A Kuder Best Practice
By: Lori Patton
Career Development Specialist
Colonial Heights High School
Colonial Heights, VA, 23834

As the Career Development Specialist at Colonial Heights High School (CHHS), I am always on the look out for a new and different approach to help students focus on their futures. I have been in this position for almost nine years now, and I’ve logged many hours online looking for any site, any inventory, and any test which would serve as the “one” that a student will grab hold of and run with.

The Kuder Career Search with Person Match assessment is where I begin with my students, because Virginia’s Career Planning System, powered by Kuder (www.va.kuder.com) meets them where they are and shows them a pathway to success.

First Stop 9th Grade
Here at CHHS we have a great 9th grade transition team that works with freshmen, mentoring them on study skills, time management, character building, and such. The focus for the entire freshman year is dedicated to helping freshmen become successful high school students.

Second Stop 10th Grade
In the second semester of the sophomore year, English teachers introduce the Kuder assessments to the students. The teachers have been trained how to administer the assessments, however, sometimes I’m invited to tag along to the computer lab for help. By mid February the Guidance Counselors and I visit the English 10 classes to give “the talk”, you know, the one we give every year, the one they don’t listen to, about grades and GPA’s, exams, and attendance.

Then, we move on to “the great beyond” and ask them some pointed questions; hopefully generating some thought toward life after high school. There are some painful looks and then in anticipation, we see the ahh-haa moment. It’s then that we either use a SmartBoard or a Computer On Wheels to illustrate how to navigate the Kuder web site where, if all goes well, they find a trail that leads to the pathway where they will find their dreams. We encourage them to become very familiar with this site, to use it at home, to show to their parents, and to use it over the summer.

February is also the time when students pick their classes for the next school year. After the Kuder assessments are completed, results are printed from the administrative site and passed along to Guidance Counselors for use as a reference while meeting with students for schedule verification and education planning. In addition, the student can request a one on one session with me in the Career Center and we will go through the site together.

Third Stop 11th Grade
In September, I visit the English 11 classes to remind and refresh the students about the importance of the junior year. I don’t spend a great deal of time in the classroom, but I do remind them that whether they are going on to college, starting a trade, joining the military, or moving into the workforce they can find valuable information on the Kuder system.

If they need help, they can come see me in the Career Center. The door is always open and I have computers for them to work on. In May, we host a “College Prep Night” for juniors and their parents. An admissions representative from a local university shares insight about the application, admission, and financial aid process.

We also use this time to emphasize the rewards of using the Kuder system to finalize their list of schools, look for scholarships, and settle on a major. I try to take away the excuse that I invariably hear from a few seniors every year, “No one told me”.

Fourth Stop 12th Grade
At this point, a good amount of seniors at least know which direction they are headed; be it college, the military, a trade, or the workforce. The English 12 curriculum includes career instruction covering job applications, résumés, and interview skills. Many of the English 12 teachers incorporate the Kuder career comparison and resume builder tools in their instruction.

As a final note, the Career Center and English classes are not the only places that the Kuder system is used. There are many classes at our Technical Center that utilize the system such as the Marketing class and the Industrial Cooperative Training class. Our school transition coordinator uses it with the students she works with, helping them to transition from school to the workplace, and I just finished a training session with the Community Day School for at-risk students.

Every year we find another class or area that we can utilize some of the Kuder system tools. It’s becoming an integral part of our students’ future.

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