1. Promoting High School Students’ College and Career Readiness Through the Illinois Career Cluster Model
Donald G. Hackmann, Professor
University of Illinois
IPA Conference
October 2013

2. The Need for Rigorous Preparation for All High School Students
80% of Illinois jobs require some postsecondary training (Advance Illinois, 2012).
Illinois students meeting ACT College Readiness Benchmarks in 2012: English, 65%; Reading, 47%; Math, 44%; Science, 30%. 25% met CRBs in all subjects; 31% met no CRBs (ACT, 2012).
71% of Illinois freshmen graduate from high school; 55% of graduates enroll in some form of postsecondary education (Advance Illinois, 2012).
21% of Illinois community college students require remedial coursework. African-American, Hispanic, and low-income students are more likely to require remediation (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2012).
Only 59% of students entering Illinois community college or public colleges complete their degrees (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2012).
Only 23% of Illinois entering high school freshmen will graduate from community colleges or colleges/universities.

3. Vision for Programs of Study
Finding the best way for students to learn and achieve success is of utmost importance to not only our state, but to the nation as a whole:
College and career readiness is critical to the nation’s economy
College completion is an integral objective and is being identified as a national priority
Illinois is working to improve programs in order to help learners succeed
Programs of Study is positioned to help all students – from those attending traditional K-12 to adults entering and re-entering the educational system

4. Incorporating Career and Technical Education
The choice is not college or careers, with lesser expectations for students who may not opt for a college preparatory course sequence. There should be rigorous expectations for both college and careers, with appropriate supports so that every student can be successful in attaining the school’s expectations for a quality learning experience.
Career clusters can help educators determine the necessary curriculum (and its adequacy) in each cluster area.
Districts can consider developing courses that satisfy both academic and Career and Technical Education (CTE) requirements.

5. Career and Technical Education
Then …..and …..now
Vocational Education
Career and Technical Education
For fewer students
For all students
For fewer “jobs”
For all careers
6 to 7 program areas
16 Clusters – 79 Pathways
In lieu of academics
Aligns and supports academics
High school focused
High school and college partnership

6. Illinois Programs of Study Guiding Principles
Leadership, organization, and support
Access, equity, and opportunity
Alignment and transition
Enhanced curriculum and instruction
Professional preparation and development
Program improvement and accountability
For a full description of Illinois’ Framework for Programs of Study, including the six guiding principles and design elements, see

7. What are Career Clusters?
Career Clusters are groups of occupations and industries that have a common set of foundational knowledge and skills.
Organizer of knowledge and skills needed by a broad industry.
There are 16 nationally recognized clusters, within which are multiple pathways.

8. The 16 Career Clusters

9. Goals of Career Cluster Model
Increase secondary and postsecondary alignment
Increase collaboration
Decrease remediation
Decrease dropouts
Decrease curricular duplication
Align knowledge and skills to state learning standards and other relevant standards

10. NOT the Goals of Career Clusters
Do not take away from current programs
Do not take away from occupational areas
Do not trap learners/students in a single job

11. What are Career Pathways?
Career Pathways are multi-year programs of academic and technical study that prepare students for a full range of postsecondary options within each of the 16 career clusters.
Organizer of knowledge and skill statements by professions.
Currently, there are 79 nationally recognized pathways, each with specific pathway knowledge and skills.
Clusters Pathways

12. What are Programs of Study?
Programs of Study are sequences of courses that incorporate a non-duplicative progression of secondary and postsecondary elements which include both academic and career and technical education content, and lead to the attainment of an industry recognized credential, certificate, or degree.
Clusters Pathways Programs of Study

13. Overview: Pathways to College and Career Readiness
Career and Technical Education Areas (5)
Career Clusters (16)
Career Pathways (79 pathways)
Programs of Study
For more information, see

14. Illinois’ Career Cluster Framework
Updated December 14, 2010

15. Career Cluster: Health Science
Updated December 14, 2010

16. Career Cluster: Architecture and Construction
Updated December 14, 2010

17. Career Cluster: Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Updated December 14, 2010

18. Comparison with Race to the Top Clusters
Illinois Career Clusters
RttT STEM Cluster Areas
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources*
Architecture & Construction
Finance
Finance*
Health Science
Health Science*
Information Technology
Information Technology*
Manufacturing
Manufacturing*
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
Research and Development*
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics*
Energy*
Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications
Business Management & Administration
Education & Training
Government and Public Administration
Hospitality & Tourism
Human Services
Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
Marketing
*STEM Learning Exchange

19. Career Cluster Example

20. Sample for Career Pathway

22. Sample Programs of Study
National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium: Career Clusters and Pathways
Badger High School, Lake Geneva, WI
Southwestern Illinois College: POS Templates

