Position Statement: Educational Planning

The Professional School Counselor And Educational Planning
(Adopted 1994, Revised 2000)

American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Position
The professional school counselor works with administrative, curricular and instructional staff to ensure all students have the opportunity to design academically challenging programs of studies.

Rationale
Specialization within a student’s program of studies should lead to successful completion of requirements for the chosen post-secondary option, while permitting opportunities for the development of other competencies. A systematic educational planning program promotes a student’s opportunity to make individual choices geared to his or her unique profile of abilities, interests and goals. Lack of educational planning leads to inequities based on gender, stereotypical attitudes and students’ special needs.

The Professional School Counselor’s Role
Professional school counselors play a critical role in assisting students in the development of a comprehensive plan allowing for exploration of their educational and career opportunities. The professional school counselor possesses knowledge of national, state and local goals and programs identifying how students can best achieve success in their post-secondary plans.

The professional school counselor advocates for developmental guidance programs involving individual and group activities stressing educational planning (i.e. decision-making, career awareness and exploration). The professional school counselor educates parents to become active members of the decision-making team.

Collaboration within the education community is necessary to provide all students with better choices and opportunities for quality educational programs. The professional school counselor takes a proactive role in facilitating changes that afford students, parents and staff the opportunity to accurately assess student strengths, interests and preferences and encourages the selection of challenging educational programs.

Summary
The professional school counselor advocates for equal educational planning opportunities for all students. Decisions that a student makes about a chosen course of study must be based upon information unique to the individual and his or her profile of skills and knowledge.

ASCA’s National Standards for School Counseling Programs help school systems identity what students will know and be able to do as a result of participating in a school counseling program; establish similar goals, expectations, support systems and experiences for all students; service as an organizational tool to identify and prioritize the elements of an effective school counseling program; and provide an opportunity to discuss the role of counseling programs in school to enhance student learning.

The National Standards for School Counseling Programs facilitate student development in three board areas: academic development, career development and personal/social development. Following are the nine national standards.

Academic Development

Standard A
Students will acquire the attitudes, knowledge and skills contributing to effective learning in school and across the life span.

Standard B
Students will complete school with the academic preparation essential to choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college.

Standard C
Students will understand the relationship of academics to the world of work and to life at home and in the community.

Career Development

Standard A
Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decision.

Standard B
Students will employ strategies to achieve future career success and satisfaction.

Standard C
Students will understand the relationship between personal qualities, education and training and the world of work.

Building Your Child's Future Together

Reference:  American School Counselor Association

When planning a career with your child, consider the following:

Work situations and skills needed for employment are constantly changing.

Almost half of the working population expects to change jobs in the next three years.

Retraining and upgrading skills will be a requirement for maintaining employment.

Two-thirds of the jobs created today will require education beyond high school.

The worker of tomorrow must be able to work as a team member, communicate, solve problems, use technologies, adapt to change and be drug-free.

Career development is a lifelong process.

                Pre-kindergarten – Third Grade

Development Traits
Needs and seeks attention and praise
Has boundless energy
Considers fantasy as reality
Shows a variety of tension-releasing behaviors

Career Needs
Distinguish between work and play.
Identify different types of work
Experience different types of work activities.
Describe how decisions are made.
Demonstrate a positive attitude.
Identify personal feelings.

Parent Involvement
Listen and encourage.
Encourage involvement in a variety of sports/hobbies.
Positively reinforce child for completing chores.
Praise efforts toward work as well as accomplishments.
Show an interest and stress importance of school.
Give toys that promote role playing.
Make decisions with – not for – your child.

Fourth Grade – Sixth Grade

Development Traits
Is more independent
Feels that belonging to a group and friend are important
Can assume more responsibility
Has a surprising scope of interests
Can think on own but is influenced by others

Career Needs
Identify personal interests, abilities, strengths and weaknesses.
Describe how work at home and/or school relates to jobs in the community.
Describe how work is important and attainable to all people.
Describe how personal beliefs and values affect decision-making.

Parent Involvement
Encourage good work habits at home. Gradually add responsibilities. Effort/experience are more important than quality.
Don’t assign jobs at home based on sex to avoid stereotyping. Show various workers in your community.
Participate in the school’s career education program.
Listen as your child makes decisions. Keep peer pressure in mind.

