DOCUMENT RESUME CE 081 577 ED 453 358 Goldstein, Norma; Navone, Susie; Bailey, Terryll AUTHOR Skill Standards for Professional-Technical College TITLE Instructors and Customized Trainers. Renton Technical Coll., WA. INSTITUTION SPONS AGENCY Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, Olympia. PUB DATE 2000-00-00 117p.; Project sponsored through the Federal School-to-Work NOTE Opportunities Act (CFDA 17.249). AVAILABLE FROM Center for Learning Connections, Highline Community College, Skill Standards Resource Center (OMNI), P.O. Box 98000, Des Moines, WA 98198-9800. Tel: 206-870-3759; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.wa-skills.com ($20) . Non-Classroom (055) Guides Legal/Legislative/Regulatory PUB TYPE Materials (090) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Educational Research; Employment Potential; Job Skills; Knowledge Base for Teaching; School Business Relationship; *State Standards; Statewide Planning; *Teacher Competencies; *Teaching Skills; *Technical Education; Technical Institutes; *Trainers; Two Year Colleges; *Vocational Education Customized Training; *Washington IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT This document presents skill standards that aim to be portable to address the need for instructors to adapt to workplace and student diversity in their classrooms and labs and to provide learners with the best workplace skills possible. Introductory materials include background of the skill standards project and definition of terms. Section 1 provides a list of the 10 critical functions and the 56 key activities for professional-technical college instructors that were identified and validated by 78 instructors from Washington's 34 two-year colleges. Charts of the key activities contain these components for each key activity: performance indicators, technical knowledge (skills, abilities, tools), and employability skills (SCANS skills and foundational abilities). Section 2 describes and charts employability skills. Section 3 consists of local perspectives from the Boeing Company, labor unions, higher education, a college administrator, and participants. Section 4 provides the national context for skill standards and discusses their benefits and uses, process of building skill standards, and a continuous development process of skill standards to curriculum. Section 5 consists of a summary of critical work functions and key activities; skill standards for customized trainers; validation survey results; reflections on a customized trainer focus group; customized training, Microsoft style; and perspective of an industrial skills trainer. (Contains 14 references and 6 Web sources.) (YLB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND Office of Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS INFORMATION EDU ATIONAL RESOURCES BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as organization received from the person or A/. originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. ,c1T-ODITechm TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES this Points of view or opinions stated in INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) document do not necessarily represent 1 official OERI position or policy :TM16 me] 00 kr) N. MILE OF CONTENTS CONTEXT Introduction I Executive Summary 3 Background of this Skill Standards Project 5 Definition of Terms 7 RESULTS: PROFESSIONAL-TECHNICAL INSTRUCTORS Summary of Critical Work Functions and Key Activities 9 Skill Standards for Professional-Technical College Instructors 11-39 Administrative and Program Management Functions 25 40 Scenarios SCANS Employability skills: SCANS Profile 43 SCANS Survey Results 45 Validation Survey Results 47 LOCAL PERSPECTIVES Professional-technical instructors from The Boeing Company Responds 49 around the state work intensely together at Renton Technical College Labor Unions Appplaud Skill Standards 50 to draft the standards. A Note from Higher Education 51 A College Administrator's Point of View 52 Participants' Points ofView 53-54 NATIONAL CONTEXT A National Context for Skill Standards 55 The Benefits and Uses of Skill Standards 57 The Process of Building Skill Standards 60 Pyramid of Competencies 61 Skill Standards to Curriculum 62 RESULTS: CUSTOMIZED TRAINERS Introduction to Customized Trainers Skill Standards 65 Summary of Critical Work Functions and Key Activities 67 Validation Survey Results 69 Skill Standards for Customized Trainers 70-94 Reflections on Customized Trainer Focus Group 95 Customized Training, Microsoft Style 96 Perspective of an Industrial Skills Boeing Trainer 98 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Acknowledgements 99 References 103 Ordering Form 104 DENCATICHThis book is dedicated to the memory of Larry Tarrer and Jon Krug. Your wisdom & vision ore missed. LARRY TARRER, Spokane Community College Dean of Professional Technical Education 1993-1997 In 1996,Vocational Technical Council President Larry Tarrer suggested that we could improve the quality of vocational education throughout the state if we could solve the problem of delivering vocational instructor certification courses to new faculty at colleges not able to offer these courses. He recommended that we use