For many young people, high school years appear to be one of the most volitional years of life because they are faced with many life transitions particularly with a challenge of moving from school to work and/or postsecondary education. During this time, most young people make a plan pursuing an education beyond high school or entering the world of work. In today’s world, however, young people are faced with rapidly changing occupational structures brought about by globalization, and with increasingly complex social changes in which they may encounter challenges in developing and implementing career plans and navigating a matching process between their interests, skills, values, goals and work demands (DeBell, 2005; Friedman, 2005; Hall,
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Department of Education, 2010). According to the National Alliance for Secondary Education and Transition (NASET, 2005), one of the main tenets of the Blueprint for Reform is the notion that a quality school-based learning environment can promote college and career readiness in high-school students in order to make successful post-school transitions. However, the Career Readiness Partner Council (2012) identified career readiness as a separate process from college readiness, and defined career readiness as an individual who is able to “effectively navigate pathways that connect education and employment to achieve a fulfilling, financially-secure and successful career” (p.2). Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) was therefore designed to incorporate career development activities, and is being nationally implemented in order to help students acquire and achieve college and career readiness (Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, 2011; Solberg, Phelps, Haakenson, Durham & Timmons, …show more content…
Aligned with the American School Counseling Association’s National Model, academic performance, social and emotional development, and career development-related skills are identified as the three primary domains that all students need to achieve college and career readiness skills through guiding school counseling programs. This present study replicates and extends upon previous literature in a number of ways. First, we build off the college and career readiness movement and the ASCA national model by adding the importance of academic grades as an indicator of college readiness related outcomes due to relevance and course planning. Second, we include the role and the importance of stress and health management as an indicator of social and emotional development which has not been included in previous high-school transition models. Third, we adopt the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC) model (Baltes, 1997; Baltes, Baltes, Freund, & Lang, 1999) to conceptualize goal-setting as an indicator of a primary career-development skill because it reflects students’ abilities to select career goals as a result from engaging in career-exploration activities. According to the SOC model, goal-setting refers to a behavior that individuals actively identify their goals, execute action plans and steps to optimize their
Department of Education, 2010). According to the National Alliance for Secondary Education and Transition (NASET, 2005), one of the main tenets of the Blueprint for Reform is the notion that a quality school-based learning environment can promote college and career readiness in high-school students in order to make successful post-school transitions. However, the Career Readiness Partner Council (2012) identified career readiness as a separate process from college readiness, and defined career readiness as an individual who is able to “effectively navigate pathways that connect education and employment to achieve a fulfilling, financially-secure and successful career” (p.2). Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) was therefore designed to incorporate career development activities, and is being nationally implemented in order to help students acquire and achieve college and career readiness (Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, 2011; Solberg, Phelps, Haakenson, Durham & Timmons, …show more content…
Aligned with the American School Counseling Association’s National Model, academic performance, social and emotional development, and career development-related skills are identified as the three primary domains that all students need to achieve college and career readiness skills through guiding school counseling programs. This present study replicates and extends upon previous literature in a number of ways. First, we build off the college and career readiness movement and the ASCA national model by adding the importance of academic grades as an indicator of college readiness related outcomes due to relevance and course planning. Second, we include the role and the importance of stress and health management as an indicator of social and emotional development which has not been included in previous high-school transition models. Third, we adopt the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC) model (Baltes, 1997; Baltes, Baltes, Freund, & Lang, 1999) to conceptualize goal-setting as an indicator of a primary career-development skill because it reflects students’ abilities to select career goals as a result from engaging in career-exploration activities. According to the SOC model, goal-setting refers to a behavior that individuals actively identify their goals, execute action plans and steps to optimize their