Comprehensive Career Development for Illinois: Initial Thoughts

1. February 2007. Prepared for Mark Williams, Chair, Illinois Career Development Task Force, Illinois State Board of Education, by Julia Panke Makela and Debra D. Bragg at the Office of Community College Research and Leadership. 1 Comprehensive Career Development for Illinois: Initial Thoughts Supporting Our Efforts withEvidence of Success & Current Illinois Conditions/Events

2. 2 Setting the Stage What is career development? What evidence exists for the success of career development programming and services? What conditions make this an ideal time for Illinois to explore statewide recommendations for comprehensive career development?

3. 3 Defining Career Development Individual students: �The total constellation of economic, sociological, psychological, educational, physical, and chance factors that combine to shape one�s career� over a lifetime (Sears, 1982) School, work, and family environments play essential roles in the individual's unique experiences Systemically: career development interventions have comprised of countless services and programs designed to improve career awareness, exploration, choice, and management

4. 4 Some Definitional Themes Holistic viewpoint over a lifetime Encompasses many individual roles student employee leisure family civic Unique to an individual Many approaches exist to address career awareness career exploration career choice career management Many influences economic social psychological education physical and, perhaps even chance!

5. 5 Evidence of Success: Concrete Outcomes At all education levels (K-16) career development initiatives have been shown to positively impact: academic achievement career maturity educational motivation, coping skills, and self-esteem age-appropriate exploration and career decision-making

6. 6 Defining Measures of Success Academic achievement refers to successful completion of academic courses, as well as the rigor of those courses Career maturity refers to �an individual�s readiness to make informed, age-appropriate career decisions and cope with career development tasks� (Patton & Creed, 2001, p. 336). Career maturity includes aspects such as: Career planning orientation Awareness of and use of resources Knowledge of the career development process Knowledge of the world of work Knowledge and use of decision-making principles

7. 7 Defining Measures of Success, 2 Educational motivation, coping skills, and self-esteem refer to persistence in educational programs, demonstrating an ability to overcome obstacles and belief in one�s own academic abilities Age-appropriate exploration and career decision-making refers to the timing of initial career choices and the implications for future educational and career plans

8. 8 Evans & Burke (1992) Meta-analysis of 67 studies of the impact of career education on academic achievement. Found a �positive gain in academic achievement when students were provided with career education interventions as compared to situations in which students were not provided with career education� (p. 66). Evidence was particularly pronounced for: Elementary students Students of average ability Career education interventions coupled with math and language arts subjects Interventions that averaged 151 to 200 hours per 9-month school year

9. 9 Patton & Creed (2001) Examined career maturity and decision-making of 1,971 secondary school students, focusing on age and gender differences. Found significant differences in the types of a career assistance needed by different age and gender groups. Stress that age-based career uncertainty may be heightened by school transition points, reminding readers of �the necessity for indecision as a part of the ongoing decision-making process� (p. 348). Stress the importance of �developmental career interventions� geared toward the specific needs of students served.

10. 10 Akos, Konold, and Niles (2004) Examined career readiness of 629 eighth-grade students from four southeastern U.S. middle schools. Found students� highest priority needs were developing self-knowledge and informational in nature. Career decision-making assistance was lower priority. States that �middle school represents a point at which students need to be actively engaged in preparing for the significant educational choices that they will make as they enter high school� (p. 64). Also state a concern that �decision points in educational systems disturb career maturity because they can force students into a decision-making time frame that does not coincide with their readiness level� (p. 64). � They point to Patton and Creed (2001) in regards to this statement.

11. 11 Lapan, Gysbers, & Sun (1997) Examined a sample of 22,964 students from 236 Missouri high schools. Found that in schools with more comprehensive guidance programs students were more likely to report that: they had earned higher grades their education was better preparing them for the future their school made more career and college information available to them they had greater feelings of belonging and safety they experienced fewer interruptions by other students in the classroom

12. 12 Jepsen & Dickson (2003) Used portions of a 29-year longitudinal data set to examine potential links between exploratory career activities and later career establishment of 249 students who graduated from 3 high schools. Found connections between early career exploration and later career establishment. �Increasing adolescents� exploratory activity and choice clarity may have important long term payoffs� (p. 231) for their engagement in important academic and career tasks.

13. 13 Evidence of Success: Synthesis Early career exploration helps students see connections between education and future careers, which leads to increased motivation in the classroom Career exploration for middle school students is particularly effective Comprehensive guidance programs in high schools lead to higher average grades, better perceived preparation, and �a more positive school climate� Career assessment and exploration are critical "college-access supports," which positively influence the likelihood of students earning a college degree

14. 14 Evidence of Success: Research Consensus �Career development is a desirable part of schooling, and there is evidence that many different types of career guidance interventions are effective� (Hughes & Karp, 2004, p. 31).

15. 15 Current Environment: Economic Change By 2010, more than 42% of U.S. jobs will require at least some form of postsecondary degree or credentialing Moving into a knowledge-driven economy, requiring high-skills and life-long learning To address trends such as these�

16. 16 Current Environment: Student Needs Students in K-16 environments need to be: exposed to opportunities to learn about potential careers instructed on making successful career decisions assisted to engage in appropriate choices regarding academic preparation

17. 17 A Call for Career Development DCEO Critical Skills Shortages Initiative reports each recognizing the need to reach out to Illinois youth recommending �a larger effort to establish a comprehensive career development system in the schools in which students can explore and plan for all careers�

18. 18 Diverse Group of Key Stakeholders This Task Force brings together diverse groups and interests Illinois� government Workforce development Industry Education � K-12, community college, 4-year college and university Employers � both public and private sectors

19. 19 A Common Goal Career development as a potential common denominator connecting key stakeholders A unified approach increases potential for greater impact in the academic, personal, and professional development of Illinois youth

20. February 2007. Prepared for Mark Williams, Chair, Illinois Career Development Task Force, Illinois State Board of Education, by Julia Panke Makela and Debra D. Bragg at the Office of Community College Research and Leadership. 20 Please review the �Comprehensive Career Development in Illinois: Initial Thoughts� brief handout. Comments and first-impressions are appreciated today. We will ask for formal feedback by Wednesday, March 14, 2007.