November 19, 2009 RE: CAREER PATHWAY PROGRAMS: HEALTH OCCUPATIONS

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1 November 19, 2009 Board Member: RE: CAREER PATHWAY PROGRAMS: HEALTH OCCUPATIONS The attached report provides a detailed description of a career pathway that is recommended to provide students at our high schools with coursework to allow them to explore and to prepare for future employment in the Health Care industry. This proposal is consistent with our academic goal to accelerate the academic achievement of every student, and provides a new and exciting curricular component to our District instructional design. Tonight, Associate Superintendent for Instruction Jeffrey Butzen will present an overview of this proposal, which also will have bearing on a facilities recommendation later in the agenda. I am please to make this recommendation to you tonight. Much like your commitment to Project Lead the Way four years ago has led students to an exciting and rigorous pre-engineering curriculum, this proposal has the potential to greatly accelerate our preparation of students to enter health care programs upon leaving high school, and to eventually enter into the booming health care industry. Suggested Motion: That the Board of Education approve the Health Occupations Pathway as proposed, endorse the first year of the program, and the design of the second year of the program as presented; further, that the Superintendent be authorized to enter into all agreements to execute the creation and development of the Health Careers Pathway Program as presented. Nancy N. Robb Superintendent

2 Career Pathway Programs: Health Occupations Career Pathways Career Pathways are series of courses that enable students to move efficiently and successfully towards an identified career area. Career Pathways may consist of a single course, but more often consist of several courses that may be offered over a number of years and through one or more institutions. Several months ago, I directed Associate Superintendent for Instruction Jeffrey Butzen and Director of Athletics, Activities, and Career Development Otis Price to investigate options for career pathways program and course development that would be of benefit to the students in our schools today and for years into the future. The pathways to be investigated needed to address the following goals: 1. Provide multiple post-high school options for a significant number of students with a variety of interests and skill levels; 2. Address an identified need for employment in the foreseeable future; 3. Present an opportunity for a high school curriculum which would enhance the position of our students relative to preparation for the career and employment; 4. Provide certifications that are industry recognized to students prior to graduation; 5. Support for the critical learning standards of communication skills, mathematics, and science; 6. Respond to an identified need or interest of students in our schools. Mr. Butzen and Mr. Price, along with several other members of our faculty, identified some potential area for review. The most immediately impressive is the Health Occupations field. Health Occupations and Future Employment Health Occupations is a term that actually represents hundreds of specific career. There are some careers in this field that come to mind immediately when considering the health field, namely, doctors and nurses. However, it does not take long to consider the wide variety of careers that are contained in this single phrase. As stated above, the First Goal of an acceptable pathway for consideration was that it must provide multiple options at a variety of skill levels. In additional to the many doctors of medicine and nurse careers and designations, here is a very brief and partial list, compiled by the American Medical Association in 2009, of some of those lesser-recognized careers that are important but not always considered by students in high school: 2

3 Anesthesiologist Assistant Athletic Trainer Emergency Medical Technician Medical Illustrator Respiratory Therapist Massage Therapist Audiologist Dental Assistant Pharmacist and Pharmacist Technician Physical Fitness Trainer Prosthetist Nursing Aide Medical Equipment Preparer Medical Records and Office Manager Medical Transcriptionist Veterinarians Laboratory Animal Caretaker Dietician Forensic Science Technician Home Health Aides The Health Occupations field clearly meets the first goal. Some of these careers will take many years of post-high school education. Some will require only one or two certification courses. However, the vast majority, if not all, of our students have the potential to achieve the level of education and skills to enter one or more of the careers areas included under the heading of Health Occupations. The Second Goal is that the career pathway is that the pathway would lead to careers that will be viable employment options for our students. Once again, the Health Occupations field meets this criterion. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Guide to Industries ( edition) relates that for the period from , the general area of nursing aides, orderlies, and attendant will grow by 36%; personal and home medical aides will increase by 51%; Physical therapists assistants and aides will grow by 30%; and medical transcriptionists will increase by 11%. In general, the health field is expected to increase in employment by almost 22% through The creation of a career pathway in this area will provide significant assured employment opportunities for students who are in our schools today and who will be in our schools in the foreseeable future. The Third Goal of an acceptable career pathway is that there is a reasonable high schoollevel curriculum that we could provide to our students that would allow them to gain certification while in our schools and that would enhance their acceptance into post-high school training or college programs and, where appropriate, immediate employment. Members of my staff, principals, and faculty have discussed and investigated at length the options for presenting a career pathway for our students. As part of these investigations, we have worked with our Education to Careers Director Karen Johnson; have met with many representatives of the William Rainey Harper College nursing and health field programs, and have visited college and high school sites where a Health Occupations pathway program has been established. The Dean of Harper s Nursing Program even called our program design The Project Lead the Way of High School Health pathways. 3