Seventh Grade – Eighth Grade

Development Traits
Is undergoing dramatic physical changes
Is sensitive and has need for approval
Tries to build a unique identity apart from parents’ influence
Wants more independence
Is curious but not ready for planning
Expresses feelings more openly

Career Needs
Demonstrate effective skills in working with others.
Show an appreciation for the similarities and differences among people.
Describe individual skills and aptitudes required to fulfill roles.
Identify strategies for managing personal finances.
Describe skills needed in a variety of occupations.
Demonstrate skills needed to obtain and keep a job.

Parent Involvement
Discuss your child’s skills, interests, abilities and goals to help plan for the future.
Encourage participation in service-oriented activities in the community.
Help children meet a variety of workers by arranging job observations, field trips or personal interviews.
Use guided money management and allow your child to make economic choices.
Allow children to work part-time outside the home.

High School

Development Traits
Develops a sense of self-identity
Begins a more prominent and realistic work/career search
Develops a concern with social issues
Matures sexually with physical and emotional changes
Increases independence

Career Needs
Understand how individual personality, abilities and interests relate to career goals.
Understand how education relates to college majors, further training and/or entry into the job market.
Demonstrate transferable skills that can apply to a variety of occupations and changing work requirements.
Be able to use a wide variety of career information resources.
Show responsible decision-making.

Parent Involvement
Help your child make independent decisions.
Encourage exploration of all kinds of post-secondary education opportunities.
Involve yourself in your child’s future planning.
Give certain economic responsibilities.
Encourage job awareness.
Be flexible as the decision-making process evolves. It takes patience and numerous modifications.

PLANNING FOR LIFE

American School Counselor Association - www.schoolcounselor.org 

                Preparing students to select a career pathway and guiding them to enroll in appropriate coursework is critical to meeting the challenges of the 21st century. Comprehensive school counseling and career guidance programs provide students with attitudes, knowledge and skills that support school success and establish a strong foundation for promising futures. A critical component is effective career planning, initiatives that address student needs by        providing career awareness, helping students connect educational goals to career goals, and offer opportunities for career exploration through mentoring and shadowing.

How To Implement a Career Planning Program      What does it take to deliver a successful career-planning program in your school? First, it takes the commitment of the entire school community to value the important role career planning plays in academic and affective development. Following are the key components to design, deliver and evaluate a comprehensive career-planning program. Use them to help you design or monitor career planning initiatives:

§         Vision: What students will accomplish as a result of an effective career planning program and how it contributes to the school’s mission.

§         Commitment: Ongoing investment of resources and support in the career planning program by school/district, family, and community.

§         Comprehensiveness: The degree to which all students participate in the career planning process as part of a comprehensive guidance and counseling program.

§         Collaboration: Shared ownership by stakeholders in the career planning process.

§         Program Management: A management system for career planning that ensures effective use of resources in the coordination, articulation and transition of the program from one grade level to the next.

§         Program Evaluation: The degree to which the program provides evidence of success.

*Career Planning

Following are key criteria for a successful career-planning program:

Vision: What students will accomplish as a result of an effective career planning program and how it contributes to the school’s mission.

Criteria

• There is a written vision statement addressing career planning.
• The career planning vision is connected to the school/district mission/vision.
• The vision statement clearly communicates the purpose of the program.
• The process for creating the vision is stated.
• Stakeholders were represented in the creation of the vision.
• Efforts are made to communicate the vision to all stakeholders.
• A process exists to link the vision to the design of the program.

Sample Documentation

• A written vision statement addressing career planning.
• The school/district mission/vision statement.
• Minutes or summary of meetings in which the vision was created.
• List of stakeholders who created vision, with descriptive titles, is included.
• Notices, statements, news articles, etc. indicating how the vision is communicated to stakeholders.
• Evidence of the process that links the vision statement to the design of the program.

Commitment: Ongoing investment of resources and support in the career planning program by school/district, family and community.

Criteria

• There is evidence of commitment from the administration and the school board through official board policy or administrative directive.
• There is evidence that communicates endorsement and/or support for career planning.
• There is evidence of a commitment by the school guidance and counseling personnel based on activities that they list as a part of their role and responsibility. The entire school faculty should show support for the career planning process through their schedule for the year.
• There is support from the business community evident through partnerships, advisory boards and career fairs.
• There is support from parents/caregivers and numerous opportunities for their involvement to be documented.
• There is evidence of commitment from the students as they take ownership of their own career plan.

