12 Career Ready Practices

CRP Introducation

The Career Ready Practices provide a framework for the developmental experiences necessary to becoming career ready; experiences that can be “practiced” using many different approaches in a variety of settings. Student refine these practices throughout their full continuum of learning: through their journey in school, college, the workforce and when they return to advance their education.

Each Career Ready Practice includes an overarching statement along with a more detailed description each with their own CRP Proficiency Scales. Below are the 12 overarching statements:

1. Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee.
2. Apply appropriate academic and technical skills.
3. Attend to personal health and financial well-being.
4. Communicate clearly and effectively and with reason.
5. Consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of decisions.
6. Demonstrate creativity and innovation.
7. Employ valid and reliable research strategies.
8. Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
9. Model integrity, ethical leadership and effective management.
10. Plan education and career paths aligned to personal goals.
11. Use technology to enhance productivity.
12. Work productively in teams while using cultural global competence.

Responsible Employee*

Act as a Responsible and Contributing Citizen and Employee

Career-ready individuals understand the obligations and responsibilities of being a member of a community and demonstrate this understanding every day through their interactions with others. They are conscientious of the impacts of their decisions on others and the environment around them, think about the near-term and long-term consequences of their actions, and seek to act in ways that contribute to the betterment of their teams, families, community, and workplace. They are reliable and consistent in going beyond the minimum expectation and in participating in activities that serve the greater good.

CRP-HS.01: Responsible Employee

• • CRP-HS.01.01: Appropriate appearance and behavior
  • CRP-HS.01.02: Attitude
  • CRP-HS.01.03: Ethical
  • CRP-HS.01.04: Adaptability in position
  • CRP-HS.01.05: Adaptability to change
  • CRP-HS.01.06: Time management in work
  • CRP-HS.01.07: Focusing on a project
  • CRP-HS.01.08: Responsibility
  • CRP-HS.01.09: Inspiring others through selflessness
  • CRP-HS.01.10: Leadership
  • CRP-HS.01.11: Appropriate questioning
  • CRP-HS.01.12: Understanding the system

Technical Skills*

Apply Appropriate Academic and Technical Skills

Career-ready individuals readily access and use the knowledge and skills acquired through experience and education to be more productive. They make connections between abstract concepts with real-world applications and make correct insights about when it is appropriate to apply the use of an academic skill in a workplace situation.

CRP-HS.02: Technical Skills

• • CRP-HS.02.01: Math skills
  • CRP-HS.02.02: Using past knowledge
  • CRP-HS.02.03: Reading and interpreting
  • CRP-HS.02.04: Writing
  • CRP-HS.02.05: Problem solving and critical thinking
  • CRP-HS.02.06: Using resources to complete work

Health / Support

Attend to Personal Health and Financial Well-Being

Career-ready individuals understand the relationship between personal health, workplace performance, and personal well-being; they act on that understanding to regularly practice health diet, exercise and mental health activities. Career-ready individuals also take regular action to contribute to their personal financial well-being, understanding that personal financial security provides the peace of mind required to contribute more fully to their own career success.

CRP-HS.03: Health / Support

• • CRP-HS.03.01: Healthy living
  • CRP-HS.03.02: Knowing safety
  • CRP-HS.03.03: Working safely
  • CRP-HS.03.04: Hygiene
  • CRP-HS.03.05: Calculation accuracy
  • CRP-HS.03.06: Budgeting
  • CRP-HS.03.07: Investment

Communication*

Communicate Clearly, Effectively, and with Reason

Career-ready individuals communicate thoughts, ideas, and action plans with clarity, whether using written, verbal, and/or visual methods. They communicate in the workplace with clarity and purpose to make maximum use of their own and others’ time. They are excellent writers; they master conventions, word choice and organization and use effective tone and presentation skills to articulate ideas. They are skilled at interacting with others; they are active listeners and speak clearly and with purpose. Career-ready individuals think about the audience for their communication and prepare accordingly to ensure the desired outcome.

