Working Collaboratively in a Small Secondary School to Facilitate Career Development

American Secondary Education 42(2) Spring 2014

51

Working Collaboratively in a Small Secondary (6-12) School to Facilitate

Career Development

Authors

MARy BETh SChAEfER, ED.D., isanAssistantProfessor in theDepartmentofCurriculumandInstructionatSt.John’sUniversityinQueens,NewYork.

LouRDES M. RIvERA, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor for Educational andCommunityProgramsatQueensCollege,CityUniversityofNewYorkCity.

Abstract

Helping students plan for their future in middle and high school is impor-tant for their college and career opportunities. Career development pro-grams can help students become more engaged in school and more focused on their future. This case study of of one small “early college” high school shows the collaboration among school staff and university faculty as they built and implemented a career development program. Findings suggest that, although this program itself helped students become more planful and reflective about their future, school-wide programs need to have a clear advocate at the school itself to ensure continued success.

Forseveralyearsnow,educationalleadershavefocusedtheirenergiesonim-plementingnewstandardsdesignedtoensurethatallstudentsarepreparedforcollege.Thesestandards,knownas theCommonCoreStateStandards(CCSS),havenowbeenadoptedbyforty-fivestates,theDistrictofColumbia,four territories, and theDepartment ofDefense EducationActivity (http://www.corestandards.org/in-the-states). Although the Common Core stan-dardsaddressthechallengeofensuringthatallstudentsarereadyforcollegelevelwork,thecareer-readypieceseemstohavebeenneglected.Suchne-glectmay,moreover,comeatthedetrimentofsuccessfultransitioningfromschoolintotheincreasinglycomplexandcompetitiveworldofwork.

Weviewcareerdevelopmentasintegraltocollegereadinessandasakeycomponentofreadinessfortheworkplace.Webelievethatuniversity


52

professorscanworkwithschoolfacultyandadministrationtoinfusecareerdevelopmentintotheacademicprogramofsecondaryschoolsandthatdo-ingsowillimpactstudents’criticalunderstandingsoftheirfutureaswellastheirpostsecondaryschoolandcareerplanning.Thisarticlepresentsacasestudyoftheprocessofcollaborationatanewhighschoolinadiverseurbansetting.Itprovidesasnapshotofthechallengesandopportunitiesthatwereencounteredaskeyplayerswerestrivingtoplacecareerdevelopmentintheforegroundoftheacademicprogram.

Thecollaborationprocess focusedoncreatinga school-widecareerdevelopmentprogramcalledthe“CareerInstitute”(CI)forstudentsingrades6-12who attended the school. By examining data from student surveys,teachersurveys,observations,andinterviews,thisstudyaddstoabodyofresearchthatexploreseffortstofacilitatecareerdevelopmentinschools(i.e.Deemer&Ostrowski,2010)andoffersaninside,detailedlookatthecom-plexitiesofcollaboratingtoeffectprogrammaticinitiatives.

Review of LiteratureWecontextualizethisstudybyfirstexaminingtheliteraturerelatedtocareerdevelopmentandsomewaysinwhichcareerdevelopmenthasbeenimag-ined and implemented in secondary (6-12) schools.We then review theliteraturerelatedtosmallschoolsandtheiruniqueaffordancesforfacilitat-ingcollaborationandrelationship-buildingamongschoolandcommunitypartners.Todeepenthedescriptivedetailsofthiscasestudy,wenamethecitywherethisstudyislocatedinordertosituateitinthe“smallschools”movementthatcontinuestoflourishinthearea.

Career Development in SchoolsThe literature on career development for students at the secondary level(grades6-12)suggeststhatdecisionsthatstudentsmakeintheirmiddleandhighschoolyearshaveanimpactontheirfuturecollegeandcareeroppor-tunities(Akos,Konold,&Niles,2004;Arrington,2000;Osborn&Reardon,2006;Trusty,Spencer,&Carney,2005).Moreover,studentswhohaveexpo-suretodifferentcareerpathstendtoearnbettergradesinschool(Evans&Burck,1992)andaremorelikelytocompletehighschool(Moody,Kruse,Nagel,&Conlon,2008).

Althoughprogramshavebeendesignedtodevelopcollegeawarenessandreadinessamongsecondarystudents(Schaeffer&Rivera,2012;Radcliffe&Bos,2011),researchsuggeststhat,unlessacareercomponentisintegratedintothisawareness,studentsriskbuildingaspirationsforcollegewithoutafocusonspecificgoals.Forstudentsofcolorinhigh-needschools,wherere-sourcesforcollegeandcareerdevelopmentmaybescarce,(Tierney,Colyar,&Corwin,2003;Venezia,Kirst,&Antonio,2003),thislackofinformationcancausethemtofallfurtherbehindastheyplanfortheirfutures(Alliance

Working Collaboratively Schaeffer & Rivera


53

forExcellentEducation,2012;Balfanz,2009;Balfanz,Bridgeland,Moore,&Fox,2010).

Severaladditionalstudiessupportthevalueofcareerdevelopmentpro-gramsinsecondaryschools.EvansandBurke(1992),forexample,providedevidencethatstudents’participationinacareerdevelopmentprogramhadasmallbutpositiveimpactonacademicperformance.Inameta-analysisofthe impactofcareer-relatedprogramsonstudents’engagement inschool,Kenny, Bluestein,Haase, Jackson, and Perry (2006) reported that partici-pation in career interventions increased students’ sense of belonging andimpactedtheirsenseofschoolengagement,whichhasbeenlinkedtoaca-demicachievement.

Researchindicatesthatcareerinterventionsmayhaveapositiveimpactonyoungadolescents’careerplanningandexploration(O’Brien,Dukstein,Jackson,Tomlinson,&Kamatuka,1999;Turner&Conkel,2010;Turner&Lapan,2005).Interventionsmayalsohelpfacilitatestudents’careerknowl-edge(Baker,2002)anddecision-making(O’Brien,Bikos,Epstein,Flores,&Dukstein,2000).Forexample,Moodyetal.(2008)studiedtheimpactofaCareerDevelopment Project for at-risk high school students. Students re-searchedthestepsthattheyneededtotakeinordertoenterthecareersofthatwerepersonalinteresttothem.Findingsfromthatstudyindicatedthatmoststudentsvaluedthiskindofintervention.Often,interventionsleadtogreaterawarenessofcareeropportunities(O’Brienetal.,1999)andincreaseyoungadolescent’scareer-relatedself-efficacyandinterestinnon-traditionalcareers(Turner&Lapan,2005).

