Course Syllabus, Timeline, and Safety Expectations

Develop a course syllabus and timeline to structure learning activities so that all course Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are covered and critical deadlines are met. 

A course syllabus and timeline also help students envision what they will be expected to accomplish over the school year and plan their time accordingly.

Include workplace safety instruction at the beginning of all courses that include WBL experiences. Instruct students on local safety policies and procedures as well as applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines and Child Labor Laws. 

Make it clear to the students that they are expected to always adhere to safe practices, both in the classroom and at the job site.

Program Rules and Discipline Policies

At the start of each course, review the school’s WBL program handbook with the students to make sure they understand its policies and rules, as well as any additional policies or rules specific to the course.

Review the disciplinary procedures and consequences for not following rules.

TEA Recommendation: Require students and their parent/guardian to sign documents stating that they have read and understand their responsibilities with regard to the course and that they are aware of the consequences for failing to meet their responsibilities.  It is important that both the student and the parent/guardian are aware that the work component counts towards the student’s grade for the course.

Sample Program Standards Agreement

Attendance Expectations

Discuss attendance requirements and possible consequences of absences both from class and from work. 

Explain the procedures for documenting hours worked, how absences may affect the student’s weekly wage/hour form, and whether docked hours may be made up with extra hours.

During the discussion on attendance expectations, make sure students are aware of proper procedures for notifying instructors and employers in advance of possible tardiness or absences.

Students should not report to their training site on a day that they are absent from school, with the possible exception of special circumstances and when approved in advance by the teacher-coordinator.

Professional Work Ethics and Etiquette

At the beginning of each course, describe the characteristics of a strong work ethic and explain the basic expectations employers have of employees.

The characteristics of a strong work ethic can be summarized for students using the “3 Ps Plus.”

Having a strong work ethic means being

• punctual;

• polite; and

• professional.

Plus, a strong work ethic means doing what you say you are going to do.

Planning WBL Assignments and Activities

Each student has an individualized training plan outlining how he or she will gain the knowledge and skills needed to achieve a specific training objective. A well-written training plan serves as a guide for linking classroom and workplace learning.

The WBL instructor is responsible for designing and facilitating classroom learning activities that help every student in the classroom gain the knowledge and skills outlined in his or her individualized training plan.

Research Chosen Occupations and Careers

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recommends that as part of any WBL experience, students be required to conduct in-depth research on the job or industry in which they are being trained, or on their career goal. The research may include the history and progress of an individual business or industry sector, including the number of workers employed, employment growth rates, average salaries, future projections, and other data.

In addition to workforce and labor market information, instructors may want to have students research the history and projected growth of the business or industry sector as a whole, including projected sales trends and the factors impacting those trends. Encourage students to think through the implications of their chosen career path.

Have students prepare a written summary of their findings for their career notebook and present their findings to the class.

Guest Speakers

Inviting guest speakers is another teaching strategy that can be used in nearly every career preparation or practicum class. Consider inviting guest speakers to share their perspectives, provide guidance, and convey real-world experiences.  

• Human resources (HR) professionals can present interviewing and “getting the job” strategies.

• Bankers can give lessons on personal financial management, cybersecurity, and establishing credit.

• Accountants can give lessons on income taxes, budgeting, and financial planning.

• Business/industry professionals can discuss their specific business or industry and ethics in the workplace.

• Other professionals can discuss career pathway options, such as technical schools, local colleges and universities, apprenticeships, military service, etc.

Develop and Maintain a Professional Portfolio

Developing and maintaining a professional career portfolio is a valuable learning activity for all students participating in a WBL experience.

A portfolio is not the same as a course notebook or folder.  It is a purposeful, well-organized collection of materials that demonstrate a student's competencies and career readiness.

A typical career portfolio contains the student’s

• resume;

• attainment of technical skill competencies;

• work samples;

• licensures or certifications;

• recognitions, awards, and scholarships;

• extended learning experiences (community service, student organizations, and professional organizations);

• letters of recommendation from teachers, employers, and advisors; and

• evaluation(s) from the training site supervisor or employer.

Categories of Licensures and Certifications

1. Entry-Level: These include permits, licensures, and certifications that students might need to be eligible to work at a specific training site, e.g., a food handler’s permit or an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Safety Training certificate. 

2. Levels of Competence: These licensures and certifications demonstrate a student's level of competency beyond the minimum entry-level requirements, e.g., certification of proficiency in Microsoft Word or a special certification like ServSafe Allergens™ for food handlers. 

