Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Career Readiness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Whitney Point counselors push work‑based learning and individualized career planning
Summary
High‑school counselors Jennifer Westcott and Bethany Keith told the board they are expanding work‑based learning (job shadows, apprenticeships, guest speakers) and tracking student hours in SchoolTool so students and families can see progress toward postsecondary goals.
Jennifer Westcott, a high‑school counselor, told the Whitney Point Central School District Board that the counseling office is prioritizing work‑based learning this year to “help prepare every student for life after high school.” She said counselors will focus on academic success, career readiness and social‑emotional growth through individualized planning and expanded community partnerships.
The presentation, given by Westcott and colleague Bethany Keith, emphasized that work‑based learning is broader than internships: it includes awareness and exploration activities, interest assessments, guest speakers, job shadows and apprenticeships. "Work‑based learning encompasses awareness, exploration, and development," Keith said, summing up the counselors’ approach.
Why it matters: counselors said rural students face logistical barriers to off‑site experiences and that school‑led programming and family communication are essential. The district has added individualized planning forms and integrated students’ stated post‑high‑school goals into SchoolTool so those goals appear on graduation worksheets sent to families. Westcott said tracking hours in the student management system helps students document work‑based experiences for scholarships and for the seal of civic readiness.
Details and examples: the counselors said they held luncheon panels with industry partners, hosted college admissions and military representatives, and arranged job shadows. They noted one ongoing initiative that records students’ work‑based hours in SchoolTool; Westcott described a classroom activity in which students checked their logged hours and discovered gaps that led to new planning conversations.
The presenters described K–12 alignment: career lessons and a digital portfolio at the CEA for younger grades were cited as examples of work that carries into high school planning. They also credited support staff: "Allison List was...invaluable," Westcott said, describing an aide’s role assembling materials and supporting students during the program.
No board action was required after the presentation; the counselors distributed folders and data to trustees and said they will continue to refine planning forms and expand partnerships to increase equitable access for students who lack transportation or family capacity to support off‑site experiences.
The board asked several clarifying questions about how the work will reach younger students and how families access career portfolios; presenters said Google Classroom and emailed graduation worksheets are primary communication tools.