Developingcareerawarenessandasenseoffuturegoalsandopportu-nitiesisimportantforhelpingallstudentstomakepost-secondarychoices.Ourfocus,however,isonservinghigh-need,underservedstudentpopula-tions,sowehavealsoexaminedtheliteratureon“smallschools”todeter-minetheimpactofschoolsizeonstudentengagement.Theliteraturehelpstocontextualizethepresentstudyandprovidesaframeworkforexamininghowothereducatorshaveexperiencedthe“smallschool”space.

New Small Secondary SchoolsThesiteforthiscasestudywillbecalledthe“InquirySchool.”Itbeganin2005, in themidstofanation-wide“smallschools”movement (Gregory,2000)andislocatedinNewYorkCity,theplaceoftenconsideredtobeattheheartofthatmovement.Infact,NewYorkiscommonlycreditedwithstartingthefirstseriesofsmallschoolsin1973inSpanishHarlem(Raywid,Schmerler,Phillips,&Smith,2003).

New small schools continued to thrive in New York City where re-searchersAncessandAllen(2006)foundpromisingresultsinnewschoolswith themes that created “meaningful learning experiences and desirablepostsecondary trajectories for students” (p.402).Today, anyeighthgrade

Schaeffer & Rivera Working Collaboratively


54

studentlivinginNewYorkCitymayapplytonearly700programswithinabout 400 high schools (http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/High/Choices). Those small schools are organized around themes that includeHealth,theCulinaryArts,Science,Engineering,Technology,GlobalStudies,Art&Design,andEarlyCollege.

Ingeneral, thesmall schoolsmovementhasbeenspurredby twoas-sumptions: First, that small schools were more cost effective than largerschools (Ilg&Massucci, 2003; Palaich, Augenblick, Foster, Anderson,&Rose,2006;Stiefel,Berne,Iatarola,&Fruchter,2000)andsecond,thatsmallschoolsresultedinbetteracademicachievement(Finn&Rock,1997;Greg-ory,2000;Huebner,Corbett&Phillippo,2006;Leithwood&Jantzi,2009).Althoughotherstudieshavechallengedtheseassumptions(Schneider,Wyse,&Keesler,2006/2007;Weiss,Carolan,&Baker-Smith,2010),thebenefitsofthesmallerschoolsweretouted,andsmallschoolswith“themes”begantoemerge ingreatnumbers.Although large,comprehensivehigh schoolsstillexist,thesmallschoolofferssomethingdifferent:AsRavitch(2010)ex-plained,“Forstudentswhoneedcloserelationshipswithconcernedadults,asmallhighschoolissurelysuperiortotheanonymityofthecomprehensivehighschool”(p.205).

Theideapersists intheliteratureonsmallschoolsthatboththesizeandstart-upnatureoftheschoolfacilitatestaff,administration,andstudentsworking together, building school community programs, and cultivatingfamily-like relationships. Small schools that start from the groundup andbeginwithonesmallgroupofteachersandonegradeofstudentsoften“feel”differentfromotherschools.Teacherstalkabouttheirexpandedautonomyandtheirroleinhelpingtomakekeyinstructionalandprogrammaticdeci-sions(Garth-McCullough,2007;Gregory,2000;Leonard,Leonard&Sack-ney,2001;Raywidetal.,2003),essentiallyhelpingtomaketheschoolenvi-ronmentfeellikea“flathierarchy”(Gregory,2000).

Although some studies describe overworked teachers and crowdedclassrooms(Miner,2005),forthemostpart,theliteratureonteachers’per-ceptionsofworkinginsmallschoolstendtoechoanobservationbyIlgandMassucci(2003):“Teachersreportgreaterjobsatisfaction,closerprofession-al relationships, andmore professional development, and better relation-shipswithstudents”(p.70).Inthis“differentkindofprofessionalclimate”(Garth-McCullough,2007,p.265),theschool’ssmallsizeactsasafacilita-tor forworkingrelationshipsamongstudents, teachers,administratorsandschool-community partners (Conchas&Rodriguez, 2008). Teachers havereportedmorecollaboration(Raywidetal.,2003)andgreaterawarenessofandappreciationfortheirownprofessionalism(Fine,2005).

Theliteratureonsmallschoolssuggeststhatthesmallerschoolsettingallowscloserconnectionsamongstaffandstudentsandstronger relation-shipsthatmaybefeltindifferentwaysthroughouttheschool.Bothteachersandstudentsreportthattheirrelationshipsenabledstudentstodotheirbest



55

workandmeettheirfullpotential(Heubneretal.,2006).Thestudent-teach-errelationshipsseemmoreegalitarian(Gregory,2000),reflectingthe“flat”hierarchyoftheschool.Relationshipswerecreditedwithlesseningschoolviolence(Ilg&Massucci,2003;Raywidetal.,2003),inculcatingbetterbe-havior,(IlgandMassucci,2003;Miner,2005)andfacilitatinggreaterstudentengagementinschoolactivities(Huebneretal.,2006;Leithwood&Jantzi,2009;Raywidetal.,2003;Weissetal.,(2010).

Althoughthebenefitsclaimedforsmallschoolsareencouraging,theydo not happen automatically in schools simply because of their size, asMichelleFine(2003)explained,“Wehavelearnedmuchinthelast20-30yearsaboutgrowing,deepening,andsustainingthecomplexandexhaustingworkofsmallschools…sittingbeneath“small”lays[sic]asetofinextrica-blyconnectedcommitmentsaboutcurriculum,pedagogy,equity, sustain-ability,teaching,andlearning”(p.5).Theseconnectedcommitmentshelpfacilitateschool-wideprogramsthatareperceivedasimportantandhelpfulforstudents. The“InquirySchool”isastart-upschoolthatisasmallschoolandalsopartoftheEarlyCollegeHighSchoolmovement.Theschoolpart-nerswithalocalcollegetooffercollege-boundnon-traditionalstudentsthechancetoearnasignificantnumberofcollegecreditswhileinhighschool.

Overview of the Career InstituteTheCareerInstitutetookplacefor4-6weeksduringtheschoolyear.Activi-tiesweredesignedtoincreasestudents’awarenessofselfandtheworldofworkandtoencouragethemtothinkreflectivelyandrealisticallyabouttheircollegeaspirationsandcareergoals.Allstudentsinthe“InquirySchool”(n.573)continuedtoparticipateintheCareerInstitute.WeconceptualizedtheCareer Institute (CI)as three interrelatedparts:exploration, research,andimplementation.