4 Associate Dean of Health Careers Barbara Small has proven to be especially helpful in our investigations. After much work, we have determined that the best option for District 211 at this time is to propose the establishment of a two-year program and to determine in the next two to three years whether this program should be expanded to a third year. Specifics of the course offerings are included in the Year One Proposal section of this document, but in general, it is recommended that the following coursework be proposed: Year One Introduction to Health Careers and Medical Terminology Year Two Nursing Assistants and Anatomy and Physiology These courses are currently offered at the high school level. In District 211, a limited number of our students already take the Introduction to Health Careers, Medical Terminology, and Nursing Assistants at Harper College. Most students who enter a field of medical studies also are required to take Anatomy and Physiology, which also is offered in many locations at the high school level. Our discussions with representatives of the Harper College Health Programs has shown that students who successfully complete these courses would be in a much better position to succeed at the college level in Health Careers programs offered at Harper College and elsewhere. In particular, the Intro to Health Careers course which is currently taught to students at Harper College is perfect for a high school offering, as it expands the understanding of students as to the various health careers that will be in demand; the skills and education necessary to enter those fields; and the programs, certifications, and coursework that a student must pursue to master those skills. We also learned that Medical Terminology and Anatomy and Physiology are gateway courses for many areas in the Health Fields. Including these in our high school pathway would be highly beneficial to the student and also provide a boost to any application by our students to Health Field instructional programs following high school. Finally, Nursing Assistant is a must have program for those wishing to enter the nursing field and a valuable experience to anyone who wishes eventually to enter the medical field as a practitioner. There also are other options for high school coursework after the first year if we were to propose additions to the program in the future. However, the establishment of this program as proposed would provide support to an application to Harper College in any of the following Health Occupation programs that they currently offer: 4

5 o Cardiac Technician o Certified Nursing Assistant o Dental Hygienist o Dietetic Technician o Diagnostic Medical Sonographist o Emergency Medical Transpondent o Mammography Technician o Medical Office Assistant o Nurse o Paramedic o Phlebotomist o Professional Caregiver o RAD Technician o Therapeutic Massage Therapist o Veterinarian Assistant The Fourth Goal of an acceptable career pathway is that it would provide certifications that are industry recognized to students prior to graduation. In addition to providing our students with coursework in high school that is valued for selection into post-high school health pathways and programs, the inclusion of the Basic Nursing Assistant Training Program in the proposed Health Occupations pathway also provides an additional benefit. This course, which would be offered in year two of our program, would prepare students to pass the Nursing Assistant Certification Examination as offered under the regulations of the Illinois Department of Public Health. Upon its reception, this certification enables students to apply for positions as nursing assistants in long-term care and medical centers. This is a growing employment field and one that could provide income opportunities and practical experiences to students who are pursuing further college and career health field instruction and certifications. The Fifth Goal requires the proposed pathway to support critical learning standards of communication skills, mathematics, and science. The proposed Health Occupations pathway provides a direct and an indirect level of support in all three areas. The program would directly address reading and writing CLS. The number one deficiency we have noted in our student reading profile is the capability to read non-fiction (expository) material. The proposed program would provide a wealth of non-fiction reading experiences in areas of identified student interest. Students would be required to read and write about their career aspirations and preparations, especially during the Introduction to Health Careers course. The Medical Terminology coursework involves the study of vocabulary structure, prefixes, and suffixes that will build academic strength in reading, writing and science. Mathematics and Science CLS also are wellrepresented in this program, particularly the proposed Anatomy and Physiology course. Indirectly, students should benefit from this program as it has the potential to provide a personal career goal that many students lack in high school. The existence of an internal motivation to succeed in school will motivate the student to take a more serious interest in academic success, not only in courses of this program, but in all of their school coursework. 5