technologies such as the Internet, interactive video or video courses. This forward thinking leadership resulted in theVTC Executive Committee allocat- ing State Leadership Funds to support the improvement and standard- ization of the three instructor certification courses required in the State Personnel Standards WAC 131-16. As a first step, the Profes- sional Technical Instructor Skill Standards project was funded to develop a solid foundation on which to build the curriculum for the three courses. We anticipate continued support of this project to assure Larry's dream of more accessible, quality training for new faculty. JON KRUG, Grays Harbor College Dean of Instruction and Vocational Director 1979-1999 Serving three terms as president of the Vocational Technical Council, Jon Krug worked as the Dean of Instruction and Vocational Director at Grays Harbor College for over 20 years. During his time at Grays Harbor, he personally developed and implemented more than 30 programs /program options. He was always very quick to respond to the declining layoffs and training needs for dislocated workers. Well known as a perfectionist, he had a sincere dedication to students. His desire was to see the students succeed, and he was genuinely pleased when they did. He was a founding member of the Washington Associa- tion of Occupational Educators. On the steering committee for this skills standard project, Jon V. Krug served tirelessly as a strong leader in vocational education both within the Twin Harbor's community and for the State ofWashington. Vocational Technical Council [Executive Committee Dr. James M.Walton, President 1999-2000 Mike Kelly, President-elect Dr. Darlene Miller, Secretary Tom Hopkins,Treasurer Ron Langrell Shirley Harris-Lee Dr. Holly Moore, Past President 1998-1999 Dr. Norma Goldstein FOR MORE INFORMATION Renton Technical College 3000 NE Fourth Street Renton,WA 98056-4195 Phone: 425-235-2434 FAX:425-235-7832 ngoldstein @rtc.ctc.edu Unless otherwise provided, data that originates from this agreement COPYRIGHT © 2000 shall be "works for hire" as defined by the US Copyright Act of 1976 and shall be owned by the State of Washington. Data shall include, but not be limited to, reports, documents, pamphlets, advertisements, books, magazines, surveys, studies, computer programs, films, tapes, and/or sound reproductions. Ownership includes the right to copy- right, patent, register, and the ability to transfer these rights. This project was made possible through the Federal School-to-Work PROJECT FUNDING: Opportunities Act (CFDA 17.249) administered by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY General permission is granted for educators to photocopy limited AND QUOTE material from Skill Standards for Professional-Technical College Instructors and Customized Trainers for noncommercial instructional or scholarly use. Permission must be sought from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges in order to charge for photocopies, to quote material in advertising, or to reprint substantial portions of the document in other publications. Credit should always be given to the source of the photocopies or quotes by citing a complete reference. Additional copies of this document are available for $20 plus shipping TO ORDER ADDITIONAL COPIES: and handling fees. Use the order form at the back of the document. Proceeds from sales are applied to reprinting this document. Document lead and technical writing by Dr. Norma Goldstein and DOCUMENT CREDITS: Susie Navone, Renton Technical College and Terryll Bailey,The Allison Group. Document design and layout by Yoshiko Tokita Tsuji, Y & Company (206) 723-9935 Color photographs by Brian Morris, Morning Star Photography Printing by Consolidated Press, Seattle Printed in the United States of America Version 1.0 FOR INFORMATION ON OTHER www.wa-skills.com SKILL STANDARDS PROJECTS: cOft . Standards # Definition CO rtutiee ,rwh CONTEXT I mirEcovanom How This Skill Standards Project Began The concept for a skill standards project for vocational instructors developed out of frustration for a process that had not changed in thirty years and did not reflect our contemporary college workplace. The Vocational/Technical Council (VTC) struggled with modifying the existing documents and realized we needed to establish a process that was consistent with the statewide skill standards projects. We believed that the only way to achieve creditable vocational certification would be to enlist the industry (community and technical colleges) in setting the standards/competencies for instructors. The VTC saw an opportunity to take on the daunting task of examining ourselves in light of the workplace. The council hoped this effort would be a model for the certification of professional-technical faculty in public and private colleges and for individual teaching for businesses Dr. Holly Moore and corporations. The VTC vision were led by many on the Executive Vice President Workforce Council, but at the helm were Larry Tarrer from Spokane Community and Economic Development College, Jon Krug from Grays Harbor College and Paul Greco from Shoreline Community College Renton Technical College. Their leadership helped get the project President, VTC 1998 -1999 funded and supported by the entire VTC. Purpose of Skill Standards for Professional-Technical College instructors The successful professional- technical instructor in the twenty-first century is one who is prepared to manage and deliver instruction in a positive learning-based environment. Challenges that were not present in the past provide opportunities to supply America with a workforce with the skills and knowledge in a strong knowledge-based economy. Some of these challenges include a multicultural student body, prospec- tive students with little educational foundation, students that expect to learn by way of instructional technology, and those who have plans that will lead them through a baccalaureate degree. