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Career Guidance Resource Guide for Elementary and Middle/Junior High School Educators (MDS-1130)

D. Dare, C. Maddy-Bernstein

INTRODUCTION

Career theorists such as Ginzburg, Roe, Super, Crites, Holland, Tideman, and others have long emphasized the developmental aspect of career development, which they indicate should begin in early childhood and continue into the adult years. Despite the strength of these developmental theoretical perspectives, most career-related activity found in our schools has traditionally taken place in high schools. However, this trend is changing. Educators across the nation are becoming increasingly aware of the need to prepare students to begin planning as early as possible for the world beyond school, including the world of work.

A number of recent initiatives, including the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, have reemphasized the need to address career-related education at appropriate developmental levels. Resources such as the National Career Development Guidelines K-Adult Handbook (Kobylarz, 1996) provide educators a backdrop for delivery of high quality programs. The purpose of this resource guide is to provide practitioners with information on currently available career guidance materials and resources for elementary and middle/junior high school levels.

The information contained in this resource guide includes:

The National Career Development Guidelines for Elementary and Middle/Junior High School, taken from the National Career Development Guidelines K-Adult Handbook (Kobylarz, 1996). The National Career Development Guidelines K-Adult Handbook is based on developmental career counseling theory and has been validated through exhaustive review by practitioners, leaders in the field, and field tests.
A "template" taken from the National School-to-Work Office's web site. This template offers a list of suggested activities to enhance the career development of all students.
The Career Development Activities Chart. This chart is designed to indicate how the two models (the National Career Development Guidelines and School-to-Work) can intersect to promote developmental career guidance through appropriately selected activities for students at all developmental levels, including elementary and middle/junior high school.
A list of materials and resources to be used by practitioners in career guidance activities for elementary and middle/junior high school students. These resources and materials are listed in four sections: Grades K-3, Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8, and Other Resources.
Address list for Sources of Information. This section provides a listing of manufacturers, publishers, and distributors whose catalogs served as the primary sources of information for this resource guide.
A list of names and addresses of State Supervisors of Career Guidance
A list of names and addresses of State Occupational Information Coordinating Committees (SOICC)
A list of names and addresses of State School-to-Work Coordinators and/or Grantees
Brief abstracts with contact information for the Regional Education Laboratories
A brief abstract describing ERIC/CASS information sources

LIMITATIONS OF THE RESOURCE GUIDE

As the National Career Development Guidelines (NCDG) indicate, career guidance focuses on three critical developmental areas: self-knowledge, educational and occupational exploration, and career planning. While all three components are critical to effective development of career-related competencies, this guide focuses on educational and occupational exploration and career planning. The purpose of this guide is to provide a list of resources related specifically to exploration and planning. For locating resources on self-knowledge and other related topics, see page 191.

Additionally, although new electronic resources are emerging at a very rapid pace and many of these resources are excellent, the technology to support the use of these resources remains widely disparate across the nation's elementary and middle schools. Many of these resources are currently available on web sites and through the internet. Others resources vary widely in cost, and many are quite expensive. In an attempt to be timely in providing a resource guide for other materials, this resource guide limits information on the electronic resources available for career exploration and planning. A supplemental guide including electronic resources is under consideration for future publications.

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