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Career Technical Graduation

Mentor

Raising graduation rates through

the promotion of CTE:

9th & 10th Grade Focus

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How will we fund the position?

Primarily through Carl Perkins IV

legislation funding.

Partially through Wilson County Schools

funding.

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Objectives of a CTE Mentor

Support School Counselors & CTE

Teachers

Promote Career Technical Education as

the best elective focus option.

Keep students on track to graduate on

time. Especially students at-risk and who

struggle with academics in general.

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Why CTE?

An effective CTE Program is one of the

7 effective strategies in reducing

students from dropping out of high school

(Source: NDPC Clemson University).

Students who Concentrate in a CTE

course of study graduate at a higher rate

(Source: Local & National data).

Wilson County TN Schools: 99.5%

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But who should we select to be a

CTE Graduation Mentor?

Preferably a teacher with a proven track

record of success in the classroom as well

as an individual that understands the

importance of CTE and truly cares aboutstudents!

Introducing: Joseph Murphy

CTE Grad Mentor

Wilson County TN Schools

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First Contact Impact

An introduction is made to the student,

discussing the role of a CTE Grad Mentor and

the assistance that will be provided.

Agreement: To make me go away, keep your

grade above a 75%.

***Sometimes this meeting is all it takes to get

the student on track!

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(Investigation Phase)

Why is the student underachieving?

Top 5 (9th Grade) student reasons they are inthe wrong Career Technical class:

1. My parents want me to be a doctor

or a lawyer and I want to race

motorcycles. My parents went behind

my back and changed my schedule. Ill

show them!

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Its Not My Fault!

3. Guidance dumped me in this class becausethey hate me I guess! (This usually meansthey didnt fill out the registration form).

4. I dont have a clue what I want to do with mylife, so I didnt know what to sign up for? So,

I just guessed!

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The Rumor Mill

5. People are telling me CTE classes are for

losers and those classes wont help me get in

college! So, why try hard to get a good

grade?

The Truth:

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Common Reasons 10th-12th Grades

1. Relationships gone bad.

2. Family structure or economic conditionswithin the family decline.

3. Substance Abuse Problems/Criminal

Offenses/Truancy4. Paying for the Fumes and Phones!

5. Old fashioned Senioritis!

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(During Your Investigation)

Empathy v. Sympathy

Remember to investigate what students tell

you within your legal bounds (Empathy).

They may tell you they were thrown out of thehouse, when it isnt true. Students DECEIVE?

Dont get sucked in to what you discover

(Sympathy). Stay professional at all times andfollow your school systems required action

plan.

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Assessment Tools forSuccessImplement a Career Assessment Tool

1. Princeton Review: only used for

students who generally have an idea ofwhat they want to do with their future.

Simple 1 page assessment is FREE!

http://www.princetonreview.com

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KUDEROpinion: Most In-depth2. A 3-part career assessment that takesapproximately 40 minutes, but offers more indepth information than the Princeton Review and

is highly recommended for students who havelittle or no career direction. This assessment isFREE, and has been a major success with 8thgraders during registration for 9th grade.Note: Beginning in 2011, all Wilson County 8th grade

feeder schools now use the KUDER CareerAssessment prior to their students signing up for 9thGrade CTE classes.

http://www.planningyourdreams.com

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A Mentor Must Make the most out

of a bad situation!

Guidance Rule: If the student signed up for

the CTE class then the student stays in the

class!

Problem: How do you get the student to buy into

the class they are in, when they dont want to

be in it?

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Embrace the Moment

Help the student make connections between

the class they are stuck in and the class they

want to be in.

Help the student see the bigger picture

regarding staying on course for graduation.

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Raising low self-esteem

Encourage the student to embrace the class they are in by doing well,raising their self-esteem and helping the student understand that there isvalue in most everything.

CRIME MODEL: Anger is the # 1 Cause of Crime.

Low Self-esteem is the # 1 cause ofAnger.

Low self-esteem manifests itself either outward or

inward.

Outward = assault/battery/homicide/disruptive

behaviors/bullying/alcohol &drugs.

Inward = self mutilation/victim of bullying/suicide

attempt or completion/alcohol & drugs.

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Contract: Rewards and

Retributions

Establish a contract agreement with the student

and teacher on the progress that can be

achieved every 4.5 weeks of the semester.

Communicate strategy with parent/s. Maintain

Empathy in the process while staying clear

of the Sympathy. Parents can enable and

undermine a CTE Mentors strategies. Incases of poverty, relationships may be all they

have, and the Mentor may become the enemy.

