»Goals and Expected Outcomes
»Areas of Achievement
»Organizational Partners and Participants
»Session Summaries by Schools
»Program Demographics
»Curriculum and Materials Used
»Evaluation/Assessment
»Lesson Learned and Recommendations
»Student Survey Results Summary

Technology is an integral part of today’s workplace across all sectors of business and industry. The integration of technicians into the fabric and conduct of business has resulted in a radical change to the set of skills required for their career success. In this changing environment, XXI Tech focuses on developing these skills in members of the emerging workforce and on creating awareness of career options and pathways which result from this changing and emerging technological infrastructure.

The XXI Tech Skills and Careers after-school program has now completed its pilot sessions for the fall of 2005. This pilot program was a collaboration among the Center for Information Technology Education (CITE) at Nashville State Community College, the Nashville Career Advancement Center (NCAC), Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Alignment Nashville, and the Nashville Technology Council (NTC).

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Goals and Expected Outcomes

• The expected outcomes of the second session of this pilot program were:
• Students will gain important workplace skills that are often missing from standard curricula and will complete a project by the end of the session.
• Additionally, students will have a better understanding of education and career options for technological careers.
• The business volunteers will be active participants with the students and teachers and will provide business context and authenticity to the learning experience.
• Teachers will gain experience with the Ford PAS curriculum and can use this experience in their regular classroom instruction.

Areas of Achievement

The term of the XXI Tech Skills and Careers second after-school session was February 14, 2006 through April 13, 2006. Four high schools, Glencliff, McGavock, John Overton, and Stratford , completed the eight-week program with a total of 50 students. The focus of curricular study was workplace communications and careers. Five different businesses (HCA Healthcare, Brooksource, Cirrus Technologies & Data Solutions, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools , and CentreSource) from the Nashville area partnered with this program to enrich the lives of students.

Students Impact
Students were excited at the prospect of earning money and gaining workplace experience in the school setting, but were often amazed at the responsibility required to be successful in a job. Sixty percent of the students involved reported that XXI Tech was their first real job. They were surprised by the official nature of the program. The students completed contracts, daily time cards, and W-2's as well as used their academic skills to be productive in a team environment and utilize their computer skills. By the end of the session, 50 students (the session started with 59) successfully completed the program and reported that the time spent was meaningful and they would like to participate again in the future.

Teacher Impact
Five teachers - both new to program and returning from the Fall semester - were involved in this session and each of them reported that students were excited, engaged, and eager to learn new skills. Today's classroom is not always quite so encouraging and these five teachers were able to see the excitement as the students evolved into productive employees. Additionally, teachers want to continue the use of the Ford PAS curriculum in their regular classrooms and they saw the benefit of community business people coming into the classroom and want to continue using that resource.

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Organizational Partners and Participants

Center for Information Technology Education (CITE) at Nashville State Community College: CITE has provided organizational and administrative leadership in developing and delivering this program. David McNeel is the Director of CITE; Donna Gilley is the XXI Tech Skills and Careers Administrator and a Metro/Nashville Public Schools teacher at John Overton High School.

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS): MNPS partners with CITE to develop XXI Tech Skills and Careers programs at the high school level. Lance Lott is the CAO of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and was a business partner with John Overton High School’s after school program. Lyndell Norton is the Coordinator of Career and Technical Education for MNPS serves on the overall advisory committee for the XXI Tech Skills and Careers.

Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce (NACC): NACC is instrumental in connecting and engaging the area business community with CITE and the XXI Tech Skills and Careers programs. Bob Obrohta is the Vice President of Education and serves on the advisory committee for the XXI Tech Skills and Careers program.

Nashville Technology Council (NTC): NTC, an association of technology company executives affiliated with the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, creates networking opportunities with area business community representatives.

Alignment Nashville (AN): Alignment Nashville was started as a result of recommendations from the Citizens Report Card conducted annually by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. Alignment Nashville works with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools to provide a positive impact on student achievement and public school success. Sydney Rodgers serves as Executive Director for Alignment Nashville and an advocate for the XXI Tech Skills and Careers program.

Nashville Career Advancement Center (NCAC): Nashville Career Advancement Center (NCAC) is part of the Tennessee Career Centers system funded by the Tennessee Department of Labor, Employment Security and Human Services. NCAC is a significant funding source for the XXI Tech Skills and Careers program. Dr. Christine Bradley is the Executive Director and Ellen Zinkiewicz heads up the Center’s programs for youth. Both participate with the advisory committee for the XXI Tech Skills and Career.