CRP-HS.04: Communication

• • CRP-HS.04.01: Communicating well
  • CRP-HS.04.02: Communicating through presentation
  • CRP-HS.04.03: Communicating new ideas
  • CRP-HS.04.04: Timely listening/speaking
  • CRP-HS.04.05: Listening well
  • CRP-HS.04.06: Communicating w/ tech.
  • CRP-HS.04.07: Communicating through written form

Culture / Environment

Consider the Environmental, Social, and Economic Impacts of Decisions

Career-ready individuals understand the interrelated nature of their actions and regularly make decisions that positively impact and/or mitigate negative impact on other people, organizations and the environment. They are aware of and utilize new technologies, understandings, procedures, materials and regulations affecting the nature of their work as it relates to the impact on the social condition, the environment and profitability of the organization.

CRP-HS.05: Culture / Environment

• • CRP-HS.05.01: Valuing diversity
  • CRP-HS.05.02: Communicating on environment
  • CRP-HS.05.03: Verbalizing culture
  • CRP-HS.05.04: Respecting culture w/action
  • CRP-HS.05.05: Acting realistically
  • CRP-HS.05.06: Understand structure / scope

Creativity

Demonstrate Creativity and Innovation

Career-ready individuals regularly think of ideas that solve problems in new and different ways, and they contribute those ideas in a useful and productive manner to improve their organization. They can consider unconventional ideas and suggestions as solutions to issues, tasks or problems, and they discern which ideas and suggestions will add greatest value. They seek new methods, practices and ideas from a variety of sources and seek to apply those ideas to their own workplace. They take action on their ideas and understand how to bring innovation to an organization.

CRP-HS.06: Creativity

• • CRP-HS.06.01: Creating ideas
  • CRP-HS.06.02: Researching ideas
  • CRP-HS.06.03: Reflecting on ideas
  • CRP-HS.06.04: Originality
  • CRP-HS.06.05: Applying ideas
  • CRP-HS.06.06: Working by self-direction
  • CRP-HS.06.07: Innovation thru diversity

Research Skills

Employ Valid and Reliable Research Strategies

Career-ready individuals are discerning in accepting and using new information to make decisions, change practices, or inform strategies. They use a reliable research process to search for new information and evaluate the validity of sources when considering the use and adoption of external information or practices. They use an informed process to test new ideas, information, and practices in their workplace situation.

CRP-HS.07: Research Skills

• • CRP-HS.07.01: Evaluating material
  • CRP-HS.07.02: Collecting data thru tech.
  • CRP-HS.07.03: Accessing diverse sources
  • CRP-HS.07.04: Analyzing source bias
  • CRP-HS.07.05: Analyzing one's own bias
  • CRP-HS.07.06: Connect data/argument
  • CRP-HS.07.07: Drawing conclusions
  • CRP-HS.07.08: Reflecting on research

Problem Solving*

Utilize Critical Thinking to Make Sense of Problems and Persevere in Solving Them

Career-ready individuals readily recognize problems in the workplace, understand the nature of the problem, and devise effective plans to solve the problem. They are aware of problems when they occur, quickly take action to address the problem, thoughtfully investigate the root cause of the problem prior to introducing solutions, and carefully consider the options to solve the problem. Once a solution is agreed upon, they follow through to ensure the problem is solved, whether through their own actions or the actions of others.

CRP-HS.08: Problem Solving

• • CRP-HS.08.01: Reasoning skills
  • CRP-HS.08.02: Using information
  • CRP-HS.08.03: Understanding the system
  • CRP-HS.08.04: Asking to understand
  • CRP-HS.08.05: Using multiple techniques
  • CRP-HS.08.06: Using feedback
  • CRP-HS.08.07: Learning from the past
  • CRP-HS.08.08: Learning from mistakes and success
  • CRP-HS.08.09: Seeking solutions

Leadership / Management

Model Integrity, Ethical Leadership, and Effective Management

Career-ready individuals consistently act in ways that align to personal and community-held ideals and principles while employing strategies to positively influence others in the workplace. They have a clear understanding of integrity and act on this understanding in every decision. They use a variety of means to positively impact the direction and actions of a team or organization, and they apply insights into human behavior to change others’ actions, attitudes, and/or beliefs. They recognize the near-term and long-term effects that management’s actions and attitudes can have on productivity, morale, and organizational culture.

