Organizational Management:

Simulated Presentation/Facilitated Discussion with School Leaders

Heather Schutte
College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota
OLPD 5368: Leadership for Special Education Services
Dr. Pingry-Kile
April 26, 2022
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Think back to your very first job – who helped or supported you? What was the job?

Where was it and when did you have it? Why did you want the job and how did you get it? All

students encounter entry-level employment in some capacity and receive varying levels of

support to help them achieve their goal of employment. At Pine Island Public Schools, our

mission is to “provide a welcoming, premier learning environment that challenges, empowers,

and prepares students to be successful in an ever-changing world.” Our vision is that our school

district will be “leading the way in education innovation for a world-class experience.”

Regardless of ability, all Pine Island students will be prepared for success after high school.

What Do We Have?

What does Pine Island have? Through an Asset Inventory, the type of career

development, technical skills development, employability skills development, and other career-

related support that students are currently receiving at Pine Island can be determined. The

information gathered in the inventory will plan future program improvements, professional

development, and guide the development of the transition program. The information gathered

includes the following: names of career-related programs (sequence of courses) or career-related

stand-alone courses offered in our school; career exploration, planning and/or college awareness

activities; work-based learning initiatives (high school only); employability and life skills

development activities; career information for parents and families; and names of employer and

community partners.
 Pine Island also has an upcoming student population that would grow enrollment in the

transition program. In the 2021-22 school year, there are twenty-four who are transition-aged

(ages 16, 17, and 18) according to the December 1, 2021 unduplicated child count from the

Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). As students matriculate into transition-age, the

number of students grows to 27 in 2022-23, 33 in 2023-24, and 32 in 2024-25. These numbers

are static to the current unduplicated child count of 2021-22 and does not consider new

enrollment or identification or students who leave the district.

To address the growing need for transition services according to our unduplicated child

count, Pine Island needs to expose transition-aged students with disabilities to career exploration

within a career pathway and provide them opportunities for skill development and mastery over

time. Both can be accomplished by identifying career goals, related coursework, and structured

work experience for each transition-aged Pine Island student. A transition program for students

incorporates these components through work-based learning.

What Do We Need?

In Minnesota, work-based learning is an instructional strategy that prepares students for

success in careers and college by connecting a sequential building of knowledge, technical skills,

and employability skills in a career pathway. Work-based learning occurs concurrently at a

school and in a work setting with the possibility to attain industry-recognized credentials. Work-

based learning is a collaborative effort among four partners: business and industry; professional

associations and student organizations; students and parents/caregivers; and schools. Work-

based learning if formalized learning with instruction occurring at the school and a community-
based setting. Students earn school credit for this experienced by an appropriately licensed

teacher who closely supervises the worksite activities and paperwork. Schools collect general

education revenue for the credit hours that students spend in the program, including school hours

that the student spends at a worksite.

The components for a work-based learning program include the following: an Advisory

Committee made up of 50% business and industry; a licensed Work-Based Learning

Coordinator; Training Agreement between the school and the cooperating business; an

Individualized Training Plan for the student that includes scope and sequence and safety training;

student performance evaluations and a record of the competencies mastered; school-based

seminar/career exploration course(s) and student leadership development opportunities; and

Career & Technical Education (CTE) Program Approval from the Minnesota Department of

Education (MDE). Students are employed in the community while earning high school credit for

hours worked. Students participate in a paid or unpaid work experience for at least ten hours per

week. A certified school WBL Coordinator monitors students who may work in a variety of

fields. This is a program committed to developing our community workforce.

Full-service transition programming starts when a student turns the age of sixteen or

enters grade 9. At that time, a student would enroll in a work-based learning seminar course and

a work-based learning skills course. When the student nears graduation, which is determined by

the student’s Individual Education Program (IEP) team, the student would enroll in a work

experience course in grade 12/12+.

When applying to MDE for program approval, the school district must submit several

pieces of information. The program application lists the Advisory Committee members

identified, which must represent 50% of business and industry. The application must also
indicate the teacher’s name and licensure file folder number to meet requirements for approval.

The CTE Director, Principal, or Superintendent (and Special Education Director for programs

serving students with a disability) signs the application with program assurances. At the school

district, the forms that must be kept on file include the Training Agreement, Training Plan, and

Performance Evaluation for each student and the proof of employer Liability Insurance and

Workers’ Compensation for each participating business.

There are multiple programs available for program approval as defined by the Office of

Education program codes. Only approved programs are eligible to access state CTE Levy

funding for 35% reimbursement. The levy system is based on the list of approved programs in

the Program Approval Database on MDE’s website. Programs listed in the Program Approval

Database are verified by Content Specialists, who ensure the approved programs are taught by

appropriately licensed CTE instructors. If a program is not included in the Program Approval

Database, then it is not included in levy funding calculations.

