HIGH SCHOOL

CLASSROOM READY CURRICULUM

MY COLLEGE/CAREER PLAN

AMERICAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION’S DOMAIN:

Academic Development

Standard B: Students will complete school with the academic preparation essential to choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college.

Competency 2. Plan to Achieve Goals

Indicator a. Establish challenging academic goals in elementary, middle/junior high, and high school

STANDARD C: Students will understand the relationship of academics to the world of work and to life at home and in the community.

Competency 1. Relate School to Life Experiences

Indicator b. Seek co-curricular and community experiences to enhance the school experience

Career Development

Standard C: Students will understand the relationship among personal qualities, education, training and the world of work.

Competency 1. Acquire Knowledge to Achieve Career Goals

Indicator a. Understand the relationship between educational achievement and career success

Competency 2. Apply Skills to Achieve Career Goals

Indicator a. Demonstrate how interests, abilities, and achievement relate to achieving personal, social, educational, and career goals

ACTIVITY: Putting it all together

TARGET GROUP: High School (9th grade)

GOAL: Students will explore a specific career, set academic goals, and make post-secondary plans.

SUMMARY:

MATERIALS:

  • Instructor Notes
  • Computers with Internet access for students
  • Computer with the ability to project on to a large screen for the instructor
  • Projector
  • Worksheet:Career Exploration
  • Handout:Goal Setting

STRATEGIES:

  • Introduction to the subject (see Instructor Notes, Section I).
  • Have the students access the California Career Center website ( and log on.
  • Click on “My Stuff”.
  • Scroll to and click on “Student Activities.”
  • Find “High School Putting It All Together.”
  • Students are to take note of their top career choice as they need this information to begin today’s session on career exploration.
  • Distribute the worksheet entitled Career Exploration; review the introduction material at the top of the page.
  • Allow time for the students to work; help anyone needing additional assistance in following the computer links.
  • Encourage the students to take notes as they do their research and make comparisons.
  • Two areas where you might need to suggest alternatives:
  • If the student’s first career choice does not have adequate information for the prompts requested such as there are no “Common College Majors” listed, have the student research his/her second or third career choice from the High School Putting It All Together worksheet.
  • If no colleges appear when the link to institutions is accessed, have the student broaden the search by scrolling down to “United States” from the “State” link at the top of the page; it is pre-set to California.
  • When all students have completed the Career Exploration worksheet, direct them back to their High School Putting It All Together worksheet on the California Career Center website; have them complete the prompts on the worksheet under the heading “Career Exploration;”ask for volunteers who want to share about the college/institution they chose and why it was a place they would like to attend.
  • During the next activity the students will set academic goals; distribute the handout entitled Goal Setting.
  • Review the information on the first page regarding the elements of good goal setting; have the students get together in pairs and come up with an academic goal and two objectives on their own to share with the class.
  • Review the examples of academic goals and objectives on the next two pages.
  • Refer the students back to their High School Putting It All Together worksheet; instruct them to set three academic goals for themselves under the heading “Goal Setting.”
  • Allow students time to complete the requested information and follow-up by asking several students to share a goal and its corresponding objectives that they set.
  • The final activity is developing post-secondary plans; direct the students to the heading “Post-Secondary Plans” on their High School Putting It All Together worksheet.

Review the introductory paragraph. Indicate that each link in the three major categories has several post-secondary options.

An example of three post-secondary plans might be:

  1. Earn – Get a job
  2. Earn and Learn – Go into the U.S. military
  3. Learn to Earn – Go to college

Allow students sufficient time to work through several of the links gathering information. Encourage them to take notes for future reference.For more information, refer to Setting Post High School Goals at

  • At the end of the time, ask the students to indicate their top three post-secondary plans on their High School Putting It All Together worksheet. Ask several students to share what post-secondary plans they are interested in pursuing. Have the students log off.
  • Closing statements (see Instructor Notes III).

