SkillUP OHVA
Career Learning at Ohio Virtual Academy
Career Learning is not just a program. Our school-wide initiative will focus on helping and supporting all learners with the skills they will need to be successful during school and beyond. We want to help all students at OHVA to "Skill Up" so that they feel ready for the road ahead.
All students have access to career advising and career exploration experiences throughout the year. Career advising helps students understand how their personal interests, strengths and values might predict satisfaction and success in school and related career fields, as well as how to tie these interests and strengths to their academic and career goals. Career exploration experiences take the form of interactive presentations with professionals, job shadowing, field trips, internships, and courses designed to expose students to the different career clusters.
For the 2023-2024 school year, OHVA has a four-tiered Career Learning Model with a range of career exploration and advising opportunities for students that build on each other throughout their time with OHVA. Elementary students will be virtually connected to professionals in a variety of occupations through interactive live sessions, in addition to being invited to join our Cardy Club, which exposes students to a multitude of careers through club challenges. Middle school students will dive into each of the 16 career clusters and develop professional skills. Freshmen will explore the opportunities that OHVA offers to high school students to define their destiny and make them college or career ready by graduation. High School students can participate in one of our Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs to gain skills in a specific pathway, while participating in student competitions, mentorships, receive college credit, earn industry credentials, and gain valuable work-based learning experiences. For more information on the CTE Program at OHVA, reference the High School portion of this handbook.
Ohio Virtual Academy Career Advising Policy
Now more than ever, students need to see a connection between what they are learning in the classroom and their future careers. Ohio law requires OHVA to adopt and maintain a local policy on career advising.
Experts generally describe career advising as an integrated process that helps students understand how their personal interests, strengths and values might predict satisfaction and success in school and related career fields, as well as how to tie these interests and strengths to their academic and career goals. Ohio students must have access to a comprehensive menu of resources and support to prepare for their future success. Through relevant classroom instruction, career-related learning experiences, and consistent counseling and advising, students can discover their interests and explore academic and career pathway options.
This policy on career advising is reviewed at least once every two years and made available to students, parents, guardians and custodians, local post-secondary institutions, and Ohio residents. This policy shall be posted in a prominent location on the school’s website.
OHVA’s plan for career advising includes the following:
1. Grade-level examples that link students’ schoolwork to one or more career fields by implementing the Career Connections Learning Strategies offered by the Ohio Department of Education.
a. In addition to providing student-friendly standards as targets for live class sessions, teachers will attempt to connect content per unit to current career fields.
b. Teachers will hold individual and group sessions that further explain careers of interest to students. (courses need, technology required, salary considerations, skills needed, etc…)
c. Specific work assignments will allow intervention specialists to write more detailed career plans in Section 5 of an IEP.
2. Career advising to students in grades K-5, which includes
a. Teachers have individual conversations with students during 1:1 conferences and small group conversations during Class Connect asking what their future career interest might be.
b. Providing grade band assemblies highlighting different careers available to students.
c. Providing students Social Studies curriculum.
d. Making available a K-5 School Counselor
e. Cardy Club available for K-5 students, providing career focused challenges to introduce students to a variety of career fields
3. Career advising to students in grades 6-12, which includes
a. Meeting with each student at least once annually to discuss academic and career pathway opportunities.
b. Providing multiple small/large group sessions that are optional for students to attend. (Resume Building, Career/College Info, CCP, Career-Tech, Job skills, Scholarship Info, Employability skills, Conflict resolution and Team building)
c. Hosting sessions that provide students with guest speakers and experts in high needs career areas.
d. Providing a Finding Your Path online curriculum for students in grades 9-12 in which students can work independently and with the support of a counselor to work towards career goals.
e. Delivering multiple career explorations courses that can then lead toward pathways within CTE.
f. Implementing the Individual Graduation Plan which can be used to guide students through career advising and includes an end of year synopsis.
g. Clarifying career planning within Special Education through Sections 4/5 of the IEP.
4. Additional interventions and career advising for students who are identified as at risk of dropping out of school. These include:
a. Identifying students who are At-Risk based on past and current performance. Students outside of their graduation cohort year will take top priority for individual career guidance and support.
b. Identifying students using the FAST program and Staff Referrals.
c. Reviewing students identified as SPED and found to be at-risk and providing additional interventions under transition activities (career focused).
d. Developing a Student Success Plan for each at-risk student that addresses both the student’s academic and career pathway to successful graduation and the role of career-technical education, competency- based education and experiential learning, when appropriate.
i. The student’s parent, guardian, or custodian will be invited to assist in developing the Student Success Plan. If the student’s parent, guardian, or custodian does not participate in the development of the plan, OHVA shall provide the parent, guardian, or custodian a copy of the student’s plan, a statement of the importance of a high school diploma and the academic pathways available to the student in order to successfully graduate.
ii. Upon development of a plan for a student identified as being at risk for dropping out of school, OHVA shall provide career advising to the student that is aligned with the plan.
5. Training for employees on how to advise students on career pathways, including use of the tools available in OhioMeansJobs K-12.
a. Counselors will be directing students to this tool during sessions and FYP classes.
b. Advisors and Teachers will be training on career pathways and options available to students..
c. All staff working with student grades 6-12 will be trained on the use of Ohiomeansjobs.org and other career advising tools per state guidelines.
d. All staff working with students in grades 6-12 will be educated on Ohio’s new graduation pathways.
6. Multiple academic and career pathways through high school that students may choose to earn a high school diploma, including opportunities to participate in OHVA’s CTE program, opportunities to attend local Vocational/Technical schools, and participate in the College Credit Plus Program for post-secondary credit.
a. All staff working with students grades 6-12 will be educated on Graduation Pathways, CCP and Dual Enrollment options.
7. Information on courses that can award students both traditional academic and career-technical credit in working in conjunction with any local Career/Technical programs students may be attending.
8. Documentation on career advising for each student and student’s parent, guardian or custodian to review, as well as schools that the student may attend in the future. This includes activities that support the student’s academic, career and social/emotional development, such as those saved to a student’s OhioMeansJobs K-12 Backpack.
a. All documentation will be housed in Totalview notes (OHVA’s online information system)
b. Documentation can also be found in section 5 of the IEP for students who qualify.
9. The supports necessary for students to transition successfully from high school to their postsecondary destinations, including interventions and services necessary for students who need remediation in mathematics and English language arts.
a. Transition will be aided through staff lead meetings/sessions..
b. Transition will be aided through sections 4/5 of IEP if applicable.
10. Attached - Career Advising Document