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Muscatine district highlights DECAP and expands work-based learning to younger grades
Summary
District staff presented the District Career and Academic Plan (DECAP), described expanding career exploration into 5th and 6th grades and reported that nearly 29% of seniors participated in work-based learning last year, including internships and registered apprenticeships.
District administrators presented the Muscatine Community School District's District Career and Academic Plan (DECAP) and outlined steps to expand career exploration and work'based learning. Assistant Principal Morgan Moore said the plan serves as a roadmap for students in grades 7 through 12 and that the district meets annually to revise goals and supports.
Brandon Welsh, the counselor who coordinates work'based learning, described last year's participation: career'related classes enrolled about 76 students, the district documented 70 work'based experiences (about 60 internships and 10 registered apprenticeships), and staff recorded 130 job shadows. Welsh said 29% of last year's seniors took part in internships, apprenticeships or career academies; 16 students attained industry credentials such as CNA certification.
Student speakers described their experiences. Landon Baker, a senior in a registered apprenticeship with Hoffman/Silverhawk Fabrication, said he works four hours a day during the school year and full'time when school is out, and intends to work at Hoffman after graduation. Michaela Edkin, a senior interning at Rock Valley Physical Therapy, said the internship confirmed her interest in healthcare and exposed her to workplace standards and privacy laws.
Employer partners also spoke. Jamie Howland, fabrication manager at Silverhawk Fabrication, said the company's registered apprenticeship intake began in 2022 and described the program as a way to train skilled workers and develop professionalism. During his remarks he noted differences between early interview assessments and a student's growth once training has begun.
Why it matters: district leaders said expanding career exposure to fifth and sixth graders — through STEM and safety days and Junior Achievement — helps students explore pathways earlier and supports alignment from elementary through high school. Administrators also said the district is working to identify industry credentials and to better track post'secondary outcomes, including partnerships with AIM to backtrack employment outcomes to earlier work'based learning experiences.
What happens next: staff plan to vertically align career exploration activities across grades, publish DECAP updates in future board materials and report participation and credentialing numbers as they are verified.
