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STUDENT RESOURCES

The STUDENT Resources section provides information and activities to students. 

There is information about the following topics:

  • CDOS Commencement Credential preparation and requirements

  • Steps to Success, including important information on knowing and advocating for yourself

  •  Activities to prepare for graduation and employment

Student Resources: Homepage_about

OVERVIEW OF CDOS COMMENCEMENT CREDENTIALING PROCESS

Student Information

WHAT IS THE CDOS COMMENCEMENT CREDENTIAL

The CDOS Commencement Credential is offered by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) as a Pathway to Graduation.  The CDOS Commencement Credential signifies that a student has received instruction in entry level skills needed to secure a job in their community.

CDOS COMMENCEMENT CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Students seeking this Graduation Pathway

  1. Completes a career plan

  2. Deomstrates they have met CDOS Learning Standards in the area of Career Exploration and  Development, Integrated Learning, and Universal Foundation Skills

  3. Completes the equivalent of 2 units (216 hours) in Career and Technical Education (CTE) coursework

  4. Has at least 54 hours of Work Based Learning (WBL)

  5. Has at least one completed Employability Profile

PREPARING TO MEET THE CDOS COMMENCEMENT CREDENTIAL

Grade 9 -

  • Develop your Career Plan

  • Identify graduation requirements for Regents and CDOS

  • Assess your self and careers with inventories related to learning, interests, independence (See Steps for Success for samples.)

  • Explore various careers

Grades 10 and 11 - 

  • Continue to update all the activities from Grade 9 adding information about your self and your plans

Grade 12 and Beyond - 

  • Continue to update all information

  • Gather proof of completed requirements

Student Resources: CV

CDOS DETAILS

HISTORY OF THE CDOS COMMENCEMENT CREDENTIAL

NYSED first offered the CDOS Commencement Credential in the 2013-2014 School Year for Students with Disabilities.  This Pathway to Graduation was made available to all students students a few years later.

CDOS LEARNING STANDARDS

CDOS Learning Standards cover three areas:

  1.  Career Development

  2. Integrated Learning

  3. a. Universal Foundation Skills

      b.  Career Majors

For complete descriptions, choose Learn More

Student Resources: CV

STEPS FOR SUCCESS

KEY FACTORS OF SUCCESS

This is a list of personal traits that are needed to be a successful adult.  Review this list and work to achieve the skills listed.

LIVING INDEPENDENTLY

This graphic chart points out the daily living tasks that you will need to live on your own.  You can begin to learn these tasks while you are still living with your family.  Acquiring these skills allows you to live by yourself or to get along well with other housemates!

SELF-DETERMINATION

Self-Determination means many things.  It is you knowing yourself and making plans to live the life you see for yourself.  This does not mean that you are alone.  You should seek to learn about  what makes you happy, healthy, and fulfilled and then take the steps needed to meet your goals.  All this happens with help along the way as you grow.  Self-Determination is a life-long skill.

DEVELOPING YOUR OWN SELF-ADVOCACY SKILLS

Self-Advocacy is knowing about your self....Good and Bad....and using that information to achieve.  This worksheet offers tips on becoming your Self-Advocate and using the information you gain to make arrangements based on your needs.

Student Resources: CV

MORE STEPS FOR SUCCESS

SELF-CONFIDENCE BUILDING STRATEGIES

Having the skills to be Self-Confidence can take a life-time to achieve.  The strategies offered here are designed to give you tasks to work on (by yourself and with others) to feel better about yourself and your life.

TRANSITION ACTIVITIES

Provides information on worthwhile activities for students to achieve starting as early as 8th grade.

LIKES DISLIKES SKILLS STRENGTHS

Numerous activities for students to explore personal likes, dislikes, skills, and strengths.  Activities include:  Things That Make You Special , A Personal Assessment Letter, and check off sheets for likes, strengths, and skills.

BE YOUR OWN BEST ADVOCATE

Offers tips on How to advocate for yourself, When to advocate for yourself, and multiple ways to learn more about self-advocacy.

Student Resources: CV

STEPS FOR SUCCESS CONTINUED

MAKING CHOICES

Offers three activities to aid students in determining how many choices they make for them self and how many of their choices are made by other people.

DISABILITY CHALLENGES

Having a disability can present challenges.  these activities allow you to explore the challenges your disability presents and devise methods for coping.  Understanding the Americans with Disability Act and how to make it work for you information is also provided.

TAKING CARE OF YOUR OWN HEALTH CARE NEEDS

Sure, it is easier to allow your family to take care of YOUR health care needs, but it is important to be aware of what you need and how to manage your health care needs.  These activities are designed to assist you in these processes.

JOB SEEKING ADVICE

The New York State Department of Labor offers tips on what you need to do to find a job.  They offer free advice at www.labor.ny.gov on how to access an use your local One-Stop Career Center to find training activities for specific job openings.  Take advantage of this information!

Student Resources: CV
Student Resources: CV

ACTIVITES

Activities and Worksheets for Students

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

This worksheet is designed to be completed by you and others who are familiar with you and your learning/working habits.  Then get together with a trusted adult and review the sheets and make plans to USE your Strengths to ASSIST your Weaknesses

CAREER PLAN

A Career Plan includes documentation of the following:

  • the student’s self-identified career interests;

  • career-related strengths and needs;

  • career goals; and

  • CTE coursework and work-based learning experiences that the student plans to engage in to achieve those goals.

The activities that the student includes in his/her Career Plan are not limited to those career-related activities that will be provided by the school and may include other activities that the student involves him or herself in outside of school (e.g., volunteer work or summer employment).

School districts must provide students with the form to document the student’s Career Plan.

NYSED has developed a model form for this purpose.  A student may choose to develop his/her Career Plan online, beginning in middle school, using CareerZone, a career exploration and planning website for youth that is provided at no cost to users by the NYS Department of Labor at www.careerzone.ny.gov.

EMPLOYABILITY PROFILE

You Employability Profile is completed within one year prior to your exit from high school.  It documents your:

  • employability skills and experiences;

  • attainment of each of the commencement level CDOS learning standards for standards 1, 2 and 3a; and

  • as appropriate, attainment of technical knowledge and work-related skills, work experiences, performance on industry-based assessments and other work-related and academic achievements.

A copy of the your Employability Profile(s) must be maintained in the your permanent record. Your Employability Profile will provide you with a better understanding of how others view your strengths and the skills needed to continue to work on to realize your goals; summarizes your work-experiences, skills, abilities, knowledge and talents to assist in the development of a resume; and provides potential employers with evidence of work-skills attained.

MORE ACTIVITIES

Related to CDOS

CDOS ATTAINMENT CHART

NYSED makes available a chart that assists students in tracking their progress towards attaining a CDOS Commencement Credential.

LEARNING BY DOING

This is a citation of your published piece. Write a brief description to give a snapshot of your work. Make sure to specify the medium for publishing, such as an academic journal, book, essay or magazine. If your work only appears on certain pages, include that information so it’s easier for your readers to find.

Learn More

EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN

This is a citation of your published piece. Write a brief description to give a snapshot of your work. Make sure to specify the medium for publishing, such as an academic journal, book, essay or magazine. If your work only appears on certain pages, include that information so it’s easier for your readers to find.

Learn More
Student Resources: CV
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