Brooksource: Brooksource evolved as a full service IT company from requests for senior level project management and support from Technical Youth clients. Eric Block, Account Executive at Brooksource, was a role model for students considering a career in IT.

CentreSource: Nicholas Holland, CEO of CentreSource Technology Solutions, a full-service provider of custom software development, web solutions and digital marketing services with clients worldwide, provided insight for students considering a career in Web Design and Development.

Cirrus Technologies & Data Solutions: Quinton Bynum, CEO of Cirrus Technologies and Data Solutions, a locally-owned consulting and contracting firm, provided insight and a role model for students considering a career in technology as an entrepreneur and business owner.

Glencliff High School: Glencliff High School has participated in XXI Tech since the pilot session in 2005. Glencliff’s principal is Dr. Lora Hall and Deborah Crosby is the XXI Tech Skills and Careers Program Instructor and Metro/Nashville Public Schools teacher.

McGavock High School: McGavock High School was also one of the original two high schools chosen to participate in the XXI Tech Skills and Careers. McGavock’s principal is Michael Tribue and Brenda Ingle is the XXI Tech Skills and Careers Program Instructor and Metro/Nashville Public Schools teacher.

John Overton High School: John Overton High School began the XXI Tech Skills and Career program this semester. Dr. Monica Dillard is the principal of John Overton High School and the session was team taught by Kelly Henderson and Ray Fox, who are both Metro/Nashville Public Schools teachers.

Stratford High School: Stratford High School added the XXI Tech Skills and Career program to their existing technology curriculum. The principal of Stratford is Brenda Elliott, and the instructor of XXI Tech was Janet Wallace, who is also a Metro/Nashville Public Schools teacher.

HCA Healthcare: HCA, a leading provider of healthcare services, participates in business planning and program development for CITE. HCA is a business partner with the XXI Tech Skills and Careers program. Nadia Payne is the Education Technical Manager for HCA Healthcare and she served as an education partner for all schools as she planned and developed a 21st Century Career Day at HCA.

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Session Summaries by Schools

Glencliff High School:
Glencliff High School is in their second session with Deborah Crosby teaching the class and Eric Block from Brooksource assisting. Ms. Crosby started the semester with 12 students. By the end of the session, nine students earned their stipend. One valuable lesson was learned at Glencliff-when you make a commitment to work, you must show up to be successful. Perhaps this lesson will prevent such as action at the next level of employment for each of those three students.

Glencliff students used Module 2 of the Ford PAS curriculum, Media and Messages. The goal of this module is to introduce students to communication issues in the workplace. The students learned and practiced several forms of workplace communication, both written and verbal: summarizing and organizing written and verbal information, giving and receiving feedback, writing resumes and cover letters, and making oral presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint.

McGavock High School:
McGavock is another veteran school. Brenda Ingle led 12 students through Module 4: Careers, Companies and Communities. . In Module 4, students learn about the businesses and industries in their region, the range of positions companies may offer, and the changing nature of the workplace. They gained information through interviews and Internet research. Additionally, students used the Internet and Microsoft PowerPoint to collect employment data about careers of their choice and ultimately presented their findings to their peers, teachers/managers, business representatives, and XXI Tech staff. Quinton Bynum, CEO of Cirrus Technologies & Data Solutions, worked with Ms. Ingle and her students to better understand careers in our community.

McGavock High School started and finished the session with 12 students enrolled in XXI Tech. They were very diverse in age and background and excited to gain valuable work experience. For several of the students, this was their second session. All of the students were enthusiastic and felt that they learned some really valuable skills.

John Overton High School:
John Overton High School was one of the new schools for the spring session. Although they only had eight students that participated in the program, they were equipped with excitement and dedication. John Overton used Module 2: Media and Messages which has a focus in communication. Kelly Henderson and Ray Fox worked as team teachers/facilitators to guide the group with the assistance of Lance Lott with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

Mr. Lott reported that the group may have been small in numbers but they were engaged in the learning process. Mr. Lott took the students to the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board of Education to learn more about communication in the workplace. While there, he allowed the students to each receive a mock phone call from an angry parent. Each student was challenged to calm the parent, gather information and offer a solution. The students were recorded and time was allotted for feedback from the professionals, who said the students handled the situation very well.

Stratford High School:
Stratford High School was also a newcomer to XXI Tech this session. Stratford already has a growing Information Technology program and XXI Tech was a perfect addition to their offerings. Janet Wallace taught the session with the help of Nicholas Holland from CenterSource. Stratford also used Module 2: Media and Messages with a focus on workplace communications. The Stratford employees spent time summarizing and critiquing written and verbal information as well as analyzing different types of media advertisements and creating logos and slogans for a fast food Japanese restaurant.