ESTIMATED TIME:2-3 class periods

EVALUATION TOOL:

  • Number of students who completed the High SchoolPutting It All Together worksheet on the California Career Center website.
  • Number of students who chose “EARN” as one of their post-secondary options.
  • Number of students who chose one or more categories in “EARN AND LEARN” as one of their post-secondary options.
  • Number of students who chose one or more categories in “LEARN TO EARN” as one of their post-secondary options.
  • Disaggregate the data by specific categories within the last two broad areas.

HIGH SCHOOL

CAREER EXPLORATION

WORKSHEET

During this Career Exploration activity you will use resources to research an occupation or career already identified as being of interest to you. You will also identify specific educational institutions where training is available that will help you pursue your top career choice. The culmination of this activity will be acting on the knowledge you have gained.

Step 1. Access the California Career Center (

  • Logonto your “My Stuff” account.
  • Click on “StudentActivities.”
  • Scroll to and click on “High School Putting It All Together.”
  • Identify your number one career choice under the area “Career Awareness” (enter the name below):

______

Step 2. Access the California CareerZone ( and enter thetitle of your career choice in the Search area on the top right of the screen.

Step 3. When the page comes up, scroll down and click on your title; this will take you to the Occupational Profile for that occupation.

Step 4. Scroll down to “Common College Majors,” choose one and click on it (enter the name of the major you choose):

______

Step 5Select the “Find Institutions Offering…” link and scroll through the college or training institutions. Choose several to review and click “Compare selected.” Compare the colleges’ location, student body size, campus setting, whether it is a private or public school, and the in-state tuition. These are all factors you should consider when choosing where you want to go to get further education and/or training.

Step 6Go back to the screen that lists all the educational/training institutions for the major you chose; choose two that look particularly promising based on your research and compare them by clicking on each school and using the “Compare Selected” option, look again at the criteria listed in Step 5 and ask yourself: “Can I see myself here? Is this a good fit for me? Is this where I would like to go?”Choose one college/institution to do more research on (enter name below):

______

Step 7To further your knowledge about your most promising choice, contact theschool for information on eligibility or admission requirements, application process, fees, sports programs, anything that interests you.

Return to your High SchoolPutting It All Together worksheet (go to CalCC, click on “My Stuff,” click on “Student Activities,” click on “High School Putting It All Together”)and complete the prompts under the title Career Exploration.

HIGH SCHOOL

GOAL SETTING

HANDOUT*

The dictionary defines “goal” as “the end toward which effort is directed.” In other words, a goal is something you want to achieve or accomplish like getting a high school diploma or obtaining a college degree. Setting goals can help you in two ways: first, by articulating what you want or plan to do, and second, by motivating you to do what you say you want to do. Writing goals down makes them more concrete. You will be setting several academic goals as part of your High School Putting It All Together worksheet.

To prepare you, here are three major considerations for setting goals:

  • Be Positive
  • Be Realistic
  • Use Objectives

Positive: Positive thinking keeps you on track. When you set goals, concentrate on positive thoughts. Do not use words like “I won't fail algebra.” Instead, use positive language:

  • I will pass algebra with a "B" average.
  • I will be accepted into three colleges.
  • I will increase my SAT score by 100 points.

Realistic: Do not set yourself up for disappointment by setting goals that you cannot realistically achieve. If you set a goal that is not attainable and miss the mark, you are likely to lose confidence in other areas. For instance, if you fail a midterm in algebra and you resolve to improve your performance, do not set a goal of a final “A” grade overall if it is not mathematically possible.

Objectives: Objectives are the steps you will take to ensure you stay on track and reach your goals.For example:

  • Goal: Passing algebra with a “B” average

Objective 1: I will review the pre-algebra lessons I learned last year.

Objective 2: I will seek tutoring help if needed.

Objective 3: I will mark every future test in my planner and study the night before.

GOAL EXAMPLES FOR YOUR HIGH SCHOOL PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER WORKSHEET

  • Goal: Graduating from high school.

Objective: I will pass all required classes.

Objective: I will pass the California High School Exit Exam.

Objective: I will seek help from my counselor.

  • Goal: Earn grades making me acceptable for college admissions.

Objective: I will earn As and Bs to increase my chances of being admitted to acollege.

Objective: I will keep up daily with my homework.

Objective: I will review before each test.

