Technical Assistance and Implementation Strategies
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Designing Your Technical Assistance Program
The following is an example of a comprehensive technical assistance effort on the part of a school/district
as they redesign their school. What follows would be considered an exemplary effort and is not required
to be successful with the instruction of the Career Choices curriculum. But if Career Choices is part of a
school wide redesign effort, this type of support can be very valuable. |
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A Case Study
of a comprehensive plan for High School Redesign |
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XYZ high school has an implementation grant that requires ongoing professional development. This
mandate is built into to most large grants today because study show that the effort required to “change”
the way school operate, required ongoing support.
The school has decided to adopt the Career Choices curriculum for all ninth graders and has chosen a
year-long technical assistance contract with a independent certified trainer to help them launch their 9th
grade academy for their Smaller Learning Community. |
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Academic Innovation’s recommendation could include the following:
Total number of onsite in-service days devoted to Career Choices: 6
A two day in-service for the major stake holders of the 9th grade academy to help their team develop
their strategies and plans for the academy and their Career Choices course work. This in-service could
include district level administrators, principal, department heads, teachers, parents, funders and advisory
committee members. |
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First day of in-service: |
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| Morning: |
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a. |
Freshman Transition module: what is it and why is it necessary |
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b. |
Module: An Overview of Smaller Learning Communities structural options and the Freshman
Transition component |
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c. |
Module 6: The Quick tour of Career Choices in 30 minutes |
| Afternoon: |
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d. |
Module : Overview of the variety of ways Career Choices can be structured |
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e. |
Module: Developing a school-wide initiative – using the www.My10yearplan.com® to implement a
school wide initiative. For details of what this entails see the ACTE article, Launching Students Into Their Decade of Transition. |
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Second day: Consultant acting as facilitator:
Group brainstorming, planning and reporting out of plans
The day finishes with the group on board with a plan that includes quantitative goals and objectives for
their efforts. |
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The next two day visit |
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Once the instructors have been assigned to the Career Choices course, the consultant will return to
conduct a 2-day implementation workshop, to orient the classroom teachers to the resources and
strategies for teaching Career Choices. The following is an example of the modules that could be
chosen to provide active hands on learning so the teachers can experience the curriculum.
Day one:
Morning: Module 5 A: Experiencing the Career Choices curriculum in depth. Using Chapter 2 to
present strategies for creating the motivated learner. Or Module 5 B: Integrating English/Language arts
and literacy strategies into the Career Choices classroom using Possibilities and guided writing
assignments.
Afternoon : Module 3B – Promoting financial literacy and math skills, using the Career Choices
curriculum. The budget exercise, along with strategies for integrating Lifestyle Math.
Because this school has chosen to use the optional internet enhancements, their morning session will be
in the computer lab. |
Day two:
Morning: Module 3B (in the computer lab) - Integrating technology into the Career Choices classroom,
a computer lab-based workshop, to learn how to integrate www.careerchoices.com,
www.lifestyle.math.com and www.my10yearplan.com in their Career Choices classroom.
Afternoon: Working on the school’s customized lesson plan, using an EXCEL model provided by Academic Innovations, the team creates their day-by-day lesson plans to meet that particular schools
goals and objectives. |
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2 Follow-up onsite/in-service days: |
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| During the school year the Technical Assistance Consultant (Career Choices certified trainer) will return
to campus for two additional days, once in the Fall and once in the Spring, to meet with, support and
evaluate the progress of the teachers and the course. |
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- Built into a technical assistance contract could be such services as:
A presentation to the PTA during the Fall visit
- A one hour consultation by phone with the principal monthly for six months.
- Up to 20 hours of phone consultation with individuals or teams of teachers during the
school year.
- A customized newsletter each month to the stakeholders.
- Helping the school get the attention of the media, to report their efforts and successes.
- Strategies to get buy-in from all stakeholders to the School wide initiative.
- Academic Innovations’ educational consultants will continue to also maintain contact
with the school during the term of a Technical Assistance contract and provide the
professional development resources of our company as well.
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