Our district uses the local, regional and state labor market data collected for us from the Great Northwest regional career pathway collaborative. We also use data provided to us by Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Development which provides comparisons of our local region to the region and state.  This data is reviewed by our CTE department and Career Readiness team to determine our goals as part of our continuous improvement.

Data from the State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development for Douglas County is reviewed to ensure we are aware of workforce trends in our region.  As the largest school district in Douglas County, a majority of the future workforce will be prepared by our school district.  Douglas County employment projections for all occupations is an increase of 4.4% by 2030, demonstrating a need to prepare students for careers across all sectors. 

Additionally, data for the Northwest Region is reviewed to gain a broader understanding of the workforce trends in the larger region as well as the most in-demand jobs in various occupations and Career Clusters.  

The Superior School District uses career pathways to help students obtain the academic and career preparation needed for post secondary education and workforce.  Within these pathways, students are offered the opportunities to take courses that teach the fundamentals of that journey along with providing options for advance standing, dual credit, industry recognized credentials, employability skills and work based learning experiences.  

In Superior this includes:

Advanced Placement Courses - Advanced Placement (AP) is a program of college-level courses and exams which gives high school students an opportunity to gain advanced placement and college credit.  The vision of the School District of Superior is that all students should be encouraged and able to take AP courses throughout their high school career.  Because of that, the School District of Superior is committed to paying the exam fees for all students. Families are not responsible for AP exam fees.

Project Lead the Way - These project-based classes (STEM courses) are national course offerings for students who may want to pursue a career in Engineering or Engineering-related fields.   Students who pass a national final exam qualify for college credit at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.  

Dual Enrollment 

University of Wisconsin Superior - The School District of Superior (SHS) and the University of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS) have entered into an agreement that allows high school students the opportunity to receive both high school and college credit through this concurrent enrollment program.  Students will receive an official transcript from UWS upon completion of the SHS course.

Northwood Technical College - Start College Now - Start College Now allows students to take post-secondary (college-level) courses at Northwood Technical College.  Superior High school covers the cost of tuition, books, and fees. 

University of Wisconsin Superior - Early College Credit Program - The Early College Credit Program may be an excellent fit for students who have exhausted their options for enriching and challenging courses available at Superior High school.  High school college credits through UW-Superior can help 9th-12th grade students build a college credit base, save money, and increase confidence with a college level course. 

Youth Apprenticeship & School To Work

The Youth Apprenticeship program provides students with occupational hands-on work experience to explore career interests.  The program is designed around a course sequence that provides the opportunity to begin preparing for a career while still in high school.  Students participate in a Youth Apprenticeship placement are required to take concurrent coursework that connects to a Career Pathway.

School to Work is a program that provides supervised workplace employment opportunities and learning experiences for qualified high school students. The program is based on an agreement developed among an employer, a student, and the high school staff.  A minimum number of documented work hours and employer evaluations must be completed by the end of the semester for the student to earn elective credit.

Additional information about all of the course offerings listed above can be found in the Superior High School Course Catalog.  

Students' academic preparation for college, career, and life is supported by district-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as well as Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons in grades K-12.  These expectations and skills are designed to support students in developing the characteristics and habits of successful, productive adults who have the inter-personal skills to participate successfully in and achieve the the college, career, and life goals of each individual.  

The School District of Superior regularly accesses Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and CESA 12 professional development offerings, which provide a number of support activities and trainings including networking meetings for Career & Technical Education teachers to help districts realize a culture of Career Readiness K-12.  

Additionally, time is designated during Staff Meetings with teachers at the secondary level (grades 6-12) to review and reflect on current Academic and Career Planning practices in individual classrooms and courses.  This is further supported by time in Professional Learning Communities to reflect and plan new learning experiences for students related to ACP goals.   High School Advisory teachers and Middle School Spartan Start teachers are provided additional resources and learning activities as well as support to assist the delivery of universal Academic and Career Planning lessons for all students in grades 6-12 during these times.  

Throughout their child’s school career, families can access their child’s Academic and Career Planning work in a variety of ways.  Families are invited to attend parent-teacher conferences twice each school year and can meet not only with their child’s current teachers, but with their counselor and other school staff as well.  Additionally, counselors are available for individual appointments to discuss Academic and Career Planning for students at any time throughout the school year, this includes course schedule planning and revision.  Families are regularly informed of Academic and Career planning announcements, events, and timelines through family newsletters, social media announcements, teacher communication, and information shared on school and department webpages.  Family Engagement Coordinators in each school building regularly share information related to Academic and Career Planning, including PBIS expectations and SEL work.  

The Superior School District will continue to engage businesses, postsecondary education institutions, and workforce development through partnerships with CESA 12 and other collaborative networks in our community.  In our community we have partnerships with Northwood Technical and the University of Wisconsin-Superior, this includes offering dual enrollment and other credit bearing programs that allow students to earn college and/or industry recognized credentials.

