Yes! Schools really exist where all students plan for future education and realistic work. They base their plans on a full range of information rather than on unrealistic expectations gleaned from TV or other less reliable sources. All students, whether college-bound or work-bound, make future plans on the basis of concrete information. Those students who intend to go to college plan purposefully instead of just "going on to college" with no clear goals established.
Each of the programs highlighted below uses a different approach to help students learn to plan wisely for a satisfying future. One school has implemented an advocacy program where every teacher serves as an advocate/advisor for a small group of students who meet weekly; another has infused career development activities into the entire curriculum; a community college program reaches all its students through intensive assistance in job search and employability skills; and students in one school district select career pathways based on understanding themselves and understanding the wide range of work represented in their chosen career pathway.
Practitioners can learn a great deal from these model programs. They do not require a great deal of extra money to implement, nor do they require radical change in the system. But replicating such programs does depend on a desire to change and a deep commitment by the administration, faculty, and staff to the students they serve.
During the spring of 1997, staff from the Center's Office of Student Services and the U.S. Department of Education made site visits to review seven career guidance/career development programs recommended by a national panel of experts. Selected sites included a school district in a poor Texas border town, a rural district in Idaho, and a midwest community college. Three programs were validated as exemplary, and three more were given honorable mention.
Who is served? Too often, practitioners dismiss information gleaned from exemplary programs because they believe their students (or faculty, or administration, or setting) are somehow different from those in these programs. Yet these exemplary programs serve students from all walks of life. All students in each of the recognized settings are targeted for assistance--those planning to go to college and those planning to go straight into the workforce, those with limited English proficiency, students with disabilities, those who are at risk because of educational and economic factors, and teen parents. All students have the opportunity to learn about themselves and match their interests and abilities to potential careers. Whether students plan to attend two or four year colleges, join the military, work in apprenticeships, or go directly to work, they do so based on a full range of information about themselves, exploration of all careers, and a knowledge of the job market.
Background. Drawing from the success of the search for exemplary career guidance programs in 1995 and 1996, NCRVE's Office of Student Services and the U. S. Department of Education collaborated to conduct the third annual search in 1997. The search was co-sponsored by the National Association of State Career Development/Guidance Supervisors and the American Vocational Association. The search is conducted to recognize career guidance and counseling programs to serve as models for others to learn from and replicate.
While an estimated 200 to 300 programs in schools and colleges begin the application process, fewer than 20 complete the process and submit a packet of materials for consideration. All applications are thoroughly reviewed by a panel of nationally recognized professionals in the field who use strict research-based criteria. Site visits to top ranking programs are made by various teams. The final determination of program winners is made by staff from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Research in Vocational Education.
Three programs were recognized as exemplary career guidance and counseling programs during the 1997 nationwide search. These programs exemplify school efforts in developing and implementing well-integrated, comprehensive career guidance programs that assist every student to make the transition from school to the world of work and/or further education.
The U.S. Department of Education and the National Center announced the three exemplary programs in several national newsletters. Program information is entered into the OSS database of exemplary programs, where professionals, agencies, and other educational institutions can access the information. Information about the programs is disseminated through their publications and during workshops and conference presentations. In addition, representatives of the various programs share their success during presentations at national and regional conferences.
The Office of Student Services or the program representatives can provide: the criteria used for identifying exemplary programs, a more complete description of each recognized program than appears in this article, and suggestions for effective program implementation. The name, phone number, and address of a contact person for each of the exemplary programs is provided below.
The framework for identifying exemplary career guidance and counseling programs consists of three clusters of components: (1) Career Guidance and Counseling Program Plan; (2) Collaboration, Articulation, and Communication; and (3) Institutional Support, Leadership, and Program Evaluation.
The first set of components--the Career Guidance and Counseling Program Plan--is adapted from the National Career Development Guidelines (National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee [NOICC], 1989). Ideally, career guidance programs enhance:
The second group of components--Collaboration, Articulation, and Communication--stresses the importance of forging strong partnerships with parents, businesses, teachers, and community organizations. Effective guidance programs are successful in getting the support of area businesses, industries, and/or community organizations.
Components of the third cluster--Institutional Support, Leadership, and Program Evaluation--are typical of any good program. Such programs have strong administrative support, financial assistance, qualified personnel, program facilities, ongoing pro-fessional development, program evaluation, and follow-up to determine program and student outcomes (see Figure 2).
The Kuna School District's comprehensive, developmental career guidance program moves students progressively through an organized, age-appropriate curriculum. The program is based on the Idaho Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program K-12 model, which is modeled after the National Career Development Guidelines. The focus at the elementary level is on a variety of career awareness activities embedded in the curriculum. For example, parents and others visit the classroom to discuss their work, teachers relate their curriculum to jobs, and students take field trips to businesses. At the middle school level, many teachers relate their curriculum to work. In addition, two-month long classroom units are taught through the language arts classes co-facilitated by trained teachers. The curriculum for these career guidance units is developed by the Kuna middle and high school counseling staff. After being provided with commercial inventories and career information at the seventh grade level, students in the eighth grade identify their "dependable strengths." Every student leaves middle school able to articulate their strengths and how they relate to the world of work. Students have access to career information from print sources and from commercial software. Students are encouraged to plan their high school program of studies based on their interests and strengths.