6 This proposed program also would increase STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) opportunities for all of our students. In addition to those who would enroll in this particular pathway, the Anatomy and Physiology course would be available to the general student population, providing an additional option for student interested in the Sciences. The Sixth Goal is that the proposed pathway would respond to an identified need or interest of students in our schools. Currently, approximately 125 students from our District travel to Harper College each year to take the Introduction to Health Careers and the Medical Terminology classes offered there. More are interested in taking the courses, but enrollment is limited by two factors. First, Harper College allows only a set number of students into the program from each district. District 211 is at its maximum allowable enrollment. Secondly, for students to be in this program, they typically miss three periods of class time and in some cases also part of their lunch time, in exchange for a two day a week course offering. Many students simply not want to sacrifice three potential courses to take a single course. By offering the first year of the program at our schools, students would complete the coursework in a single period, actually having slightly more on-task time than the current Harper College program allows. This will likely encourage more students to consider this pathway than do not under its current restrictive environment. Due to the facilities considerations of year two of the program, it is recommended that it be offered in a north and south end design. Some of our students still may need to travel for the Nursing Assistant course, but they also will receive more time on task than the existing Harper College program, and will receive the additional benefit of a home school Anatomy and Physiology course. 6

7 Career Pathway Programs: Health Occupations Program Detail Year One Proposal Courses Introduction to Health Careers and Medical Terminology First Year of Offering Course Design These two courses would be melded into a single offering and taught as a daily one-period course. Approximately one day per week would be available for guest speakers, including medical professionals, business and career speakers, athletic trainers, etc., and for course activities. These courses would be offered for R (general elective) credit and would provide a combined one credit, 0.5 per semester. There are also discussions underway with Harper College regarding the possibility of awarding college credit for the Medical Terminology course (two college semester hours in credit). Course Content If approved, the course content will be detailed this spring and summer by a team including the teachers of the program. A summer curriculum project is anticipated. However, the content of these courses will be substantially the same as the courses now taught at Harper College. Copies of the current course outlines are attached (Attachment A and B). Teacher Selection The teacher of the course must be secondary certified. However, no other certification is required. Backgrounds in Health Education or Science would be supportive of the program s goal. There is significant interest in teaching this course among the current staff. Principals will be asked to recommend a course teacher to the Superintendent. Prerequisite Students would need to be a junior or a senior. They must successfully have completed Algebra 1 and a Biology course at a C level or higher. Students must read near grade level. Facilities Implications Year One of this Pathway requires a standard classroom setting. Materials and Textbooks Selection of the textbook will be a matter for review by the team that will develop the first year of the program However, textbooks currently used by Harper College are appropriate for high school students. They are: Introduction to Health Care, Second Edition, by Joyce Mitchell and Lee Haroun Medical Terminology Systems A Body Systems Approach, Sixth Edition, by Barbara Gylys and Mary Ellen Wedding Additional Information A primary focus of the curriculum development team will be to plan speakers and field trips to support the first year experience of our students. It would be expected that there would be some speaker or facility visitation once each month, for an average of one period a week. This will require the building of affiliations with medical and long term care facilities in our community, but also will include participation by Health Education, Business Education, and Science teachers as well as Athletic Trainers at our schools. 7