Exploration. Themiddleschoolyearsarefocusedonstudents’explora-tionsofself.Ingradessixandseven,studentsbegindiscussingandexplor-ingthethingstheyaregoodatandwhatisimportanttothem.Theactivi-tiesincreasestudents’self-awareness.Studentsconnectwhattheylikeandaregoodatwiththetypesofactivitiesandtasksthatarerequiredoftheminschool.Studentsareaidedintheirexploration(ingradeseven)withthehelpoftheSelf-DirectedSearch-CareerExplorer(SDS-CE).Thisinformation,basedonHolland’sTypologies,helps students tounderstand theirprefer-encesfordifferenttypesofactivitiesandtobeginthinkingabouttheirfuturegoals.Intheeighthgrade,studentsuseCareerZone,anonlineapplication,tohelpthemcontinuetodevelopawarenessaboutthemselves,theworldofwork,andfuturecareers.

Research. Theearlyhigh school years focuson “Research.” Studentstakeanotherinventory(theStrongInterestInventory)tohelpthembetterandmoredeeplyunderstandtheirpreferencesandskills;theydeviseaplanto



56

fulfilltheirhighschoolrequirements.Theyexplorecolleges,createcollegeexplorationposters,developlongandshorttermgoals,andcreateplanstomanageandorganizetheiracademiclife.

Implementation. Thelasttwohighschoolyearsarededicatedto“Imple-mentation.”Herestudentsgetreadytoapplytocollege.Withthatinmind,studentsmeetwith their advisors once aweekover a full school year toreviewtheirStrongInterestInventoryfromgrade10;theyanalyzetheirhighschoolandcollegecreditcompletionandidentifycriteriaforcollegeselec-tion.Theypreparecollegeessaysandapplications,discusscollegeresourcesandscholarships,andtakefieldtripstolocalcollegesanduniversities.

MethodThisqualitativecasestudyexaminedtheprocessofbuildingaCareerDe-velopmentprograminanew“smallschool.”Wesoughttoprovideanin-depth description (Merriam, 2009) of teachers, administration, universityfaculty and school counselors working together to create a school-wideCareerInstituteprogram.AlthoughtheCareerInstitute(CI)istheunitunderstudy (Merriam, 2009), the processes, insights and discoveries related tobuildingthisprogramarealsoareasofparticularinterest.

Thisresearchissituatedinapost-pragmatisttraditionthatcallsforthekindofmethodology thatDenzin,LincolnandGiardina (2006)describedas“post-pragmatistfeminist”inwhichresearchersunderstandthatthestudyrepresents their own viewpoint. The case studywas constructed throughdocumentationofourownexperiencesbasedonsocialinteractionswiththeplayersinvolved.Inthisway,wealsoembraceatransactionalepistemology.

The Researchers AskeyplayersinthedevelopmentoftheschoolandtheCIprogram,wearepartofthecasestudycontext(Yin,2008)andserveasthestudy’sprimaryinstrumentofdatacollectionandanalysis(Merriam,2009).Beforethe“In-quirySchool”beganin2005,bothofusjoinedtheplanningteamfortheschoolbutindifferentroles.Oneofuswashiredbythecollegepartnerasthecollege-school“liaison”tofacilitatetherelationshipbetweenthecol-legeandthenewschoolandtoensurethatthestudentsweregainingtheskillsandknowledgeneededtobe“college-ready.”

Thesecondresearcher,anAssistantProfessorofCounselorEducationatthepartnercollege,hadaninterestinunderstandinghowthenewsmallschoolwouldsupportstudentsastheymovedthroughtheEarlyCollegeHighSchool, accumulating college credits. This researcher,whosebackgroundwas incareer counseling,wanted toensure that studentswouldnotonlygraduatehigh schoolwitha significantnumberof collegecredits,butbereadytoapplythosecreditstowardsawell-articulatedandenvisionedcol-legemajorandcareergoal.



57

Asbothresearchersandstorytellers,wedrewmethodsfromgroundedtheoryandnarrativeinquiry.AsLal,SutoandUngar(2012)pointedout,nar-rativetheoryemphasizesthemeaningofsymbolicsystems–thesamesym-bolicsystemsthatgroundedtheoryattemptstodiscernviacodinganddataanalysis.Althoughweusedgroundedtheorymethodsofcodingandcon-stantcomparativeanalysis(Charmaz,2006),wealsousednarrativeinquirytoexploredimensionsoftemporality,socialityandplace(Connelly&Clan-dinin,2006)andcommunicatethoseexperiencesinasingleco-constructednarrative.Wehoped to realize thevisionofLaletal., (2012) that suchacombination“createspossibilitiesfordevelopingaricherunderstandingofthe phenomenon under study andmaking findings accessible to awiderrangeofaudience”(p.16).

Research Site and ParticipantsThe“InquirySchool,”nowinitseighthyear,hasgrownfrom81sixthgradestudentsenteringin2005to573studentsasof2013ingrades6-12.Ap-proximately38%ofthestudentbodyidentifyasAsian,withmostofthemidentifyingas“SouthAsian,”fromPakistanandIndia.Twenty-sixpercentofstudentsself-identifyasLatino/a,18%asWhite,and17%asBlack.Over50%ofthestudentsspeakanotherlanguageathome,and25%ofthestu-dent body receives special education services.Over 65%of the studentbodyqualifiesforfreeorreducedlunch.Fromthefirstyearoftheschool,whentherewerefiveteachersand81students,theteachers,universityfac-ulty,andschoolprincipalworkedtogethertocreatetheCareerInstitute(CI).

Data SourcesOurexperiencesandobservationsaresupplementedbyfivedatasources:informalobservations, teacher interviewsduringdebriefingmeetings,de-scriptivecomments(Ely,1991),artifacts,andopen-endedsurveysfrombothteachers and students.Ongoing analysis of these data gave the programdevelopers immediateand intimateknowledgeof thechallengesand re-wardsofimplementingtheCareerInstitute.Accordingly,asresearchersandprogramdevelopers,wemodified the lesson plans,made suggestions tofacilitate the schedule and reflected,with teachers, principal and schoolcounselors,aboutwaystheprogramcouldbemoreeffective.

InformalobservationsweremadebybothresearchersduringthetimetheyspentattheschoolduringtheimplementationoftheCareerInstitute;the teacher interviews took place in group lunchmeetingswith teachersdirectlyafterCIactivitieswerecompleted.Thedescriptivecommentsrefertoweeklynotessummarizingschoolactivitiesandpost-interviewreflectionswrittenbyMB,andartifactsrefertothedocumentsstudentsproduceddur-ingtheCareerInstitute(CI)activities.Thesurveysareaseriesofopenended



58

questionsadministeredtostudentsbeforeandafterCIactivities(seeAppen-dixA)andtoteachersfollowingCIactivities(seeAppendixB).

