Levels

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Ford Community Connected Learning™ - The Levels Explained Overview  -­‐‑  The  knowledge,  skills  and  abilities  needed  for  students’  success  in  college,  career  and   life    can  be  achieved  with  the  assistance  and  encouragement  of  the  community  and  in  a  safe  and   supportive  environment  for  learning.    Ford  Community  Connected  Learning  (Ford  CCL)    provides  a   framework  and  process  for  achieving  that  success.  No  journey  is  completely  predictable,  proper   planning  can  help  a  community  avoid  delays,  retracing  of  steps,  frustration,  and  missed   opportunities.     Setup  for  Success  -­‐‑  Like  any  journey,  success  in  CCL  depends  on  ensuring  the  right  structures,   processes,  systems  are  in  place  to  support  this  type  of  work  and  this  type  of  collaboration.    In  this   case,  preparation  for  success  is  a  shared  understanding  of,  and  commitment  to,  the  journey  among   everyone  who  is  to  be  involved.    This  includes  educators,  employers,  and  district  leaders  -­‐‑  with   everyone  on  the  same  page.  A  Customized  Implementation  Plan  to  include: ● ● ● ● ● ●

Explore  Visit  information  /  Community  “readiness”  Assessment   The  vision     Asset  mapping:  Available  tools  and  resources   Necessary  commitments  and  resources     Defining  customized  journey     A  timeline  for  achieving  the  vision  /  journey    

Sample  services  supporting  Setup  for  Success: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Visioning  Session  /  Alignment  to  relevant  community  plans  (i.e.  Ford  NGL  Master  Plan,  District   Strategic  Plan)   School,  Academy  “readiness”  Assessment   Highly  Effective  Teaming   Communities  of  Practice  for  School/Career  Academy  Leaders   Career  Academy  101   Career  Academy  Master  Scheduling   Community  &  Schools  Structures     ○ Steering  Committee   ○ Industry  Councils   ○ Advisory  Boards    

1 ©Ford Motor Company, February 2017

Level  1  -­‐‑  A  Strong  Foundation  -­‐‑  The  most  important  priority  after  making  an  initial  plan  and   incorporating  some  of  the  “ensuring  we  are  ready”  is  to  establish  a  strong  foundation  of  project-­‐‑ based  learning  and  integrated  curriculum  design.  [Focus  is  on  the  Academy  Team  first  and  foremost!   Once  the  foundation  is  set  within  the  academy,  business  partners  are  introduced.  Consider  that  Level   1.5]   Sample  services  supporting  Level  1: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Project-­‐‑Based  Learning  for  Career  Academy  Teams     Planning  Effective  Integrated  Curriculum  Projects   Effective  Use  of  Common  Planning  Time   Implementation  support  &  customized  services   Progress  monitoring  success  indicators   Annual  Retreats  (reflection,  continuous  improvement,  planning  for  next  year)     Train  the  Trainer  Program  focused  on  Level  1  -­‐‑  (Develop  Ford  CCL  Specialists  to  scale  locally)      

Level  2  -­‐‑  Powerful  Partnerships   Taking  inquiry-­‐‑based  learning  and  integrated  curriculum  to  the  next  level  begins  with  community   partners.  Schools  already  know  the  importance  of  rigor  and  relevance,  but  this  level  is  all  about   relationships  -­‐‑  establishing  a  foundation  of  awareness  and  understanding  between  educators  and   employers  of  the  respective  worlds  of  the  classroom  and  workplace.    At  its  most  basic  level,  this   foundation  entails  understanding  the  language,  culture,  and  values  of  each  world  and  the   opportunities  and  challenges  faced  by  both.    This  understanding  is  key  to  students'  success   transitioning  from  classroom  to  college  and  their  careers  in  the  workplace.      For  teachers,  this   understanding  enables  them  to  incorporate  business  and  workplace  perspectives  into  their   instruction  and  craft  more  localized  word  problems,  scenarios  and  problem-­‐‑based  projects  for   students. Sample  services  supporting  Level  2: ● ● ●

