By 2018, there will be a 35% increase in jobs requiring a masters degree or higher and a 30% decline in positions requiring no postsecondary education (Curry & Milson, 2014). This is all occurring as our society diversifies racially. However, minority groups continue to have lower achievement and attainment rates (Curry & Milson). In addition, our society is becoming more economically polarized—the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer. These facts are indicative of inequities in our social structure. School counselors are in a unique position in schools to advocate for educational equity and engage students in thoughtful consideration of postsecondary options. A comprehensive School Counseling program, which is focused on removing barriers, will be an important component in achieving this goal.
Equity
Students living in poverty are immersed in a distinctly different culture than their middle class peers. In order to become upwardly mobile, they will need to be explicitly taught middle class norms and expectations. I will collaborate with teachers in accomplishing this goal. In addition to promoting equity across social classes, I will also identify achievement and attainment gaps among the student populations at my school. I way pay particularly close attention to gaps between racial groups, genders, and students with Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s). I will reach out to disengaged students and utilize strategies and interventions to engage them and increase their access to the postsecondary option of their choice.
Comprehensive Counseling Framework
The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) has developed a framework for counselors, which comprises of three domains: academic, career, and social/emotional development. Counselors are to design their comprehensive counseling program based on this framework. The program should be data driven and evidence based. The program should also systemically address the mindsets and behaviors identified by ASCA as important in postsecondary success. The Career and College Readiness (CCR) component of the comprehensive counseling program should be assessed for effectiveness and adjusted as needed.
Engaging Stakeholders
One of the most essential components of my CCR plan will be collaboration with important stakeholders, such as parents, school and district staff, and community members.
My counseling program will work to ensure that parents feel welcomed into the school, so that a collaborative relationship is built. In addition, school staff members need to view the plan as a collaborative effort, which requires contributions from everyone (not just the school counselor). So, although I will be doing much of the planning, I will collaborate with school and district staff to ensure that the plan is supportive and feasible for everyone. I will also align with district school counselors to ensure that our CCR program is comprehensive and vertically aligned (College Board, 2010). Finally, it will be important to elicit support of community members and agencies to seek career and college representatives, and to access resources for tutoring, financial training, and information on the job market.
Curriculum Focus
An important step in preparing students to begin considering career and postsecondary options is engaging them in self-reflective and social-emotional learning (SEL) activities (Curry & Milsom, 2014). Once students have an understanding of their likes and dislikes, interests, and abilities, they will be better able to choose a career path that fits their unique set of traits. In addition, students need to engage in SEL, so that they can navigate the often complicated social landscape of the working world. Students will be able to link their interests with a career option and will demonstrate a growth mindset, self-regulation strategies, and an ability to plan and accomplish goals.
In addition, students will need to learn more directly about career and educational options. Students will learn about the world of work in the community surrounding them. Depending on their level, they may learn about career clusters, the current job market, financial implications of various career options, and goal setting and planning. They will also be exposed to successful role models, who have come from similar backgrounds.
My CCR program will be exploratory, collaborative and engaged. Students will learn the skills they need for the next stage in life, whether it is middle school, high school, college, trade school, or the world of work.
References
College Board (2010). Eight Components of College and Career Readiness Counseling.
Curry, J., & Milsom, A. (2014). Career counseling in schools. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Equity
Students living in poverty are immersed in a distinctly different culture than their middle class peers. In order to become upwardly mobile, they will need to be explicitly taught middle class norms and expectations. I will collaborate with teachers in accomplishing this goal. In addition to promoting equity across social classes, I will also identify achievement and attainment gaps among the student populations at my school. I way pay particularly close attention to gaps between racial groups, genders, and students with Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s). I will reach out to disengaged students and utilize strategies and interventions to engage them and increase their access to the postsecondary option of their choice.
Comprehensive Counseling Framework
The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) has developed a framework for counselors, which comprises of three domains: academic, career, and social/emotional development. Counselors are to design their comprehensive counseling program based on this framework. The program should be data driven and evidence based. The program should also systemically address the mindsets and behaviors identified by ASCA as important in postsecondary success. The Career and College Readiness (CCR) component of the comprehensive counseling program should be assessed for effectiveness and adjusted as needed.
Engaging Stakeholders
One of the most essential components of my CCR plan will be collaboration with important stakeholders, such as parents, school and district staff, and community members.
My counseling program will work to ensure that parents feel welcomed into the school, so that a collaborative relationship is built. In addition, school staff members need to view the plan as a collaborative effort, which requires contributions from everyone (not just the school counselor). So, although I will be doing much of the planning, I will collaborate with school and district staff to ensure that the plan is supportive and feasible for everyone. I will also align with district school counselors to ensure that our CCR program is comprehensive and vertically aligned (College Board, 2010). Finally, it will be important to elicit support of community members and agencies to seek career and college representatives, and to access resources for tutoring, financial training, and information on the job market.
Curriculum Focus
An important step in preparing students to begin considering career and postsecondary options is engaging them in self-reflective and social-emotional learning (SEL) activities (Curry & Milsom, 2014). Once students have an understanding of their likes and dislikes, interests, and abilities, they will be better able to choose a career path that fits their unique set of traits. In addition, students need to engage in SEL, so that they can navigate the often complicated social landscape of the working world. Students will be able to link their interests with a career option and will demonstrate a growth mindset, self-regulation strategies, and an ability to plan and accomplish goals.
In addition, students will need to learn more directly about career and educational options. Students will learn about the world of work in the community surrounding them. Depending on their level, they may learn about career clusters, the current job market, financial implications of various career options, and goal setting and planning. They will also be exposed to successful role models, who have come from similar backgrounds.
My CCR program will be exploratory, collaborative and engaged. Students will learn the skills they need for the next stage in life, whether it is middle school, high school, college, trade school, or the world of work.
References
College Board (2010). Eight Components of College and Career Readiness Counseling.
Curry, J., & Milsom, A. (2014). Career counseling in schools. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.