Habits of a working adult
Students start the year practicing what it looks like to show up well. They take responsibility for their work, manage their time, and act with honesty in school, jobs, and the community.
What does a student learn in
This is the stretch when school work starts pointing toward life after graduation. Students map out a path that fits their goals, whether that means college, a trade, the military, or a job, and they practice the habits employers actually notice: showing up, communicating well, and working with people who think differently. They also start handling real adult skills like budgeting, researching choices, and using new technology without being told how. By spring, students can talk through a plan for what comes next and back it up with concrete steps they have already taken.
- Career planning
- Workplace skills
- Personal finance
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Problem solving
- Ethics at work
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Communicating and working with others
Students practice talking, writing, and presenting clearly for different audiences. They also work on teams with people whose backgrounds and viewpoints differ from their own.
- 3
Thinking through real problems
Students tackle messy, real-world problems by breaking them apart and trying different approaches. They learn to research carefully, weigh evidence, and stick with a problem long enough to solve it.
- 4
Tools, creativity, and impact
Students use technology to get work done and try new tools as they appear. They also weigh how their choices affect money, people, and the environment around them.
- 5
Planning life after high school
Students map out what comes next after graduation. They look at colleges, training programs, and careers, and they think about health and money habits that hold up over a lifetime.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 11.
Career Ready Practices
Career Ready Practices
- High School
Plan an education and career path aligned to personal goals, interests
Students map out a realistic plan for life after high school, connecting their interests and goals to actual education or career options available to them.
- High School
Use technology to enhance productivity, communication
Students learn to pick the right digital tools for a task and stay useful as those tools keep changing. That means using software or apps to get work done faster, communicate clearly, and solve problems in new ways.
- High School
Work productively in teams while using cultural and global competence to…
Working in a team means listening to people with different backgrounds, adjusting how you communicate, and getting the job done together. Students practice the habits that make them a teammate others want to work with.
- High School
Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee, taking personal…
Students take ownership of their choices at school, at work, and in the community. That means following through on commitments, admitting mistakes, and understanding that their actions affect the people around them.
- High School
Apply appropriate academic and technical skills learned through career and…
Students take skills from their CTE classes, like writing, math, or hands-on technical work, and apply them to actual problems they might face in a job or career.
- High School
Attend to personal health and financial well-being and make decisions that…
Students make choices that affect their health and money now and later in life. That means weighing decisions like what to eat, how to budget a paycheck, and how daily habits build up over time.
- High School
Communicate clearly, effectively
Students practice adjusting how they speak, write, and communicate online based on who they're talking to and why. A message to a boss looks different from a text to a friend, and this standard covers knowing that difference.
- High School
Consider the environmental, social
Before making a plan or design choice, students think through how it might affect the environment, other people, and money. They weigh those tradeoffs before deciding what to do.
- High School
Demonstrate creativity and innovation by generating new ideas and approaches…
Students come up with original ideas and find new ways to use familiar tools, skills, or methods to solve problems they haven't seen before.
- High School
Employ valid and reliable research strategies to gather, evaluate
Students practice finding trustworthy sources, judging whether the information holds up, and pulling key details together into a clear picture. This is the research habit that shows up in every job and every class.
- High School
Use critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them…
When a task gets complicated, students pause to break it into smaller steps and try more than one approach before giving up. That habit shows up in class projects, part-time jobs, and any real problem worth solving.
