Counseling 21st Century Students for Optimal College and Career Readiness

Book excerpt: In order for students to compete in today’s global economy, our schools need to help them develop better cognitive and technological skills. School counselors have an enormous impact on students’ achievement and their success in their post-secondary education, yet initiatives to improve student outcomes often overlook them. Fitzpatrick and Costantini present their own action-based curriculum for high school counselors that will meet the needs of 21st century students, helping to foster their growth and ambition and actively engage them in learning what they need to succeed beyond high school. Important steps covered in this curriculum include Making the transition to ninth grade successful Using technology in the advising process, such as online resources for college and career research, assessing interests, and structuring advising sessions Preparing for standardized testing and using it to motivate students about the college application process Assisting students in researching careers and colleges, making the most of college visits, applying for college, and writing the application essay Equally important, the book focuses on the counselor and his or her role as an advocate and leader for students and details running a guidance office, working with parents, and writing Secondary School Reports. While applicable for all school counselors and students, the authors’ curriculum has a special focus on students in urban public schools to enable them to have the same experiences as their counterparts in suburban and private schools. Aaccompanying downloadable resources contain the tables, exercises, and charts from the book so they can be easily accessed and reproduced.