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STATE PROFILE
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Department of Education Career Development

Program Goals and Emphasis

In fiscal year 2004, The Massachusetts Career Resource Network (MCRN) maintained its commitment to strengthening career development education (CDE) through: 1) direct funding of CDE projects; 2) an interagency service agreement with the Massachusetts Division of Employment and Training; and 3) collaboration with K-12 educators and university and college partners to develop a standards-based, data-driven approach to career guidance and counseling.
State Economic Profile

Economic and Environmental Profile

Major industries include textiles, electronics, publishing, education, tourism and fishing. Although the state has seen significant job losses in manufacturing and high technology, it remains a center of high technology—including biotechnology, software and telecommunications. Health care and social assistance is the largest sector for employment, followed by government and retail trade.

The January 2006 unemployment rate was 4.6%, as compared to 4.7% in April 2005.
Key Economic Sectors

• Educational Services
• Health Care & Social Assistance
• Government
• Leisure & Hospitality
• Manufacturing
• Retail Trade
State Career Resource Activities

Highlighted Activities

• The MCRN has focused on counselors. The new Massachusetts School Counselor’s Association (MASCA) model establishes the role of school counselors in raising student achievement, including an alignment of the CDE benchmarks with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.

• The MCRN developed, disseminated, and piloted the Massachusetts CDE benchmarks and evaluation instruments in order to standardize documentation of student outcomes, particularly in academic achievement. Through an interagency service agreement with the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, the MCRN has been able to design and deliver technical assistance to eight CDE research-based pilot projects for evaluation, documentation and articulation of how CDE supports the learning standards of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.
 
Primary Activities and Trainings

Massachusetts has conducted the following activities and trainings:
• Career Development Portfolios-- Massachusetts Career Plan Model
• Career Information Delivery Systems
• Guidance Counselors Conference
• Facilitating Career Development
• Improved Career Decision-Making in a Changing World
• MASCA Annual Conference
• MCRN Pilot Sites Technical Assistance Conferences
• National Career Development Guidelines
• O*NET- Dictionary of Occupational Titles
Career Information Delivery Systems (CIDS)

CIDS are computer-based systems providing local, state, and national information about careers and employment opportunities. State sites for CIDS include:

Elementary Schools0
Middle Schools 1
High Schools 6
Community Colleges 4
4-Year Colleges/Universities 0
Other 2
 
Primary Resources

Massachusetts has published the following resources:
• Career Development Education Guide
• Career plan model
• CDE self-assessment tools
• Career Tabloids
• Parental Involvement in Career Development Education Guide
• Improved Career Decision-Making
• MCRN Newsletter
• Massachusetts Model for School Counseling Programs
Program Funding and Partnerships

YearAmount
2005$142,001
2004$143,998
2003$144,853
2002$151,201
2001$132,000
Cumulative$714,053
Other Funding Sources

The program does not report any additional funding sources.
Significant Program Partnerships

• Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development
Resource Allocation

Contact Information

State Contact

Project Director
Karen DeCoster
Massachusetts Department of Education
Massachusetts Career Resources Network
350 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148-5023
Phone: (781) 338-3115
Fax: (781) 338-3950
e-mail: kdecoster@doe.mass.edu
Web Site: http://www.doe.mass.edu/cte
CIDS: http://masscis.intocareers.org/loginmain.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fdefault.aspx
State Administrative Location

Massachusetts Department of Education, Career and Technical Education Unit

Regional Contact Information

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