Planning for College and Careers: How Families and Schools Shape the Alignment of Postsecondary Expectations

Students with aligned educational and occupational expectations have improved college and labor market outcomes. Despite extensive knowledge about the ways social background and school context contribute to educational expectations, less is known about the role of social intuitions in shaping expectational alignment. Drawing on data from the 2009 High School Longitudinal Study, I estimate the magnitude of socioeconomic inequality in alignment. I examine how differences in observed student characteristics contribute to, and whether school-based postsecondary planning initiatives mitigate, that inequality. Results from multinomial regression models show large socioeconomic differences in ninth-grade alignment, and I identify achievement, attitudes about college and careers, and relationships with significant others as contributors to those differences. Participation in postsecondary planning is associated with reduced uncertainty and increased alignment, but this relationship does not differ by social background, indicating that the examined college and career planning policies do little to address inequality in alignment.

Involving Families in the Postsecondary Planning Process: A Case Study

Researchers show that family involvement is crucial to a student’s success, yet finding ways to engage parents in the postsecondary planning process is sometimes challenging for school counselors. This case study highlights one school district’s process of developing and implementing a program geared toward engaging parents in their students’ postsecondary planning process. We discuss the rationale, steps taken to incorporate multiple stakeholders and data throughout the planning process, and attendee feedback.

College-Based Support Programs for Students With Autism

There has been an increase in the number of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attending college. To support this growing population of students, institution-based support programs have developed across the country to promote college success by addressing the social, communication, and executive functioning needs of students with ASD. This study investigated the current state of college-based ASD support programs to analyze current standards of care while also disseminating cohesive program information to professionals and families involved in postsecondary planning. Trends in college-based ASD service provision, admission requirements, and administrative support were identified through a systematic search and examination of traditional 4-year colleges with ASD-specific supports.

Evaluation of an SCCT-Based Intervention to Increase Postsecondary Awareness in Rural Appalachian Youth

Students underrepresented in higher education often require unique support throughout their career and college planning. Rural Appalachian youth characterize a large population of underrepresented students. This article describes a theory-based multiweek career education curriculum aimed at increasing career and college readiness that was delivered to over 1,300 high school students in two rural Appalachian counties. Evaluation data from 867 of these students, as well as from the program staff, are provided. Findings suggest that participants found the intervention useful, learned new information about postsecondary planning and career exploration, and received assistance planning for their futures. Implications for school-based career education with underrepresented students, in general, are discussed.

It Takes a Team

Meeting the needs of students who are twice exceptional (2e), those with gifts and talents as well as areas of disabilities, can feel daunting. Responding to the complexities of strengths and challenges of 2e students requires flexibility, innovation, and most especially teamwork. This chapter explores how the needs of 2e students change across the lifespan, sharing the role of the problem-solving team from early childhood through postsecondary planning. The chapter includes (a) problem-solving guidelines that foster collaboration to address academic, social, and emotional success; (b) examples of instructional strategies using universal design for learning and differentiated instruction for pre-K though postsecondary; and (c) family partnership approaches to support the students’ success.

Virtual Tutoring and Counseling in Schools

This paper is a report on the findings of a study conducted on ten primary and secondary schools in Spain where we evaluated how digital tools can contribute to reinforce and develop new ways of tutoring and counseling. The research shows how many counseling functions can be highly enhanced with the use of virtual tools, that is, academic planning, career postsecondary planning, tutoring, counseling, and personal-social development. One of the most important school counselor’s roles is to coordinate resources and services to best assist students and families in fulfilling their needs. Virtual tutoring and counseling through the development of virtual communities are key strategies to better connect with groups—students, parents, administrators, teachers, and others—as part of comprehensive developmental tutoring and counseling programs. Indeed, effective school counseling programs are a collaborative effort among many important groups of people whom digital tools help significantly.