The Wittenberg-Birnamwood School Board approved an updated academic career plan (ACP) Feb. 17 designed to help make sure more students are ready to launch into careers through college, trade schools or directly out of high school.
All school districts are required to have such plans implemented to aid students in making career plans, something that district officials say is making a difference.
“Over this year and last, we’ve been really diligent about creating space during the school day,” said Superintendent Garrett Rogowski. “About an hour of our day is spent working on academic and career planning.”
The plan was crafted by Megan Rothmeyer, principal of Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School, who pointed out that early intervention is the key to making sure the younger generations are prepared to make a living.
According to Rothmeyer, the hour dedicated to ACP includes utilizing Xello, a program that helps students investigate various careers and learn what they might be interested in pursuing once their high school education is complete. The time is also focused on Method Learning, a program that helps high school students prepare for the ACT and the pre-ACT.
“They’re finding out about themselves, what their interests are, what career might be a fit for them,” Rothmeyer said about Xello.
Another part of the approved plan includes being with the same teacher all four years for the ACP hour, allowing for more consistent advising and mentoring, according to Rothmeyer.
“We look at that as having an adult at school they can talk to in terms of classes and careers and interests,” she said.
For those who are ready for standardized tests or who have made some decisions on their future jobs, the time period can also be used to volunteer for organizations that align with the students’ career interests. The time can also be used to meet with the high school’s guidance counselor, Stephanie Gruber, to get assistance when applying to colleges.
Rogowski feels that the focus on seeking careers is worth the daily time set aside for students.
“A lot of them didn’t have a solid post-secondary plan that was geared toward their interests and aspirations,” Rogowski said. “So, I think one of the things we’re finding, and I’m seeing … there’s a lot more targeted interests and efforts by our students to say, ‘These are the types of fields that I’m interested in. What kind of courses and pathways do I need to take at WBHS to be successful and maybe lead me to a field of study or a post-secondary institution that supports my interests?’”
Some of the students already shared their interests during parent-teacher conferences earlier in the school year via a Powerpoint presentation, according to Rogowski.
“That received the best turnout for the conferences,” he said.
In the two years that the district has been helping students develop ACPs, the data shows that those students score higher on the ACT, a requirement for high school juniors.
“We found that students on the ACT exam that had career and post-secondary plans with a goal in mind and were taking courses leading toward those interests were scoring significantly higher on the ACT than those that had no plan whatsoever,” Rogowski said. “Part of this is about making sure they have a vision for their future or at least a target in mind.”
The ACP also makes use of the district’s youth apprenticeship program, which lines up students with local businesses that can give them hands-on training for the careers they’re interested in. Over 60 WBHS students are enrolled in the program.
“That’s incredible for our size of school,” Rothmeyer said.
Another part of the plan involves the school district’s partnership with Northcentral Technical College to offer dual-credit courses, earning both high school and college credits. According to Rothmeyer, the past year has shown 539 college-credit courses taken by students.
The plan is not limited to the high school, though, according to Rothmeyer. The plan also encourages career exploration to the elementary grades. She noted one such event included a trip for second grade students to the Plover Exploration Center, something that was developed entirely by students affiliated with the Wittenberg-Birnamwood FFA.
“Our second graders were able to explore food, farms and agriculture,” Rothmeyer said. “That was organized by our own students, so there were some leadership elements. That sort of stuff is happening as well in our district.”
From a high school counselor’s perspective, Gruber thinks having a plan in place will make it easier for students to find their way in the world and know early on what they want to do.
“I think the thing that I like the most about it is that it gives the students time and space to focus on post-secondary planning and what they might be interested in,” Gruber said. “We can show them different career paths that they might not have thought of.”
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
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