REIMAGINING THE ROLE OF COUNSELORS IN SUPPORTING STUDENT COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents Foreword to the Publication Welcome I. The Emergence of Counseling Professional Learning Communities in Orange County II. A Framework for Best Practices III. Vision Statements IV. Key Themes 1. Public perception of career technical education. 2. Specialized personnel to support high school to college transitions. 3. Resources to shape and support the expanded role of counselors. 4. Counseling competencies in accessing, interpreting, and applying data. 5. Counseling support and delivery systems. V. Report Findings and Recommendations VI. What’s Next? VII. Appendix Acknowledgements Thanks to the counselors listed below for their research and This publication was funded in part by the California Com- authorship of this publication, and to the team of facilitators, munity Colleges Chancellor’s Office through the SB 1070 editors and designers for their assistance in reviewing drafts Career Technical Education Pathways Program grant (#14- and organizing and producing this report. 164-04). The $1.9 million grant led by Coast Community College District leverages funding to work collaboratively SB 1070 K14 Career Pathways - Stephanie Feger, Brian across the region to accelerate the process of earning Donnelly early college credit to high school students, create indus- Career Ladders Project - Luis Chavez, Monica Guerra, Luis try-recognized portable and stackable credentials, and Barrera Castañón, Robert Jaurequi, Laura Romero, Jennie promote county-wide pathways. Mollica, Roy Robles Design - Brian Donnelly, Aaron Miller, Roy Robles Photography - Dan Figueroa, Eli Zaturanski OC SB1070 Counselors PLC list | *Team Lead Jeannie Abutin-Mitsch Mary Lohrman Jennifer Aceves Megan Ly Veronica Alvarez Michael Moss Dana Armstrong Shannon Muir Brandi Augenstein Kevin O’Connell Leslie Ausmus Van Parker Career Ladders Kathy Boyd* Rebecca Pianta Project California Counseling Network Jeremy Bulrice Peyton Pike Shasta Campbell Rosalinda Pineda Elizabeth Cardenas Jennifer Rachman* Joe Casas Michele Ramos Mary Castellanos Christy Ricks Tempa Davidson Adrian Rios Dena Davis Maria Rios ABOUT THE COVER Janice L. Duzey Beth Rodenbucher Melissa A. Figge* Claudia Ruiz-Flores REIMAGINING THE ROLE OF COUNSELORS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS. Debra Friedman Jaime Runyan Jessica Garcia Stephanie Sachs Marilyn Hale Dwight Schmidt Melody Harper* Mark Stanley Samantha Hodes-Der Erin Swanson The paths that students take on their educational journey to Kim Houg Huy Tran careers are circuitous and unique. They are built piece by piece from a wide range of experiences that include courses, extra Wesley Hubbard Lisa Tran curricular, work, and life experiences. Osvaldo Hurtado Everett Jose Turner The cobblestones of varying sizes and directional patterns were Connie Jacobs Jose Turner selected as a metaphor for these paths. Counselors, like skilled masons play an increasingly critical role in helping students as Jane Jepson Steve Uthus they lay down the individual blocks that become their careers Kristin Jones Martha Vargas and life paths. Damien Jordan Robert Waldren Brian Donnelly, Ed. D., Co-editor and Designer “We are pleased to share this publication describing this work at its initial stages and look forward to deepening and expanding our understanding and documentation of best practices across the region and statewide to advance career pathways.” —Stephanie Feger K-14 Career Pathways Regional Technical Assistance Provider SB 1070 Grant Director Coast Community College District Foreword to the Publication The history of the school counseling profession in the United Even as policies are elevating the role of counselors in guiding States spans more than 100 years. In tracing the shifts in the development of career pathways, many significant questions role of the counselor, Daniel Cinotti, a professor at New York remain in translating policy into practice. How are counselors Institute of Technology, notes that at its inception, the role promoting CTE through their career guidance programs? What focused on preparing students for the world of work through role do counselors play in promoting early college credit and vocational guidance.1 Over time, the profession advanced to a other acceleration opportunities in career pathways? How are comprehensive model addressing the academic, social devel- counselors assisting CTE students to strengthen education opment, and career needs of students. But just as the compe- planning and workplace readiness? What regional supports are tencies needed today for career success are dramatically dif- in place that ease the onboarding of students as they transition ferent than those required in the early industrial era, the role of