Data AnalysisStudents’preandpostCIsurveyswerematchedbyspecial6-digitcodesgiv-entostudentstoprotecttheiridentity.Wematchedthecodesandanalyzedthedata.Forthisstudy,weexaminedtwoyearsofmatchedpreandpostCIsurveydataforstudentsingrades6-9.Inall,388setsofstudentsurveyswereanalyzed.SurveysforteachersweregivenaftertheCIactivitiesended(SeeAppendixB).Forconsistency,weanalyzedonlythesurveysfromteachersingrades6-9.Weanalyzedatotalof33surveysforteachers.

We coded the survey data using grounded theorymethods. Analyticmemosdetailedrecurring/emergentthemes(Charmaz,2000)usingthecon-stantcomparativemethod(Strauss&Corbin,1998).Dataweretriangulatedwithteachersurveysandinformal teacher-feedbacksessions.Thefindingshelp contextualize the story of collaboration,which is told in relation totemporality,socialityandplace (Connelly&Clandinin,2006).Ournarra-tivesareinformedbythedatafromstudentandteachersurveys.Thenarra-tivesthemselvesemergedfromthelived-throughexperiencesofinteractingwithfacultyandstafftoco-constructtheCareerInstitute.Allofthesesourcescombinetohelpcreatetheirstory.Inthefollowingdescriptions,theauthorsofthisarticleareindicatedbyinitials(MBorLM).

Findings

The Role of Relationships in Initiating Program Development: Years 1-2TheplanningcommitteefortheInquirySchoolmettwicemonthlyforabout6monthsbefore the InquirySchoolopened.Theplanningcommittee in-cludedmembersfromalloverthecollegecommunity,includingtheassoci-ateprovost, thedeanofeducation,thevicepresidentofthecollege,andprofessorsfromfieldssuchasAstronomy,Math,Physics,English,Anthropol-ogy,Literacy,SpecialEducation,andSchoolCounseling.OntheplanningcommitteefortheschoolweretworepresentativesfromtheEarlyCollegeInitiative(ECI),anorganizationthatprovidedsupportfortheEarlyCollegeHighSchooldevelopment in theNewYorkCityarea.Themeetingswererunbytheschoolprincipalandcollegeliaison(MB)andusuallyhad10-15membersateverymeeting.

Duringoneofthefirstmeetingsinearlyspring,beforetheschoolbeganthatfall,theprincipalaskedanimportantquestion:“Wehaveenoughfundsforeitherapart-timeschoolcounselororapart-timesocialworker.Whomshouldwehire?”LMaskedforthereasoningbehindthetwooptions,andthensaidfirmly,“Youneedtohireaschoolcounselor.”Whentheprincipal



59

askedwhy,LMmadethecaseforaschoolcounselorbyexplaininghowthatindividualcouldhelpwith themissionof theschool.Sheargued,“Whenstudentsgraduatefromthisschoolwithasignificantnumberofcollegecred-its,theyneedtohaveaplanforhowandwhytheyaregoingtousethem.Schoolcounselorscanhelpstudentsplanforthefuturewhileattendingtotheirsocialandemotionalneeds.”TheplanningcommitteeagreedwithLM.TheschoolprincipalandMBwereparticularlyinterestedinLM’sargument,andthethreeofthembegantothinkaboutwaystocreateengagingactivitiesfortheincomingsixthgradestudents.

That first year,we designed a series of lesson plans to begin engag-ing11-12yearoldsindevelopmentallyappropriatecareerdevelopmentbyhelpingthembegintothinkaboutwhattheyweregoodatandwhattheylikedtodo.Wefoundthatweworkedwelltogether:MB’sbackgroundincurriculumdevelopmentcomplementedLM’sknowledgeofcareerdevel-opment, and the lessonswere interactive, grade appropriate, and easy tofollow.Weused the sixth gradeplans as abuildingblock for later plansandsketchedoutadevelopmentallyappropriateseven-yearplanforwhatbecameknownastheCareerInstitute(CI).Inthespringofthefirstyearoftheschool,webothofferedtoimplementthelessonplansduringthestudents’40minuteAdvisoryPeriod.

TheAdvisoryProgrambeganasanefforttofacilitaterelationship-build-ingamongteachersandstudents.Advisory isacentralpartof theMiddleSchoolMovement(George&Alexander,1993).Itisatimesetasideeachdayforstudentstoengagewiththeirteacherandasmallgroupofpeersinconversationsabouttopicsthatmeetstudents’affectiveneedsandinterests,suchasincludingbullying,timemanagement,andgettingalongwithothers(Anfara&Brown,2007).WeimaginedtheCareerInstituteasoneofthesetopicsthatstudentswouldengagewithduringtheirAdvisoryperiod.

Workingwitheachofthefiveteachersintheschoolandtheschoolprin-cipal,wemodeledtheinitialsetoflessons.Thestudentsseemedtoenjoytheactivitiesandengagedinlivelydiscussion.Withthesupportoftheprincipalandteachers,wethenrefinedthesixthgradeplansandbeganplanningforthenextyear’sseventhgrade.TheteachersandprincipalembracedtheCIasawaytohelpinculcateacollege-goingcultureintheschool.

Asliaison,MBfeltthattheCIhelpedherrealizeherresponsibilityforhelpingtopreparestudentsforcollegelife,workandexperiencesbeginninginmiddleschool.LMbegantofocusontheInquirySchoolasafruitfulandrewardingsiteforcommunityservice.Astheschoolgrewbyanotheryearandanewsetof teacherswerehired,wefirmed theircommitment toCIasanimportantprogramfortheInquirySchoolandworkedwiththenewteachersandthenewpart-timeschoolcounselortohelpthemunderstandtheCI’spurposeandgoalsandhowtobestimplementthesegoalswithintheschool’sacademicprogram.



60

Building on an Established Framework: Years 3-5From2007through2010,MBcontinuedtoworkcloselywithLMtobuildthelessonsfortheCI;theywerejoinedbyanowfull-timeschoolcounselor.By2008,thefirstsetofsixthgradestudentswerenowinhighschoolandbeginningtheirfirstcollegeclass:Spanish101.Thefour-creditcollegeclasswasstretchedoveranentireyear,andtheclassitselfwastaughtbycollegeprofessorswhocametotheschool.Formanystudents,theworktheyhaddoneinCIaroundtimemanagementandthinkingabouttheirskills,abilitiesandpreferencesbecamerelevant.Onasurveyateacherwrote,“it[CI]getsthestudentsawareofwhatittakestodecideonacollegechoicebasedonthecareertheyareinterestedin.Italsogivessupporttothecollegeclassestheyareinvolvedincurrently”(2009).

