A.I.M., the Background Story
Historically, schools in the region provided a variety of activities to middle school students to increase awareness of careers and educational pathways. Career exploration activities with CTE Centers, career fairs, summer camps and even limited job shadowing experiences are provided. However, activities vary greatly and are usually a single event without intentional preparation for students to delve into the educational requirements for a chosen career. These activities traditionally are basic career exploration with limited follow up to support career and educational planning. There is limited coordination of activities from school to school creating inequity of opportunity for students, many of whom may arrive at the same high school with a completely different level of knowledge about careers and pathways. Whilst these activities motivate and impact some students, school teachers and administrators have acknowledged the need for more attention around career exploration and post-secondary aspirations at the middle school level.
For students to arrive in a high school prepared for what courses they may need as they progress toward post-secondary training and careers, they need to begin the planning process early. This was recognized by the VT State Legislature when they enacted Act 77 in 2013 and created the Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) process as integral for all Vermont students. When defining the “goals” section of the PLP, the Vermont Agency of Education states that the plan should include:
Secondary school goals [These goals should be both long and short term; include the school’s common learning expectations and the student’s proposed pathway to meeting those expectations; and integrate the student’s personal core values and interests.]
Post-secondary goals [These should identify what students want to do after graduation from high school as well as what they need to do to prepare for those after-graduation goals. These goals could include attending a two or four-year college, enlisting in the military, enrolling in certificate-granting training programs, or employment.]
Too often the post-secondary goals are not addressed with students until they are well into their high school years, and then they find that they may not have the skills and coursework necessary to achieve these goals. By starting this process of career education planning in middle school, students have a greater chance at a successful transition to post-secondary training and careers.