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Linking Learning to Life
Burlington High School
(Burlington, Vermont)
Summary: Overview of the Strategy
Linking Learning to Life (LLL) is a school-to-career partnership of the
Burlington (VT) School District, the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of
Commerce, and the University of Vermont. The mission of LLL is "to
improve the educational performance and advancement, & the employment
and career prospects, of all Burlington students". This is not merely
grant or program rhetoric, but forms the basis for LLL's action plan to
address the needs of all K-12 students in the school district.
School-based Strategies
In order to carry out this mission, LLL's school-based learning strategies
include supporting teachers and administrators with devising and implementing
more applied learning activities across the curriculum and in all grade
levels. Specifically, LLL supports and coordinates summer institutes for
district educators to develop standards-based units of study, which include
opportunities for students to participate in more hands-on projects, to
connect business examples to classroom activities, and to learn in the community.
The project also awarded a series of mini-grants to teachers to create new
courses or adapt existing curricula to be more applied. In addition, our
Applied Learning Coordinator provides on-going direct assistance to all
of these teachers with implementation. LLL also sponsored 2 full days of
in-service for Burlington High School teachers on effective strategies for
teaching in a long block schedule. This was particularly timely, as the
high school began implementation of long block scheduling this school year.
A very significant strategy to engage all learners in regularly reflecting
on who they are and where they're going, is creating individual student
development (or career) portfolios. LLL initiated portfolios this year with
all 9th graders at Burlington High School, to be expanded into other grade
levels each year. Portfolio support, as well as a wide range of career development
assistance, is provided to students, teachers and parents by our staff through
the newly established Career Direction Center at the high school.
Work-based Strategies
Our work-based learning strategies include assisting students with a
wide range of community learning experiences from employer visits, to service
learning, to long term internships. LLL recently coordinated job-shadowing
experiences for 140 students from the high school, Edmunds and Hunt Middle
Schools, and from alternative education programs.
An exciting partnership has been forged with the Vermont Division of
Vocational Rehabilitation to pilot a School Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
position. This staff member provides intensive transition planning, job
development and job placement services to students with disabilities in
grades 9-12, and enrolls them in the Vocational Rehabilitation system. The
counselor also serves as a connector, helping to bring together classroom
teachers, special educators, parents and community resources to integrate
learning experiences for students.
In order to help students understand the skills and expectations of the
workforce, LLL has pursued a strategy of placing teachers in 6-week paid
internships in business during the summer, and developing classroom applications
based on their experiences. This approach has proven to be an invigorating
experience for many teachers, who match their skills and interests with
projects that meet employer needs. Ten teachers from across all grade levels
and content areas participated in summer 1998. We anticipate placing twice
that number in summer 1999.
Connecting Activities
Strong community connections are an essential element of most of the
work of LLL. Among our connecting activities is the College Connections
program. We are now in the third semester of this partnership with Community
College of Vermont, which enables Burlington H.S. students to take college
courses and earn credit at both institutions. Our focus is to provide a
real college experience, particularly to students that may not consider
themselves to be college-bound. The program provides additional support
to participating students to help them to develop career pathways into post
secondary education.
LLL is also a sponsor and active participant in the "Learn to Earn"
initiative - a local effort to help students understand the importance of
math, science, and technology skills to attaining high quality, high paying,
high-tech jobs in the area. About 15 area employers have formed employee
teams to present to 9th and 10th graders, and are committing to creating
other school-to-work opportunities for interested students.
LLL has also played a leadership role with convening a citywide team
focused on meeting the needs of out-of-school youth. The group includes
youth and representatives from several community based organizations, the
city, and the school district.
The Need
In 1996, over 35% of Burlington H.S. graduates had no post secondary
plans, including 10.9% who also had no employment plans. The high school
also has sustained an annual dropout rate of approximately 10% in the past
few years. Prior to LLL, very little school-to-career preparation activity
existed for students other than those attending Burlington Technical Center.
There was no district-wide plan or system for providing career development,
applied learning and community-based learning for students K-12. Linking
Learning to Life was established to address these gaps with the belief that
all students need systematic educational and career opportunities to prepare
for living, working, and succeeding in a rapidly changing world.
Meeting the Need
The lead partners behind LLL are the Burlington School District, the
Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the University of Vermont.
Many others, including a wide range of large and small employers, Community
College of Vermont, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, the VT Department
of Employment & Training, and the VT Division of Vocational Rehabilitation,
play important roles as well. The partners convened in 1997 to begin designing
a school-to-career system in Burlington, with the incentive of applying
for federal School-To-Work (STW) funds to support it. They applied for,
and were awarded, a highly competitive Urban/Rural Opportunities STW grant
from the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education. LLL is supplementing those
funds by pursuing corporate contributions, foundation grants, and partner
resources.