Sample Documentation

• Copies of policies and/or school board minutes indicating support.
• Copy of career planning goals and objectives in guidance and counseling program.
• Agendas, minutes, notices of professional development activity related to career planning.
• Evidence of teacher support for career planning (schedules, department meeting minutes, etc.).
• School board minutes indicating business/community and parental support for career planning.
• Evidence of business support of career planning in hiring practices and work-based experiences.
• Evidence of parental involvement in the development and review of their child’s career plan.
• Copy of a completed career plan.

Comprehensiveness: The degree to which all students are involved in a career planning process as part of a comprehensive guidance and counseling program.

Criteria

• All students participate in a structured career planning process based on a comprehensive set of outcomes or competencies.
• Career planning activities are conducted at all grade levels.
• Education and training are explored without limitations imposed because of gender, race or physical condition.
• A variety of formal and informal individual assessments is used as needed.
• Individual abilities, aptitudes, achievements and interests form the basis for goal setting in career planning.
• Extracurricular activities support the career planning process.
• Career planning is ongoing and students are encouraged to review and revise their plans frequently and systematically.
• Each student has a written career plan.

Sample Documentation

• Copy of a comprehensive guidance and counseling program including career planning activities.
• Schedule of career planning activities by level.
• Evidence that all students, without limitation, are included in career planning.
• A listing of formal and informal assessment tools utilized.
• Evidence of goal-setting activities.
• Listing of extracurricular activities offered to support career interests of students.
• Schedule of student review of career plan with counselors and/or other professionals.
• Copy of the career plan.

Collaboration: Shared ownership by stakeholders in the career planning process.

Criteria

• Existence of an advisory committee including stakeholders to review and revise the career planning program.
• Administrative/school board support of career planning program.
• Infusion of career planning elements into curricula and other activities.
• Partnerships with business and community agencies to enhance career exploration.
• Structured career planning activities in guidance and counseling program that includes stakeholders.
• Opportunities for parents/caregivers to review and discuss child’s career plan.
• Opportunities for parents/caregivers and community members to participate in the career planning program.
• Opportunities for students to give feedback to the career planning program.

Sample Documentation

• Minutes of advisory committee meetings.
• List of stakeholders on advisory committees.
• Schedule of career planning activities that include stakeholders.
• Administrative/school board directives, memoranda, and articulation agreements.
• Teacher schedule indicating career planning activities.
• Partnership agreements.
• Evidence of job shadows, internships, career mentoring, and business and/or community support.
• Evidence of parental involvement as volunteers, career days, etc.
• Schedule of parent conferences using career plans as basis.
• Fliers, articles, etc. announcing career fairs or other career activities.
• Agenda of professional development activities that include stakeholders.

Program Management: A management system for career planning that ensures effective use of resources in the coordination, articulation and transition of the program from one grade level to the next.

Criteria

• There is a clear line of responsibility in the implementation and coordination of the program.
• Efforts are made to ensure a smooth transition at all levels.
• Qualified professionals ensure that the program is developmental and sequential.
• The program is a collaborative effort involving stakeholders.
• A steering committee exists to monitor the ongoing program.
• Revisions are made in the program based on needs assessments and feedback.
• Stakeholders are regularly informed of status of the program through various forms of communication.
• A structure is in place to ensure coordination among the school, community and businesses involved in the career planning program.

Sample Documentation

• Evidence of responsibility for implementation included in a written career planning program.
• An organizational chart indicating the line of responsibility in the implementation and monitoring of the program.
• List of steering committee members and minutes of meetings.
• Reports of the process used to receive feedback in the career planning program.
• Qualifications of personnel involved in implementation of the program.
• Copies of public relations initiatives to inform stakeholders and the community of the program.
• Evidence of coordination of program among school, community and businesses.

Program Evaluation: The degree to which the program provides evidence of success.

