Journal Entry 5 (November 18 - November 24)

Part 1: Worksite

This week, I visited checkoutacollege.com. Checkooutacollege.com is a resource for those interested in attending college at the community college level. Through this site prospective students and parents research specific programs offered within the community and technical college system. Additional, they may research high school completion, review programs that assist in improving jobs skills, learn the basic admissions steps, compare college costs, and utilize online counselor resources. 

Part 2: Observation

The sight is graphic with a little more narration than wacareers.com. Still the site flows well so students and parents may quickly access the information they need. There are three essential sections for career exploration and college research at different levels. These sections are:

• Explore Careers

• Find a College and Program

• Get Started

• The are also drop down options:

• For Counselors

• For Parents

Those who visit Explore Careers may find useful information under the following options:

• Worker Retraining

• Program for unemployed, job at risk, or underemployed

• Top Jobs for the Future

• Find out what jobs are in high demand in Washington.

• Career Interest Survey

• This survey will help you take the first steps in exploring career options

• Learn More, Earn More

• Discover the financial benefits of lifelong learning

• How Much Do I Need to Earn?

• Figure out how much income you need to take care of you and/or your family

• Explore Career Areas

• Explore categories of occupations from a multitude of disciplines

Those who visit Find a College and Program may find useful information under the following options:

• Search by College and Program

• Find a college to meet your goals

• Explore Career Areas

• Explore categories of occupations from a multitude of disciplines

• Earn a Bachelor's Degree Close to Home

• Applied baccalaureates and university partners located at community and technical colleges

• Dual Enrollment and Dual Credit

• Earn college credit and useful college-level skills while still in high school

• Colleges in Washington State

• Community and Technical Colleges

• Four-Year Colleges and Universities (regionally accredited)

Those who visit Get Started may find useful information under the following options:

• General Education Development (GED)

• The GED Test offers adults who left school an opportunity to earn a high school credential

• High School Completion

• Earn a high school diploma at a community or technical college

• I-BEST

• Get job training while improving basic skills (GED, ESL, ABE)

• Compare Tuition Costs

• Compare costs between colleges in Washington

• Paying for College

• Learn about financial aid, scholarships, and other ways to pay for college

• Online Learning

• Find out if online learning is for you

• Visit A Campus

• Take a campus tour in person or take a virtual tour

• Steps to Enroll

• Apply for Admission

• Take a Placement Test

• Meet With an Advisor

• Register for Classes

• Pay For Tuition

• Attend Orientation

This site is another opportunity for visitors to gain valuable information about careers and educational programs. Students, parents, and educators may use this site to review the offerings within Washington state. It especially useful for high school students needing assistance choosing a college and learning about the initial steps to getting started. Students and their families may review financial options including scholarships at theWashBoard.org. 

Part 3: Readings

Improvement science intimates that scale-up takes place when basic knowledge is incorporated with the system of profound knowledge. Improvement science combines generalizable knowledge with knowledge specific to the organization (Lewis, 2015, p. 54). The fundamental notions of improvement science are remarkably similar to action research. Action research emphasizes planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. This is very similar to the improvement science approach of plan-do-study-act (PDSA) (Lewis, 2015, pp. 54-55). 

An example of improvement science is lesson study, an instructional approach utilized in over 95% of Japanese public institutions. Lesson study is a demonstration of how improvement science can be implemented nationwide. Lesson study is a cooperative model where teachers plan, implement, and evaluate an instructional intervention (Lewis, 2015, p. 56).  

Because improvement science is so closely related to action research, there are implications for higher education as well. The core framework PDSA and the essential questions below make improvement science a very useful tool in higher education. 

• What are we trying to accomplish?

• How will we know that a change is an improvement?

• What change can we make that will result in improvement? 

When reviewing my problem of practice, I am asking these questions and framing my plan around answering their answers. Additionally, action research also allows for the opportunity for improvisational outcomes. These are the unexpected and unintended trends or circumstances that are revealed throughout the study.  

Lewis, C. (2015). What Is Improvement Science? Do We Need It in Education?. Educational Researcher, 44(1), 54-61.

Part 4: Integrations

The are tools on this site that will support educators at all levels. Specifically, advisors in my department will be able to utilize this tool for available professional development opportunities. New advisors may use this site to become more acquainted with the CTC system and higher education in general. Advisors will be able to better assist students in making decisions about careers and programs that suit the needs or fulfill their aspirations.