Work Style Assessment (Chart 3)

Transition Planning Assessment Areas	What are we Assessing	How can you assess it and how can you access the suggested data collection or assessment sources?
Cell 3: Interests & Preferences for Post-Secondary Expectations	Work style options Definition: Physical characteristics of the work environment and the management structure of the work environment.	Review student files or portfolios to see if student/family preferences related to work options (e.g., type of work, work conditions supervision /management conditions, etc.) have been documented from any previous assessment effort.
		Interview student to elicit preferences and interests related to work options in the community. Interview format should be direct questions related to types of work and settings for home and community working conditions. Two examples of interview protocols are: Student Post-Secondary Transition Interview and Student Transition Planning Interview.
		Interview parent(s) to elicit their preferences for working situations after high school. Interview format may be brief with direct questions related to work interests, preferred work settings, preferred working conditions, and preferred work supervision style. Interviews may be structured or non-structured. (See an example interview form, Parent/Guardian Transition Interview.)
		Interview current and/or previous employers to elicit their opinions about the student's demonstrated preference for types of tasks, types of working situations, and supervision response patterns.
		Complete (or review) a work history record on the student to establish previous job choices and reasons for those choices and reasons for leaving.
		Conduct formal or informal observations on students with no work history in a job or occupational exploration experience at school or in the community. Document observations related to student behaviors indicating preferences and interests.
		Administer the Job Site Interest Summary by interviewing the student following a job exploration or job shadowing experience or a work sample in the community.
		Administer "What's My Bag?" or "This Is How I See Myself" to 8th or 9th graders in the early stages of occupational choice. These informal instruments are from Informal Assessments for Transition Planning (IATP), pp. 55 and 56-57 respectively. IATP (Clark, Patton, & Moulton, 2000) is published by PRO-ED, Inc., 8700 Shoal Creek Blvd., Austin, TX 78757, www.proedinc.com
		Administer the Job-Related Interest and Preference Inventory (as an interview or as a written survey) from Informal Assessments for Transition Planning (IATP), pp. 64-65. If used as a survey form, use with students who have independent reading and writing skills at the 9th-10th-grade level. IATP (Clark, Patton, & Moulton, 2000) is published by PRO-ED, Inc., 8700 Shoal Creek Blvd., Austin, TX 78757, www.proedinc.com
		Administer Your Employment Selection (YES) with students who have lower cognitive abilities, developmental disabilities involving communication skills, or students with limited reading and writing skills. It is a computerized program that uses video clips of workers rather than verbal statements or printed illustrations of occupational activities and occupational settings and conditions. YES is published by TRI-SPED, Utah State University, 6523 Old Main Hall, Logan, UT 84322-6523 http://www.trisped.org
		Administer selected preference and interest programs from Iowa Choices, 2006-2007. Selections should be made on the basis of student reading and cognitive abilities and grade level. Consider particularly Choices Explorer (Grades 6-8; 9-12) and Career Futures (Grades 6-8), a CD version of Choices Explorer. Iowa Choices is the state's designated career planning and decision-making program. Iowa Choices 2006-2007 is published by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission, 200 – 10th Street, 4th Floor, Des Moines, IA 50309-3609 http://www.iowacollegeaid.org
	Career options Definition: The USOE 16 career cluster families framework takes all the different careers and jobs in the economy and organizes them according to related occupational and industry areas. See the Iowa Department of Education, Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation Iowa Career Resource Guide, or Career Clusters.org, or your local community college website for local variations.	Review student files or portfolios to see if student/family preferences related to career options have been documented from any previous assessment effort.
		Interview student to elicit preferences and interests related to career options. Interview format should be direct questions related to types of career options that match personal preferences and work options.
		Interview parent(s) to elicit their preferences for career options after high school. Interview format may be brief with direct questions focusing on a match between student interests, preferences, and strengths in relation to career possibilities.