The high school career guidance curriculum is both exploratory and preparatory with an ongoing emphasis on planning for future education and careers. The heart of the program takes place in language arts classes. In fact, the language arts teachers are staunch supporters of this approach to career development. Ninth grade students explore careers through commercial software programs, job clusters, fantasy job searches, and supporting videos. These activities are supplemented through several 90-minute class periods in which counselors and teachers assist students in developing high school plans. Tenth grade students focus on their interests and learning/working styles through commercial assessment instruments. In the eleventh and twelfth grades, career guidance is highly focused and more personalized. Students use print materials, videos, and computers to link with career information. They combine this information with data in their portfolio, which contains material accumulated over several years, to develop career-related research projects for language arts. These projects provide extensive career orientation through required interviews of people in the career field being studied and job shadowing experiences. The research culminates in papers and presentations for all students. Teachers help students develop their resumes and practice interviewing through mock interviews conducted by local business people. Students also have opportunities for internship experiences.
The Kuna career guidance program is a highly collaborative, integrated effort supported through professional development. All teachers participate in a week-long work-based experience and receive training on using computer career information and guidance systems. While one high school counselor is assigned to career counseling, all the high school counseling staff believe career guidance is crucial to student development and focus much of their work with students on career exploration and planning. Parental involvement takes place at every level of career guidance activity.
Parkland College's Career Planning and Employment Services (CPES) is very successful in assisting students in making the transition to continuing education or the workplace. The Office collaborates with faculty, administration, graduates, the local university, and business and industry to help students progress. It provides students as well as people in the community with a broad range of services including counseling, advising, testing, job placement, and other support programs designed to enhance educational experiences, promote personal growth, and supply employment assistance. The Office also collects critical data on student placements, salaries, program placements, and a variety of other information used regularly for program improvement and for guiding current students and prospective students. Many human resource representatives of local business and industry list their job openings with CPES exclusively.
The state supported community college located in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. has an estimated enrollment of 8,000 students. The community is unique because of its high-technology research and development programs and companies and its diversity resulting from the presence of the University of Illinois. In addition to services to its clientele in the college, Career Planning and Employment Services staff also provide assistance to local citizens, to business and industry, and to agriculture and labor organizations.
A very popular monthly career development seminar is provided for anyone who wishes to attend. These seminars are designed to help students, graduates, and others develop job search and employability skills. CPES' unique and innovative computerized job-management system matches employers with potential employees via the announcement of active openings on job bulletin boards throughout the college, with job-specific boards in wings where specific career preparation takes place. CPES also publishes a weekly placement bulletin and distributes personalized mailings to participating students on a weekly basis. Another service allows students and graduates to use a software program developed by the CPES staff for resume writing. Resumes are placed online to be reviewed by perspective employees and for students to use in searching for jobs of interest to them. Students who wish to transfer to four-year colleges use the computer-generated lists of potential institutions that are selected on the basis of major, location, enrollment, and other relevant criteria. The Office alerts students to their services via career fairs, college publications, in-class presentations, and orientation classes. The counseling staff of the college also support and assist with career preparation activities.
The Zapata (Texas) Independent School District has implemented a comprehensive, developmental K-12 career guidance and counseling program. The program is facilitated by very capable, well-trained counselors who assist teachers at all levels to provide this effective, district-wide program. The program is based on the National Career Development Guidelines. While Zapata is a rural border town in an economically disadvantaged area, their school system boasts a .9% dropout rate for grades 7-12 and a 93.6% attendance rate. The presence of a very supportive administration and caring teachers and staff make school a welcome place for Zapata youth.
High school students have access to a wide range of career development assessment activities, a good career information delivery system, peer tutoring and teacher tutoring programs, and a service learning program. A unique program helps migrant students complete their studies during the shortened time period when they can be in school each year. Parents are active participants in school activities. A wide array of inter-community collaborations exist that help provide school supplies, child care, clothing, and other services to students.
The high school career guidance and counseling program is coordinated by the guidance staff, but each teacher takes responsibility for 13 to 17 students in the school's unique advocacy program called "WE". Teachers meet with their advocacy groups for 1 1/2 hours each week to work on the career development curriculum and other age-appropriate activities to meet the career, educational planning, and social needs of every student. Groups are assigned by their graduating class and meet on a rotating schedule. In addition to the career development curriculum, the advocacy groups are structured to help students increase self-esteem and understand themselves. They discuss other age-appropriate topics, such as dating, violence and date rape. As a part of this program, teachers must make a yearly home visit to provide positive feedback to parents on their children. Counselors and administrators support the teachers in this program by providing the curriculum, videos, and print materials. While teachers started the Advocacy Program with some reluctance and many doubts, they have grown to believe it is an extremely worthwhile activity that improves student behavior and increases teacher morale .
Carolyn Maddy-Bernstein is the director of the Office of Student Services.