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, Dr. Charles A. Prosser said, "Vocational education will be effective in proportion as the instructor has had successful experience in the application of skills and knowl- edge to the operations and processes he undertakes to teach." This is still true; however, the command of technical subject matter is only a part of the skill set needed to be a successful instructor. The person who accepts a position to teach is no longer a practitioner of his or her previous occupation. He or she needs a new set of skills, those that are required to be successful in the endeavor. The objective of Paul Greco this skill standards project is to define comprehensive sets of those Vice President for Instruction skills. Renton Technical College 7 2 SKILL STANDARDS FOR PROFESSIONAL-TECHNICAL COLLEGE INSTRUCTORS & CUSTOMIZED TRAINERS State Board Support of Skill Standards The State Board is pleased to have supported the development of Skill Standards for professional-technical instructors for two-year commu- nity and technical colleges. This important work supports the efforts of the community and technical college system to establish and implement competency-based workforce education programs that meet the educational and career needs of students and that are responsive to the skill requirements of industry partners. The State Board commends the efforts of the Vocational Technical Council, individual college representatives, professional-technical faculty, faculty union representatives and industry partners who have worked together to provide the necessary vision, leadership and commitment to the completion of this project. Alan Hardcastle Developing standards for two-year college professional-technical Policy Associate instructors not only reinforces our collective commitment to high of Workforce Education quality workforce education programs for students, but also demon- Washington State Board strates a vested interest by our faculty and colleges in adopting high for Community and Technical Colleges standards for the profession of teaching. Vision in the State ofWashington The development of these Skills Standards plays a critical role in the community and technical colleges' efforts to ensure that professional- technical faculty are well-skilled to teach the curriculum necessary to train our students for jobs in our ever-changing technical world. This project is cutting edge. Darlene G. Miller, Ed.D. Dean of Instruct ion, To my knowledge, no other state has taken on an endeavor of this Professional and Technical Programs magnitude. Developing curriculum to prepare professional-technical Executive Director for faculty based on standards developed by master teachers just highlights WorkForce Development the leadership and vision of faculty and administrators in the State of Green River Community College Washington. Subjects of Our Own Study Skill Standards are a framework that connect an identified industry to the world of academia. Skill Standards inform an instructor's artistic development of curricula, learning activities, and assessment by providing industry voice to the process, expectations for skill develop- ment, and standards of skill performance. In this particular project, we are the subjects of our own study. These Skill Standards will help us hire full and part-time faculty, build seminars Michelle Andreas and classes on the art of professional technical-instruction, establish Dean, Workforce Development concrete criteria to assist faculty in the tenure process, assess our own Olympic College individual development, and guide our quest for excellence. CONTEXT 3 MOTIVE OHM A transitional period for educators, for the workplace We are in a time of transition, not only for a new United States president to usher in the 21" century, but also a transitional period for teaching and learning. Our expectations have changed at all levels of education, notably at community and technical colleges.They offer vocational training programs for graduates who will be directly responsible for the new,technological and social backbones of the workplace. Technology and the current demands of 21" century employers with their increasingly diverse workforce have initiated this change. This transitional period shows itself in all arenas in education. In the last decade, professional-technical college faculty and staff found it necessary to become computer literate, software smart, and people sensitive. It wasn't