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Academic and Career Plan

 Background

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (http://dpi.wi.gov/acp) in the PI-26 legislation requires public school districts to provide academic and career planning services to students in grades 6th - 12th. This Education for Employment / Academic & Career Plan is required to be approved by the school board and published on the school district website annually. 

Academic and Career Planning (ACP), is a student-driven, adult-supported process in which students create and cultivate their own unique and information-based vision for postsecondary success. Research on the ACP process shows that it increases student motivation, engagement, school connection, and awareness of individual strengths and weaknesses. 

 Mission

The E4E / ACP plan supports our overall District Mission by providing opportunities for students to connect learning to their future plans and goals. 

Norway J7 School District Mission: To develop responsible students who demonstrate positive self esteem, respect for all people, accountability for their actions and choices, and a commitment for life-long learning. The caring, sensitive and dedicated staff, and an innovative curriculum, will give all students an opportunity to attain skills and knowledge necessary to sustain a successful and productive life. 

 Career Readiness Team

The work of creating a strong E4E / ACP plan requires collaboration and hard work from a variety of stakeholders. The current plan was drafted with support and input from the following individuals: 

Steven Williams, Ph.D., Superintendent/Principal 

Jamie Thomas, School Counselor 

Amber Cushing - 5-8 Teacher and Math Coach 

Student Success Stories: At Drought School, we have a strong sense of community, which comes from the high academic achievement and the activities like the Hornet Huddle, where student successes are celebrated and prosocial character traits are emphasized and encouraged. 

District Career Readiness Data

  •  100% of 4K-5 students participate in weekly social/emotional lessons and guidance activities. 

● 100% of 6-8 students participate weekly in social/emotional/academic guidance lessons and activities. 

● 100% of 4K-8 students participate weekly in Art and Music classes during the school day. 

● 100% of 7th and 8th grade students participate in career research through Xello. 

● 100% of K4 - 6th grade students participate in career lessons and activities. 

● The following career-based learning experiences (CBLE) are offered to students in 6th-8th grades: 

- Classroom Speakers (career professionals, guest speakers, parents) 

- School-related Volunteer / Service Projects 

● There are a variety of course options available for middle school students. These courses change and adapt to fit student interests and teacher licensure. Current course content offerings include: 

● Choir 

● Library 

● Physical Education 

● Art 

Labor Market Information

Labor market information (LMI) helps our school district develop career and technical education programs by uncovering the skills students will need in the future. In addition, LMI can help students understand which jobs are most likely to be available and well-compensated. A detailed report of Racine County LMI is linked here. below. 

Analysis of these profiles reveals the following projected career cluster areas of growth and need in our area: 

● Leisure and Hospitality 

● Construction 

● Professional and Business Services 

● Trade, Transportation and Utilities 

● Manufacturing 

The following jobs are projected to grow faster than average and have the most openings in our area into the future: 

● Food preparation and Serving 

● Healthcare Support 

● Architecture and Engineering 

● Transportation and Material moving 

● Personal Care and Support 

Postsecondary Education and Workforce Preparation

The ACP program at Drought School ensures every student receives exploratory opportunities tbegin thinking about preparedness for a variety of career pathways ahead. This includes: 

1. Career education and exploration provided for all 7th through 8th grade students using Xello. 

2. Financial Literacy lessons in grades 7th-8th in partnership with Community State Bank. 

3. Work habits and dispositions are developed throughout a student’s 4K-8 experience at Norway J7 School District.These skills include but are not limited to a. Collaboration, problem solving, communication, flexible thinking, independent and interdependent work and critical thinking. 

b. A commitment to Social Emotional Learning for all students to support life skills and the workplace. 

Professional development for staff

The School District of Norway J7 School will begin exploring professional development opportunities with staff to increase their ACP capacities through: 

● Book Club for staff on various topics 

● Ways to extend and incorporate career, college and self-awareness activities into the classroom across all content areas 

● Ongoing coaching and support from the counseling team: 

● Staff meeting embedded professional development 

● Supporting content area educators to recognize and identify curriculum crosswalk between content area and career clusters 

 

Family Engagement & Community Partnerships

Drought Elementary School parents, community partners and volunteers play a pivotal role in the Academic and Career Planning (ACP) process. They actively contribute to the development of their children and the betterment of our school, sharing their wealth of knowledge, extensive experience, specialized expertise, and unwavering support during various events, community experiences and classroom projects. A monthly newsletter is sent to all families in the district. This newsletter is a way to share what we are teaching at school with families. 

Furthermore, we encourage parents and community members to be involved through volunteering within our school community. Opportunities range from helping coach our teams, and presenting in classrooms about their careers and field trips. 
know explore plan go

 

 

As a 4K-8 district, Norway J7 School District is responsible for the Know and Explore Stages of the Academic Career Plan components. 

 

KNOW: Self Awareness and Academic Preparation 

● Develop a broad understanding of Academic and Career Planning, including key terms & definitions 

● Introduce career exploration tools 

● Learn and practice study skills 

● Identify post-secondary schools that provide educational pathways for identified careers 

● Review opportunities for high school graduation requirements and college credit in high school 

● Engage in financial planning experiences that supports post-secondary goals 

 

EXPLORE: Exploration Activities 

● Identify a desired career and explore educational pathways, day-in-the-life, salary and job outlook 

● Complete an interest inventory, explore related careers & career clusters 

● Revisit Interest Inventories and update careers & career clusters of interest 

● Explore the educational pathways for identified careers, including high school and postsecondary coursework. 

 

Formal ACP Process - Norway J7 School District’s ACP Process/Plan will be reevaluated annually, with a representative advisory committee to ensure its relevance for both students and staff and to maximize its effectiveness. 

Individualized ACP Support: Personalized support is offered to students via ACP (Academic and Career Planning) content area lessons within the classroom, collaborative in-class projects, and immersive learning engagements with our community partners. In January, the 8th grade students and their parents are invited to the Waterford Union High School for an evening presentation to discuss course options and student engagement opportunities for 9th grade. Students and their families use this information to register for courses in February. School Counseling staff work collaboratively, with partner districts and Waterford Union High School to develop a uniform system for communicating and preparing our 8th grade families with their transition to high school. 

Access for all Students: Our team of case managers collaborates closely with our school counselor to develop customized transition plans for students with IEPs, 504 plans and English Language Learners. These comprehensive plans are designed to establish a robust support framework that empowers all our students to successfully achieve their Academic and Career Planning (ACP) goals. 

Current Progress & Future Goals for Implementation: The foundation for a strong ACP and E4E program at Norway J7 School District is well established in our learning community. School counseling services have allowed us to focus more intently on articulating our current initiatives while growing opportunities for students and engaging students and caregivers in strong transition and career exploration activities. As we build on these foundations, areas for future growth and study are needed. Specific goals for our team include the following: 

● Expansion of staff professional development on curriculum crosswalk 

● Student, community, and caregiver input on ACP committee 

● Collaboration with 4K-8 partner districts and Waterford Union High School for alignment of Academic and Career Planning vision,goals and needs 

View the Education for Employment (E4E)/ Academic Career Plan (ACP) Document

Approved by the Norway J7 School Board on March 10, 2026