in their career pathways from one level to the next? These are counselors has also become much more complex. multi-faceted questions that cannot be answered by a single program or practitioner. The complexity of this role is especially apparent in the design of career pathways, a systemic approach coordinating both Effectively addressing these questions requires collective in- people and resources in secondary and postsecondary educa- quiry into reshaping the roles that counselors play, rethinking tion to accelerate students’ educational and career advance- counseling practices in light of evidence of effectiveness, and ment.2 Nationally, federal guidelines for the implementation of building relationships among counselors at all levels. And while career pathways, as outlined in the Workforce Innovation and policy provides the guidance and resources needed to carry Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, situate counseling as a key out the work, aligning regional K-14 career pathways rests with support to assist students in achieving their educational and those close to the task. In Orange County, this work is taking career goals. In California, the Strong Workforce Program3 rec- shape using a community of practice approach – bringing to- ommendations call for boosting Career Technical Education gether practitioners to map existing programs, identify gaps, (CTE) programs and workforce training at California’s com- and discuss tools being used to expand and improve career munity colleges. Among the recommendations is the need for pathways. Members of these practitioner communities bring common, effective, career and educational planning tools for different perspectives and points of view to the table, and high school, adult education, and community college students, through this collaboration they are documenting examples and for enhancing the capacity of counselors to provide CTE that provide the scaffolding for continued development and program guidance through increasing professional develop- implementation of career pathways. ment and the sharing of best practices. 1 See Competing Professional Identity Models in School Counseling: A Historical Perspective and Commentary (2014). 1 2 See Career Pathways Systems, Perkins Collaborative Resource Network. 2 3See Doing What Matters website, Strong Workforce page. 3 1 Welcome Messages “In order to support students in Orange County has a rich history achieving this success, counselors of educational collaboration. In need a new playbook that moves 2014, Orange County Superin- beyond simply serving as an tendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares academic advisor. They need to articulated a shared vision: “Or- understand labor market data and ange County students will lead career guidance systems.” the nation in college and career readiness and success.” Through generous support from the California Community Our shared goal is to launch new career pathways and expand Colleges Chancellor’s Office’s SB 1070 Career Pathways Pro- existing pathways so as to double the number of Orange Coun- gram and the California Department of Education’s California ty high school and community college students participating in Career Pathways Trust grants, Orange County counselors have career preparation programs in these fields. Students in these been collaborating on building linkages across K-12 and post- pathways benefit from the passion that comes with selecting a secondary education systems to provide clear pathways for field of interest; have the opportunity to study core academic student success. Counselors are at the forefront of working subjects integrated with and informed by real world applica- with students to navigate career pathways and assisting them tions; participate in work-based learning experiences like job in charting the most efficient way to achieve their goals. shadowing, mentoring, and internships, and get to share their skills and products with real world audiences of people in the In order to support students in achieving this success, coun- careers to which they aspire. selors need a new playbook that moves beyond simply serving as an academic adviser. They need to understand labor market Clear and well-designed pathways are essential to helping stu- data and career guidance systems—examples of the informa- dents make seamless transitions from K-12 to higher educa- tion and critical tools that are now transforming the profession. tion and the workforce. To that end, OC Pathways and the SB Keeping current with this range of resources is not a solo en- 1070 Career Pathways Program coalition enlisted the support deavor. of teachers, faculty members, administrators, and counsel- ors. Teams initially aligned curriculum for industry sectors and As described in this publication,