2016 2017 Tactical Teams

Career Exploration Opportunities

Academies provide a variety of experiences to help students learn about career academy
options in their communities. A highly visible one is the career exploration fair or expo.
Academies create displays that describe their offerings, and business partners may also
participate, helping students learn about potential career paths and employment options.

Communications and Marketing

Communication to the community about the plan for transformation and the role of career
academies must be an ongoing process. It begins in the earliest stages of developing the
master plan through implementation and continuous improvement and innovation.
Approaches vary but constitute a marketing campaign aimed at audiences including students,
families, employers, postsecondary institutions, and the community at large.

Community Convening Organization

A Community Convening Organization plays a pivotal role in guiding the community through
all phases of the Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL) Roadmap. This organization
provides staff support and sets up and manages the steering committee, which ensure the
ongoing success of the Ford NGL community-driven high school transformation.
Typically, community convening organizations are either Chambers of Commerce, School
Districts, Workforce Investment Boards, Education Foundations or community-based
organizations that are dedicated to serve public education in strategic planning and professional
development. Ideally, an organization external to the school district is selected and positioned to
play a critical friend role.

Dual Enrollment
Academies provide students with opportunities for engaging in postsecondary learning
opportunities while in high school, including dual enrollment courses and related experiences
that award college credit and articulated credit.

Freshman Academies
The Freshman Academy is a transitional program for incoming high school students.
Interdisciplinary teams of teachers help freshman academy students develop and practice a
range of skills they need for success in school and the workplace. The freshman academy
also introduces students to the culture of a career academy and to the career academy
options available to them, typically beginning in grade 10.

2016 2017 Tactical Teams

Parent and Family Engagement
Districts, schools, and career academies use a variety of proactive strategies to build
partnerships with families to support their childrens success in school and preparation for
further education and careers.

Shared Accountability
The master planning process identifies systems and processes for monitoring tactical plan
implementation fidelity and quality and for using indicators and measures for assessing the
achievement of intended outcomes, primarily focused on the desired graduate.
Often, a data dashboard(s) is used to provide a visualization tool that shows the current status of
key performance indicators. Use of data dashboards can help to support continuous
improvement and ensure accountability for results

Start-Stop-Sustain
The needs of our local and state economy, along with student interests, will need to be
considered when developing additional pathways. The tactic team will examine existing
pathways, view these against workforce projects, and suggest priorities for future pathways.

Steering Committee
The role of the steering committee isto deliberate, make decisions, advise, provide strategic
oversight, and to be the primary advocate for the underlying initiatives.
The Steering Committee serves as the oversight and guiding body for the community through
all phases of the Ford NGL Roadmap to drive systems of change by mobilizing the
community as a champion to support change needed to achieve the vision of your
community-driven master plan for high school transformation.
The Steering Committee is not meant to be temporary, but rather long term. This committee
will develop, plan, implement, and monitor progress on the Master Plan, guide continuous
improvement and further engage the community to ensure the Ford NGL model of
community-driven high school transformation is deeply rooted.
Typically, the Steering Committee is created in Phases 1 and 2 and will exist through Phase
5.