Academic and Career Planning (ACP)

We are committed to helping our students connect what they are learning now with future college and career opportunities. Our Academic and Career Program provides students with tools that assist them in making informed choices about their interests, career fields, and postsecondary education/training options while helping them develop — and modify — personalized goals/plans throughout their academic career at DCE. 

K-12 Grade-level ACP Opportunities

CAREER AWARENESS (GRADES K - 5)

Elementary level students:

• Explore a wide range of careers
• Develop school readiness and workplace skills
• Discover their personal strengths and interests
• Recognize different learning styles and select those that best suit them
• Experience entrepreneurship through the Junior Achievement “Our Region” program

CAREER EXPLORATION (GRADES 6 - 12)

Grade level opportunities:

• Complete career interest inventories
• Explore 16 Career Clusters and pathways
• Write a career research paper
• Develop an understanding of labor market information
• Participate in the Heavy Metals Tour and Adventure Day
• Explore interests through elective coursework
• Complete a Financial Literacy course
• Engage in student organizations and co-curricular activities

CAREER PREPARATION (GRADES 9-12)

Tailored to college/career goals:

• Resume development
• College credit courses (Advanced Placement and Dual Credit)
• Industry credentials/certifications
• Youth apprenticeships, internships, job shadowing, industry tours, and Career Fair
• Community service
• Individual advisor support in college/career goal setting
• Online tools to receive career and community related announcements, log community service, and track workplace learning experiences 

Secondary Level ACP Programs

At the secondary level, we help students select courses that help them pursue their career and academic interests across our 16 Career Clusters. We also provide students with numerous opportunities to explore their interests while earning four- and two-year college credits, attaining industry credentials, gaining hands-on classroom experience, participating in Career and Technical Education student organizations, and completing work-based learning opportunities prior to graduation. Our ACP high school grade-level expectations are available here.

WEEKLY ADVISORY SESSIONS

To help students break down barriers to their goals, develop a career/college readiness plan based on their interests and establish pathways that connect them to the broader community, each student is assigned a classroom advisor for the duration of their high school career. These sessions empower students by helping them discover how they best learn, craft post-high school plans, develop communication skills and peer relationships, and make informed decisions. Students also utilize Reflective Questions to explore their interests and career paths.  

On a weekly basis, students report to their assigned advisory classroom and take part in ACP activities. Each week the advisor meets one-on-one with 1-2 students to review their College and Career Dashboard (which includes data concerning the student’s GPA, grades, community service, volunteer, and work-based learning activities) and assists them with setting, meeting and advancing their goals. The remaining students use their advisory time to: 

• Check their student email
• Review the Student Services calendar for college/recruitment visits, workshops and career field trips
• Access our ACP digital planning tools (see below) for job, internship/apprenticeship, and service opportunities 

DIGITAL PLANNING TOOLS

Students use the following online tools  to research post-secondary options, explore workplace learning and community service experiences, and store their ACP assets. Students are able to share this information with their advisory teacher, counselor, and parents.  

Canvas

Canvas is a learning management system where students also can access Academic and Career Planning resources through the DCE Student Services portal. The resources include announcements concerning college/military representative visits to the school, relevant events, self-assessment tools to determine their progress toward their specific career and academic goals, internship/apprenticeship opportunities, scholarships, FAFSA tools, college application best practices, and their personal student dashboard. Parents can help their students with Academic and Career Planning by setting up an Observer Account that will provide them with access to their student’s resources. 

Transeo

Transeo is an online platform that helps students find workplace learning and community service opportunities and easily track their work and service hours from their smartphone, tablet, or computer. 

Xello

Xello is an online program that helps students explore their interests, identify their skill sets and match those preferences and strengths with prospective career options. This interactive tool also helps students develop post-secondary plans, while learning more about post-secondary educational, military and career options. 

Long-range Plans

As we move forward in preparing our students to become College and Career Ready, the high school has identified the following goals and objectives for the 2022-2023 school year:

• Family Engagement: The district will expand the outreach to parents/guardians so they are aware of opportunities available to their students and can take an active role in their academic and career planning. Emphasis will be placed on sharing college and career readiness focused communication through an Infinite Campus Bi-monthly Newsletter, Student Services Canvas Course (Parent Observer Account), and the District Website driving families to the wealth of information and opportunities. A pre/post-school year Parent Engagement Survey will be conducted to determine strategies and outcomes.

• Access For All Students: Student’s college and career readiness will be supported by a continuous relationship with an adult advisor who is knowledgeable regarding the student’s interests, goals, and plans. During the first two weeks of school, Advisory activities will focus on relationship building and providing students with a strong foundation around College and Career Readiness Indicators, Student Dashboard, Student Services Canvas Course, Goal Setting and Club/Activity Fair.  Advisory time will be scheduled once per week for regular one-to-one conferencing support to help guide goal creation, course selection, and post-high school planning.