3. End of CTE Course or Program: These licensures and certifications demonstrate that a student has mastered a specific program of study.  For example, an AutoCAD Certified User or Microsoft Office Specialist indicates a student has mastered the skills needed to pursue a career. 

Industry Certification and Licensure for Students

TEA encourages schools to offer students the opportunity to earn any certification or licensure that has benefit and value to students and that makes sense for the district and its programs. 

Consider any and all certification and licensure opportunities that could benefit students by expanding their career opportunities. Equipping students with relevant, industry-recognized certifications and licensures helps ensure that students are prepared for the industries of the 21st century.

Practicum teachers should be familiar with the wide range of licensures and certifications related to the programs of study in the career cluster.

You can review the TEA-sanctioned industry-based certifications available for your program of study on our IBC Overview webpage.

Work-based learning (WBL) instructors are expected to provide every student the opportunity to participate in a CTSO.  However, students cannot be required to join a CTSO.  To eliminate the financial barrier that might prevent some students from joining, some CTSOs provide options for affiliation fees that allow all eligible students to become members of the organization. 

National Technical Honor Society

In addition to the nine state-recognized CTSOs, there is the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS), which provides CTE students the opportunity to earn national recognition for exemplary achievement. The NTHS partners with BPA, DECA, FCCLA, FBLA, HOSA, and SkillsUSA to promote excellence in career and technical education.  Like National Honor Society students, NTHS students graduate with honor cords and receive a credential on their transcript acknowledging their superior achievement. 

Aligning CTSOs to Areas of Focus and Study

New career preparation and practicum teachers should investigate the purpose of each of the different state-recognized CTSOs to determine which CTSO best supports the overall learning objectives of their course or career cluster. 

For practicum courses, the CTSO should be directly related to the area of study. For example, a Practicum in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources course should include  FFA activities. A Practicum in Marketing course should incorporate DECA activities.

Ensuring Equal Access for All Students

Perkins V identifies six groups as special populations.

• individuals with disabilities;

• individuals from economically disadvantaged families, including foster children;

• individuals preparing for non-traditional fields;

• single parents, including single pregnant women;

• displaced homemakers; and

• individuals with limited English proficiency.

Accessibility

Avoiding discrimination is the first step towards creating a CTE program that is accessible to all students.

However, ensuring that CTE activities and facilities are accessible to all students also requires taking into consideration architectural barriers, student disabilities, and other factors that may restrict access.

Strategies for ensuring access for special populations are the same as the accessibility strategies for all students. 

Individual Need

• Identify and assess the needs of the student.

• Develop an individualized training plan that provides for modifications to curriculum, instructional methods, the classroom, and/or equipment if necessary.

• Offer English language learners (ELLs) English language instruction and tutorial services.

• Provide transition services to students as needed.

Environment

• Create a learning environment that acknowledges the importance of CTE for all individuals who want and can benefit from it, regardless of ethnicity, race, cultural background, gender, or disabilities.

• Develop and adopt programs promoting zero tolerance for bullying, teasing, violence, or any form of harassment or discrimination.

Engagement

• Develop creative marketing and inclusive recruitment methods to achieve equal access.

• Provide a full range of career guidance services, including programming and instruction on the benefits of high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand careers.

Involvement

• Work with business and industry to develop awareness of high-skill, high-wage careers, and nontraditional employment opportunities.

• Sponsor student/parent interactions with successful role models through mentoring, job shadowing, career fairs, etc.

Individualized Education Plans (IEP)

The Texas Administrative Code (TAC §75.1023) requires students with disabilities to have an individualized education program (IEP) in the least restrictive environment (LRE), as determined by the Admissions, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee.  

Participation in ARD Meetings

WBL instructors who have special populations students in their courses need to attend and participate in ARD meetings to better understand the curriculum requirements for students in their classes. According to TAC §75.1023 (d) (1), "the ARD committee must include a representative from CTE, preferably the teacher, when considering initial or continued placement of a student in a CTE program." Teachers should be notified by the Special Education Department of these meetings so arrangements can be made to be in attendance. 

The IEP developed in the ARD meeting for a special education student participating in a career preparation or practicum course should include learning objectives and an outline of appropriate work activities for the student, as well as any required accommodations and/or modifications. 

Accommodations are simply supports to get the student to the same goal (license, credential, dual credit, practicum, etc.) without changing the content or conceptual difficulty of the CTE curriculum.