Stratford High School started the program with 23 students. Most of the students were 9th and 10th graders who have never worked in a paid position before. The students enjoyed the opportunity to learn workplace skills such as teamwork and communications, but mostly, they truly appreciated learning additional computer skills.

Program Demographics:

Total Population:
59 - Total student that started the program
50 - Total students that completed the program

32 - Total number of females completing
18 - Total number of males completing

School Population:
12 - McGavock High School
  9 - Glencliff High School
  8 - John Overton High School
21 - Stratford High School

Grade Level:
14 - 9th graders
17 - 10th graders
  6 - 11th graders
13 12th graders

Ethnic Background:
  9 - Caucasian
36 - Black/African American
  0 - Asian
  1 - Hispanic
  4 - Other

Curriculum and Materials Used

The Ford PAS curriculum consists of a series of modules that link classroom learning with the challenges students will face in post-secondary education and the workplace of the future. The curriculum integrates academically rigorous, standards-based content with realistic applications in areas such as design and product development, information systems, environmental sustainability, global economics, business planning, and marketing.

Module 2
Media and Messages: Building a Foundation of Communication Skills engages students in addressing a variety of communication challenges encountered by a fictional food chain called Quick n’ Tastee—a company that is expanding its product line through a partnership with a company based in another country. As employees of Quick n’ Tastee, students select a new line of food, decide on the best locations for introducing their new line, prepare to interview potential employees, analyze styles of communication appropriate for different contexts, develop logos and slogans, and plan an ad campaign. In an ongoing assignment, students analyze advertisements to discover ways that the media communicate messages.

The goal of Module 2 is to introduce students to communication issues in the workplace. The Quick ‘n Tastee scenario provides the context in which students learn and apply a variety of written and verbal workplace communication skills, such as summarizing and organizing written and verbal information, giving and receiving feedback, writing and speaking persuasively, writing and then revising a short report, and making oral presentations. Students develop an awareness of issues of diversity in communication and the importance of shaping information for a specific audience and purpose. Students also practice developing communication skills using presentation software.

Module 4
Careers, Companies, and Communities introduces students to three interwoven themes that continue throughout this course. The first, "The Changing Nature of the Workplace," is introduced through the Change in the Workplace assignments that students complete in each of the six activities. The second and third themes, "Interplay Between Industry and Community" and "Industry Clusters," are explored through both in- and out-of-school activities, as well as through a Career Exploration Journal. Students are given a Career Exploration Journal assignment in each of the first five activities, and they use those assignments, and their new understanding of both industry clusters and the interactions between industry and community, to create a career presentation.

In Module 4, students learn about the businesses and industries in their region, the range of positions companies may offer, and the changing nature of the workplace. They gain information through interviews, classroom speakers, a worksite visit, and other resources. Throughout the module, students develop technology skills: working with databases, creating and delivering presentations, and doing Internet research. By the end of this module, students will have a better understanding of careers they may want to pursue, places they may want to work or intern, and the ways that people and companies adapt to change.

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Evaluation/Assessment

Student Evaluations
All students involved in the spring session were surveyed to determine their thoughts and perceptions of XXI Tech. Students reported that they thought the program was interesting and that it contributed to their learning of many workplace skills such as communication, teamwork, time management, and career awareness. They liked their teachers and especially benefited from the teamwork. All students enjoyed the way the curriculum was taught and especially felt that the business partner added relevance to what they were learning.

When asked on a program evaluation survey, students reported that they would highly recommend XXI Tech to their friends. Some of their responses are as follows.

• "XXI Tech was helpful because it made me aware of the time and effort needed to be successful in a team and it helps you understand what a real job would be like."
• "You learn valuable skills needed in the workplace, especially if you are planning on working in the fast-paced corporate world".
• "I would tell my friends that it was fun first of all. Also, I would tell them that you basically get paid to learn a lot of things such as how to work in a team, leadership skills, and computer skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Internet research)."
• "The XXI Tech program is a very hands-on program that teachers you basic foundations towards building a successful career."
• "It gives you skills you will need for the future."
• "I would tell friends that it was a good learning experience that taught me how to work and communicate with others."
• "The program helped me realize that the world is not always easy, but there are ways to survive and it teaches you some of those ways."
• "XXI Tech was very interesting and beneficial to me! It allowed me to gain more experience with Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel and the Internet. I did receive money because I participated in the program, but the experience is what is truly important to me!"
• "The XXI Tech program was very helpful in helping me determine what I want to do after college. I gained communication skills as well as how to work in a team."

