BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Let’s begin with an analysis of a common high school work-based learning scenario.
Meet Mario.
Mario is enrolled in the carpentry program because his uncle is a
carpenter and makes a good salary.
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Mario has been attending the carpentry class, but there is no assessment of the skills and
knowledge he is learning.
Mario is placed at a lumber yard as his work-based learning experience.
There is no training plan or in-depth evaluation process of Mario's experiences.
At the end of the school term, Mario informs his guidance counselor that he would like to go to college to
study something other than carpentry.
Did this work-based learning experience assist Mario in making good career decisions?
How could this scenario be greatly improved upon?
Meet Jennifer.
Jennifer is enrolled in a carpentry program at another high
school.
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Jennifer has taken several career assessment inventories to validate her interest in the
architecture and construction career cluster, which would lead her to various careers related to
carpentry, electricity, plumbing, etc.
Her career plan shows her several career ladders that include both on the job training and
postsecondary education pathways.
Jennifer's CTE class links all the elements of CDOS, CCLS, 21st CS, C&CR, and CCLS Literacy.
She is graduating from high school with an ePortfolio of resources, which contains
her employability profile, training plan, resume, cover letter, and list of employers who hire
students with construction skills.
Jennifer’s work-based learning experiences included shadowing, guest speakers, field trips, and
an internship, all of which have been recorded and are reflected upon in her ePortfolio. She has
received good recommendations from both her teachers and employers.
Upon graduation Jennifer is ready to follow her career plan to the next step of education and
employment.
End Goal: Quality…………Meaningful………..Targeted Pathway
How does Jennifer’s outstanding experience match up to Mario’s?
Did her work-based learning experiences assist Jennifer in making good career
decisions?
How does your current work-based learning program compare to the experiences Mario and
Jennifer had?
What do you need to do to ensure every student has a quality experience?
The answer lies in connecting the learning standards to the essential components of work-based learning
programs. By connecting these standards we guarantee a quality program that delivers immense value to
the student.
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Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS)
Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS)
21st Century Skills
College and Career Readiness Outcomes
Common Core Grades 6-12 Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects
1st Connection
Let’s begin with the essential components of a quality work-based learning experience and the NYS
CDOS.
The three Work-Based Learning Essential Components meet the CDOS standards (see chart). Students
are assessed, they explore careers, they apply academics to the work world, they master the 21 st century
skills in both the classroom and at the workplace, and they use their specific job skills at a worksite.
WORK-BASED LEARNING
ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS
FOR QUALITY STANDARDS
Career Assessments
CAREER DEVELOPMENT and
OCCUPATIONAL STUDIES (CDOS)
STANDARDS
1.0 Career Development and Assessments
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Students will be knowledgeable about the world of
work, explore career options, and relate personal
skills, aptitudes, and abilities to future career
decisions.
Research/exploration
Career plan
Related Instruction
1.1 Integrated Learning
 21st century transferable soft skills
 Specific job skills
 Tools for career advancement
Training Site Placement
Students will demonstrate how academic
knowledge and skills are applied in the workplace
and other settings.
3A. Universal Skills Application
Students will demonstrate mastery of the
foundation skills and competencies essential for
success in the workplace.
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Training plan
Employer assessment of student
Work-based learning experiences
3B. Career Majors
Students who choose a career major will acquire
the career-specific technical knowledge/skills
necessary to progress toward gainful
employment, career advancement, and success in
postsecondary programs.
More
in-depth
information
about
the
CDOS
can
be
found
at
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/cte/cdlearn/documents/cdoslea.pdf.Guidance included on this website includes
key ideas, performance indicators describing expectations for students, and sample tasks suggesting
evidence of progress toward the standards. The CDOS Resource Guide with Core Curriculum is a
companion document to the CDOS and provides information on the core content for each learning
standard and career major, including teacher-developed classroom activities that help students achieve
the CDOS (see http://www.p12.nysed.gov/cte/cdlearn/cdosresourceguide.html).
2nd Connection
The second connection takes place between the Work-Based Learning Essential Components and the
Common Core Learning Standards.
WORK-BASED LEARNING
ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS
FOR QUALITY STANDARDS
Career Assessments
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Research/exploration
Virtual internships
Career plan
Resume
CAREER DEVELOPMENT and
OCCUPATIONAL STUDIES
(CDOS) STANDARDS
1.2 Career Development and
Assessments
Students will be knowledgeable
about the world of work, explore
career options, and relate
personal skills, aptitudes, and
abilities to future career
decisions.
Related Instruction
1.3 Integrated Learning

