In a July 17, 2015 Education Week article, author Caralee J. Adams reports on efforts in a variety of states that focus on better career exploration and information for middle school students so that they might make informed choices in high school and beyond. For many, middle-school marks the time when they become disengaged in school or start "opting out" of certain careers, even without knowing much about those careers.  Jason Cascarino, CEO of the non-profit SPARK, says "We need to meet middle school kids where they are. They are going through the process of identity formation and finding their place in the world.”

Some of the highlighted programs include mentorships with college students and the business community.  For details on these programs, read the entire article here.

Congratulations to the Wrangell and Lake and Peninsula school districts on their Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grant awards from the US Department of Education! We look forward to hearing about their programs during the next school year!

To read more about the grants, please visit http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-awards-more-248-million-elementary-and-secondary-school-counseling-grants.

Alaska’s Statewide Library Electronic Doorway (SLED) offers a wide variety of test preparation, practice tests, and a wealth of information about preparing for life after high school, all at no charge to Alaskans.

Peterson’s Test Preparation Packages give students practice tests and resources for many of the assessments they may take, including WorkKeys, PSAT, SAT, PLAN, ACT, GED, CLEP, ASVAB, TOEFL, civil service tests, PRAXIS, and more.

Also included are checklists for students and parents for each year of high school, a scholarship search, career-specific practice tests, a virtual career library, and a wide variety of other resources and information.

Visit http://sled.alaska.edu/databases/az.html#T, and click on "Testing and education Reference Center to get started.  You may be asked to establish an account before accessing some of the resources, but that is a quick and simple process - remember, it's available at no charge to Alaska residents!

The Alaska School Counselor Association is hosting its annual conference November 11-15, 2014, at the Anchorage Downtown Marriott.  For full conference details, please visit the conference website at http://www.alaskaschoolcounselor.org/page/conference-info. 

In a recent post from Liberty Street Economics, Jaison R. Abel and Richard Deitz show that  ". . . a good number of college graduates earn wages that are not materially different from those of the typical worker with just a high school diploma. This suggests that, at least from an economic perspective, college may not pay off for a significant number of people.  .  .   .   .   This means that the wages for a sizable share of college graduates below the 25th percentile are actually less than the wages earned by a typical worker with a high school diploma. "

Read the entire article here.

From Bloomberg Businessweek
By Karen Cates
July 29, 2014

In a recent article, I suggested that we should stop feeding high school students the myth that college is right for everyone. Higher education has a role for many young people, but as an instructor in college classrooms for almost 25 years, I have met plenty of young people who weren’t well-suited to it.

For some, college represents great stress, failing grades, and an inability to succeed in the classroom despite extra help. This has nothing to do with being smart. It has everything to do with the lack of alternatives for young people who deserve a better definition of success post-high school.

Parents, leaders, educators, and employers should work to discover children’s strengths and provide options to develop t_hem. Many readers agreed with my last article, but I received a lot of e-mails concerned that our lawmakers and educators might adopt as a solution Europe’s early “tracking” programs, which divert children (without choice) to college or a trade profession. One of the hallmarks of American culture is the idea that we are free to choose our own paths.

Read the entire article. 

The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development has created six posters highlighting technical careers and the CTE APS - a great way to advertise this opportunity to our students! These posters may be printed, posted on websites, used in publications, etc. by Alaska schools and CTE training programs. Download the printer-ready posters in PDF format below.

June 4, 2014

A Dear Colleague Letter on Career Counseling [PDF, 361KB] was jointly released by the U.S. Departments of Education, Labor and Health and Human Services to provide education, workforce development, social services, and private-sector leaders with information about ways that high schools and human services agencies can work with the American Job Center network to ensure that students and their parents have relevant and timely information with which to make informed career decisions. In support of the Administration's goal of leading the world in college completion by 2020, the three Departments are committed to giving students informa­tion about college and career options, and opportunities that can help them make informed choices for their futures.