OhioWorkforce411.gov

In AttendanceCommittee Members: Ernie Sullivan, Martha Dorsey, Richard Brown, Deborah Catri,
Staff: Kristen Cox, Emma Brewer, John Weber
Visiting: Myron Robinson, Dr. Carol Scott, Marsha Mockabee, Jane Gardner, Pat Goings, Brittany VanHook, Molly Hilyard, Barbara Whitaker, Fatima Weathers
Absent: David Johnson, Kyle McKnight, Jerry Sue Thornton, Alan Mayne

Agenda Item	Discussion	Required Action
	Minutes of the March 22 meeting, plus attachments were distributed. Ernie suggested the committee re-visit item II. Review Outcomes and Potential Measures. The graduation rate percentage was left blank pending additional information from the Ohio Department of Education. Jim Daubenmire, Assistant Director of Information Management Services, provided this information. The committee discussed a 100% graduation rate, but decided that was not realistic. The committee agreed to set the standard at 90%, which is consistent with the Ohio Department of Education’s, standard. Ernie stated that the committee might review the standard at a later date and make changes if needed.
Greater Cleveland Urban League Presentation	Myron Robinson, president and CEO of Urban League of Greater Cleveland, introduced Dr. Carol Scott, Executive Vice President of the Greater Cleveland Urban League and Marsha Mockabee, Director of Youth Programs and Career Beginnings. Career Beginnings was described as a breakthrough idea for serving at-risk youth. Career Beginnings Toolkits were distributed along with a School-to-Work Plan For Multiple Career Paths document. The document was developed by the Health Horizons partnership. This partnership includes Meridia, part of the Cleveland Clinic Health System, the East Cleveland City Schools, Urban League of Greater Cleveland and Ohio School-to-Work. The goal of the Health Horizons was to assist public education programs, while enhancing future employment opportunities for students in the field of health care. This pilot was effective in providing students with much needed life skills and paid internships. It was stated that one of the ways to ensure that young people emerge from classrooms to careers is for schools, communities, and businesses to effectively collaborate to reduce barriers on their behalf. Brandies University developed the Career Beginnings model. This program is based on building a system for youth in the Greater Cleveland area or “building students for life”. Marsha described Career Beginnings and said it was imperative to figure out a way to replicate the best practices. Career Beginnings is a program for at-risk high school students and has been in place for the past twelve years. This historical vantage point has provided valuable lessons and a set of best practices that work for young people. Marsha talked about the best practices: Adult support, structure, and expectations High academic content standards Creative forms of learning (educators need to upgrade skills) Guidance and counseling Support and follow-up Youth as resources (Asset building) Quality evaluation Region 8 School-to-Work established a Core Abilities Study, which were based on the SCANS report (Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills from the Department of Labor). These skills are: Basic Academic Skills; Personal Characteristics; Workplace Success Skills; Thinking Skills; Organizational Skills; and Interpersonal Skills. These skills are the foundation of the Career Beginnings programs. Questions: How many youth do you serve? Cleveland Urban League is currently serving 900 students including 600 in the Career Beginnings program. How do you recruit the students? Teacher/Brokers are placed in the schools to identify struggling students and recruit them to the program. Marsha stated that the programs offer Service Learning and Mentoring.
Presentation by Bridgeview Middle School, Sidney, Ohio	Jane Gardner, Career-Based Intervention (CBI) teacher from Sidney Ohio, introduced two of her students Brittany VanHook and Molly Hilyard. Pat Goings was also in attendance as a parent and former employer of Jane’s students. Jane briefly described her program. She teaches 8^th graders who range in age from 13 – 15. She typically has 15 – 25 students in her classes. There are 1200 CBI programs in Ohio, serving approximately 22,000 at-risk students through employability skills instruction, academic enrichment, and work based activities. Most students are at-risk due to their low grades and weak attendance. Her students work on academics and employability skills in the morning and have jobs in the afternoon. Many of them must obtain Department of Labor variances to work. Jane works with these students to ensure they are highly trained and knowledgeable prior to going to a job site. The students told us that work is tied to their school day. If they don’t come to school, they cannot go to work. Jane described the difference between service learning and community service. Service learning is a blending of both service and learning goals in such a way that both occur and are enriched by each other. These projects emphasize a strong reflective component where students utilize higher order thinking skills to make sense of and extend the formal learning from the service experience. In Jane’s classes, service learning includes math skills, communication skills, and teamwork. Community service is volunteering in the community without any formal attachment to curriculum outcomes. Jane said in her community, community service is something the court assigns as a result of some offense. Jane and her students put together a notebook for the committee. This notebook contains a Pocket Guide to Service Learning, the Service Learning Passport, several newspaper articles, and two research articles. The students presented a poster they made which depicts what service learning is to them. The students will be presenting their Service Learning project at the 2000 Career Technical and Adult Education conference in August. Due to time constraints, there was only time for one question. Question: When is the best time to integrate Service Learning projects? Jane stated that middle school or junior high is the most appropriate time. This is the time to really begin career development and exposure to all types of work. It helps to develop social, personal, intellectual and career skills and teaches differences in tolerances. The personal growth applies to the development of characteristics related to self-improvement and self-actualization. The social growth includes the social skills, which are necessary for relating to others in society. Intellectual growth encompasses the cognitive skills necessary to enhance academic learning and acquire higher level thinking skills. Service Learning also emphasizes preparation for the world of work. These are the skills that help students gain work experience and make choices about possible career directions.
Next Steps	Ernie suggested the committee change the community service project outcome to: 100% of Ohio youth should complete a service learning project. The committee agreed. Ernie summarized the meeting by charging the committee to continue looking at breakthrough ideas. Service learning is something that all youth could employ. Career building is a holistic view and not just a job. He emphasized the importance of the SCANS skills and how service learning seems to emphasize SCANS.
Adjourned	Ernie adjourned the committee at 1:55 PM.