Modifications are changes in content, process, and/or learning outcomes for students with an IEP so students are able to get to some of the same success levels (may exclude the license, credential, dual credit, practicum, etc.). 

Training Plans for Special Populations

The IEP does not replace the need for an individualized training plan for students who have a disability and are enrolled in a career preparation or practicum course.

IEPs and individualized training plans serve different purposes.  Also, CTE WBL programs should not be confused with Vocational Adjustment Class (VAC) programs. VAC instruction occurs in a special education setting and is aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) defined by the student's IEP. Career preparation and CTE practicum courses are general education courses open to all students.

All students enrolled in a career preparation or CTE practicum course, including those from special populations, are expected to meet the same mastery criteria based on the TEKS of the course and the student's individualized training plan.

Creating a comprehensive training plan is a best practice for all students participating in a WBL experience. Instructors can best support students with special needs by

• allowing students to decide when and how much to tell others about their disability;

• helping them understand how their disability affects their capacity to learn and/or perform effectively; and

• empowering them to determine what environmental adjustments, supports, and services they need to access, participate, and excel in school, at work, and in the community.

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) requires that state education agencies, including local education agencies (LEAs), involve parents, academic and CTE teachers, administrators, faculty, career guidance and academic counselors, local business, and labor organizations in the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of CTE programs.

In Texas, LEAs that receive CTE funding are required to have a CTE advisory committee to assist with developing and evaluating their CTE program. Many districts also have program-specific advisory committees that work with individual programs of study, career clusters, or disciplines to advise on matters such as curriculum content, equipment, and facilities.

For career preparation and practicum teachers, advisory committees can be a valuable resource for identifying potential training sites. Community participation on advisory committees usually makes finding appropriate training stations for students easier.

For career preparation and practicum teachers, advisory committees can be a valuable resource for identifying potential training sites. Community participation on advisory committees usually makes finding appropriate training stations for students easier.

Instructors should ask to be included on relevant CTE advisory committees.

Career preparation and practicum instructors should also participate in local civic and community meetings, such as the chamber of commerce, visitors' bureau, restaurant association, etc.

The ultimate responsibility for safety lies with the student and the decisions he or she makes. However, to make wise choices and take appropriate precautions, students first must be provided the knowledge, training, and support they need to work in a safe manner.

This should be a collaborative effort.

Teacher-Coordinator Responsibilities

Teacher-coordinators should know the labor laws and rules designed to protect the safety of working youth. They should also integrate safety into the entire WBL experience by 

• instructing students on proper safety techniques;

• maintaining a safe classroom and laboratory environment;

• working closely with training sponsors;

• creating opportunities for students to practice safe methods; and

• providing feedback to both the student and employer.

Every training plan should include both general safety training and occupation-specific safety training. 

Some of this training will be provided by the training sponsor, some will come from the student's individualized study, and some will be provided by the teacher.

Teach students safe work habits by maintaining a safe classroom and laboratory by

• always modeling appropriate behavior in words and actions;

• maintaining classroom control;

• keeping all equipment in safe working order; and

• maintaining a clutter-free work environment.

Include lessons in general work safety in all courses involving work-based learning. Additionally, for practicums and other occupation-specific courses, provide some of the hands-on safety skill training as well. 

WBL instructors should incorporate classroom lessons on 

• how to identify and assess potential risks at a work site;

• how to properly respond to incidents;

• how to properly prepare to start a task, such as using appropriate safety apparel and protection equipment;

• how to complete tasks in a safe manner, shut down equipment properly, and clean work areas;

• general work site safety practices, including the purpose and use of fire extinguishers, eye wash stations, and other common safety equipment; and

• the importance of preventative maintenance on equipment.

Teacher Resources

• CareerSafe® provides online work safety training for students, including the Federal OSHA 10-hour courses. 

• OSHA Young Workers Site offers links to helpful information and resources for parents and educators. 

• Youth@Work provides a foundation curriculum offered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to teach young workers about job safety and health. 

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities

Parents and guardians should encourage worksite safety by 

• being knowledgeable and supportive of their student's WBL experience; and

• providing consistent, supportive communication and engagement with their youth.

Employer Responsibilities

WBL employers must provide 

• a safe, positive work environment;

• on-the-job safety training and reinforcement;

• proper supervision; and

• consistently high expectations for work safety.

Student Responsibilities

When it comes to safety, WBL students should 

• take their WBL experiences seriously;

• follow rules designed to protect their safety;

• employ the knowledge and skills learned when approaching any work task; and

• assess the occupational risks and apply safety rules appropriately to new situations.