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By: John Krause, Lower Columbia College, Longview, WA
The reauthorized Carl Perkins Career & Technical Education Act of 2006 emphasized programs of study, which begs the question of how we get students to contemplate their future, make career decisions, and select the right coursework to get them there. One way is to use the tools the students themselves prefer (internet), link activities to federal and state initiatives (career clusters and pathways, 13th year plan, senior projects, etc.), and enable students early on to begin a career planning process that will help them navigate the myriad life choices they will face in the years to come.
The Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Career Development Consortium College and Career Planning System, powered by Kuder®, was just the solution we were looking for. In 2006, one of our tech prep consortium members learned about Kuder at the National Career Pathways Network conference. Coincidentally, we were looking into our options for a similar system.
Lower Columbia College and the ten high schools in the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Career Development Consortium (CWCDC) decided to take part in using the Kuder system and developing an implementation plan to improve career and educational planning for Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Tech Prep students. Plans ranged from simple (e.g., All CTE students will research postsecondary schools where college credit can be earned through Tech Prep) to comprehensive (e.g., 100 percent of students will complete all Kuder® assessments, research careers and colleges, and present their portfolio as part of their required senior project). Earlier this year, follow-up calls and visits were conducted with all ten schools, seven of which had completed some or all of their objectives. Most schools decided to implement the system at the freshman level and to use it for career assessment, career exploration, and financial aid resources.
We have decided to continue using the Kuder system based on the follow-up study and the feedback we received from consortium school counselors, which included:
- Students use the system to help design a program of study for high school and beyond.
- Students can complete their career assessments in Spanish.
- The system helps students realize that scholarships are finally a reality for them.
- The system is available to them for a lifetime.
Our plan is to continuously develop the Kuder system so that it is the online career planning program of choice for all of our students, customized to provide detailed information for students pursuing workforce training options as well as those planning on transitioning directly to a four-year college or university. In short, we believe that the Kuder system is the solution that can serve all students.
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