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LEARNING STANDARDS FOR:
CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND OCCUPATIONAL STUDIES
AT THREE LEVELS

Standard 3a: Universal Foundation Skills

Students will demonstrate mastery of the foundation skills and competencies essential for success in the workplace.

1. Basic skills include the ability to read, write, listen, and speak as well as perform arithmetical and mathematical functions.

Students:

• use a combination of techniques to read or listen to complex information and analyze what they hear or read; convey information confidently and coherently in written or oral form; and analyze and solve mathematical problems requiring use of multiple computational skills.

• gather and use information presented in print and electronic sources to create a research report and database
• examine a case study to evaluate whether the information contained within it is adequate to support generalizations about the topic
• participate in debates, interviews, and panel discussions
• use word processing and desktop publishing software to present information on a sales campaign
• analyze a company's balance sheet and income statement for industry-recognized ratios for assets, liabilities, and net income/loss
• order and price inventory appropriately as part of a work experience program.

2. Thinking skills lead to problem solving, experimenting, and focused observation and allow theapplication of knowledge to new and unfamiliar situations.

Students:

• demonstrate the ability to organize and process information and apply skills in new ways.

• provide examples of ways to alter a work schedule to allow for more job sharing among two or more employees
• evaluate a variety of options suggested, select an option, explain the reason for the selection, and provide the strategies for implementation
• recognize a problem and design steps to solve the problem
• prepare and present a report on how knowledge gained from one content area helped solve a problem in another area.

3. Personal qualities generally include competence in self-management and the ability to plan, organize, and take independent action.

Students:

• demonstrate leadership skills in setting goals, monitoring progress, and improving their performance.

• work with a local employer to establish a sales goal and devise a plan to reach that goal
• motivate other group members and demonstrate leadership skills in a student leadership organization or job experience
• give and accept constructive criticism in a group project
• evaluate decisions for legal and ethical implications
• establish a set of personal goals and record progress in attaining them.

4. Positive interpersonal qualities lead to teamwork and cooperation in large and small groups in family, social, and work situations.

Students:

• communicate effectively and help others to learn a new skill.

• demonstrate how to respond effectively to a dissatisfied customer
• assist in the teaching of an acquired skill in an elementary/middle school class or business environment
• provide feedback to others in a group project
• participate in a job interview.

5. Technology is the process and product of human skill and ingenuity in designing and creating things from available resources to satisfy personal and societal needs and wants.

Students:

• apply their knowledge of technology to identify and solve problems.

• evaluate why a school or business facsimile (fax) machine is not working
• take the proper steps to make an inoperative printer work
• use a software program to compile and analyze statistical data and prepare a presentation for a group
• use an integrated software program to solve a business-related problem
• prepare a report predicting how technology may change various aspects of life 50 years from now.

6. Information management focuses on the ability to access and use information obtained from other people, community resources, and computer networks.

Students:

• use technology to acquire, organize, and communicate information by entering, modifying, retrieving, and storing data.

• construct a computer-generated form to survey local employers for possible participation in a work-study program
• use graphics software to present survey findings to the student body
• use telecommunications software to access and communicate information
• use presentation graphics software which will illustrate to a group of employers the increase in work-based learning experiences
• use a computer to record and organize statistical information to assist a coach of a school athletic team.

7. Using resources includes the application of financial and human factors, and the elements of time and materials to successfully carry out a planned activity.

Students:

• allocate resources to complete a task.

• plan a two-week activity that requires tasks to be divided among students or coworkers, including determining priorities and following timelines
• prepare a long-range budget for a school organization or hypothetical business
• complete multiple tasks for concurrent activities by adjusting personal schedules or negotiating deadlines
• work as a team to decide how resources should be allocated to accomplish a task.

8. Systems skills include the understanding of and ability to work within natural and constructed systems.

Students:

• demonstrate an understanding of how systems performance relates to the goals, resources, and functions of an organization.

• evaluate the roles or positions within an organization and make suggestions for improvement of the organization
• write a proposal for ways a company can reduce expenses
• prepare an organizational chart for a club or business

develop a presentation using visual aids to explain how an automobile or other machine operates.