just Microsoft's donation in the mid - 1990s of computers and Windows 95 to the Washington State Board college Business Technology instructor system that spurred faculty on to technology. It was natural to bring Patci Serrano points out key features of high tech camcorders, projection screens, digital cameras, and job- software to an enthusiastic Office Technology specific software into the classroom and laboratory. Instructors were student at Renton Technical College. using these gadgets at home and at work when they returned to industry. In addition to industry's cry for better prepared employees, the push for technology and change in the classroom came because educators knew they could not be dinosaurs in the Information Age. However, technology is not the only driver. Learners and learning have changed. Our society, our students, our faculty are more diverse, and with such diversity comes the need for intercultural competence and improved communication skills. CurriculUm is mobile and ever- changing. Textbooks are now on CD Rom with connection to the Internet.These skill standards aim to be portable to address the need for instructors to style-flex in their classrooms and labs and to provide learners with the best workplace skills possible. Differences in expectations at different campuses In some cases, the 78 professional-technical instructors who identified and validated these skill standards agonized over specifying what they actually do. As teachers, it was fairly easy for them to specify how they manage learning environments, provide student instruction, and provide support and guidance to students. As professional-technical college faculty, however, they also itemized ways that they work with industry, creating and maintaining a professional environment and promoting their programs. In addition, when instructors started listing their documentation, record keeping, budget duties, and committee activities, they identified such responsibilities into two separate critical functions: performing It is impor- administrative functions and program management functions. tant to note that there was a great deal of difference among the instructors from the different institutions about such responsibilities. 4 SKILL STANDARDS FOR PROFESSIONAL-TECHNICAL COLLEGE INSTRUCTORS & CUSTOMIZED TRAINERS For the Customized Trainer, the differences were extensive. Most corporate trainers from outside their companies did not have the accountability issues and assessments as did the college instructors. The Federal Agenda for America's Community Colleges (Campaign 2000 and America's Community Colleges) recognizes that community colleges are the nation's leaders in workforce_and economic development. These standards should help with understanding the breadth and depth of what professional-technical teachers are actually doing in their instruc- tional roles on Washington's State's college campuses as they prepare learners for the 21" century workforce in a variety of fields. With technological change have come more demands on our institu- Vision Care instructor Cheryl Bruce from Spokane tions.With transition comes expectation. We are hoping that these Falls Community College and Computer Technology standards can clarify the expectations of professional-technical college instructor Dean Sutton from Wenatchee Valley faculty and customized trainers who teach in businesses and industry. College validate the key activities. These skill standards should clarify their role of creating a new generation of classroom learners and workers. Complexity of Roles of Professional-Technical Faculty As the reader will see from this document, the roles of the profes- sional-technical college instructors in Washington State are complex. Ten critical functions and 56 key activities were identified and validated by 78 instructors from the state's 34 two-year colleges. While not all teachers performed all of the functions and tasks listed, there was consensus in all six focus groups that some teachers did perform most of these activities. Certainly, there were differences about what was expected from a new professional-technical college instructor. While the sequence of the standards as presented is not ordered by priority, the Steering Committee and participants wanted to make a strong statement that the professional-technical instructor's focus needs to be on student instruction. The question was raised that teachers are doing a lot of things, but are they doing the right things? It is expected that these standards will foster serious discussion and review of the complexity of what vocational instructors at the college Norma W Goldstein, Ph.D. level do as they set up, develop, and manage their technical courses and Project Director and Editor programs. It is hoped that more support will be generated to help Assistant Dean for Instructional new professional-technical faculty to focus on their primary role: Improvement to provide student instruction in optimal learning environments. Renton Technical College "The future will NOT be an extrapolation of the past. Techno- logical change will not slow down in the foreseeable future." -David Thornburg, What Will It Mean to be Educated in the 21st Century?