Chapter 12

I really enjoyed reading this week’s chapter, as I think it provides great detail and information for creating a guidance curriculum focused on career development. It was daunting, though, to think that we will actually be responsible as school counselors for creating such large-scale programs for schools. Because of this, I think any information helps, especially information that is as prescriptive and well-researched as the ASCA model. I also thought the information was very useful for our literature reviews and career workshops so I focused on the resources relevant to high schools in my reading. There are quite a large number of standards to address in the ASCA model around a variety of domains including career awareness, employment readiness, and career information and goals. The chart detailing the standards and the grade levels, dates, activity, materials, and persons responsible would be really helpful to use during the course of some curriculum planning meetings. Teachers are familiar with this sort of format for their lessons, so I think a document such as this one would appeal to them. Teachers should also be intimately involved in the creation of this document. The chapter also describes the process of program development, outlining a seven-step process, including: gaining administrative support, establishing preconditions, forming a planning committee, conducting a needs assessment, planning the program to develop competencies, implementing the program, and establishing an accountability system (Brown, 2012, p. 264). I think the needs assessment would be especially important for acquiring administrative and community support for the program as it can demonstrate the specific needs of the school population and the rationale for such a program. Brown provides an ASCA example of a Standards and Indicators Crosswalk, which I think is especially useful because "the competencies are not written in observable, behavioral terms," which "[can] complicate the evaluation process" (p.265). Again, I think teachers would be very comfortable with these competencies because it contains the same format as they may use to create their own lessons. Because teachers will be carrying out the majority of these lessons and plans, with the counselor as facilitator, it will be very important for them to buy into the program and feel comfortable using it. The program planning tips for high school students highlighted a number of the topics my group discussed in our literature review, such as incorporating students with disabilities into career development programs and targeting specific interventions for minority students. Brown describes two programs for students with disabilities, the School to Work Program and coordinated employment, both of which involve on-the-job-training coordinated with academic work. For minority students, Brown believes that the intensity of career development programs should be greater than for white students because the disparity between rates and earnings for these students begin before they enter the labor force. Researchers also suggest that career programs for minority students should include interaction with same-race role models (p. 287). Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development(10th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.