The Results
LLL has developed as part of a dynamic educational and economic environment
in Burlington. The project has worked to continually align with the school
district's strategic plan (with LLL staff participating) as well as individual
school action plans. LLL is also directly involved in the work of the new
workforce investment board for the Burlington region, which is based at
the Chamber of Commerce.
Early results from the project are encouraging: Approximately 1,000 different
students, teachers, and community members have been directly served through
the Career Direction Center. Over 300 students have initiated individual
career portfolios. One hundred forty students from 3 schools recently participated
in job shadowing experiences. Approximately 30 students with disabilities
are now receiving intensive vocational rehabilitation services, and several
are competitively employed. An evaluation of our first summer College Connections
course reported this to be a very significant experience for students with
raising aspirations and making future plans. A comprehensive, but not overly
complicated, evaluation plan has been developed with the assistance of the
University of Vermont. It focuses on 11 questions that we will seek to answer
that go well beyond participation rates. The staff of LLL also meets quarterly
for "action research days" to assess our progress and modify our
work plan.
Reflections on Our Strategy
Building a comprehensive system that truly helps all learners prepare
for the future is a massive undertaking. It requires time (almost always
more than initially anticipated) and patience. It also requires a continual
focus on the goal and a few key strategies, or it is easy to get lost in
a sea of possibilities and other agendas. We have maintained most of the
original components of our project plan, but have also tried to develop
new opportunities when there are ready and willing partners. A good example
of this is our College Connections program, which was not part of the original
project plan.
Examples of Learners
Example 1
Kevin was referred to the School-Based Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
in December of 1998. At that time, he was actively searching for part-time
employment and considering career goals as well. Kevin worked with the VR
Counselor to narrow his vocational focus and identify how to research his
possible career options. He participated in a two-day job shadow with an
employer of interest, and may apply for a similar position in the future.
At the same time, Kevin also worked with the Burlington High School Career
Direction Center on developing a resume and learning job search skills.
He also registered with the Department of Employment and Training to increase
his exposure and job options. When an opening at a local nursing facility
became available, Kevin chose to interview and accept the position. He began
working approximately 24 hours per week and reports he enjoys the position.
Through his efforts and the support of his family, school staff, and vocational
counselor, Kevin is currently employed and also has a better perspective
on his career options and interests.
Example 2
Daphne has participated in College Connections, an LLL program that enables
BHS students to take courses at Community College of Vermont (CCV) and begin
building a career path into post secondary education. She enrolled in Introduction
to College Studies, and is planning next to register in Effective
Speaking at CCV. She feels that her Introduction to College Studies
course taught her what college instructors are expecting of students, what
a college atmosphere is like, and that college is a realistic possibility
for her. Daphne is also attending the Burlington Technical Center and has
worked with LLL staff to complete a business plan and research post secondary
options. She interviewed a business owner from the community as part of
her research. Daphne is a student driven to achieve her personal goals who
now has a clearer vision of her future and what it will take to get there.
Example 3
James is a senior at BHS. In September, his case manager called to learn
about the resources in the Career Direction Center. James had very little
employment experience and seemed confused about what would follow after
his graduation in June. The Career Development Coordinator met James in
the support service classroom for an initial interview. He is a delightful
young man with a strong interest in art. Working in conjunction with James's
art teacher and special educator, weekly appointments were scheduled to
begin the process of career exploration. James was extremely responsible
about the visits. He quickly became well versed in the use of career exploration
computer programs and began a student development portfolio. James has made
several important decisions about his future. He has enlisted in the Army
in order to take advantage of college scholarship monies. He accessed Career
Center support to complete his resume and, with the support of the LLL Vocational
Rehabilitation Counselor, secured a part-time job. He dreams of attending
an art school following his experience with the Army. He has conducted a
considerable amount of research on post-secondary schools and has gathered
information to assist him in the future.
Recruiting
LLL has utilized a number of different strategies to recruit participants.
For example, our outreach for enrolling students in College Connections
includes all of the following: parent mailings, scheduled orientation sessions
at the high school, morning announcements, student brochures and posters,
a lunchroom information table, requests to faculty to schedule brief recruitment
sessions in their classrooms, appointments with the coordinator at the Career
Direction Center, and specific outreach to ESL, Special Education, and Technical
Center faculty.
For more information on Linking Learning to Life - Burlington High School,
contact:
Rich Tulikangas, Director
Burlington High School
52 Institute Road
Burlington, VT 05401
(Phone) 802/951-8850
(Fax) 802/951-8851
(E-mail) rtulikangas@burlhs.k12.vt.us
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