Major Concepts/Content: From School to Careers is designed to help students make smooth transitions from school classrooms to meaningful jobs and careers. Content focuses on basic skills, thinking skills, and personal qualities. Attention is focused on:

• Reinforcement of reading, written language, and mathematics skills in relation to the work place, independent living situations, and community participation
• Employability competencies to include communication and self-assessment
• Self-management, portfolio development and achievement of positive interpersonal relationships
• Independent living competencies to include knowledge and strategies for managing self-advocacy, recreation/leisure, finance and budgeting, medical services, housing and transportation.

Major Instructional Activities: Instruction will be coordinated by any of the following: the guidance counselor, Career Development Coordinator, general and/or special educator and where appropriate, in collaboration with the work site supervisor, occupational therapist and job coach. Instruction will focus on:

• Academic skills and learning strategies through direct instruction
• Problem solving through simulations and work-site application
• Completion of a personal portfolio
• Research of career opportunities, assessed interests, aptitudes, and abilities

Major Evaluative Techniques: Student will be evaluated on a variety of school-to work classroom activities, assignment, anecdotal logs and self-portfolio that will include an electronic or computer resume.  

Essential Objectives: Upon completion of this course students should be able to:

• Select appropriate resources for career search
• Complete and apply interest and aptitude assessments to develop a career plan
• Apply work and learning strategies in related activities dealing with issues to include time-management, problem-solving and working in groups/teams
• Develop a personal portfolio of job resume, applications, performance evaluations and assessments.