We at Launch Leadership Development realize some of you may have questions as to whether our course meets your state’s academic standards.

Today I would like to address how our course relates to or meets certain state or national academic standards.

• Indiana Employability Skills Standards
• Common Core and Career Readiness Standards

I have the role of Education Advisor and was part of the team that developed our course Cultivating Leadership Superpowers. As a vocational careers teacher for 32 years and years of working with the Indiana Workforce Development training for teachers, I can certify that this course meets the Indiana Employability Skills Standards, and every effort was made to utilize higher order thinking skills when developing questions.

Our course meets the Indiana Employability Skills Standards

Indiana developed sets of employability skills standards for grades 9-12 and we have incorporated these into our course.

• The standards are based on the National Employability Skills Standards from the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), the Indiana Department of Workforce Development’s Employability Skills Benchmarks, and the Governor’s Work Ethic Certificate.
•  The standards are arranged within four key areas: Mindsets (M), Work Ethic (WE), Learning Strategies (LS), and Social and Emotional Skills (SE).
• If your state has adopted employability skills standards based on the National Employability Skills Standards, then this course will likely meet those standards.

Below is the list of Indiana Employability Skills Standards for grades 9-12.

Links to the state website:

IN employability standards grade 11-12

IN employability standards 9-10

Mindsets (M) The established set of attitudes impacting self-growth.

1. Lifelong Learning Understand that life-long learning is necessary for long-term career success; demonstrate willingness to work and learn and continually apply new knowledge.
2.  Self-Confidence Possess belief in own ability to succeed; assert self when necessary; demonstrate a sense of belonging

Work Ethic (WE) A set of values centered on the importance of doing work and reflected especially in a desire or determination to work hard.

•  Self-Discipline   Demonstrate self-control and behave in accordance with rules with minimal      direction; appropriately manage potential or perceived conflict.
• Independence Able to successfully carry out expectations with minimal supervision; demonstrate opinion and conduct not influenced or controlled by others.
• Perseverance Able to delay immediate gratification for long-term rewards; demonstrate endurance, and capacity to complete tasks.
• Time Management / Organization Prioritize and balance school, home, work, and community activities; plan and organize long and short-term goals.
• Adaptability Manage transitions and adapt to changing. situations and responsibilities
• Integrity Act in a trustworthy, honest, and transparent manner.
• Professionalism Use the appropriate skills and behaviors for personal and professional environments.

Learning Strategies (LS) Processes and tactics students employ to aid in the cognitive work of thinking, remembering, or learning.

1. Effective Communication Apply existing and emerging academic, technological, and interpersonal skills to clearly, effectively, and convincingly express ideas and messages to others appropriate to the environment.
2. Aptitude Awareness Able to identify and communicate individual interests and skills that align to potential career paths, to related coursework, and to in-demand occupations.
3. Decision-Making Utilize critical thinking skills to make informed decisions based on options, rewards, risks, limits, and goals; consider multiple perspectives
4. Initiative Apply self-motivation and self-direction to learning, able to self-start.
5. Attention to Detail Able to achieve thoroughness and accuracy when accomplishing a task.
6. Problem Solving Apply critical and creative thinking skills to complex problems; evaluate causes, problems, patterns, or issues and explore workable and innovative solutions to improve situations.

Social and Emotional Skills (SE) The process through which the knowledge, the attitudes, and the skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set, and achieve positive goals, feel, and show empathy for others, establish, and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions is acquired.

1. Regulation Recognize and manage one’s emotions.
2. Connection Able to have strong social awareness.
3. Collaboration Able to work well with others, including in the group and teamwork environment.

National Common Core and College and Career Readiness Standards

Common Core Standards are being updated to include College and Career Readiness standards.

• Most states are still working on integrating the two. This will be a lengthy process.
• College and Career Readiness standards are taking the basic core standards for grades k-12 and changing them to reflect higher level thinking and hands-on job skills in high school.
• The standards are broken down into specific subject areas, including English/language arts, math, science, social studies, world languages, health and physical education, arts, civics, economics, and career and technical education.

We are confident that when these standards are finalized, our courses will meet many of the career portion standards. We will update the website with that information when available.

I hope this has answered any questions you may have about how our course relates to state standards. If you have any further questions, please contact me through our website.

-Jan Jones