23. Example: Recommended Clusters (Career Cruising)
Example from:
Centennial High School (Champaign, IL)

24. Example: Students Select Their Cluster Areas
Centennial High School (Champaign, IL)

25. Recommended vs. Student-Selected Clusters: The Importance of Faculty Guidance
Centennial High School (Champaign, IL)

26. Thinking Within Each Cluster…
Who should we involve in this process? Business and industry partners? STEM Learning Exchanges? Community colleges, colleges/universities? What data can postsecondary partners provide to us about the performance of our graduates, and how can we use that information for school improvement?
Examine all classes for relevance within the cluster: core classes, recommended classes for the cluster, CTE courses. If your school offers several courses within a discipline, which ones are most appropriate for essential knowledge and skills within the cluster?
What courses (outside the four core disciplines) should be required to prepare students within this career cluster? Do you have these courses in your curriculum? Do they need to be developed? Do you have resources and projected enrollments to create them? What about dual-credit and dual- enrollment?
Align courses to support a sequenced, seamless transition into postsecondary.
What other work-based experiences could be developed?
What student organizations could be sponsored?

27. “High Interest” Clusters
If large numbers of students identify a particular cluster, this indicates a need for an expanded curriculum. Programs of Study within the cluster should be developed, based upon student interest as well as a labor market analysis for your region and the state. Some resources that are available:
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity:
Illinois Pathways:
STEM Learning Exchanges (also linked through Illinois Pathways) can be a helpful resource for curriculum and work-based experiences
Your community college partner: Which programs of study do they recommend that we work together to develop?
Consult your Education for Employment system director for CTE course possibilities

28. Career Planning Guides
Career Planning Guides should replace the Course Description Handbooks. These guides should contain:
Minimum graduation requirements
High school course requirements for admission to Illinois public universities
Listing of occupations within each of the 16 career clusters and recommended courses
Listing of any Programs of Study developed within the clusters
Individualized Learning Plan template for students to tentatively develop their high school courses (aligned to occupational goals and postsecondary courses)
Listing/description of courses (including dual-credit options)

29. Example of Individualized Learning Plan

30. Another ILP Example

31. The Advisory Process and Other Considerations…
Curriculum leadership is a key responsibility within the school/district: Led by the administrative staff but with significant involvement of teacher leaders.
Align curriculum revision processes with other initiatives: Project Lead The Way, AP, IB
Develop a process within your school that assists students and parents with career exploration and selection.
College/career guidance and exploration should involve the entire faculty—administrators, counselors, teachers.
Teachers should integrate career information into course activities, to ensure curricular relevance.
Work with sending middle schools and community colleges to ensure that the curriculum is aligned.

32. ILPs and School Improvement
ILPs can help students see that postsecondary education is attainable and can assist each student with developing a realistic plan to prepare them for college readiness and success. Students can work with their advisor to revise their ILP if their interests change.
Schools can use ILP data to identify curricular gaps relative to each of the 16 career pathways, to assist with the identification of obsolete and new courses, and to increase the rigor and relevance of their courses.
Schools using career clusters report significant increases in enrollments in Advanced Placement and honors courses.
The administration can compile the students’ tentative course selections for the next three years, identifying projected course needs and changing student interests.
Determine projected course demands, anticipated staffing patterns, and hiring needs
Target cluster areas in which Programs of Study can be developed
Identify equity gaps: areas in which underrepresented students are not expressing interests or are not selecting rigorous courses

33. Providing Support
High school educators may need resource support (time and materials) to develop curriculum, as well as targeted professional development to strengthen their content knowledge and teaching/learning practices in core areas that have additional context expectations.
Faculty conversations are necessary to talk about incorporating English and mathematics throughout the curriculum, and also to ensure that college/career conversations are incorporated into learning activities.
Carefully examine course prerequisites. Are they necessary? How do you ensure equitable access for every student?
Additional resource supports must be in place to assist students who may need additional learning opportunities to meet more rigorous expectations.

34. Illinois Programs of Study Website
Provides ongoing information to interested stakeholders regarding Illinois CTE Programs of Study and the broader career cluster framework:
Online searchable directory of programs (degree and certificate) offered by Illinois’ 48 community colleges:
Searchable by college or program type
CTE programs are organized according to the 16 Career Clusters

35. Illinois Programs of Study Guide
Provides an understanding of Illinois’ framework for implementation and evaluation
Makes connections to federal, state, and local level activities.
Introduction of guiding principles and design elements

36. Additional Resources

37. University of Illinois Additional Resources
Office of Community College Research and Leadership: occrl.illinois.edu
Pathways Resource Center:
Donald G. Hackmann, Professor

38. Seeking Illinois High Schools…
If you are aware of an Illinois high school (either your school or another) that is doing an exemplary job implementing career clusters, programs of study, and/or teacher/advisory programs, please contact:
Don Hackmann, University of Illinois
We would like to develop a database of schools that could serve as models and resource supports for others.