DuringtheCI,wemadeitapointtotrytovisiteveryclass.Watchingtheinteractionsbetweenstudentsandtheiradvisoryteachers“realtime”gavethemwaystohelpimprovetheCIactivities.Evenmorepertinentwasthefeedbackwereceived fromteachersafter theirAdvisoryclasses.TeacherswrotesuggestionsonthelessonplansthemselvesbothduringAdvisoryandduringadebriefingsessionoftheCIaftertheprogramactivitieswerecom-pleted.Duringoneofthosedebriefingmeetings,twoteachersspokeaboutspecificideasforfurtherplanstoenhancetheCI.TheprincipalgavethesetwoteacherssomeprofessionaldevelopmenttimeandmoneytocreatemoreCIplansandimprovetheexistingones,andthesewereincorporatedintotheCIframework.

Theteacherssawtheeffectsoftheirlaborsandwroteontheirsurveysthat theCIwas “definitelymaking adent. Studentswere excited todo itandenjoyedtheresults.”Theseventhgradeplansrepresentedaparticularlysuccessful collaboration among teachers, college partners, counselor andadministration:AftertheseventhgradestudentscompletedtheSelf-DirectedSearch-CareerExplorer(SDS-CE)inAdvisoryandobtainedatwo-lettercodethat related to their interests,activities,andoccupationalpossibilities,MBworkedwiththeteachersandschoolcounselortoarrangefortheseventhgrade studentsand teachers towalk to thecollege toattenda lectureonHolland’sTypologyandthesignificanceof their two-lettercodes.This in-formationwasusedtohelpstudentsunderstandthemselves,thinkabouttheacademicareas that they feltmostcomfortablewith,examine thoseareasthattheymayneedtospendmoretimeandefforton,andultimatelyassisttheminidentifyingpossibleoccupationsorcollegemajorsthattheymaybemoreattractedtobasedontheirinteresttype.LMandtheInquirySchool’sschoolcounselordeliveredthefirstlecturein2008.Bothteachersandstu-dents gained insights into the theory behindHolland’s Typology and theCareerExplorer.Inthefollowingyear,theInquirySchool’sschoolcounselortookovertheresponsibilityfororganizinganddeliveringtheHolland’sTy-pologylecture.



61

Throughouttheseyearsandthisprocess,wecontinuouslyworkedwiththe teachers, school counselor and principal to assess and get feedbackabouttheprogram.Teachersalsoprovidedthemwithrecommendationsforimprovingtheplans.Atthistime,weobtainedpermissiontobegintocollectinformationonstudents’experienceintheprogram.

StudentandteachersurveysdemonstratedthattheCIprogramwashav-ingapositiveimpact:Analysisofthesurveysfromgrades6-9showedthatstudentswereexpanding their sense of possibilities related to careers andtheirfuture.Ontheirsurveystheywrote,“Ialsolearnedthatthereweresomeothercareers that Iwasn’t familiarwithor that they’renotcommon.Onecareer that Iwasn’t familiarwithwassociology. Ineverknew thereweresuchthingsassociology”(Grade7,2008).Studentswerebecomingmoregoal-oriented and thoughtful about their goals.Manyrelatedtheirgoalstotheirinterests:Onestudentwrote,“myfirstjobwouldbeabusinessthatIwouldstart.Iwouldliketobeapro-skateboarderandwouldliketoownmyownbusiness”(Grade8,2009).Anotherstudentwrote,“Ilikedoingactivi-tiesinclasslikemakinguprollercoaster’s[sic]anddoingplays”andthen“xxTechhastheprogramthatIwanttodo.”(Grade9,2009).Finally,therewasevidencethatstudentswerebecomingmorereflective and self-aware,oftenwritingthingslike,“Thethingthatkeeping[sic]mefromgoingtocollegeislackofstudyingskill,notenoughofconfidence”(Grade9,2009)andfeeling“thepressuretodoverygoodandalwaysbeperfect”(Grade8,2009).

The teachers’ surveyssupported thesefindings:Aninthgradeadvisorwrote that her studentswere “ready to investigate a career thatmatchedtheirstrengths”(2009).AneighthgradeteacherwrotethatCI“remindsthestudentsthattheirpresentcapabilitiesinformtheirfutureendeavors”(2010).

Atthistime,withfivegradesofstudentsinfivedifferentadvisories,weweregainingmostoftheirinformationabouttheimpactoftheCIfromthesurveys.Astheschoolgrew,therewaslesstimeandmoneyforProfessionalDevelopment.WhileweintroducedthenewteacherstotheCI,therewerefeweropportunitiestoengagewithalloftheotherteachersatonetime.Inanefforttogainamorecompletepictureoftheteachers’experiences,inad-ditiontothesurveys,in2010webeganhostinginformalluncheonsaftertheCIactivitieswerecompleted.

We hosted the informal luncheon meetings attended by the schoolcounselorsandtheschoolprincipal.Astheteachersspokeabouttheirexpe-riencesimplementingthelessonplans,theyalsoengagedinideastomaketheprogrammore integrated into the school’sacademicprogram.At thatfirst luncheon, forexample, teachers suggested (a) starting internshippro-grams(b)beginningtheCIplanswithtimemanagement(c)startingtheCIwithCareerDayinsteadofendingwithit(d)usingtheirownclassestomakeconnectionsbetweencareersandsubjects(e)includingactivitiesforresumeandcoverletterwritingforstudentsofworkingage(f)connectingthefinalprojectsinCItotheprojectslistedintheschool’sHandbook(g)creatingob-



62

jectivesfortheCIplansthatconnecttostandards,and(h)allowingadvisoryteacherstheautonomytodecidethemostefficacioustimetoimplementCIactivities.

Together,theschoolprincipal,schoolcounselorsandwemettodiscusstheteachers’ideasandtrytofindwaystomakesomeofthemareality.Spe-cificallywedecideditwouldbeagreatideaforgradestodecidewhentoimplementtheCIprogram.Webeganwritingstandards-basedobjectivesforthelessons,andtheyalsoconnectedthefinalCIprojectsintheninthgradewiththeprojectsrequiredfortheschool.

Astheschoolcontinuedtogrow,sotoodidsomeoftheadministrativechallenges.Forinstance,wefoundourselvesstrugglingtokeepupwiththeorganizationaltasksoftheprogram,copyinglessonsfortheteachers,provid-ingprofessionaldevelopmentandhelpingtomodelandfacilitatethepro-gram.Workingwiththeschoolcounselorhelped.HeprovidedsomeofthePDworkandmadehimselfavailabletotheteachersduringAdvisoryincasetheyhadquestions.Teacherscontinuedtoreportbackontheirsurveysanddebriefing luncheonmeetings, indicating that theycontinuedto feelwell-supportedduringCIactivities.

