Showing up and taking ownership
Students start the year practicing the habits employers and colleges expect. They take responsibility for their own work, show up prepared, and act with honesty in school, jobs, and the community.
What does a student learn in
This is the stretch when school starts pointing past graduation. Students map out what comes after high school, whether that means college, a trade, the military, or a job, and they line up the skills to get there. They practice the habits real workplaces expect: showing up, communicating clearly, working on a team, and thinking through problems instead of guessing. By spring, students can talk through a concrete plan for life after high school and back it up with steps they have already taken.
- Career planning
- Workplace skills
- Postsecondary planning
- Teamwork
- Financial wellness
- Problem solving
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Communication and teamwork
Students learn to speak and write clearly for different audiences, from a teacher to a manager to a customer. They work on teams with people from different backgrounds and figure out how to disagree without shutting down.
- 3
Thinking through real problems
Students apply what they learn in class to real situations at work or in the community. They break hard problems into smaller steps, research options from reliable sources, and stick with a problem long enough to solve it.
- 4
Tools, creativity, and impact
Students use everyday tech tools to get work done and pick up new ones as they appear. They also weigh the environmental, social, and money side of their choices when they design or build something.
- 5
Planning life after high school
Students map out a path for after graduation, whether that points toward college, training, the military, or a job. They line up the plan with their interests, what careers actually pay, and habits that protect their health and money.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 12.
Career Ready Practices
Career Ready Practices
- High School
Plan an education and career path aligned to personal goals, interests
Students map out the next steps after high school by connecting what they actually enjoy and want to do with the real-world options available to them. That means looking honestly at colleges, training programs, and jobs to build a plan that fits their goals.
- High School
Use technology to enhance productivity, communication
Students learn to pick the right digital tool for a given task, use it well, and switch to a new one when the work calls for it. That includes tools for communicating, creating, and getting work done faster.
- High School
Work productively in teams while using cultural and global competence to…
Working in a team means listening to and respecting people whose backgrounds, experiences, or perspectives differ from your own. Students practice communicating and problem-solving with others who think differently so the team gets better work done together.
- High School
Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee, taking personal…
Students take ownership of their choices at school, at work, and in the community. That means following through on commitments, fixing mistakes, and understanding that their actions affect the people around them.
- High School
Apply appropriate academic and technical skills learned through career and…
Students take what they learned in class and use it to solve actual problems at work or in the community. The skills are real, not just test prep.
- High School
Attend to personal health and financial well-being and make decisions that…
Students learn to make everyday choices, like budgeting money and staying active, that protect their health and finances now and decades later.
- High School
Communicate clearly, effectively
Students practice adjusting how they speak, write, and communicate online based on who they're talking to and why. A text to a friend looks different from a job application or a class presentation.
- High School
Consider the environmental, social
When making a plan or choice, students think through how it could affect the environment, other people, and money. They weigh those trade-offs before deciding what to do.
- High School
Demonstrate creativity and innovation by generating new ideas and approaches…
Students come up with original ideas and find new ways to use familiar tools to solve problems at work or in a project.
- High School
Employ valid and reliable research strategies to gather, evaluate
Students find trustworthy sources, check facts against more than one of them, and pull the key information together into something they can actually use for a project, decision, or work task.
- High School
Use critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them…
When students hit a problem they can't solve right away, they slow down, break it into smaller pieces, and work through more than one possible fix before giving up.
- High School
Model integrity, ethical leadership
Students practice doing the right thing even when it's inconvenient, leading fairly, and following through on commitments at school, at work, and in the community.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Plan an education and career path aligned to personal goals, interests High School | Students map out the next steps after high school by connecting what they actually enjoy and want to do with the real-world options available to them. That means looking honestly at colleges, training programs, and jobs to build a plan that fits their goals. | VT-CDOS.CRP10.9-12 |
| Use technology to enhance productivity, communication High School | Students learn to pick the right digital tool for a given task, use it well, and switch to a new one when the work calls for it. That includes tools for communicating, creating, and getting work done faster. | VT-CDOS.CRP11.9-12 |
| Work productively in teams while using cultural and global competence to… High School | Working in a team means listening to and respecting people whose backgrounds, experiences, or perspectives differ from your own. Students practice communicating and problem-solving with others who think differently so the team gets better work done together. | VT-CDOS.CRP12.9-12 |
| Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee, taking personal… High School | Students take ownership of their choices at school, at work, and in the community. That means following through on commitments, fixing mistakes, and understanding that their actions affect the people around them. | VT-CDOS.CRP1.9-12 |
| Apply appropriate academic and technical skills learned through career and… High School | Students take what they learned in class and use it to solve actual problems at work or in the community. The skills are real, not just test prep. | VT-CDOS.CRP2.9-12 |
| Attend to personal health and financial well-being and make decisions that… High School | Students learn to make everyday choices, like budgeting money and staying active, that protect their health and finances now and decades later. | VT-CDOS.CRP3.9-12 |
| Communicate clearly, effectively High School | Students practice adjusting how they speak, write, and communicate online based on who they're talking to and why. A text to a friend looks different from a job application or a class presentation. | VT-CDOS.CRP4.9-12 |
| Consider the environmental, social High School | When making a plan or choice, students think through how it could affect the environment, other people, and money. They weigh those trade-offs before deciding what to do. | VT-CDOS.CRP5.9-12 |
| Demonstrate creativity and innovation by generating new ideas and approaches… High School | Students come up with original ideas and find new ways to use familiar tools to solve problems at work or in a project. | VT-CDOS.CRP6.9-12 |
| Employ valid and reliable research strategies to gather, evaluate High School | Students find trustworthy sources, check facts against more than one of them, and pull the key information together into something they can actually use for a project, decision, or work task. | VT-CDOS.CRP7.9-12 |
| Use critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them… High School | When students hit a problem they can't solve right away, they slow down, break it into smaller pieces, and work through more than one possible fix before giving up. | VT-CDOS.CRP8.9-12 |
| Model integrity, ethical leadership High School | Students practice doing the right thing even when it's inconvenient, leading fairly, and following through on commitments at school, at work, and in the community. | VT-CDOS.CRP9.9-12 |
Common Questions
What is this subject really about?
It helps students get ready for life after high school, including work, college, and managing their own time and money. Students practice the habits that matter on a job or campus, like showing up, communicating well, working with others, and making good decisions.
How can a parent support this at home?
Talk about your own job at dinner. Share what went well, what was hard, and how a tough conversation got handled. Ask students to plan something real, like a weekend trip or a budget for a phone, so they practice making decisions and following through.
Does a student need to know exactly what job they want?
No. The point is to explore options and notice what fits. Students should be able to name a few paths that interest them and the steps to learn more, like talking to someone in that field, job shadowing, or taking a related class.
How should the year be sequenced?
Start with self-awareness and work habits in the fall so students have a base for everything else. Move into research, communication, and teamwork projects in the winter. Save the longer career and education planning work for spring, when students can apply what they have built.
What skills usually need the most reteaching?
Clear written communication for a real audience, like an email to an employer, almost always needs more practice than expected. Source evaluation is another common gap. Students often grab the first result instead of checking who wrote it and when.
How much should technology be part of this class?
A lot, but with purpose. Students should use tools to plan, write, present, and collaborate the way adults do at work. The goal is comfort switching between tools, not mastery of any one app, because the tools will keep changing.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can name personal goals, point to a realistic path to reach them, and back it up with research. They can work on a team, finish what they start, and explain a decision using more than gut feeling. They can also write a clean email and speak to an adult outside the classroom.
How does this connect to academic classes?
Reading, math, and writing show up here in real situations, like reading a pay stub, comparing loan options, or writing a cover letter. Treating it as separate from academics misses the point. The academic skills get sharper when students use them for something that matters to them.
How can a parent help with money and wellness habits?
Bring students into real money decisions at home. Show a bill, walk through a paycheck, or compare two options before buying something. For wellness, talk openly about sleep, screens, and stress, and let students see adults making those trade-offs too.