Questar III was awarded a grant from the State Education Department to help improve access to work-based learning opportunities aligned with the standards for a Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) credential for students in our special education programs.
Often times, maturity levels and academic requirements serve as unintended barriers to student participation in work-based learning experiences, and by the time a student is eligible, it is too late in their academic career for them to earn the required hours for a CDOS credential.
Through the funds received in this grant, Questar III hopes to remove those barriers by scheduling occupational studies coursework including simulated work-based learning experiences within special education classrooms to promote maturity and work-ready skills in familiar settings. Students with disabilities could begin earning CDOS hours as early as 9th or 10th grade. By making this early progress, students are more likely to be eligible to enroll in a Questar III Career/Technical Education or Career Studies program at either Rensselaer Educational Center (Troy) or Columbia-Greene Educational Center (Hudson) by their junior year – and graduate on time.
Questar III is currently hiring the necessary staff to implement this program and finalizing an operational plan. The program is scheduled to begin this school year (2015-2016). Look for more information about this program in the coming months on our website, Facebook, and Twitter.
