How Schools Can Support College and Career Readiness

Learn how to measure and improve students’ college and career readiness with actionable strategies. Explore metrics like GPA, course rigor, SEL, career exploration, and postsecondary planning to equip students for success beyond high school.

As a 12th grade English teacher, my passion for literature is clearly expressed through my classroom teachings. Through meaningful discussions, readings, and writing assignments, I encourage students to think about their own goals and passions. Teachers go beyond teaching; we play a key role in helping students explore their interests to prepare them for the future. By integrating college and career readiness skills like critical thinking, communication, and self-reflection, we can help students connect what they’re learning in class to real-world opportunities, guiding them toward academic and career paths that align with their personal interests. That’s just a start.

Evaluating students’ college and career readiness is essential because it helps determine if they have the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to succeed after high school. By assessing their readiness, schools can provide targeted support, ensuring students are prepared for the demands of college courses or for entering the workforce. This evaluation also helps identify areas where students may need improvement, guiding them toward a successful future, which starts with us.

This blog post provides a comprehensive guide on evaluating students’ career and college readiness, including key metrics to measure, their impact on student readiness, and actionable strategies to improve each metric to ensure that our students will flourish in the next phase of their lives.

• Boost GPA with AP and IB Classes: Encourage students to take AP (Advanced Placement) and IB (International Baccalaureate) classes, which serve as indicators of academic readiness for college success. These advanced courses show the student’s strong study habits, time management, and intellectual engagement. They also increase a student’s GPA.
  Tracking Attendance: Monitor attendance rates, as consistent attendance is linked to better academic outcomes and improved college and career readiness.
• After-school Prep: Offer after-school SAT or ACT preparation classes, which help students perform better with standardized tests.
• Balanced Course Choices: Counselors can guide students in choosing courses that align with their abilities and interests, ensuring a balanced workload that promotes success.
• Promote Dual Enrollment: Encourage students to apply for Dual Enrollment or Dual Credit classes. This shows that the student took rigorous, college-level classes and increases a student’s weighted GPA.
• Early Academic Support: Schools can provide targeted academic support and tutoring by monitoring and addressing gaps in academic performance starting as early as freshman year.
• Progressive Pathways: Schools can offer a wide variety of career-oriented courses in fields such as automotive, business, or culinary, to name a few, which can give students an idea of which career best suits them. Some schools in Chicago have Career and Technical Education programs (CTE), which offer a student an opportunity to explore and specialize in a range of career courses starting as early as sophomore year. These courses can provide students with industry-recognized certifications or pathways to transition into union trade programs.

By offering advanced classes and monitoring students’ progress, school educators and leaders can help students perform better academically, leading to higher GPAs. Students who are not interested in pursuing a college degree can benefit from an array of courses that encourage all students to pursue postsecondary paths.

Postsecondary Planning
and Preparation

To ensure that students are prepared for the logistical aspects of transitioning to college, schools must go beyond classroom preparedness. Learning about the college admission process is imperative and it is our duty to teach the students about each step in the process.

• Early Application: Starting the Common Application early in their senior year can give students enough time to complete it while applying as early action or early decision applicants.
  • Track the number of students applying to, being accepted into, and enrolling in postsecondary institutions. This helps schools understand students’ level of engagement in the college application process.
• FAFSA: Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is vital to a student’s success. In Chicago Public Schools, completing the FAFSA is a graduation requirement. Having financial aid workshops during and after school, one-on-one sessions with students and parents, and parent workshops will give students plenty of opportunities to not only learn about, but also complete, this crucial step.
  • Track completion rates of FAFSA or other financial aid forms, which can remove financial barriers to postsecondary education.
• Google Classroom: Create Google Classrooms so students can be notified when an opportunity, scholarships, or a deadline for a college approaches.
• Admission Outreach: Have college representatives visit schools to inform students of their opportunities.

These roles start with the school’s counseling department. They guide students in choosing courses that align with their goals, assist with college applications, and help students explore career paths based on their strengths and interests. Metrics provide a structured way to evaluate and guide students as they transition from high school to college, trade school, or the workforce. This is a team effort and by working with teachers and families, counselors help students make informed decisions about their future.

Career Exploration
and Planning

Schools that don’t have the opportunity to implement CTE classes can help students engage in career exploration by offering activities like internships, job shadowing, and career planning workshops. It can start with a field trip! These experiences allow students to learn about various workplace fields and understand work-related expectations in hopes that their interests are seen firsthand.

Activities Schools can implement:

• Offer career workshops within the school. Students can see and learn about different professions, talk to professionals, and network, so students can plan life after high school.
• Collaborate with local businesses and organizations to provide students with internship and job shadowing opportunities, offering real-world insights into potential careers.
• Incorporate career-related projects and discussions into regular classes, allowing students to connect their academic studies to potential career paths.

Student Summit: Many OneGoal Fellows attend an inspiring Student Summit designed to expand their horizons and equip them with valuable insights into various career paths. During the summit, students participate in engaging sessions that offer hands-on learning, networking opportunities, and guidance on future career possibilities. Events like these are pivotal in helping Fellows connect their academic goals with real-world opportunities, setting them on the path toward success.By exploring different career options, students gain insight into their interests and skills, which helps them make more informed decisions about their postsecondary education and career paths.

Social and Emotional
Learning (SEL)

Students need more than academic support and postsecondary guidance. In recent years, social and emotional learning has also been a focus of a student’s learning. Transitioning into college can be daunting, so by focusing on social and emotional needs, students are better equipped to handle the challenges of the career or college environments.

This generation of students is most likely to thrive with SEL support. After covid, school communities play a huge role in supporting students in non-academic ways. By implementing SEL in the classroom and beyond, schools help students become more adaptable and capable of managing stress and navigating complex social situations, which are essential for college and career readiness.

Extracurricular
Involvement and Leadership

Students involved in extracurricular activities, leadership roles, and community service are most likely to feel like they are part of a supportive community. These non-academic experiences build skills that complement academic learning.

Activities for Schools:

• Promote involvement in clubs, sports, and community service projects to engage students in areas beyond academics, helping them find their passions and strengths.
• Acknowledge and reward students for leadership roles, attendance, and accomplishments in extracurriculars. Recognizing students for their achievements and involvement will motivate them and build a culture that values these contributions.
• Create spaces for students to develop and lead their own initiatives, whether through starting new clubs or leading service projects, empowering them to make a positive impact and build leadership skills.

Involvement in these activities helps students become well-rounded individuals with valuable skills such as teamwork, time management, and problem-solving. Students gain diverse experiences that make them more adaptable, resilient, and prepared for future challenges.

Shaping Student Success

In high school, students develop in ways beyond academically. It is our duty, as a school community, to offer and guide what they want for their future. We tend to focus on 12th grade, but it can start as early as freshman year. In the classroom, teachers can provide the academic foundation students need, offering instruction that builds critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills essential for both college and the workforce. Counselors and school leaders can create policies and programs that promote college and career readiness, ensuring resources are available and cultivating a supportive learning environment. Upperclassmen can become role models for incoming students. We must go beyond the classroom expectations, and as a school community we all can guide and support students’ career and college readiness so we can steer them in the right direction.

Monica Selagea grew up in Chicago and attended Columbia College in Chicago and DePaul University. She is currently a high school teacher in Chicago and a Program Director for OneGoal. She also teaches at the City Colleges of Chicago.

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