CPA Syllabus

Career Preparedness Part A Syllabus

Finance Academy

Mrs. Gandy

Business Teacher / Academy of Finance Director/ FBLAAdvisor

Contact Info:

Demopolis High School

701 Hwy 80 West

Demopolis, AL 36732

School: (334) 289-0294

Email address:  kgandy@dcsedu.com

Blog:  www.gandytigertime.blogspot.com.

Planning Time: 1st Period (7:55-8:48)

After School Lab Hours: By Appointment ONLY

DHS MISSION

The mission of Demopolis High School is to promote excellence in academic and extra-curricular activities, to develop productive citizens in a safe environment, and to employ a team of highly-qualified personnel who will implement the latest support materials and strategies.

Course Title:  Career Preparedness Part A

Instructor: Kelly Gandy

Text: Business and Personal Finance – All books remain in classroom.

Prerequisite: None

Course Fee: $0.00

FBLA Fee: $18.00 or $30.00 with T-Shirt

Program: Finance Academy

INSTRUCTIONAL PHILOSOPHY

Employees are expected to meet all company goals and apply knowledge through real life situation.  A variety of training methods are employed to teach decision-making, problem solving, communication, and employability and technological skills to employees of Tiger, Inc.  Techniques include the use of small and large group discussions, lecture, independent study, simulations, gaming, demonstration, peer teaching, project-based and cooperative learning methodology.  Hands on and problem solving experiences are utilized to allow employees to become engaged in the learning activities, learn appropriate business protocol, and to practice desired behaviors and attitudes.  Employees are expected to become actively involved in activities, experiences, and assessment that deal with applying, synthesizing, and evaluating knowledge and skills.  Tests, performance assessment, laboratory work, project reports, assignment completion and project presentation are used in assessing employee learning and progress throughout the course. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION 

The Career Preparedness course focuses on three integrated areas of instruction-academic planning and career development, financial literacy, and technology.  Course content ranges from college and career preparation to computer literacy skills to ways to manage personal finances and reduce personal risk.  The area of technology is designed to be interwoven throughout course instruction.  Mastery of the content standards provides a strong foundation of student acquisition of the skills, attitudes, and knowledge that enables them to achieve success in school, at work, and across the life span.  As part of preparing students to be college- and career ready, this course also equips them with the skills needed for business and industry, continuing education, and lifelong learning.

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

FBLA is a co-curricular component of the Business/Finance program.  This student organization will enhance classroom instruction, develop leadership skills, and provide opportunities for professional growth and service.  The fee to join is $30.00

PROGRAM GOALS 

To provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for economic success in the twenty-first century and to provide employers an adequately prepared workforce that meets labor market demands.

• To encourage critical thinking skills.
• To promote educational values including economic understanding and consumer competencies.
• To promote character growth and development including human relations, good work habits, positive attitudes, and ethical standards.
• To provide a realistic understanding of the work environment.
• To enhance employability skills
• To reinforce basic skills in such areas as communication, mathematics, and technology.
• To simulate interest in career development.
• To foster an appreciation of the free enterprise system.

COURSE GOALS

The student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of a systematic approach to a decision-making process, including factors regarding academic planning and career development, financial literacy, and technology.
2. Understand the effect of workplace behaviors.
3. Analyze personal skills, interests, and abilities and relate them to current career opportunities.
4. Examine the employment process, including searching for a job, filling out a job application, writing a resume, developing and practicing interview skills, and completing required employment forms.
5. Diagnose problems with hardware, software, and advanced network systems.
6. Compare functions of various operating systems.
7. Analyze cultural social, economic, environmental, and political effects, and trends of technology to assess emerging technologies and forecast innovations.
8. Demonstrate appropriate digital citizenship through safe, ethical, and legal use of technology systems and digital content.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1. How can you determine the opportunity costs of a decision?
2. How can you determine the tradeoffs of a decision?
3. What is the best way to solve a problem that doesn’t have an obvious answer?
4. Why are appropriate workplace behaviors to employees and employers?
5. What are my personal areas of interest and aptitudes?
6. How do I complete a four-year high school education plan?
7. What is my individual career options from the 16 National Career Clusters based on my interest and aptitude assessments?
8. What are specific job descriptions, requirements, salaries, and employment outlooks for individual career options?
9. What are the safety and health standards in the workplace for daily procedures, emergency procedures, equipment/tools, dress, and use of technology and work area maintenance?
10. What is the employment process?
11. How is a job search conducted?
12. How do you fill out a job application?
13. How do you write a resume?
14. What are interview skills?
15. How do you interview?
16. What are employment forms?
17. How do you complete employment forms?
18. How does preventive maintenance impact productivity?
19. How do you troubleshoot hardware/software/advanced network systems?
20. Why is it necessary to compress files?
21. How does one compress, convert, import, and create backup files?
22. What is the benefit of importing files?
23. What is the importance of backing up files?
24. How does one transfer data among applications?
25. What is an operating system and why is it important to the computer or mobile device?
26. How do you determine which type of operating system best supports your computer or mobile device?
27. How do we use online learning environments for personal and group learning?
28. What are the cultural norms for online personal and community learning?
29. What is a personal learning environment and why do we need one?
30. What is the relationship of technology to cultural, social, economic, environmental, and political factors?
31. What is my relationship with technology?
32. In what ways will technology become increasingly more important in my life?
33. What are the consequences of illegal and unethical use of technology systems and digital content?
34. What do copyright law and policies state?
35. What is a digital footprint?
36. How can a person tell “good” internet information from “bad”?

