Baltimore Work-Based Learning 2000
Baltimore, Maryland
Contact
Amy Dwyre
Co-Project Director
TransCen, Inc.
200 E. North Avenue, Room 204
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Phone: 410-396-8932
Fax: 410-396-8905
Email: adwyre@transcen.org
Website: www.transcen.org
Mission
The Baltimore Work-Based 2000 Initiative focuses on ensuring that students with disabilities, through participation in generic vocational, career education, and school-to-work activities, successfully transition from high school to meaningful employment and/or further education and training. Activities include establishing school-business partnerships to create job shadowing, internships, employer mentors, interviewing practice, and other on-the-job experiences; conducting individual job development, placement, and skills training for students; developing active family groups; conducting staff development and assisting in the classroom with curriculum adaptations; and forming weekly self-advocacy groups/job clubs. The goal is to develop programs that benefit all students while providing support for students with disabilities to be successful without being segregated.
Organization
Organization Type: Business -Private, non-profit
Geographical Area: Metropolitan area
Primary Setting: High School, Competitive employment worksite, Supported employment worksite, General Community
Funding: External funding source - Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) - Project # 84-158V
Consumers
Target Population: Secondary education students With and without disabilities, Teachers or faculty - Secondary education, Parents, Business people or employer, Teachers or trainers, Other youth - At-risk of dropping out and Teen parents
Disability Areas: Deaf, Hearing impairment, Mental retardation (Mild, Moderate, Severe), Orthopedic impairment, Multi-disabled, Severe emotional disturbance/emotional disability/behavior disorder, Specific learning disability, Speech impairment, Visual impairment, Autism, Epilepsy
NTA Framework Categories
Description
The Baltimore Work-Based Learning 2000 initiative was developed to ensure that secondary school students with disabilities have equal access to vocational, career education, and school-to-work activities. This process is currently being implemented in three high schools in the Baltimore City Public School System.
The initial focus of the project includes establishing business and community partnerships, developing family training and participation, conducting student self-determination and job search skills training, field testing a community-based career assessment tool, and conducting school-based staff development in the areas of inclusion, transition, adapting differing learning styles, marketing and job development, developing business partnerships, disability awareness, etc. All activities are focused on creating opportunities for all students to pursue multiple paths to meaningful careers through a combination of challenging in-school programming and hands-on, real-work experiences.
Project staff includes a Project Director housed at the Baltimore City Public Schools System Administration Building, and one School-to-Work Specialist housed at each of the three schools. For modeling purposes, and to study direct outcomes, each School-to-Work Specialist has taken on a caseload of students with disabilities, divided into two groups. The "Transition Group" consists of five students who need and will receive intense, holistic, wrap-around services, including (if needed) career development, job development and placement support, self-determination training, residential/home services, family support (i.e. helping families with employment and residential services), assistance with public services (Social Security, Public Aid, etc.), transition/IEP support, connections to outside services (DORS, Community Colleges, etc.), in-school assistance, etc. The "Control Group" consists of 25-35 students with disabilities who receive assistance in accessing existing counseling and school-to-work programs, transition/IEP support, and in-school support.
In addition, at each school, TransCen conducts staff development, assists teachers in the classroom to either conduct job skills workshops for all students or to assist with special education students, conducts student groups that consist of both general and special education students, participates in IEPs, represents each school in several Chamber of Commerce groups, conducts school-business networking breakfasts, and develops partnerships with businesses specific to each school.
Evidence of Success
Success Story
Jamil
Jamil is a young man who came to us with no work experience; at least no legal work experience. He spent much of his time dealing drugs, a trade he became involved in during his mother’s addiction to drugs and alcohol. He has a learning disability and issues with behavior. In addition, Jamil had a girlfriend who was pregnant.
In the beginning, Jamil rejected the program, offered only difficult attitude, and was inconsistent in following through. We began slowly, including him, his girlfriend and his mother in our Family Group. We worked one-on-one with him and his family. We offered support to his mother as she entered programs to become clean of drugs.
Jamil and his mother showed up faithfully to our Family Group meetings. In fact, his mother received a Perfect Attendance Award and Award of Appreciation for her contribution. She has been off drugs and alcohol for over a full year now, and with our assistance has started working again.
Jamil has stopped dealing drugs and now has two jobs, with nearly perfect attendance. He has an improved attitude, and has taken responsibility for his new daughter. He is also showing interest in a career-training program, which he will hopefully be starting in the fall. Many teachers and students have expressed how pleasantly surprised they are at the changes in Jamil, and he himself is looking forward to a bright future.
Lakee
Lakee is a young man who is currently in a special education program where he is pursuing a Life Skills Certificate. He has difficulty reading and has slight speech impairment, and he shows signs of inappropriate social behavior. He has difficulty crossing streets safely, and because his mother does not drive, he has had difficulty finding work experience that he can get to safely. He has had several in-school work opportunities, but his school program does not have the resources to take him to a community work site.
After several mock interviews, job shadowing experiences, and developing a resume, Lakee now works at the Great Blacks in Wax Museum as a Student Assistant. We worked with the employer in the beginning to come up with a schedule of tasks that he could learn and adapt to independently. Lakee can now do a series of jobs independently, from helping with exhibits to maintenance work. Lakee has his school cab drop him off at work on his scheduled days, and a staff person who lives near him drops him off at home. Lakee loves going to work, and his next goal is to arrange a tour of the museum for his class.
Latarsha
Latarsha is a dynamic and inspiring young lady with whom we have had the pleasure of working over the past year and a half. She has a hearing impairment, but can speak with her hearing aid, and also communicates with American Sign Language. When she started with the program, she had many goals and interests, but fear and lack of confidence kept her from following through.
She has participated in an eight-week job training workshop series that helped her focus on her career choices, develop confidence and self-advocacy skills, develop a resume, and begin looking for a job. As a result, Latarsha has had several working experiences that we have monitored: For one year, she has been an intern at a local hair salon, which has been an excellent extension of her Cosmetology Vocational Trade at her high school. Her skills have dramatically improved both at work and in her cosmetology classes. Additionally, Latarsha worked in the accounting office at a large local hospital, to which she has been asked to return next summer. Both jobs have helped her build the confidence to ask for accommodations and assistance when needed.
Latarsha’s ultimate goal is to attend college next fall. Her dream is to go to Gallaudet in Washington, D.C., but she has expressed fear about applying and leaving home. This program has helped her receive accommodations for her SAT testing process, has assisted with her application process, and will be taking her on a full-day tour, by train from Baltimore to Gallaudet, to show her she is capable and that her dream can come true. We are all awaiting the acceptance letter!
Products
Self-Advocacy and Job Skills Curriculum and Educational and Career Development Portfolio • Davis, H., Davis C., Dwyer, A., Hinton, C., Pettiway, A. • Available late Spring 1999