It is never too early for students to begin to think about their post- secondary pathways. Planning for college and careers must start early in students’ school lives, not in the eleventh hour of grade 11!
Research shows that schools that conduct meaningful post-secondary planning activities attract parents to attend, who, then, talk with their teens about college planning. And, students who discuss college plans at home are more likely to enroll in advance-level courses in high school in preparation for college and careers.1 Some schools in NNPS are taking a lead in conducting innovative post-secondary planning activities in the elementary, middle, and high school grades.2
The Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) at Ballentine Elementary School, in Irmo, South Carolina, conducted BES Goes to Work in the ’05-’06 school year. BES, the school bear, traveled with Ballentine parents to their places of work, and met a dentist, bank manager, and news anchor, to name a few. Parents took pictures of BES at work and students wrote summaries of their parents’ occupations. The activity showcased many careers of parents in the community and provided students with information on an array of possible career paths.
A common activity in the elementary grades is to have parents participate in "career day." In Paris Elementary School in rural Paris, Arkansas, parents made short presentations about their work in second grade classrooms in the Job Share Program. They also discussed how math, reading, responsibility, and other attributes help them in their work.
More dramatic is a program at the Charles N. Fortes Magnet Academy in Providence, Rhode Island. Third graders pledge to stay in school and stay drug free in the After School Program for Higher Education. Each year, students receive mentoring, tutoring, and an enriched after-school program. Parents are involved in supporting children across the grades. Working with the schools, the Rhode Island Children’s Crusade for Higher Education plans to provide full college scholarships for students who qualify in their senior year in high school.
Fifth and sixth grade students and their parents are provided information on college entry requirements and taken on tour of local college campuses in the program Going On To College (GOT College) developed by Families in Schools in Los Angeles, California. In 2005, more than 480 students and parents participated from two local districts that serve many low-income families with little or no formal college experience.
Max S. Hayes Vocational High School, in Cleveland, Ohio, aimed to Tell It Like It Is. Students and parents attended a one-day symposium to learn about career preparation, interview techniques, health issues, and other topics on life after high school graduation. The ATP invited speakers from community-based organizations to share their expertise. Students evaluated what they learned. They wanted to know more about succeeding in post-secondary life.
Naperville North High School found that parents and students needed clear information in print on applying for college and other post-secondary education programs. The action team and guidance department collaborated on The College and Career Planning Guide with checklists, tips, and examples of resumes, questions to ask college admissions staff, how to write essays, financial aid, and other topics.
Completing the plethora of financial aid forms for college can be a huge burden on students and parents. The ATP at Mullins High School, in Mullins, South Carolina, recognized this challenge and conducted a Financial Aid Workshop for Parents and Students. A local college financial aid advisor helped design and conduct the workshop, where over 50 high school seniors and their parents completed their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms.3
Schools in NNPS are showing that there are age-appropriate topics at all grade levels to help students and families plan for college and careers.
1 Simon, B. S. (2004). High school outreach and family involvement. Social Psychology of Education, 7, 185-209.
2 To learn more about these and other partnership activities on post-secondary planning, visit www.partnershipschools.org. Click on Success Stories and Promising Partnership Practices.
3 The University of Wisconsin-Madison conducts an annual Careers Conference with information on career-planning tools. See WisCareers at http://wiscareers.wisc.edu, a web-based program with information on college going, writing resumes, developing a portfolio, and required tests (e.g., PSAT, SAT, ACT).
Darcy J. Hutchins
dhutchins@csos.jhu.edu