A variety of curricula exist for aiding the general populace of job seekers in planning and preparing for employment, but for job seekers with learning difficulties, of any age, including those first-time job seekers transitioning from school to adult life, we developed the Road to Success curriculum.

Road to Success embeds the Strategic Instruction Method [SIM] - a research validated instructional methodology - throughout the curriculum and generates an apprenticeship model of learning that engages both instructors and students alike in a community of practice that moves participants from novice toward 'expert' levels of skill and performance.

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• Course Goals & Outcomes
• Instructional Methods
• Classroom Settings
• RTS Course Units
• Implementation
• Contact
• Teacher Materials

Course Goals and Outcomes
The ultimate goal for any participant in a Road to Success course is to obtain and sustain meaningful employment. The critical outcome for Road to Success is a significantly increased level of self-determination. Specific Road to Success course goals are employment planning and preparation. This includes developing supportive networks, and learning specific skills and behaviors that will help in gaining and maintaining employment, and making connections with local employment options and support services.

As co-participants in small group settings, learners progressively develop skill in:

• Enhanced Presentation of self              •     Social Networking
• Goal Setting                                        •     Action Orientation
• Personal Responsibility                        •     Communication
• Independence                                     •     Interdependence

Instructional Methods
Road to Success is the product of past research projects and is currently part of a study involving vocational rehabilitation clients and transition students. Instruction in Road to Success is based on SIM, in which instructors routinely follow several stages to facilitate learner competency. These stages are woven throughout instruction:

• DESCRIBE    • MODEL  • VERBAL PRACTICE  
•CONTROLLED PRACTICE & FEEDBACK  •ADVANCED PRACTICE  •GENERALIZATION

In the Describe stage, instructors express the rationale for learning a skill or behavior, how the skill or behavior will benefit the students, and what the elements of the skill actually are.

The Model stage involves instructors performing or demonstrating a skill or behavior and concurrently verbalizing their own thought processes, so that learners hear instructors explain their thinking while completing the task.

The Verbal Practice stage is an instructor's first opportunity to check learner understanding of the new skill. Through a structured but not scripted rapid-fire question and answer format, instructors engage learners about steps of skills or lesson, critical content, and the rationale and purpose for using the skill until the instructor is certain that all students grasp the skill or content. (See a sample structure)

During the Controlled Practice and Feedback stages, students perform the skill in whole or small group formats with feedback from instructors or peers.

The Advanced Practice and Feedback stages often consist of role-play activity followed by "homework" as the learner tries out the new skill or behavior independent from the instructor and outside the classroom setting. In the following classes, more detailed discussion and feedback continues.

During the Generalization stage, the instructor and students identify various settings and situations in which the new skill can be learned, and how the skill might be adapted. Learners set goals for using the skill in real life situations. Because Road to Success encourages job seekers develop supportive networks, we recommend group rather than individual instruction. We expect instructors to make available ample class time for learners to communicate successes and challenges with one another, and to provide lesson specific feedback to students in an individualized setting.

Sample Page

The image to the left is an example of how the SIM model is displayed in the text of Road to Success.

Classroom Setting
Road to Success utilizes course and unit organizers, instructional devices that benefit learners with learning difficulties. The organizers illustrate big ideas and essential information, keeping the instructor and learners focused on key concepts and not the less important details.

The organizers demonstrate how course units are connected to one another, which helps learners to see the relationships between various topics and lessons and keep track of their own progress toward mastering course content.

The organizers help learners understand the expectations, routines, and purposes of the course, which contributes to a safe, supportive atmosphere for learning new skills.

Road to Success classrooms operate with:

• Community Principles, which are intended to build commitment from learners, are self-determination, urgency, action, and positive attitude (e.g., "We are all taking action to gain employment;" "The time is now, we're making serious effort and not waiting for everything to be perfect.")

• Learning Rituals that help learners to accomplish the course goals are: class discussions, small group activities, daily assignments, case studies and scenarios—to make the experience as interactive and near to the real world as possible.
  
  
• Performance Options - Instructors rely on activities (e.g., role-playing a job interview, filling out a job application) rather than traditional tests to assess learner competence regarding practical skills.