  • Goal: Meet the admission requirements for the California public universities.

Objective: I will take classes that meet the California State University and University of California a-g requirements.

Objective: I will take the appropriate tests for admission.

Objective: I will meet all admission deadlines.

  • Goal: Get involved in activities that support my goal of getting into college and/or prepare me for a successful career.

Objective: I will participate in at least one co-curricular or extra-curricular activity each school year beginning in 9th grade.

Objective: I will attain a position of leadership in one co-curricular or extra-curricular activity during my junior or senior year.

  • Goal: Explore opportunities and take advantage of resources to learn more about my career interests.

The following are suggested ideas for objectives; they are organized by Holland Code:

REALISTIC: Read trade magazines, help out at an automobile repair shop, make a radio, repair a bicycle, builda scale model of cars, boats, trains, etc.

INVESTIGATIVE: Read science magazines or Internet information on science related subjects, work as a veterinarian’s helper, do volunteer work at a science museum, enter science fair competitions.

ARTISTIC:Take dance, craft, or art classes, visit art galleries and craft shows, take music lessons, enter photography or art contests, use computer graphics programs.

SOCIAL: Be a teacher’s aide, tutor someone in need, take a part-time job babysitting, volunteer at the hospital, be a camp counselor, take first-aid courses, take a part-time job at a restaurant.

ENTERPRISING: Help with political campaigns, supervise others in community activities, follow the stock market, give presentations on business practices, take a part-time sales job, plan and conduct a fund-raising activity for a non-profit agency.

CONVENTIONAL: Read business magazines, learn to use office equipment, open a checking and/or savings account, take a part-time sales job, volunteer to help with store inventories using a computer, do volunteer work in the business office of a non-profit organization, get a part-time job doing computer data entry.

  • Goal: Participate in school-based activities to learn about my career interests:

The following are suggested ideas for objectives.

FIELD TRIPS/COMPANY TOUR: Gain a broader view of one of your career interest areas by visiting a worksite; learn how the business operates and the skills needed to perform the jobs there.

JOB SHADOWING: Spend several hours with an employee in one of your career interest areas, learn what instruction is necessary for the job, learn how the job fits with the rest of the company and what it is like to work there, get a realistic view of the daily routines, gain an awareness of the academic, technical and personal skills required for the job.

INTERNSHIP: Spend an extended period of time at a job in one of your career interest areas completing either a planned series of activities or a project to help you understand the business, participate in real-life workplace experiences, apply some of the academic, technical and personal skills required for the job, develop and apply communication skills by interacting with workers.

Your objectives need to be measurable and clear; they should never be vague. When you set goals and objectives, be sure to include a time limit.

Return to your High SchoolPutting It All Together worksheet and complete the prompts under the title Goal Setting.

*Adapted from About.com, Setting Goals

HIGH SCHOOL

INSTRUCTOR NOTES ON

MY COLLEGE/CAREER PLAN

  1. Introduction to the subject:

This is where you put all the previous session pieces together. You will be involved in the process of career exploration, goal setting and making specific plans so you can be as successful as possible during high school while preparing for as many options after high school as possible.

  1. Closing statements:

You will be re-visiting yourHigh School Putting It All Together worksheet several times during your high school years. You may change your mind regarding what you are interested in, what you want to do after high school or where you want to get training for your future career. This is expected. Changing your mind is acceptable and encouraged as you find new interests and embrace new activities. The important element is that you start thinking now, start setting goals now, and have an ultimate plan in mind regarding where you see yourself after high school!

During the next activity you will be completing information on specific courses you should take in high school so that you are on the right path to pursue your post-secondary plans.

  1. Collecting Results Data:

Process Data:

  • Number of students who completed the High School Putting It All Together worksheet on the California Career Center website.
  • Number of students who chose “EARN” as one of their post-secondary options.
  • Number of students who chose one or more categories in “EARN AND LEARN” as one of their post-secondary options.
  • Number of students who chose one or more categories in “LEARN TO EARN” as one of their post-secondary options.
  • Disaggregate the data by specific categories within“EARN AND LEARN”and “LEARN TO EARN.”

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