As activemembers of the school,we continued to helpwithCI les-sonsinAdvisory,gainideasfromteachers,interactwithstudentsandworkwiththeschoolcounselortosupportteachers.ThisbuildingofrelationshipshelpedeffectivelydeveloptheCIthroughouttheschool.TeacherswhosawLMinthehallwaywouldtalkaboutinfusingcareerdevelopmentintotheirbiologyorEnglishlessons.MBcontinuedtobeaconstantpresenceintheschool,andcontinuedtosupportteachersinCIandinothercapacitiesinherroleasthecollege-schoolliaison.Thisintertwiningofrelationshipsanddailyinteractionsallowedforlinesofcommunicationtobeestablished,fosteringthegrowthandsuccessoftheCIprogram.

Sustaining the Program in the Face of Changes and Challenges: Years 6-7Overthenexttwoyearstheschoolgrewtoitsfullsize.Withmorestudents,less space,morenewteachers,andchanges inadministration, theschoolfacedanumberoforganizationalandschedulingchallenges.TheCIprogramalsofacedchallengesasMBlefttotakeapositionasanAssistantProfessorinanearbyuniversityandnolongerworkeddailyattheInquirySchoolsite.Althoughsheremainedinclosecontactwiththeschool,supportingthenewliaisoninherroleandhelpingtofacilitatetheCIandothercollegereadinessinitiatives,shenolongerenjoyedtheinsidestatusofthecollege-schoolliai-son.Notbeingattheschoolonadailybasisleftherunabletocontinuetofosterrelationshipswithandamongnewandseasonedstaff.

Although thenew liaisonquicklyadapted to the schoolculture, theroleofcollege-schoolliaisonhadbecomemuchmorecomplexnowthatthehighschoolstudentsweretakingcollegeclasses.Althoughthenewliaison



63

assumedresponsibilityfortheimplementationoftheCIwiththehelpoftheschoolcounselor,shehadmanyotherdemandsrelatedtoherjob.ThentheschoolprincipalretiredandMBbecamemoreinvolvedinherdutiesatheruniversity.AvenuesfordisseminatinginformationrelatedtoCIbecamemoredifficulttonavigate.Additionally,wehadlessofasenseofstudents’engage-mentinactivities.Theybegantorelymoreonstudents’responsesonsurveystogainafeelforwhattheywerelearningaboutcareersinAdvisoryandlessfromwhattheysawthroughclassroominteractions.

Althoughthenewprincipal,aformerInquirySchoolteacher,advisor,andanoriginalfounderoftheschool,supportedtheCIprogram,itwasun-clearwhoseroleitwastosustainandinitiateit.CoordinatingtheCIactivitiesbecameachallengeforeveryone.Nolongeradailypartofschoolactivities,MBwasunabletosustaintheworkingrelationshipsthathadsupportedtheimplementation andmanagement of the program.Her responsibilities re-gardingCIdispersed,withtheschoolcounselortakingupsomeoftheroles,buttherewasnocleardesignationofrolesandresponsibilities.Inshort,therewasnoonetooverseethelargercomplexityoftheprogramandfacilitateprogramactivities.

AlthoughwehaddatashowingthepositiveimpactofCIonstudents’thinkingabouttheircareersandpost-secondaryfuture,astheschoolgrew,therewasnodesignatedkeyplayerwithintheschooltooversee,guideandnurturetherelationshipsnecessarytofacilitatetheCIprogram.AlthoughwecontinuedtogotoPlanningMeetingsandvisittheschool,theirrolesweredifferentandtheCareerInstitutebegantochange.

At themost recent luncheonwith teachers following theCI in2012,teachersspokeaboutissuestheywerehavinginAdvisory.Someoftheseis-sues,suchasstudentscominginlateor“nottakingadvisoryseriously”werementioned.Therewerereportsofmaterialsmissing(i.e.theCareerExplorerbookletsfor7thgrade).Theteacherspointedoutthatwhenwewouldvisit,it“gaveakindofcredibility”totheCIprogramandstudentsbecamemoreengaged–but thesevisitswere increasinglydifficult tonavigatewith themultitudeofadvisoriesgoingonat thesametime. Itwasalsomorechal-lenging to visit classrooms since neither of uswas present to nurture theinteractionsthatpromotedandfosteredthesmoothrelationshipswithteach-ers.Withoutaclearmechanismfor fosteringthekindsof interactionsandcollaborationsthatnurturedanddrovetheprogram,thechallengesgrewinnatureandcomplexity.

Without the time to build relationships, the CI began to feel like anoutsideprogram,asoneteacherarticulatedattheCIdebriefingmeetingin2012.“A,”aseasonedteacherbutnewtotheInquirySchool,said,“It[theCI]feelslikeitdoesn’tcomefromus.I’mkindofsayingto[students]‘thisissomethingwehavetodo’anditfeelsforeign,likeIdon’townit.”OtherteacherssupportedA’sassertion,talkingaboutthedifficultyofgettingstu-dentsengaged insomeof theCIactivities.Wedefinitelyhad the impres-



64

sionthatteachersnolongerfeltownershipintheprogram,wherepreviouslytherewasasenseofsharedownership.

Weleftthatmeetingthinkingseriouslyabouttheirroleintheschoolandtheimportanceoftheroleofrelationshipsinnegotiating,creatingandfacili-tatingprograms.Outsidein,top-downprogramsarenotapartofthe“bottomup”culturecreatedinthisnewsmallschool.Nolongeronthe“inside,”westruggledwithhowtocontinuetohelptheschoolwiththeimplementationoftheCIprogram,aprogramthatclearlyneededtobeowned,plannedandfacilitatedfromtheinside.

DiscussionThere has to be ownership and oversightwithin the school in order forprogramsof thisnature tobesustainableandgrowinto theschoolasanintegralpartofitsculture.Althoughtheprogramcontinuestobeprioritizedandimplemented,inthemidstofthemanydemandsofmandates,includ-ingAdequateYearlyProgress and implementing theCommonCoreStateStandards,theCIseemstohavebecomeanancillaryprogram,somethingaddedon insteadof somethingadded inand integrated into theschool’sacademicprogram.

TheprocessofbuildingandimplementingtheCareerInstitutedemon-stratesthattheremustbesomeoneinsidetheschoolcommunitytocontinueandfosterprogrammaticefforts.WhileeffortsaroundimplementingCIcon-tinue, there seems tobe lesscollaborationandnoclear leader inside theschoolhelpingtofosterandsustainrelationshipsthatensurethattheCIispartofasharedvisionoftheschoolandanintegralpartoftheschool’smis-sion,thatis,toseethatstudentsarecollegeandcareerready.