Career Fairs are regularly hosted at both Superior Middle School and Superior High School, composed of local business and industry representatives as well as representatives from local educational institutions.  Superior High School students also participate in Career Experience Days which are designed around career clusters and bring students into the community to visit local businesses and meet with industry representatives while also touring local educational programs related to the career field of interest.

Additional Community Services that Support Academic & Career Planning:

Northwest Wisconsin CEP The Northwest Concentrated Employment Program provides a variety of services for job-seekers of all backgrounds to ensure they have the resources needed to obtain and sustain employment. 

Youth Apprenticeship The Youth Apprenticeship program is available for high school juniors and seniors and pairs classroom instruction with real-world work experience in a chosen occupation.  Participants receive on-the-job training where the employer teachers the skills of the occupation and this is augmented by taking courses that are related to that occupation.

Department of Vocational Rehabilitation  The Department of Vocational Rehabilitation is a state and federal program designed to obtain, maintain, and advance employment for people with disabilities.  

A central focus of Advisory at Superior High School and Spartan Start at Superior Middle School is to support students' Academic and Career Planning work both directly and indirectly.  The explicit career exploration lessons delivered during these times are only one component of how Advisory and Spartan Start help students in their Academic and Career Planning.  Additionally, Social-Emotional lessons are delivered and will help students develop skills to be successful both in school and beyond while students are also building relationships with a diverse group of peers and teachers.  This is also a place where students review their course selection plans and conference with teachers about relevant, appropriate and challenging courses of study prior to course registration each year.

Xello is a consistent tool students use for Academic and Career Exploration, starting in elementary school in the School District of Superior.  Students routinely and regularly visit this tool and continue to build and store knowledge about various career clusters and pathways that interest them.  This work becomes more focused in grades 6-12 and is used in multiple settings for multiple purposes.  

A more detailed Academic and Career Planning Scope and Sequence for grades 6-12 is currently being revised and developed to ensure all students are receiving the tools and support needed to make well-informed decisions. 

At Superior High School, all students meet with their school counselor annually in grades 9-12 to review their Academic and Career Planning goals.  Additional individual office hours are available to all students.  Additionally, students receive support from Advisory teachers, classroom teachers, and the Senior Project Coordinator as they explore various courses, careers, and community service opportunities. 

At Superior Middle School, all students meet with their school counselor annually in grades 6-8 to share and explore current interests and goals that impact their Academic and Career Planning.  Additional individual office hours are available to all students.  Additionally, students receive support from Spartan Start teachers and classroom teachers as they explore various careers and life skills.

Student’s individual Academic and Career plans are brought to annual IEP meetings to review goals and activities outlined for that student.  The IEP team will have an opportunity to provide insight and guidance into the ACP plan and will also invite representatives from the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation to assist with transition.  Students are also supported in the Academic and Career Planning process by case managers, the Superior School District Transition Coordinator, and the Senior Project Coordinator to plan and ensure students are engaging in meaningful academic and career exploration and planning.

Xello is a consistent tool students use for Academic and Career Exploration, starting in elementary school in the School District of Superior.  Students routinely and regularly visit this tool and continue to build and store knowledge about various career clusters and pathways that interest them.  This work becomes more focused in grades 6-12 and is used in multiple settings for multiple purposes.  In grades 6-12, Advisory and Spartan Start teachers are a critical component of a student’s Academic and Career planning.  One day a week is set aside for explicit ACP lessons and activities.  Students meet with school counselors several times to discuss their Academic and Career plans and additional times as necessary.  The ACP process is also a major component of the Keystone course at Superior High School, which is a graduation requirement for all students.  Students spend time explicitly researching career clusters, specific careers, and building 4-year plans that will help support their Academic and Career goals.  

All school districts in Wisconsin are provided with Xello, which is an online program that fully engages every student in building the skills, knowledge, and plans for future success.  Students document their journey as they build self-knowledge, explore post-secondary options, create plans, and continually reassess as they take in new knowledge, skills, and experiences.  Students in the School District of Superior use Xello in all grades K-12.  Students engage with Xello in a variety of classroom experiences and on a regular basis during their Advisory or Spartan Start period at the secondary level.  Students in grades K-5 also have access to Xello and engage with Xello lessons multiple times in their elementary school years as well.  

We are monitoring our goals by forming a Career Readiness team and using data collected to monitor our progress.  We are also using this data to determine future goals and monitoring the data collected in Xello to determine pupil postsecondary outcomes. 

Our current goals in the area of Academic and Career Planning:

Continue to develop and improve our district's ACP Scope and Sequence.  Our district ACP coordinator and other leaders are currently working with both elementary and secondary teams to refine and enhance the Academic and Career planning experiences for all students K-12.  This includes creating a reference document that clearly outlines the Scope and Sequence for all stakeholders.   

Create an Academic and Career Planning Graduate Profile.  We are currently in the process of drafting a new five-year strategic plan for the School District of Superior.  This strategic plan will help inform our work in developing a Graduate Profile.  

Create a district career readiness team and establish clearly defined roles.  There are many key people who must be a part of this team and do the work of this team and having a more defined structure will allow us to be more efficient.