Criteria

• There is ongoing evaluation of specific competencies based on feedback.
• Student competencies were developed using the National Standards for School Counseling Programs and/or the National Career Development Guidelines.
• Needs assessments are periodically conducted with stakeholders.
• There is a process for summative evaluation.
• There is a process to revise the program based on evaluation results.

Sample Documentation

• Methods of evaluation of student competencies.
• Documentation of student feedback.
• Copies of needs assessments.
• Surveys of business, community agencies, parents, students, teachers and other staff.
• Follow-up student surveys.
• Report of summative evaluation.

Additional Resources from ASCA:

The American School Counselor Association has developed an extensive resource listing including publications, website, and other materials for the ASCA membership.  Among the publications available through ASCA include:

Ø        Get-A-Life Personal Planning Portfolio Facilitator’s Package
Get-A-Life Personal Planning Portfolio Facilitator’s Package, ASCA, 1993. The "Get-A-Life Personal Planning Portfolio," appropriate for grades 5-12, helps students collect information about themselves that they can use to make personal, educational and career decisions that will affect their entire lives. For schools, the Get-A-Life program provides an articulated system for documenting career-development activities for all students. The facilitator's package contains a manual, portfolio, video and computer program.

Ø        Get-A-Life Personal Planning Portfolios for Career Development
Get-A-Life Personal Planning Portfolios for Career Development, ASCA, 1995. This planner helps students in grades 10-12 make career decisions and formulate educational plans. It provides a step-by-step guide for finding employment. Contains 25 student portfolios. Facilitator's version also available.

Ø        Get-A-Life: School-to-Work Transition Planner Facilitators Package
Get-A-Life: School-to-Work Transition Planner Facilitators Package, ASCA, 1995. This planner helps students in grades 10-12 make career decisions and formulated educational plans. It provides a step-by-step guide for finding employment. The manual leads counselors or teachers through the planner. Get-A-Life Planners also available.

Ø        Helping Students Plan Careers
Nancy Perry and Laura Ward (1997). Helping students plan careers. AVA. The authors, both prominent and widely respected in the school counseling profession, share their insights and research into how school counselors can advance the school-to -careers movement. This concise, information-packed guide provides successful practices and resource information. It describes timesaving ways for school counselors to help students determine and pursue their career goals. 127 pages.

Ø        How to...Career Development Activities 10-12
Career Development Systems, Center on Education and Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison. This high-impact book contains lesson plans, including resources and activities. The activities are keyed to ASCA’s National Standards for School Counseling Programs, the National Career Development Guidelines, SCANS and the Developmental Guidance Model and relate to reading, math, social studies and more. Each student-centered lesson includes a detailed plan of teacher and student activities with creative suggestions for curriculum integration. The well-defined instructions and many accompanying worksheets save you hundreds of hours of lesson preparation and content development.

Ø        How to...Career Development Activities for Every Classroom (4-6)
Career Development Systems, Center on Education and Work, 1999. This high-impact book contains lesson plans, including resources and activities. The activities are keyed to ASCA’s National Standards for School Counseling Programs, the National Career Development Guidelines, SCANS and the Developmental Guidance Model and relate to reading, math, social studies and more. Each student-centered lesson includes a detailed plan of teacher and student activities with creative suggestions for curriculum integration. The well-defined instructions and many accompanying worksheets save you hundreds of hours of lesson preparation and content development.

Ø        How to...Career Development Activities for Every Classroom (7-9)
Career Development Systems, Center on Education and Work, 1999.  This high-impact book contains lesson plans, including resources and activities. The activities are keyed to ASCA’s National Standards for School Counseling Programs, the National Career Development Guidelines, SCANS and the Developmental Guidance Model and relate to reading, math, social studies and more. Each student-centered lesson includes a detailed plan of teacher and student activities with creative suggestions for curriculum integration. The well-defined instructions and many accompanying worksheets save you hundreds of hours of lesson preparation and content development.

Ø        Preparing Teens for the World of Work
Dianne Schilling, Pat Schwallie-Giddis and James Giddis (1995). Preparing Teens for the World of Work.  This book contains information on job-finding skills, job-keeping skills and tips for workplace mentors as well as an overview of school-to-work and its history. The publication is an in-depth guide for starting and expanding your school-to-work program, with reproducible activity sheets targeting students’ job-finding and job-keeping skills and handouts for workplace mentors.