- High School
Model integrity, ethical leadership
Students practice making honest, responsible decisions at school and at work, then show others what that looks like in action. Being trustworthy and fair matters whether students are in a classroom, on a job, or in the community.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Plan an education and career path aligned to personal goals, interests High School | Students map out a realistic plan for life after high school, connecting their interests and goals to actual education or career options available to them. | MD-CDOS.CRP10.9-12 |
| Use technology to enhance productivity, communication High School | Students learn to pick the right digital tools for a task and stay useful as those tools keep changing. That means using software or apps to get work done faster, communicate clearly, and solve problems in new ways. | MD-CDOS.CRP11.9-12 |
| Work productively in teams while using cultural and global competence to… High School | Working in a team means listening to people with different backgrounds, adjusting how you communicate, and getting the job done together. Students practice the habits that make them a teammate others want to work with. | MD-CDOS.CRP12.9-12 |
| Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee, taking personal… High School | Students take ownership of their choices at school, at work, and in the community. That means following through on commitments, admitting mistakes, and understanding that their actions affect the people around them. | MD-CDOS.CRP1.9-12 |
| Apply appropriate academic and technical skills learned through career and… High School | Students take skills from their CTE classes, like writing, math, or hands-on technical work, and apply them to actual problems they might face in a job or career. | MD-CDOS.CRP2.9-12 |
| Attend to personal health and financial well-being and make decisions that… High School | Students make choices that affect their health and money now and later in life. That means weighing decisions like what to eat, how to budget a paycheck, and how daily habits build up over time. | MD-CDOS.CRP3.9-12 |
| Communicate clearly, effectively High School | Students practice adjusting how they speak, write, and communicate online based on who they're talking to and why. A message to a boss looks different from a text to a friend, and this standard covers knowing that difference. | MD-CDOS.CRP4.9-12 |
| Consider the environmental, social High School | Before making a plan or design choice, students think through how it might affect the environment, other people, and money. They weigh those tradeoffs before deciding what to do. | MD-CDOS.CRP5.9-12 |
| Demonstrate creativity and innovation by generating new ideas and approaches… High School | Students come up with original ideas and find new ways to use familiar tools, skills, or methods to solve problems they haven't seen before. | MD-CDOS.CRP6.9-12 |
| Employ valid and reliable research strategies to gather, evaluate High School | Students practice finding trustworthy sources, judging whether the information holds up, and pulling key details together into a clear picture. This is the research habit that shows up in every job and every class. | MD-CDOS.CRP7.9-12 |
| Use critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them… High School | When a task gets complicated, students pause to break it into smaller steps and try more than one approach before giving up. That habit shows up in class projects, part-time jobs, and any real problem worth solving. | MD-CDOS.CRP8.9-12 |
| Model integrity, ethical leadership High School | Students practice making honest, responsible decisions at school and at work, then show others what that looks like in action. Being trustworthy and fair matters whether students are in a classroom, on a job, or in the community. | MD-CDOS.CRP9.9-12 |
Common Questions
What does career and occupational studies look like in high school?
Students build the habits adults use at work and in college. That means planning a path after high school, working in teams, communicating clearly, managing money and health, and using technology well. Most of this shows up inside other classes and through projects, jobs, or internships.
How can I help my teenager start thinking about life after high school?
Have short, low-pressure conversations about what they like and what they are good at. Visit a college campus, tour a trade program, or ask a family friend about their job. Even a 15-minute talk about what someone actually does at work gives students more to think about.
My teenager has no idea what they want to do. Is that a problem?
No. Most students change their minds several times. The goal right now is to try things and notice what feels interesting, not to lock in a career. A part-time job, a club, or a class outside their comfort zone often does more than a career quiz.
How do I help with money and health habits at home?
Let them handle real money decisions. Help them open a checking account, read a pay stub, or compare prices at the store. For health, model sleep, cooking, and asking a doctor questions. Small, repeated habits matter more than one big lecture.
How should career-ready skills be sequenced across four years?
Front-load self-awareness and exploration in grades 9 and 10 through interest inventories, guest speakers, and short projects. Move into applied work in 11 and 12 with internships, dual enrollment, capstones, and a written postsecondary plan. Revisit teamwork, communication, and ethics in every grade.
Which of these skills usually need the most reteaching?
Clear written communication for a real audience, reliable research that goes past the first search result, and productive teamwork when students did not pick their group. Plan to model these directly and grade them more than once across the year.
How do I build these skills into a class that is not labeled career studies?
Anchor a few assignments to real audiences and real problems. Ask students to cite sources, present to someone other than the teacher, reflect on their role in a group, or connect the unit to a job that uses it. The standards fit inside almost any subject.
What does mastery look like by graduation?
A graduating student can name a next step after high school and explain why it fits them, write and speak clearly for different audiences, research a question without being fooled by bad sources, work with people they did not choose, and act with honesty when no one is watching.