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Tracking a Struggling Student

After initial assessments are done,students are tracked on a weekly basis.

The students attendance and disciplineinformation as well as the progress inclass or classes. This is accomplished with

view only access to SMS andPowerTeacher Administrator in WilsonCounty TN Schools.

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Communication is Paramount

Parent progress calls home or by e-mailnotification are done on a weekly basis by

the mentor or teacher.

Notifications home of any positives are

more important than negative ones. Besure to praise the student for theiraccomplishments!

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Lunchroom Visits

Lunchroom visits: If a student does not makethe necessary agreed upon progress, the CTEMentor often shows up to eat lunch with thestudent. This usually makes the studentuncomfortable and a simple reminder to thestudent to stay on the agreed upon strategy =

the Grad Mentor to disappear! Say what youwant, but peer pressure is a powerful ChangeAgent!

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Classroom Visits

Classroom Visits: With Teacherpermission, stop by and sit-in class with

the student. See what they are learning,their class demeanor, are they preparedfor class, etc. Remind them if they want

you to go away, then bring those gradesup and stay on track to earn credit andgraduate on time.

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Calls to parents at home/work

Calls home/work: With the parent/spermission, make those calls home when thestudent is absent or appears to have cut a class.Investigate the matters quicker than the phonecall home at the end of the day, and thisnegative behavior ends quicker. (Preventive

Strike Mentality)

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Parental Meetings

Parental meetings: If the studentpersists in not maintaining a strategy to

success, then these meetings can be heldto discuss the problem/s. Sometimes theSchool Counselor and Teacher are asked

to participate, but that is more of a lastresort. Try not to Gang-up on thestudent if avoidable.

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Tutoring Opportunities

Tutoring:1. The Grad Mentor offers free tutoring for CTE courses before

and after school Tuesday - Friday for 30-45minutes.

2. Saturday morning tutoring is also available on special needbasis at the local public library. This is only a common usedresource in the last month of each semester (crunch time).

NOTE: Students who use tutoring often struggle withreading and comprehension.

3. Tutoring is also offered by TN Scholar and BETA studentsevery Monday-Friday morning in the school cafeteria.

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Working Lunch

Working lunch: Instead of going to thelunch room and socializing, Teachers can

recommend a struggling student to attendthis program instead. Teachers e-mail thestudents name and make-up assignment

to the teacher in charge of the workinglunch. Failure to report = ISS.

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78 at-risk 9th grade students enrolled in aCTE class at Lebanon High School in 2009-2010.

25 of these students failed their CTE class(32%)

An additional 37 students failed their CTEclass that school year at LHS, that were not

identified as at-risk. The reasons were aspreviously presented.

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188: at-risk and failing CTE students werereferred to the CTE Mentor for help (9th & 10thgraders were primary focus)

Out of the 188 students assessed, all but 15earned credit in their CTE class.

92% of at-risk and failing CTE studentsearned their credit with a 75% > grade.

32 Seniors were also assisted and graduated.

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344: at-risk and failing CTE students werereferred to the CTE Mentor. (11th gradersare now assisted by the Mentor)

18: did not earn their CTE Credit. 95%: did earn their CTE Credit with a

grade of 75% or greater.

48 Seniors were assisted and all graduated.

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254: CTE at-risk or failing students werereferred to the Mentor.

14: Of these students failed to earn theirCTE credit.

95%: Of these students earned credit with agrade of 75% or greater.

71 Seniors were assisted and all graduated.

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0.03%

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CTE Grad Mentors have the time to spendwith struggling students. For somestruggling students, this is all it takes toturn them around.

CTE Grad Mentors are able to help astruggling student build up their low self-

esteem. Higher self-esteem = lowerresistance to education.

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CTE Mentors have a better opportunity tohelp the student see a beneficial value toearning their elective focus in CTE and stayon track for graduation.

CTE Mentors can help build a stronger bondbetweenparents/teachers/guidance/students.

CTE Mentors keep students involved in CTE!

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Students become so attached to a Mentorsattention, that when they start performingbetter in class and you dont spend as muchtime with them, they actually begin under

performing again to regain the attention. Tosome, a Mentor seems to be the only personwho has ever cared about them..ASlippery Slope!

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Questions about a CTE Mentor or would

like a copy of this PowerPoint?

Joseph B. Murphy, MS

CTE Graduation Mentor

500 Blue Devil Blvd., Room A301Lebanon, TN 37087

(615) 444-9610 ext. 3211

murphyj@wcschools.com

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THANK YOU!