8 Career Pathway Programs: Health Occupations Program Detail Year Two Proposal NOTE: This proposal is preliminary in nature and would be presented in a final version in the fall of However, this rendering is based on our best understanding of that eventual proposal following discussion with Harper College representatives and current providers. Courses Nursing Assistant Training and Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology First Year of Offering Course Design The Nursing Assistant Training course is a program certified by the Illinois Department of Public Health and required to follow a set curriculum. Harper College currently teaches this course, and an outline of the course is attached (Attachment C). It is likely that the District 211 version of the course would be required to be identical in design. At this time, the course is expected to be offered in a single period daily; however, there is the possibility that the final recommendation may be for this to be a double-period semester course. The course essentially has three parts: a classroom component in a specialized environment; a laboratory experience; and an internship segment. This course would be offered for one R (general elective) credit. Students who successfully complete this course can take the Nurses Aide Competency Examination and receive immediate certification as a practicing nurses assistant in hospitals, long-term health care facilities, etc. The Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology course is offered in several Illinois high schools already, independently from this career pathway. There are high school curricula and textbooks in use and available for review by the curriculum design team. A copy of the current Harper College curriculum is attached (Attachment E). Faculty enthusiasm to teach this course is high, and I have been assured by our Science Department leadership that it fits well in our current curricular offerings. The course is likely to run as a daily, one period offering, but also may be considered for a double period, semester format. One credit in Science would be offered for course completion. Course Content Once again, this course must follow State guidelines. Harper College currently teaches the Nursing Assistant Training Course, and an outline of the course is attached (Attachment C). It is likely that the District 211 version of the course would be required to be identical in design. Regarding the Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology, there are high school curricula and textbooks in use across the State and available for review by the curriculum design team. A copy of the current Harper College curriculum is attached (Attachment E). Teaching teams would work on program development in the spring, the coming summer, and in the fall of A summer curriculum project is anticipated. 8

9 Teacher Selection The Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology course offers Science credit and would need to be taught by a secondary level certified Science teacher. Science Department Chairs Todd Meador and Nicki O Keefe have informed me that any biology teacher should have had adequate coursework to teach the course and will meet State certification requirements. They feel many teachers will be very interested in teaching this course. The Nursing Assistant Training Course requires a secondary teacher certification and nurse certification. We do have at least one such qualified person on staff who has expressed interest in teaching this course if it is offered, and others who may wish to pursue certification to teach the course. Prerequisite At the current time, these courses are planned to be offered to seniors only. Prerequisites still are to be determined. Facilities Implications The Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology Course will be a laboratory based course and may require special anatomical models, software, and other equipment. However, the current laboratory facilities would be used for the course offerings at each school. The Nursing Assistant Training course requires a special facility that allows students to work with hospital beds, blood-pressure equipment, wheelchairs, and other items typically found in a hospital or other health facility. As an example, the Illinois Department of Public Health, which would certify the program, requires that there is one hospital bed for every five students in the class. The rooms used at Harper College for this are about 80 by 40 larger than most of our classrooms -- and consist of worktables surrounded by hospital equipment so that lessons are taught and then students practice the skill sets. In order for this program to be certified, it is imperative that a similar room to the ones we have seen be created onsite and outfitted. It is recommended that one such facility be developed on the north end of the District and one at the south end. This will minimize the travel time for students to attend this class from non-site schools, but also meet the certification requirements in a cost-efficient manner. A listing of projected equipment costs and other expenses are attached (Attachment D) Materials and Textbooks Selection of the textbooks and materials will be a matter for review by the team that will develop these pathway segments. Here are the textbooks currently used by Harper College for these courses: Textbook for Nursing A with Workbook and Skills CD, Second Edition, by Martin Carter Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Tenth Edition, by Jason Hole. Additional Information There may be additional considerations for a second or third year course in this pathway as time progresses. However, our current discussion with Harper College staff and Education to Careers staff indicates that this is the best selection for our student body and would provide the most universally-accepted background, even if the student were to enter a non-nursing field. 9