Thedatatodatesuggeststhatstudentshavebenefitedfromtheexperi-encesaffordedthemthroughtheCIandhavebeguntothinkmorecomplexlyandcriticallyabout their futuregoalsandpossibilities.Thisaddresses thewell-researchedneedforstudentsatthisagetobecomemoreplanfulandreflectiveaboutcollegeandcareers.Collaborationamongtheschoolcoun-selors, administrationanduniversitypartnersneeds tocontinue toensurethatcareerdevelopmentisincludedinschoolplanning,especiallygiventhecurrentfocusoncollegeandcareerreadiness.

ConclusionThe process of building and implementing school-wide programs, eventhosethathaveproventobeeffectiveandvital,canbeastruggleforthoseinsideandoutsideoftheschoolcommunity.BasedonthesevenyearsofexperiencewiththeprocessofbuildingasuccessfulCIplan,theresearch-ers found that successby itselfdoesnotguarantee sustenance:programsneedtobeconstantlynurturedandgrownfrominsideofschools,andthis



65

isespeciallytrueforthenewsmallschoolswhereideasandprogramsoftendevelopfromthegroundup.

Schoolpersonnelneedtofeelsupportedastheyengageinprogramac-tivities,andneedtoseeandfeelthattheirvoicesareanimportantpartoftheprogram.Thereneedstobeacontactpersonintheschool,aclearleadertowhomprogrammaticrecommendationsandsuggestionscanbecommuni-catedandwho,inturn,advocatesfortheprogrambybuildingandnurturingtherelationshipsthatsustainit.Inthemidstofthecompletingpressuresbe-settingschools,itisimportantthatsuccessfulandrelevantprogramssuchastheCareerInstitutefindaninsideadvocatetohelpensurethattheprogramcontinuestoberelevanttotheschool’smission,itsstaff,anditsstudents.

ReferencesAkos,P.,Konold,T.,&Niles,S.G.(2004).Acareerreadinesstypologyandtypalmember-

shipinmiddleschool.The Career Development Quarterly, 53,53-66.AllianceforExcellentEducation.(2012,January).“Caught in the crisis: Students of color

and native students in U.S. high schools”Retrievedfromhttp://www.all4ed.org/files/CaughtCrisisSOC.pdf

Ancess,J.,&Allen,D.(2006).ImplementingsmallthemehighschoolsinNewYorkCity:Greatintentionsandgreattensions.Harvard Educational Review, 76(3)401-437.

Anfara,V.A.,&Brown,K.M.(2007).Advisor-Adviseeprograms:Communitybuildinginastateofaffectivedisorder?InS.B.Mertens,V.A.Anfara&M.M.Caskey(Eds.),The handbook of research in middle level education.(pp.3-34).Greenwich:InformationAge.

Arrington,K.(2000).Middlegradescareerplanningprograms.Journal of Career Develop-ment,27,103-109.

Baker,H.E.(2002).Reducingadolescentcareerindecision:TheASVABcareerexplorationprogram.Career Development Quarterly, 50(4),359-370.

Balfanz,R. (2009).Puttingmiddlegradesstudentsonthegraduationpath:Apolicyandpracticebrief.Westerville,OH:NationalMiddleSchoolAssociation.

Balfanz,R.,Bridgeland,J.M.,Moore,L.A.,&Fox,J.H.(2010).Building a grad nation: Progress and challenge in ending the high school dropout epidemic.Retrieved fromhttp://www.americaspromise.org/our-work/grad-nation/building-a-grad-nation.aspx

Bogdan,R.,&Biklen,S.K.(2007).Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theories and methods. Boston,MA:Pearson.

Charmaz,K. (2000).Grounded theory:Objectivist andconstructivistmethods. InN.K.Denzin&Y.S.Lincoln(Eds.),Handbook of qualitative research,2nded.(pp.509-535).ThousandOaks,CA:SagePublications.

Charmaz,K.(2006).Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis.ThousandOaks,CA:SagePublications.

Conchas,G.Q.,&Rodriguez, L. F. (2008).Small Schools and Urban Youth: Using the power of school culture to engage students. ThousandOaks,CA:CorwinPress.

Connelly,F.M.,&Clandinin,D.J.(2006).Narrativeinquiry.In:J.L.Green,G.C.Camilli&P.B.Elmore,(Eds),Handbook of complementary methods in education research (pp.477-488).Washington,D.C:AERA.

Deemer,S.A.,&Ostrowski,M.(2010).Students’perceptionsofaprogramforexploringsecondaryoptions.American Secondary Education, 38(3),79-94.



66

Denzin, N. K., Lincoln, Y. S., & Giardina, M. D. (2006). Disciplining qualitative re-search. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 19(6), 769-782.doi10.1080/09518390600975990

Ely,M.(1991).Doing qualitative research: Circles within circles.London:RoutledgeFalmer.Evans,Jr.,J.H.,&Burck,H.D.(1992).Theeffectsofcareerdevelopmentinterventionson

academicachievement:Ameta-analysis.Journal of Counseling & Development, 71(1),63-68.

Fine,M.(2005).Notinourname:Reclaimingthedemocraticvisionofsmallschoolreform.Rethinking Schools, 19 (4),1-6.

Finn,J.D.,&Rock,D.(1997).Academicsuccessamongstudentsatriskforschoolfailure.The Journal of Applied Psychology,82:221–234.doi:10.1037/0021-9010.82.2.221.

George,P.S.,&Alexander,W.M.(1993).Themiddleschoolmovementandconcept.InThe exemplary middle school(pp.23-54).FortWorth,TX:HarcourtBraceCollegePublishers.

Gregory,T.(2000).“Schoolreformandtheno-man’s-landofhighschoolsize.”Paperpre-sented at the Journal of Curriculum Theorizing Conference, Bloomington, IN (ERICDocumentReproductionServiceNo.ED451981).

Garth-McCullough,R.(2007).Morewithless:Urbanteacherexperiencesinanewsmallschool.Negro Educational Review, 58,253-279.

Huebner,T.A.,Corbett,G.C.,&Phillippo,K.(2006).Rethinkinghighschool:InauguralgraduationsatNewYorkCity’snewhighschools.AstudybyWestEd.SanFrancisco,CA:BillandMelindaGatesFoundation.

Ilg,T. J.,&Massucci, J.D. (2003).Comprehensiveurbanhigh schools:Are therebetteroptionsforpoorandminoritychildren?Education and Urban Society, 36 (1),63-78.