What Do We Want?

As a school district, Pine Island has a vision to lead the way in education innovation for a

world-class experience. When starting a new program, we must start with what we want.

Development of operational procedures for the transition program should include orientation;

communication; support systems and assessment; program requirements; and monitoring,

reporting, and evaluation. As with any new program, orientation should be provided to new

students and parents. We must develop communication links between parents, students, the

school, and employers and between mentors and Work-Based Learning teachers. The program
must have support systems designed for students and assessments designed to show student

progress. Program requirements, including attendance and performance, must be developed with

special attention to program monitoring, reporting, and evaluation.

Building a transition program requires intentional design of an administrative structure,

staffing, program structure, delivery system, and support resources. Before recruiting students,

the administrative structure of who runs the program, who supervises the students, and who

makes programmatic decisions must be established. The Work-Based Learning Coordinator and

instructors should be identified in addition to any Job Coaches and/or Paraprofessionals. The

program design and learning delivery must be designed in cooperation with the Advisory

Committee and program staff. Tours of existing transition programs and networking with the

Region 10 Communities of Practice for Transition are great resources to inform Pine Island’s

transition program design. State and local resources to support work-based learning must also be

identified. State resources available in Minnesota include the Carl D. Perkins grant, CTE levy,

special education expenditures, and ACTE-SPED aid for training, evaluation, and special

equipment.

Work-Based Learning Teacher/Coordinator licensing in Minnesota can be obtained in a

variety of ways. Bethel University provides coursework online that can be completed in one

year for a teacher already licensed in Special Education. Lakes Country Service Cooperative

offers a portfolio process for teachers already licensed in Special Education or in Career and

Technical Education. A variance could be requested from MDE and there are other licenses that

have the embedded coursework in CTE. A special education work-based learning program does

require that a work-based learning teacher also be a licensed special education teacher.
What’s In It For Us?

To determine whether a transition program for students with disabilities is the appropriate

initiative to invest in, let us ask ourselves these questions: are there students and parents likely to

be interested? Are local employers interested? Are there multiple businesses available? What are

the regional occupational needs? To help answer these questions, we must assess our community

before building the transition program.

A transition program benefits not only our students, but the employers, our school, and

our community. Students get the opportunity to apply classroom learning in a real-world setting.

They get to assess their interests, aptitudes, and abilities while learning about the career

possibilities available to them in our region which improves their post-graduation employment

opportunities and increases their motivation and appreciation for completing school. Students

develop and practice positive work-related habits and attitudes, expand and refine their technical

skills, get real participation in authentic job-related tasks, and understand the expectations of the

workplace. Students also establish professional contacts for future employment and are aware of

postsecondary education opportunities.

Employers benefit from work-based learning program through involvement in the

curriculum development process. Local businesses have an opportunity to provide community

service and develop opportunities for a current workforce. Employers can also develop new

projects with student assistance. Students in work-based learning are potential future employees

who are skilled and motivated, which reduces training and recruitments costs for employers and

could lead to improved employee retention. There are similar benefits for the community. A

work-based learning program contributes to building a more productive local economy and

creates an environment of collaboration and cooperation among the school, the employers, and
the community. As practical and beneficial results are observed, confidence grows in the school

system and encourages respect, tolerance, and understanding among diverse groups.

The school benefits by expanding its curriculum and learning facilities to students of all

abilities. Students have the potential to be exposed to state-of-the-art equipment, technology,

and techniques in the field which reduces overcrowding by utilizing off-campus learning sites.

Staff development efforts are enhanced to meet the needs of diverse student populations while

promoting and fostering teacher interaction with the business community. A work-based

learning program individualizes instruction for students and makes education more relevant and

valuable to students, which increases student retention rates in schools.

Our next steps as a district starts with creating awareness, recruiting employers, and

securing approval. Hosting informational meetings to inform community stakeholders will help

us gain support for a work-based learning program. A recruitment plan must be developed to

gain interest and inform employers about hiring work-based learning students. A partnership

council within the Advisory Committee could lead and solicit work-based learning program

participation. The most crucial step is to secure approval. The program application must be

completed and submitted to MDE, which is renewable every five years. Any changes and

improvements must be reported to MDE along the way.

As Pine Island continues to grow, so does our need for programming. A transition

program for students with disabilities aligns to our district’s mission to provide a welcoming,

premier learning environment that challenges, empowers, and prepare students to be successful

in an ever-changing world. Pine Island will lead the way in education innovation with a work-

based learning program that will provide a world-class experience for all students.