Pleasant Valley builds career-connected opportunities for all students, sets goal for 100% of students to engage in work-based learning experiences

As record numbers of students in Iowa participate in work-based learning experiences, educators in the Pleasant Valley Community School District are ensuring those opportunities are available to all students.

That includes students in special education and those with disabilities who can use work-based learning experiences to create a critical pathway to independence and long-term success. With Iowa’s commitment to providing multiple career pathways for all students, these work-based learning opportunities provide meaningful opportunities for students to apply academic skills, build confidence and develop real-world competencies that traditional classroom instruction alone cannot provide.

“One of the biggest things we started with our Transition Alliance Program is creating opportunities within our buildings,” said Pleasant Valley Transition Alliance Program (TAP) Coordinator Melissa Dockery. “This has been extremely beneficial for our students to get some experience before they get out into the community.”

Dockery coordinates in-school experiences with students, such as organizing and delivering the district’s mail and other structured in-school responsibilities, to further build professionalism and independence in a familiar environment before students explore opportunities in the community.

Students also have the opportunity to work at Spartan Coffee, a school-based enterprise inside Pleasant Valley High School. The coffee shop, which provides work-based learning opportunities for nearly 20 students, operates like a real business inside the school building. Students follow a schedule, meet dress and punctuality expectations, and practice customer service, communication, reliability and problem-solving.

“There are just so many different skills that they're learning throughout these opportunities that they can take with them when they leave here,” Dockery said.

Outside of the school grounds, older students have the opportunity to engage in job shadows, internships and supported employment with local business partners.

Dockery helps create pathways for students in the community through engaging opportunities like Project SEARCH, a work-immersion program for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP), hosted by UnityPoint Trinity in Bettendorf. Students apply and interview for the program before working alongside UnityPoint staff who provide mentorship, training and support in a variety of health care roles with transferable skills. Students often work in materials management, food service, medical records and housekeeping during the immersive nine-month experience.

Pleasant Valley is also one of the districts that participates in ACCESS at Eastern Iowa Community College (EICC). ACCESS helps students in special education build employment and vocational skills. Students in the ACCESS program engage in career exploration, create career goals and participate in related academic and vocational courses to help them reach those goals. Many students also gain exposure to culinary arts pathways through the Taste Buds program with EICC. The partnership between EICC’s culinary program and Pleasant Valley allows students to collaborate with EICC culinary instructors to gain valuable hands-on experience in food preparation.

“Our district staff is intentional about helping all students explore career possibilities and connect them with experiences that can build toward a career pathway. For students who have exhausted pathway opportunities within the school, concurrent enrollment at EICC can extend that pathway and, if continued, lead to a certificate or diploma for all students, including those with IEPs,” said Pleasant Valley Director of Secondary Education Bernadette Brustkern.

The opportunities help Pleasant Valley achieve its goal of having the students work at least 16 hours per week after graduating from high school.

“We have a young man who is working at the Scott County recycling center in a position they created for him. This is an amazing opportunity at the facility that they’ve never had before,” Dockery said.

The Scott County Recycling facility is one of many businesses and partners in the community that have aided Pleasant Valley in providing these pathways for students.  

“Our proximity to a variety of industries has allowed our teachers to build strong partnerships over time,” Brustkern said. “Those relationships, along with the work of our teachers, help ensure that all students have access to valuable learning experiences.”

Students in special education are also paired with a dedicated job coach who works with them until they can be independent in their roles, models workplace proficiency and professionalism, and helps them forge relationships with coworkers.

“Before they even begin, they meet the employer, we sit down, talk and have a brief interview,” Dockery said. “The employers want to get to know the students, and what they can and can’t do and what they enjoy. It makes a big difference when the employer knows who the students are and who they’re working with.”

For Pleasant Valley’s work-based learning coordinator, Ellie Thomas, creating opportunities for students is critical to helping the district achieve its goal of having 100% of students participate in work-based learning experiences. The staff aims to create a system aligned across standards, grades and abilities for career awareness that ensures all students experience a progression of learning opportunities. Part of that system and progression is integrating TAP, with its additional supports, into the district's overall work-based learning environment and growing opportunities for all students.

“We want to expand career opportunities in addition to those traditionally concentrated in career and technical education,” Brustkern said. “Our next phase is to engage general education teachers in identifying career connections within their content areas and designing experiences that expose students to those opportunities.”

As more students participate in work-based learning and transition into further education and fulfilling careers after graduation, Pleasant Valley’s approach demonstrates avenues for schools to empower all learners. By prioritizing career exploration and hands-on experiences for every student, the district is preparing all students to succeed in the workforce while fostering a culture of belonging, growth and lifelong learning.