		Administer informal checklist assessments of competencies related to career and job choice using the Comprehensive Inventory of Transition Knowledge and Skills, Items 1-2 on pp. 10-11 of Informal Assessments for Transition Planning (IATP). These checklists are most appropriate for students ready to move from a tentative career or occupational choice to specific planning, including course of study and course selections in high school. IATP (Clark, Patton, & Moulton, 2000) is published by PRO-ED, Inc., 8700 Shoal Creek Blvd., Austin, TX 78757, www.proedinc.com
		Administer Choices Planner from Iowa Choices, 2006-2007. Selection should be made on the basis of student reading and cognitive abilities and grade level readiness (9-12). Iowa Choices is the state’s designated career planning and decision-making program. Iowa Choices 2006-2007 is published by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission, 200 – 10th Street, 4th Floor, Des Moines, IA 50309-3609 http://www.iowacollegeaid.org
		Administer selected abilities tests or interest inventories as needed to assist the student in the career decision-making and planning process. Examples of commercially available instruments include the following (alphabetical order): Ability Explorer (2nd ed.). This assessment ranks strengths in 14 abilities important in today's workplace. This 140-question assessment raises self-awareness and creates a foundation for informed career and educational planning. Students are asked to read each statement and then indicate how good they are or would be at doing an activity. It was written at an 8th Grade reading level. It is available from Impact Publications at http://impactpublications.com/browseproducts/Ability-Explorer-(2nd-Edition).html ACT's EXPLORE Program. EXPLORE® is designed for 8th or 9th graders to plan high school courses, prepare for the ACT, or choose a career direction. Thirty-minute ability tests in English, math, reading, and science provide students data for planning. This program is available from ACT at http://actstudent.org/explore/tests/index.html ACT's PLAN Program. The PLAN® is a comprehensive guidance resource that helps students measure their current academic development, explore career/training options, and make plans for the remaining years of high school and post-graduation years. PLAN can help all students—those who are college-bound as well as those who are likely to enter the workforce directly after high school. As a "pre-ACT" test, PLAN is a powerful predictor of success on the ACT. At the same time, many schools recognize the importance of PLAN testing for all students, as it focuses attention on both career preparation and improving academic achievement. PLAN® is available at http://www.act.org/plan/ Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Career Exploration Program. This program is designed to help students learn more about themselves and the world of work, identify and explore potentially satisfying occupations, and develop a working strategy to realize their goals. It may be used with the ASVAB test (a battery of tests to identify abilities for skilled, semi-skilled, and technical occupations. To access information, go to http://www.asvabprogram.com Interest Determination Exploration and Assessment System (IDEAS) Teachers and counselors can use the IDEAS inventory with junior high, middle school, and high schools students in conjunction with career programs and guidance units to help students develop an awareness of possible career choices. It is designed for persons 13 years of age and older and has a 6th grade reading level. It is available from http://www.pearsonassessments.com/tests/ideas.htm Kuder Career Planning System. The Kuder Career Planning System, now published by National Career Assessment Services, Inc. (NCASI), is an innovative, Internet-based system combining research-based interest, skills, and work values assessments with portfolio development, comprehensive educational and occupational exploration resources, and administrative database management. Many AEAs are providing this assessment service. For more information or ordering, go to http://www.kuder.com/publicweb/aboutus.aspx Occupational Aptitude Survey and Interest Schedule-3 (OASIS-3) The OASIS-3 has an aptitude and an interest assessment component. The OASIS-3 Aptitude Survey measures six broad aptitude factors that are directly related to skills and abilities required in more than 20,000 jobs listed in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. The Aptitude Survey yields six scores: General Ability, Verbal Aptitude, Numerical Aptitude, Spatial Aptitude, Perceptual Aptitude, and Manual Dexterity. The interest component is a conventional vocational interest inventory. The OASIS-3 Interest Schedule measures 12 interest factors directly related to the occupations listed in the Guide of Occupational Exploration. This instrument is available at http://www.proedinc.com Pictorial Inventory of Careers DV 2000 (PIC DV 2000). The Digital Pictorial Inventory of Careers is an affective domain interest assessment that requires no reading. PIC measures career interest by using Digital Quality Live Action Videos of REAL LIFE WORK scenes, instead of paper pencil tests. PIC is an assessment for School-to-Career Transition Programs. All students, including special populations, may use PIC. This program is available at http://www.talentassessment.com Reading-Free Vocational Interest Inventory:2 (R-FVII:2). The newly revised R-FVII:2 uses pictures of individuals engaged in different occupations to measure the vocational likes and dislikes of students and adults who are mentally retarded, learning disabled, disadvantaged, or enrolled in alternative or vocational/career training programs (ages 13 years and older). It does not require reading comprehension or written language skills. R-FVII:2 is available at http://www.proedinc.com Self Directed Search Assessment & Finder Form E. The Self Directed Search Assessment Form E and Job Finder are for students who have limited reading skills. The reading level is 4th to 6th grade level. The Form E Assessment Booklet includes uncomplicated questions about individuals' likes and dislikes, their competencies, the jobs they find interesting, and their personal abilities. The 198-item Assessment Booklet is written at a 6th grade reading level. The directions are written at a 4th-grade reading level in larger print for easier reading. The Self Directed Search Assessment Form E has four sections – Activities, Skills, Jobs, and Rating Your Abilities. The Form E Jobs Finder lists over 860 jobs, including some requiring postsecondary training. For more advanced students in cognitive and reading abilities, Self Directed Search Assessment & Finder Form R PRINTED or INTERNET Versions are appropriate options. Both forms are available at http://www.hollandcodes.com/self_directed_search_html WorkKeys® Assessments were developed by ACT as a job skills assessment system measuring real-world skills. WorkKeys® Foundational and Personal Skills assessments provide reliable, relevant information about workplace skill levels. WorkKeys® Foundational Skills assessments measure cognitive abilities such as applied mathematics, reading for information, and locating information. WorkKeys® Personal Skills assessments are designed to predict job behavior and measure the full potential of individuals. This system is available from http://www.act.org/workkeys/ Wide Range Interest and Occupation Test-2 (WRIOT2). The Wide Range Interest and Occupation Test—Second Edition is a revision of the popular WRIOT. The WRIOT2 consists of 238 full-color pictures. Individuals decide whether they like, dislike, or are undecided about each job depicted. The WRIOT2 does not require reading or language understanding. This instrument is available at http://www.proedinc.com

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