Navigation 101

A Curriculum for Comprehensive Career Guidance

The Workforce Board has advocated for expansion of Navigation 101 in its strategic plan for workforce development. Youth Objective 1 in the current plan, “High, Skills, High Wages 2008,” calls for a K-12 guidance and counseling system that provides students and their parents with a curriculum to individually plan their pathways and prepare for future education and/or work after high school.

History
In 2006-2007, OSPI allocated $6.4 million appropriated by the Legislature to increasing the use of Navigation 101 in school districts across the state.

As of the 2008-2009 school year, Navigation 101 curriculum was being implemented at 221 schools across 103 school districts, including:

100 high schools
15 seventh through 12th grade programs
18 alternative living experiences, which can include online learning and parent partnership programs
77 middle schools
11 elementary schools.

The Navigation 101 curriculum combines five major elements of personalizing, planning, demonstrating, empowering and evaluating that lead to better student outcomes and success in further education and/or work.

Teaches students the skills they need to chart their own courses through middle school, high school, postsecondary education and adulthood.
Provides students with an ongoing personal relationship with an adult that lasts throughout their middle and high school experiences.
Provides a meaningful way to keep parents involved in the decisions their teens are making.
Requires commitment from the school and faculty to make changes such as adjusting schedules and classes to meet students’ goals.