Students will demonstrate how
academic knowledge and skills
are applied in the workplace and
other settings.
21st century transferable soft
skills
 Specific job skills
 Tools for career
advancement
Training Site Placement
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Training plan
Employer assessment of
student
Work-based learning
experiences
COMMON CORE
LEARNING STANDARDS
English: Non-fiction career
research
Math: Budget and salary
considerations
English: Non-fiction skill
manuals
Math: Job-related math
(calculating, measuring,
estimating, balancing)
3A. Universal Skills
Application
Students will demonstrate
mastery of the foundation skills
and competencies essential for
success in the workplace.
English: Non-fiction skill
manuals
3B. Career Majors
Students who choose a career
major will acquire the careerspecific technical
knowledge/skills necessary to
progress toward gainful
employment, career
advancement, and success in
postsecondary programs.
All aspects of industry lessons
Math: Job-related math
(calculating, measuring,
estimating, balancing)
To learn more about the Common Core standards, visit http://www.corestandards.org/.
An in-depth document from Achieve, “The Common Core Standards and Career and Technical
Education,”
can
be
found
at
http://www.achieve.org/files/CCSS-CTE-BridgingtheDivide.pdf
For the Common Career Technical Core: http://www.careertech.org/career-technical-education/cctc/
3rd Connection
The third connection takes place between the Work-Based Learning Essential Components and the 21st
Century Skills.
WORK-BASED LEARNING
ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS
FOR QUALITY STANDARDS
Career Assessments
21st CENTURY SKILLS
Transferable Skills
Universal Skills
Research/Exploration
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Research/exploration
Virtual internships
Career plan
Resume
Information literacy
Media literacy
ICT (information, communications, and
technology) literacy
Related Instruction
Skill Training Stresses:
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21st century transferable soft skills
Specific job skills
Tools for career advancement
Creativity and innovation
Critical thinking and problem solving
Communication and collaboration
Life and career skills
Flexibility and adaptability
Initiative and self-direction
Training Site Placement
Workplace Training Stresses:
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Training plan
Employer assessment of student
Work-based learning experiences
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Manage goals and time
Social and cross-cultural skills
Productivity and accountability
Leadership and responsibility
To learn more about the 21st Century Skills, visit http://www.p21.org/.
4th Connection
The fourth connection takes place between the Work-Based Learning Essential Components and the
College and Career Readiness Outcomes.
21st CENTURY SKILLS
Transferable Skills
Universal Skills
WORK-BASED LEARNING
ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS
FOR QUALITY STANDARDS
DEMONSTRATED OUTCOMES
for
COLLEGE AND CAREER
READINESS
Career Assessments
Research/Exploration
Career Plan
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Research/exploration
Virtual internships
Career plan
Resume
Related Instruction

21st century transferable
soft skills
Specific job skills
Tools for career
advancement
Information literacy
Media literacy
ICT (information,
communications and
technology) literacy
Skill Training Stresses:
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
Training Site Placement
Creativity and innovation
Critical thinking and problem
solving
 Communication and
collaboration
 Life and career skills
 Flexibility and adaptability
 Initiative and self-direction
Workplace Training Stresses:
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Training plan
Employer assessment of
student
Work-based learning
experiences
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Manage goals and time
Social and cross-cultural
skills
Productivity and
accountability
Leadership and
responsibility
Choice of postsecondary
education/training
Linking classroom instruction
to real-world application
Class outcomes:
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Employability profile
Employment tool kit
Real-world experiences assist
in making career decisions
Workplace training:
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On the job training
Virtual/online
To learn more about college and career readiness, visit http://www.act.org/solutions/college-careerreadiness/college-career-readiness-system/.
The linked learning chart now includes all five of the connected standards.
WORK-BASED
LEARNING
ESSENTIAL
COMPONENTS
FOR QUALITY
STANDARDS
Career
Assessments
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2. Integrated
Learning
English: Nonfiction career
research
Research/Exploration
English:
Non-fiction skill
manuals
Math: Job related
math. Calculating,
measuring,
estimating, and
balancing.
Training Site
Placement
3A. Universal
Skills Application
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3B. Career Majors
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21st CENTURY
SKILLS
Universal Skills
Transferable Skills
Math: Budget and
salary
considerations
21st century
transferable
soft skills
Specific job
skills
Tools for
career
advancement
Training plan
Employer
assessment of
student
Work-based
learning
experiences
COMMON CORE
LEARNING
STANDARDS

Research/
exploration
Virtual
internships
Career plan
Resume
Related
Instruction

CAREER
DEVELOPMENT
and
OCCUPATIONAL
STUDIES (CDOS)
STANDARDS
Career
Development and
Assessments
ePortfolio
All Aspects of
Industry Lessons
Information
literacy
 Media literacy
 ICT (information,
communications
and technology)
literacy
Skill training
stresses:
 Creativity and
innovation
 Critical thinking
and problem
solving
 Communication
and collaboration
 Life and career
skills
 Flexibility and
adaptability
 Initiative and
self-direction
Workplace training
stresses:
 Manage goals
and time
 Social and
cross-cultural
skills
 Productivity and
accountability
 Leadership and
responsibility
DEMONSTRATED
OUTCOMES for
COLLEGE AND
CAREER
READINESS
Career plan

Choice of
postsecondary
education/
training
Linking
classroom
instruction to
real-world
application
Class outcomes:
 Employability
profile
 Employment
tool kit
Real-world
experiences
assists in making
career decisions:
 Workplace
training:
 On the job
training
 Virtual/online
internships
 Classroom
simulations
 Entrepreneurship
5th Connection
The fifth connection takes place between the Work-Based Learning Essential Components and the
Common Core Grades 6-12 Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects.*
Literacy skills are critical to building knowledge in our global scientific work world. The science and
technical subjects’ standards are:
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Asking questions and defining problems
Planning and carrying out investigations
Analyzing and interpreting data
Constructing explanations and designing solutions
Engaging in argument from evidence
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Each of the standards can easily be applied to the Work-Based Learning Essential Components for
quality standards. The standards can be measured and demonstrated in the classroom and at the training
site.
*See http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RST/introduction.
Where does this learning take place?
The work-based learning coordinator and the classroom teacher work together as a team to deliver the
related instruction to the students. The instruction within the classroom will address CDOS, CCLS, 21 st
Century Skills, College and Career Readiness Outcomes, and literacy standards. The same standards
will be addressed at the worksite through the completion of the career plan, employability profile,
ePortfolio, face2face work-based learning experiences, and virtual work-based learning experiences.
Team Approach: The work-based learning coordinator may teach a course 1 – 5 days a week. The class
could be face2face, small groups, one on one, or online independent learning. The team consists of the
work-based learning coordinator, CTE instructors, and academic teachers.