School-to-Work Wizards School-to-Work Wizards was an interactive question and answer page for anyone interested in school-to-work issues. Due to the completion of this project, the interactive component has been discontinued. However, all questions and answers are available for viewing and use. We have 39 questions to choose from, so go ahead and browse! Our Goal The goal of STW Wizards was to make sharing, networking, and interacting around the topic of school-to-work fun, as well as educational. The STW Wizard questions were tackled by our resident STW Wizards. Volunteers from around the country, with a large variety of expertise and experience, agreed to try and help problem solve and strategize regarding questions submitted. The questions related to creating school-to-work systems that really and truly serve all learners are endless and very few concrete, tried and true solutions appear to be on the horizon. As with any systems change effort, the creation of school-to-work systems is a process that will take time, patience, and commitment. We will have to work together to find strategies and solutions that benefit all learners equally. Networking, sharing ideas, and helping each other is one way to find new and different ways of including all learners in school-to-work opportunities. It also may help all of us to keep from reinventing the wheel as we work to develop our school-to-work systems. Read STW Wizard Questions/Strategies The STW Wizards have done their best to find some possible answers to the questions we have received. Check them out! Below is a list of all the questions submitted to School-to-Work Wizards. To read corresponding responses to a specific question, click on the highlighted portion of the question you are interested in. (Disclaimer: All questions and strategies are posted from the personal opinion of the person asking the question or responding with a strategy. Questions and strategies do not reflect the views or policies of the University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration, or the Minnesota Department of Children, Families, & Learning.) #1 What are the steps in encouraging parent involvement in high school students' career exploration... #2 Is this really the model we want for America ... #3 Are there any schools that have taken on serving "all students" in their school-to-career system from the start... #4 Does anyone have any ("high quality") marketing brochures.... #5 Is there a place on the net to see what other local STW partnerships are doing ... #6 I am looking for any programs career exploration or career awareness for elementary aged students.... #7 Can you inform me of any website that can lead me to designing a program, model, or curriculum on STW for deaf high school students? #8 Is there is a working program with juveniles on probation, working with court counselors who have school-to-work... #9 How can a Department such as Office of Public Instruction promote School-to-work? #10 Are there some creative ways to support vocational student organizations... #11 How does an agency provide assistance to school districts in modeling ways to work together... #12 Guidance in the transition portion of the IEP... #13 What insurance policy options are school districts using to cover students doing work-based learning... #14 I am a very active parent of a 15-year old son with a significant intellectual disability... #15 How to coordinate school-to-work goals and goals on the IEP.... also suggestions on getting local businesses willing to make a commitment to special needs students... #16 I am a school board member in a small New England town. We are supporting the School-to-Work initiative...proposed the students that choose to or are "qualified" to, work the last five weeks of their senior year instead of attending classes... I wonder if this course is too intense... #17 Is there an example of an action plan or strategy outline look like for service-based learning? #18 ...school-to-work issues for high school students who have disabilities and are getting ready to graduate... success stories?? #19 I am looking for effective practices/ strategies for involving at risk/drop out students with special needs. #20 What is the difference between School-to-Careers or School-to-Work and Academies? Do the differences include curriculum and if yes, how? #21 ...a list of standardized occupational interest and aptitudes tests for students of low reading ability or who are non-readers...? #22 I was looking for information on how STW ideas can be implemented in small rural schools with limited business bases... #23 ... How do the school districts propose to plan, develop and initiate all inclusive student School-to-Work programs without qualified (career) personnel to work with their student populations? ... #24 Does your district need to have block scheduling as a necessary part of School-to-Work implementation? #25 I am looking for actual Certificates of Initial Master or Advanced Mastery (CIM/CAM) that are being used across the country.... #26 How does school-to-work affect homeschooling families? #27 Does a STW facilitator need to have a vocational license in order to establish academic, business, community partnerships? #28 ...specific strategies for implementing STW with Special Education students. This is the biggest challenge I face in my project... #29 How has the number of students falling in the gap between high school transition to the "real world" decreased with school-to-work..... would a vocational rehabiliation counselor on the school site....increase possiblities of success? #30 Do any of your readers have experience in, work for, or have knowledge of, any enterprises that have initiated a concept termed "a future workforce" (one that will see personnel becoming "multi-knowledgeable," "multi-skilled," and, ultimately, "multi-functional")? #31 I would like suggestions on model programs for older students that are 1) community based, 2) use cash match dollars, vouchers, combined funding or other significant collaborative efforts with other agencies, and 3) have a self-determination curriculum or plan infused into the program. #32 Is there a federal grant now available for starting a new School-to-Work program? #33 Could you help me connect specifically with projects that have been successful in the Alternative Education area? #34 (1)- What are some examples of school-based jobs that students with disabilities (particularly MiMD) could do in a school that does not have a "factory set-up"? (2)- What kinds of community experiences do you regularly have your 9th/10th graders going out on? Are these visits tied to the curriculum? #35 I am looking for resources, strategies, and examples for including gifted learners in school-to-work opportunities. #36 I am looking for information on gender and school to work programs. #37 Can you share information or ideas for developing portfolios that can be used to document and build a student's school to work experience and opportunities as well as their plan for the future? #38 What kinds of materials, resources, etc. would you suggest for science in grades K-3? #39 How do you include parents in the planning of career paths and portfolios for the students?

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