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Orientation  and  Onboarding  employer  partners  to  the  world  of  school  and  levels  of  business   engagement  opportunities.     Employer    and  Academy  “Readiness”  Assessment   Coordinated  Learning  Experiences   ○ Business  round  tables   ○ Worksite  tours   ○ Job  shadow  activities     Strengthening    Advisory  Boards  structure  and  processes   Progress  monitoring  success  indicators   Annual  Retreats  (reflection,  continuous  improvement,  planning  for  next  year)     Train  the  Trainer  Program  focused  on  Level  2  -­‐‑  (Develop  Ford  CCL  Specialists  to  scale  locally)      

Level  3  -­‐‑    Bridging  the  Classroom  and  the  World  of  Work  -­‐‑  Taking  Partnerships  to  the  Next   Level At  this  level,  employers  and  educators  are  ready  to  take  their  partnership  further.  This  means  going   beyond  getting  to  know  each  other,  and  beginning  to  truly  partner  on  how  and  what  students  will   learn.    As  the  frequency  and  variety  of  partnership  and  work-­‐‑based-­‐‑learning  grows,  so  does  the   2 ©Ford Motor Company, February 2017

depth  of  understanding  between  educators  and  employers.  For  employers,  work  in  and  out  of  the   classroom  with  students  becomes  more  comfortable  and  second-­‐‑nature.    For  teachers,  their  work   with  employers  becomes  more  meaningful  and  beneficial  as  they  gain  familiarity  with  the  concepts,   processes  and  tools  of  the  workplace.    For  students  at  this  level,  a  deeper  understanding  of  the   “how”  and  “why”  of  a  business’  organization  and  operations  becomes  a  part  of  their  exploration  of   problems  from  the  world  of  work  and  development  of  solutions.    This  deeper  engagement  between   partners  results  in  more  powerful  forms  of  teaching  and  learning  -­‐‑    specifically,  student   explorations  of  challenge-­‐‑based  cases.  These  cases  promote  higher  levels  of  critical  thinking,   problem  definition,  and  analytical  skills.    Classroom  and  workplace  become  two  complementary   parts  of  the  same  whole.   Sample  services  Supporting  Level  3: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Academy  and  Employer  “Readiness”  Assessment   Case-­‐‑based  learning     Tools  and  Techniques  for  Facilitating  Problem  Definition  and  Framing   ○ For  example,  Design  Thinking   Challenge-­‐‑based  academy  team  externships   Ford  NGL  Learning  Labs     Implementation  support  &  customized  services   Progress  monitoring  success  indicators   Annual  Retreats  (reflection,  continuous  improvement,  planning  for  next  year)     Train  the  Trainer  Program  focused  on  Level  3  -­‐‑  (Develop  Ford  CCL  Specialists  to  scale  locally)      

Level  4  -­‐‑  Experiencing  the  World  of  Work  (  Real-­‐‑Time)  -­‐‑  At  this  level,  schools  and  employers  are   accustomed  to  working  in  partnership  to  develop  student  learning  experiences.  Opportunities  for   students  to  explore  real  world,  relevant  challenges  stemming  directly  from  the  workplace  are   common  -­‐‑  part  of  the  “way  we  do  things.”    This  connected  learning  environment  prepares  students   with  the  skills,  perspectives,  and  mindsets  necessary  to  successfully  transition  from  the  classroom   into  the  world  of  work.  Students  in  Level  4  communities  are  equipped  to  explore  and  unpack   challenges,  define  and  analyze  problems,  and  develop  and  present  solutions  with  their  employer   partners.  Educators  and  employers  in  Level  4  communities  have  the  skills  and  structures  to  sustain   and  develop  CCL  for  years  to  come,  as    part  of  the  community's  DNA.  CCL  becomes  an  ongoing   catalyst  for  the  community’s  vitality  and  the  success  of  all  graduates. Sample  services  supporting  Level  4: ● ● ● ● ● ●

Student-­‐‑focused  internships  (incorporating  previous  levels)   Senior  level  capstones,  engaging  with  an  employer  partner   Evaluating  Impact    &  Annual  Retreats   Academy  and  Employer  “Readiness”  Assessment   Process  Improvement  Tools  and  Techniques   Train  the  Trainer  Program  focused  on  Level  4  -­‐‑  (Develop  Ford  CCL  Specialists  to  scale  locally)      

3 ©Ford Motor Company, February 2017