Kenny,M.E.,Blustein,D.L.,Haase,R.F.,Jackson,J.&Perry,J.C.(2006).Settingthestage:Careerdevelopmentandthestudentengagementprocess.Journal of Counseling Psy-chology, 53,272-279.

Lal,S.,Suto,M.,(2012).Examiningthepotentialofcombiningthemethodsofgroundedtheoryandnarrativeinquiry.Acomparativeanalysis.The Qualitative Report, 17,1-22.

Leithwood,K.,&Jantzi,D.(2009).Areviewofempiricalevidenceaboutschoolsizeef-fects:Apolicyperspective.Review of Educational Research 79(1),464-490.

Leonard,L.,Leonard,P.,&Sackney,L.(2001).Confrontingassumptionsaboutthebenefitsofsmallschools. Educational Management & Administration, 29,79-96.

Merriam, S. (2009).Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. SanFrancisco,CA:Jossey-Bass.

Miner,B.(2005).TheGatesFoundationandsmallschools. Rethinking Schools, 19(4),1-9.Moody,B.,Kruse,G.,Nagel,J.,&Conlon,B.(2008).Careerdevelopmentprojectforin-

carcerated youth: Preparing for the future. Journal of Correctional Education, 59(3),231-243.

NationalMiddleSchoolAssociation.(2010).This we believe: Successful schools for young adolescents.Westerville,OH:Author.

O’Brien,K.M.,Bikos,L.H.,Epstein,K.L.,Flores,L.Y.,&Dukstein,R.D.(2000).Enhancingthecareerdecision-makingself-efficacyofupwardboundstudents.Journal of Career Development, 26,277-293.

O’Brien,K.M.,Dukstein,R.E., Jackson,S.L.,Tomlinson,M.J.,&Kamatuka,N.A. (1999).Broadeningcareerhorizonsforstudentsinat-riskenvironments.The Career Develop-ment Quarterly, 47(3),215-229.

Osborn,D.S.,&Reardon,R.C. (2006).Using theself-directedsearch:CareerExplorerwithhigh-riskmiddleschoolstudents.Career Development Quarterly, 54,p.269-273.

Palaich,R.,Augenblick,J.,Foster,S.,Anderson,A.B.,&Rose,D.(2006).Return on invest-ment in early college high schools(Augenblick,PalaichandAssociates,Inc.).Denver,CO:PreparedforJobsfortheFuture.



67

Radcliff,R.,&Bos,B.(2011).Mentoringapproachestocreateacollege-goingcultureforat-risksecondarylevelstudents.American Secondary Education 39(3),86-107.

Ravitch,D.2010.The death and life of the great American school system. NewYork,NY:BasicBooks.

Raywid,M.A.,Schmerler,G.,Phillips,S.E.,&Smith,G.A.,(2003).Not so easy going: The policy environments of small urban schools and schools-within-schools. Charleston,WV:ERICClearinghouseonRuralEducationandSmallSchools.

Schaefer,M.B.,&Rivera,L.M.(2012).“Collegeandcareerreadinessinthemiddlegrades.”Middle Grades Research Journal 7(3),51-66.

Schneider,B.,Wyse,A.,&Keesler,V.E.(2006/2007).Issmallreallybetter?Testingsomeassumptionsabouthighschoolsize.Brookings Papers on Education Policy,15-47.

Stiefel,B. I.,Berne,R., Iatarola, P.,&Fruchter,N. (2000).HighSchool Size: Effects onBudgetsandPerformanceinNewYorkCity.Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 22(1),27-39.

Strauss,A.,&Corbin,J.(1998).Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory, Procedures and techniques.NewburyPark,CA:Sage.

Tierney,W.G.,Colyar, J.E.,&Corwin,Z.B. (2003).Preparing for College: Building Ex-pectations, Changing Realities.Center forHigherEducationPolicyAnalysis,CHEPA,UniversityofSouthernCalifornia.

Trusty,J.,Spenser,N.,&Carney,J.V.(2005).Education-Careerplanningandmiddleschoolcounselors.Professional School Counseling, 9, 136-143.

Turner,S.L.,&Conkel,J.L.(2010).Evaluationofacareerdevelopmentskillsinterventionwithadolescentslivinginaninnercity.Journal of Counseling and Development, 88, 457-465.

Turner,S.L.,&Lapan,R.T.(2005).Evaluationofaninterventiontoincreasenon-traditionalcareerinterestsandcareer-relatedself-efficacyamongmiddle-schooladolescents.Jour-nal of Vocational Behavior, 66,516-531.

Venezia,A.,Kirst,M.W.,&Antonio,A.L.(2003).Betrayingthecollegedream:Howdis-connectedK-12andpostsecondaryeducationsystemsunderminestudentaspirations.FinalPolicyReportfromStanfordUniversity’sBridgeReport,agreement#R309A60001,CFDA84.309A.

Weiss,C.,Carolan,B.V.,&Baker-Smith,C.E.(2010).Bigschool,smallschool:(Re)testingasumptionsabouthighschoolsize,schoolengagementandmathematicsachievementJournal of Youth and Adolescence, 39, 163–176.DOI10.1007/s10964-009-9402-3

Yin,R.K.(2008).Case study research: Design and methods.ThousandOaks,CA:Sage.

Appendix A

Pre CI Activities and Post CI Activities Open-Ended Questions

1. Ifmoneywerenotaconcern,whatmightkeepyoufromgoingtocollege?

2. Whatspecificactivitiesdoyouenjoyorareparticularlyinterestedin?Pleaselist.

3. Whatsubjectsdoyouneedtodobetterinsothatyouwilldowellincollege?Pleaselist.



68

4. Pleaselistallthecareersorjobsthatyouarethinkingaboutforyourfuture.Ifyoudon’tknowtheexactnameofthecareer/job,pleasede-scribeit.

5. Whatsubjectsdoyouneedtodobetterinsothatyouwilldowellinyourfuturecareer/jobgoals?Pleaselist.

Appendix B

Post Career Institute Activities Teacher Survey questions:

1. DidyoufeelthattheCIishavinganoverallimpactonachieving[schoolname]VisionandMission?Pleaseexplain.

2. WhichactivitiescarriedoutforyourgradeAdvisorywerethemost/leastengagingforstudents?Pleaseexplain.

3. WhatchallengesdidyouencounterincarryingouttheCIactivities?

4. Inwhatwaysdoyouthinkyoucanbeprovidedgreatersupportincar-ryingouttheCIactivities?

5. PleaseshareanyfurtherthoughtsandrecommendationsthatyouhaveabouttheCIat[schoolname].


Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited withoutpermission.

Working Collaboratively in a Small Secondary School to Facilitate Career Development

Documents