MISSION GOALS AND OUTCOMES
It is vitally important that all construction programs in Idaho follow “Best Practices" in technical education. This suggests that all good educational activities need to start with a strong mission statement followed by appropriate goals and measurable objectives! This mission statement must be consistent with the district’s mission and the purposes of the program must also reflect the needs of students, parents and local businesses. Similarly, your program goals and objectives must clearly define outcomes that will later establish our parameters for the outcomes assessment model used in determining the effectiveness of the construction program.
In today’s education, we can ill afford to operate technical programs just for the purpose of keeping students busy. Programs must have a clear focus with clearly developed outcomes. Below is a sample of a mission statement with its accompanying goals, objectives, and measurable outcomes. Before a high school ever enrolls students in a construction program these should be in place. These are just examples.
MISSION STATEMENT
To collaboratively prepare all construction students with the advanced skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for success in the 21st Century.
GOALS & MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES
Goal 1: Provide students with the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for employment in Idaho or anywhere in a highly competitive global economy.
Objective 1a: By Date___________, all CONSTRUCTION students who seek employment, and complete a certificate program, will be employed within six months.
Objective 1b: By Date___________, upon completion of the CONSTRUCTION program, students will demonstrate computer and technology skills competencies essential for employment as defined by the CONSTRUCTION Program Advisory Committees.
Objective 1c: By Date___________, the district will provide a high end, rigorous, and challenging professional technical educational construction program for students to enhance their employment preparation and career awareness.
Objective 1d: By Date___________, provide students with employment and real life relevance to corresponding academic, technical and "SCANS" like skills.
Objective 1e: On an ongoing basis, continue to research, define, and develop curriculum and supporting activities to meet the worker skills needs of local and global industry.
Goal 2: Provide increased employment opportunities for our High School graduates.
Objective 2a: By Date___________, provide additional resources to link students to job opportunities.
Objective 2b: On an ongoing basis, continue to involve the business community in the development and continual improvement of the CONSTRUCTION program.
Objective 2c: On an ongoing basis, the program will be a highly visible and active participant in local, Work Force Development efforts.
Goal 3: Provide CONSTRUCTION students with skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to enroll in continuing technical or post-secondary education.
Objective 3a: By Date___________, the CONSTRUCTION program will articulate to post-secondary technical and academic education programs through at least one of the following:
- Tech Prep agreements
- Dual Credit agreements
- Other articulation agreements as available
Goal 4: Develop a sustainable funding base for the CONSTRUCTION program
Objective 4a: By Date___________, the CONSTRUCTION program will try to seek Workforce Development funds from regional Chambers of Commerce and their economic development entities.
Objective 4b: The CONSTRUCTION program will seek grants, both public and private, to help sustain existing activities as well as to create new innovative curriculum.
Objective 4c: The District will allocate financial, personnel and facility resources to the CONSTRUCTION for its continued sustainability.
Objective 4d: The CONSTRUCTION program will seek enterprise activities that will assist in annual program costs.
Goal 5: Align the academic competencies necessary for successful student completion of the technical competencies.
Objective 5a: By Date___________, the district will have formally adopted curriculum which will contain appropriately aligned and coordinated academic and technical competencies for grade levels 9 through 12 to support the CONSTRUCTION program and lead to graduation.
Objective 5b: By Date___________, the district will have formally adopted curriculum which contains "strands" of career awareness, and such additional elements as deemed appropriate by the district, to support their technical curricular components in grades K-8.
Objective 5c: By the end of August of each preceding year, based on individual Professional Development Plans, adequate staff development and/or sufficient curriculum development will be provided to ensure appropriate interdisciplinary coordination and resources to teach the program.
Objective 5d: Prior to each school year, staff assignments, school calendars, and daily schedules will be developed which identify and provide adequate and appropriate time for interdisciplinary coordination, student internships and business/industry interaction.
Objective 5e: By Date___________, district staff members will demonstrate awareness of integrated academic and technical curricular elements within their respective teaching assignment areas.
Objective 5f: By Date___________, district technical staff will demonstrate awareness of work site or job related resources which can provide real world relevance to their CONSTRUCTION program.
MEASURABLE OUTCOMES
Beyond the Mission Statement with its goals and objectives, it is important that your Construction Program have clearly stated measurable outcomes. These outcomes will need to be assessed annually to insure that the Construction Program is meeting or exceeding district, parent, student, and industry expectations. Below is a suggested list of some good outcomes:
Suggested outcomes of program
- Students
- Graduate from high school
- Find immediate employment
- Articulate to further post-secondary education
- Further technical education
- Decrease in student drop out rates
- Increase in business/industry partnership
- Increased business satisfaction with program students as employees
- Increase in local business expansions
- Decrease in student dropout rates
- Increased graduation rates (Do Construction students have a higher graduation rate than overall high school students)
- Increase in attendance rates (Do Construction students attend school more or less than the overall high school student)
- Find immediate employment (Did all your Construction students not planning on going on to college find employment within 4 months?)
- Articulate to further post-secondary education or other more advanced technical education or certification.
- Gain industry certification
- Increased in business/industry partnerships
- Increased business satisfaction with program students as employees
- Strong satisfaction of Construction Program outcomes by student, parents, and school officials
- Increase in local business expansions