A summary of the responses to the student evaluation can be found at the end of this report.

Teacher Evaluations
During the spring session of the XXI Tech program, all five teachers were surveyed and the some common responses are summarized below. Complete survey findings are attached.

• Business partners were a positive addition to the program but more teacher/business partner planning was recommended for future sessions.
• Teachers were pleasantly surprised at the level of enthusiasm by the students.
• Teachers really liked the Ford PAS curriculum. Each felt the curriculum was especially helpful developing teambuilding skills, workplace values and communication skills.
• Teaches and business partners need to spend more time planning prior to the start of the session.
• Snacks should be provided for the students-students have been in school all day and they need a little snack to keep their minds and bodies functioning.

Additionally, teachers responded to the overall evaluation of the program. Several responses are listed below.

• "Our business partner involvement has been positive, and he has developed a working relationship with the employees and the coordinator. The employees were impressed with the patience and tenacity of the business partner to enhance their knowledge of computer skills and workplace readiness."
• "I believe the effectiveness of this program in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools will develop if departments across the board have trained educators to facilitate the program."
• "The curriculum is a strong marketing tool to attract students for employability in the workplace and post-secondary education."
• "More time is needed-the amount of time for planning is insufficient for the amount of time in the classroom and reports for which the facilitator is compensated."
• "The students enjoyed having the coordinator visit-it gave the employees someone from the 'corporate office' to see and relate to."
• "The major strength of the program is paying the students and teaching them useful skills at the same time."
• "The students were very excited about the program. I know that the students involved really, really wanted to be there."
• "A few things that would make the program better would be to supply a set of student manuals (research shows reading from computer screen alone is not as effective as having a printed source) and to supply snacks for the students. I have purchased snacks for the students out of my own pocket."

Business Partners Evaluations
Our five business partners worked with teachers and students in XXI Tech. They included Lance Lott, Nicholas Holland, Eric Block, Quinton Bynum, and Nadia Payne. Again, the business partners were asked a series of questions and a summary follows. Complete survey findings are attached.

• All business partners thoroughly enjoyed going into the classroom and developing relationships with the students. For the most part, they were amazed at the students' level of knowledge, skills and commitment to the program and their future.
• Additional planning is needed to better define the role of the business partner.
• Business partners believe the program is making a difference for the kids participating.

All partners would like to return as a volunteer next semester. Additionally, business partners reported the following information about XXI Tech.  

• "The students are voluntarily enrolled, held accountable for their work, and taken out of the program if they don't perform. This is very real-world and I see it as a strength of the program."
• "One of the most unexpected positive events was that a student approached me for actual recruiting purposes-aggressive, but I liked it. Good for him!"
• "The after school nature limits participation. This model needs to be adapted to the everyday classroom."
• "Students like to hear from outside sources. Business partners can really reinforce what the teacher has already told them."  
 

Coordinator Evaluation
Donna Gilley continued to serve as the coordinator of the program and she reported that all stakeholders-students, teachers and business partners, seemed genuinely excited to be a part of the program. Students liked the Ford PAS curriculum and looked forward to the interactions with the business representatives. As a matter of fact, according to the students, the business influence in the curriculum made it real. The teachers enjoyed using the curriculum and reported that they will continue to use the inquiry-based curriculum in their regular classrooms.   Perhaps the most rewarding experience of the program was seeing and hearing the responses from the business representatives. They were surprised at the students' level of knowledge and skills; they were encouraged by the students' willingness to jump in and try something new; and most importantly, they all want to continue their commitment to the program in the future.
 
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Lesson Learned and Recommendations

As with any program, many lessons have been learned. Our second pilot session provided the opportunity to confirm lessons learned the first semester and to add to this experience base. Below is a brief discussion of those lessons.  

• Use the Ford PAS Curriculum-it delivers student interest, challenge, technology usage and critical thinking. Continue to place emphasis on the module material.
• Business Involvement-students and teachers not only want but need the addition of the real world component. Match the business partner and the school at least a month before the start of a session.
• Employee/Employer Relationship-student responded well to the role of an employee and teachers were able to take on a new position of authority.
• Planning-continue the planning day prior to the start of the session.

• Increase the planning component, especially before between the business partner and the teacher.  

• Develop a plan for payment of the students-waiting two week after the session ends is not in line with the workplace.
• Develop more organizational planning for the teachers and business partners.
• Provide some sort of snacks or compensation to teachers who provide snacks to students.

Student Survey Results Summary

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