the English/Language Arts skills required are far beyond the basic reading comprehension skills needed for TABE or GED completion. While 60 applied science standards were identified in Health Care, mastery of 61 English/Language Arts standards is required for successful TAR completion and licensure attainment. According to automotive industry representatives, a student who is able to write a clear and complete work order may translate into an additional $20,000/year in wages.

Nonetheless, speaking, listening and writing are only a requirement in Job Corps for the GED subject tests. Centers will need to fully integrate speaking, listening and writing into academic and CTT instruction.

Finding 4: Critical thinking skills are important, but they differ from the critical thinking skills taught in a traditional high school curriculum. Typically, the critical thinking skills

Guide to Standards-based Instruction Chapter 2: Standards Page 8 of 10 Workgroup Draft (5.9.11) taught in a high school classroom setting tend to be “predictable.” This means that they use known information and have a predictable outcome, such as proving a hypothesis.

The workplace requires a different type of critical thinking: problem solving and decision making skills that may require the use of not-yet-known data and/or disparate sets of information applied to both predictable and unpredictable situations. Consider the hundreds of TAR items in Automotive alone that call for the student to perform a specific test or diagnose a certain situation and then “determine necessary action.”

McREL has identified the critical thinking skills required to complete technical tasks in the real world. This information provides Job Corps with the opportunity to incorporate occupation- specific critical thinking skills into each Career Technical Training program. The graphic organizers discussed in chapter 4 that help students master rigorous academic and technical standards can also be used as structuring devices to organize information, solve problems, and make decisions in the real world.

Finding 5: Collaboration is important. A different and very important finding came from the Job Corps representative instructors who validated the applied standards during sessions at the McREL facility, rather than from an analysis of the standards themselves. With few exceptions, the academic and technical teachers who participated embraced applied standards and consistently reported that:

 Academic instructors want to support career technical training,  Technical instructors welcome the support of academic instructors, and  Academic and technical instructors want and need dedicated time to collaborate around the design and delivery of standards-based instruction.

This guide is dedicated to the representative instructors and to all of the committed Job Corps teachers who ensure that each and every one of our “at promise” students masters rigorous technical, academic, and Career Success Standards. The purpose of this guide is to support implementation of a standards-based system of teaching and learning: an instructional system based on what students need to know and be able to do in order to enter and advance in an occupation and lead independent and productive lives.

Guide to Standards-based Instruction Chapter 2: Standards Page 9 of 10 Workgroup Draft (5.9.11) 1 The intentional design and delivery of information by the teacher to the student in the casual instruction or students in the case of small group or whole-class instruction. It begins with (1) the teacher's modeling or demonstration of the skill or strategy; (2) a structured and substantial opportunity for students to practice and apply newly taught skills and knowledge under the teacher's direction and guidance; and (3) an opportunity for feedback. 2 Institute of Education Sciences (August 2008), Improving Adult Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices, U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance.