Career Clusters Overview

Career Clusters are broad occupational groupings based on a set of common knowledge and skills required for a specific career. Career Clusters provide opportunities for all students regardless of their career goals and interests.

Career Pathways

Career Pathways are a sub-grouping of occupations and career specialties used as an organizing tool for curriculum design and instruction. Career pathways are grouped based on their requirements for a set of common knowledge and skills for career success.

Program of Study

A Program of Study is a sequence of instruction (based on recommended standards, and knowledge and skills) This sequence of instruction provides preparation for a career.

Individualized Graduation Plan

An IGP includes a program of study and learning that represents a mapped academic plan reflecting a student's unique set of interests, needs, learning goals, and graduation requirements. It goes beyond the "four-year plan" by recording the student's connections to the larger community including examples of community service and volunteerism; membership in community organizations, participation in leadership activities outside of school; involvement in job shadowing, mentorships, and/or apprenticeships; and the pursuit of skill development through hobbies, athletics, and fine arts.

Career Pathway Benefits

• Provide a framework for seamless education. They are the core of workforce and economic development in our state.
• Promote the connection between education and workforce/economic development
• Provide a seamless transition from high school to college
• Focus on high skill, high demand, and high wage careers
• Increase emphasis on attainment of a technical skill proficiency, degree/credential

Options for Students

DeKalb School's comprehensive grades K-12 career development includes three levels:

• Career Awareness in Grades K–5: grade-level specific career activities (5th grade portfolio)
• Career Exploration in Grades 6–8: career-related assessments and inventories (individual graduation plan by the end of the 8th grade)
• Career Management in Grades 9–12: ongoing review and advisement of each student's individual graduation plan to ensure successful implementation.