CRP-HS.09: Leadership / Management

• • CRP-HS.09.01: Managing information
  • CRP-HS.09.02: Managing respectfully through listening
  • CRP-HS.09.03: Managing through communication
  • CRP-HS.09.04: Managing through insight
  • CRP-HS.09.05: Managing through inspiration
  • CRP-HS.09.06: Managing with integrity

Goals / Plans

Plan Education and Career Path Aligned to Personal Goals

Career-ready individuals take personal ownership of their own educational and career goals, and they regularly act on a plan to attain these goals. They understand their own career interests, preferences, goals, and requirements. They have perspective regarding the pathways available to them and the time, effort, experience, and other requirements to pursue each, including a path of entrepreneurship. They recognize the value of each step in the educational and experiential process, and they recognize that nearly all career paths require ongoing education and experience. They seek counselors, mentors, and other experts to assist in the planning and execution of career and personal goals.

CRP-HS.10: Goals / Plans

• • CRP-HS.10.01: Goal oriented
  • CRP-HS.10.02: Realistic goal-setting
  • CRP-HS.10.03: Understanding process
  • CRP-HS.10.04: Balancing goals
  • CRP-HS.10.05: Mastery education
  • CRP-HS.10.06: Professional advancement
  • CRP-HS.10.07: Lifelong learning
  • CRP-HS.10.08: Creating life-plans

Technology

Use Technology to Enhance Productivity

Career-ready individuals find and maximize the productive value of existing and new technology to accomplish workplace tasks and solve workplace problems. They are flexible and adaptive in acquiring and using new technology, being proficient with ubiquitous technology applications. They understand the inherent risks, personal and organizational, of technology applications, and they take actions to prevent or mitigate these risks.

CRP-HS.11: Technology

• • CRP-HS.11.01: Technology for research
  • CRP-HS.11.02: Technology for presentation
  • CRP-HS.11.03: Ethical technology usage
  • CRP-HS.11.04: Legal technology usage
  • CRP-HS.11.05: Managing and distributing technology
  • CRP-HS.11.06: Influence of technology and intent
  • CRP-HS.11.07: Technology as communication
  • CRP-HS.11.08: Technology as connection

Teamwork*

Work Productively in Teams While Using Cultural/Global Competence

Career-ready individuals positively contribute to every team whether formal or informal. They apply an awareness of cultural differences to avoid barriers to productive and positive interaction. They find ways to increase the engagement and contribution of all team members. They plan and facilitate effective team meetings.

CRP-HS.12: Teamwork

• • CRP-HS.12.01: Engaging actively and respectfully
  • CRP-HS.12.02: Respecting other ideas
  • CRP-HS.12.03: Listening well
  • CRP-HS.12.04: Sharing and supporting
  • CRP-HS.12.05: Open to compromise
  • CRP-HS.12.06: Participating
  • CRP-HS.12.07: Balancing all views
  • CRP-HS.12.08: Understanding culture
  • CRP-HS.12.09: Understanding the larger community

Scoring Scale

1. Scoring is based on a 4.0 scale.

2. The individual scores for each practice will be determined by tallying each competency and dividing by the total number of competencies.  The corresponding score is defined thusly:

3. Scores on each individual competency can only be given in whole numbers (i.e. 4,3,2,1).  The use of scores with decimals does not promote consistency and is strongly discouraged.  If the student is thought to be part-way between two numbers, the student has not yet attained the higher score; therefore, the lower, whole number score should be given.