COURSE OUTLINE

I. Personal Decision Making

A. Decision-Making Process

II. Academic Planning and Career Development

A. Workforce Behaviors

1. Workplace Etiquette

B. Personal Skills Interests and Abilities Related to Current Career Opportunities

1. Assessments that Identify Personal Areas of Interest and Aptitude

2. Career Options from the 16 National Career Clusters

3. Safety and Health Standards in the Workplace

C. The Employment Process

1. Job Searches

2. Completion of Job Applications

3. Writing a Resume

4. Interview Skills

5. Completion of Required Employment Forms

6. Use of Word Processing Software to Write Correspondence Documents

III. Technology Skill Applications

A. Diagnose Problems

1. Hardware

2. Software

3. Advanced Network Systems

B. Advanced Technology Skills

1. Compressing

2. Converting

3. Importing

4. Backing Up Files

5. Transforming Data Among Applications

C. Functions of Various Operating Systems

D. Emerging Technologies and Forecast Innovations

1. Use of Emerging Technology Resources Including Social Networking, and Other Electronic Communications

E. Digital Citizenship

1. Consequences of Illegal and Unethical Use of Technology Systems and Digital Content

2. Copyright Laws and Policies

3. Creating and Maintaining a Positive Digital Footprint

4. Critique Internet and Digital Information

5. Sources of Digital Content Using a Style Manual

CULMINATING PRODUCT(S)

Students will:

1. Create a portfolio based on the career of their choice found in Kuder.
2. Create an employment portfolio with a letter, job application, resume, letters of recommendation, etc.
3. Create, format, and publish professional business report.
4. Create and deliver commerce and information technology curriculum-related content to an audience.
5. Prepare a Financial Literacy presentation.

RESOURCES FOR INSTRUCTION

Google Classroom

Canvas

Microsoft Office 2016

Windows 10

Internet Access

SmartBoard

Computer Access

MATERIALS

Bring the following to class every day:

·         Folder with pockets and binder

·         Paper

·         Pen / Pencil

·         Ear Phones or buds

**Each student is responsible for all books, papers, pens, etc. necessary for the day’s lesson.  Hall passes will not be used to get materials.

ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

Employees will receive a weekly softskill assessment.  The softskill assessment will count for 20% of each 9 week period.  Each employee will be assessed a minimum of 4 of each 9 weeks.  Employees will be given a rubric and assessments will be available to employees at all times.  The following:

1. Disrespect of peer or teacher.
2. Destruction or abuse of school property/equipment.
3. Tardiness.
4. Not being on task.
5. Not following safe work practices.
6. No cell phones

COURSE EVALUATION

Homework	10%
Daily Assignments/SoftSkills	30%
Written/Performance Based Tests	60%
Total 100% pre-exam grade

*A minimum of 4 or more written/performance based test grades will be taken per nine weeks.

 *A minimum of 4 or more daily assignments & softskills grades will be taken per nine weeks.

 * A minimum of 2 or more homework assignment grades will be taken per nine weeks.

GRADING SCALE

A             100-90%

                B             89-80%

                C             79-70%

                D             69-60%

                F              59-0%

COMPUTER USAGE

The employee is expected to abide by the Demopolis City School’s computer usage agreement.  Any employee caught misusing the equipment and software will be referred to the administration, appropriate action will be taken.  If any financial loss is incurred, the employee will be responsible to pay. 

CELL PHONE USAGE
Cell phone use is prohibited in the classroom unless instructed by the teacher.  Students will deposit their cell phone into the designated storage bin at the beginning of class and will collect it on the way out the door AFTER the bell rings.  The office manager will account for each bin and if the students deposits their phone daily then softskills will not be deducted from their grade.  If a student does not abide by the cell phone rule and is caught using their phone then 1st offence will result in "cell jail" for the day and can be picked up after school.  2nd offense will result in it being turned into the office.  Lose of softskills will occur in both instances.