Making Decisions and Moving Along

Topic  One: Decision Making
I.     Review and Introduction
II.    Introduce the Surface Counseling Strategy
III.   Discuss the Scenario with the Participants
IV.   Decision Making Scenarios
V.    Making Real Decisions and Solving Real Problems
VI.   Review
 
Topic Two: Developing Supportive Networks
I.     Introduction
II.    Developing Networks
III.   Fact Finding Interviews
IV.   Interviews
V.    Let the Phone be your Friend
VI.   Initial Job Interview
 
Topic Three: Communication
I.     Use Unit Organizer to Review Previous Material
II.    Introduce Communication Skills
III.   Review FACTS
IV.   Contributing to the Team
V.    Review Communication Strengths and Weaknesses
VI.   Listen Effectively
VII.  Introduce Barriers to Communication
VIII. Review
 
Topic Four: Teamwork
I.      Use Unit Organizer and Review Participants’ Progress
II.     Introduce Teamwork
III.    Complete Story Roulette Activity
IV.    Getting Along with Co-workers
V.     Scenarios Illustrating these Skills
VI.    Understanding Our Attitudes
VII.   Dealing with Different Beliefs
VIII.  Review

Responding to Roadblocks

• Dealing with stress
• Identify what creates stress in you life
• Coping with stress in a positive way
• Being assertive
• Verbal communication
• Nonverbal communication
• Conflict situations
• Maintaining a strong work ethic
• Dependability
• Trustworthiness
• Punctuality
• Staying on task
• Being courteous
• Being honest
• Maintaining a positive attitude
• Having a neat, clean appearance
• Understanding job qualifications and accommodations

 

Topic One: Dealing with Stress
I.     Review and Introduction
II.    Knowing what Stresses You Out
III.   Coping with Stress
IV.   Managing Stress Carefully
V.    Using Language to Deal with Stress Positively
VI.   Complete Stress Management Activities
 
Topic Two: Assertiveness
I.     Introduction and Review
II.    Silent Communication Activity
III.   Assertive Communication
IV.   The three ways to Cope with Conflict
V.    Assertive Nonverbal Communication
VI.   Cooling Conflict Activity
 
Topic Three: Maintaining a Strong Work Ethic
I.      The Basics
II.     The Extras
 
Topic Four:
I.       Review Unit Organizer
II.      Qualified Persons
III.     Essential Functions
IV.     Accommodations
V.      Types of Accommodations

 



 

 

 

Reaching My Destination

• Responding to employers' expectations
• Job interview
• On the job
• Job performance review
• Understanding the work environment
• Written rules and procedures (e.g., work hours, attendance policies, timekeeping, lunch and break times, training periods, performance reviews, pay periods)
• Work climate (e.g., relaxed vs. rigid.)
• Staying on track once in a job
• Organization
• Communication
• Stress management

 

Topic One: Responding to Expectations
I.      Review and Introduction
II.     The Job Interview
III.    The First Days
IV.    Performance Reviews
 
Topic Two: Understanding the Work Environment
I.      Introduction
II.     Written Rules and Procedures
III.    The Work Climate
IV.    Review
 
Topic Three: Staying on Track
I.      Introduction and Review
II.     Evaluation

 





 

 

 

Road to Success Implementation

Critical success factors for Road to Success implementation

1. Well-prepared instructors
2. Small and diverse class composition
3. Relationship and procedural bridges to adult service providers

Road to Success instructors:

1. Practical knowledge of RtS content in order to Describe and provide the rationale and benefits to the learner
2. Mastery of RtS behaviors that allows verbalizing thought processes while Modeling a task
3. Adept at making accurate observations of learner performance while leading classroom activities during Verbal Practice
4. Highly skilled in giving constructive feedback
5. Able to lead discussions about generalizing and adapting skills to real life situations

Training for instructors:

1. Required two-day workshop to teach Road to Success available through the Division of Adult Studies at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning http://das.kucrl.org/contact.shtml
2. Optional training in the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) available through the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning http://kucrl.org/sim/profdev.shtml

Class Size and Diversity

1. RtS classes promote building of community or supportive networks for students to communicate successes and challenges
2. Class size of about 10 or 12 learners are small enough to be sufficiently individualized, yet large enough to build a supportive network
3. Class groups that are diverse in terms of gender, age, and race help form genuine learning communities

 



 

 

 

Teacher Materials

• Attendance Sheet pg
• Attendance Sheet
• Course and Unit organizers
• Participant Registration
• POST Questionnaire
• PRE Questionnaire
• Weekly Planner
  

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