What Do Students Think Could Be Done to Better Prepare Them for Post–High School Plans?

• In Event: 31.053 - Florida College and Career Readiness Initiative: Feedback From the First Two Years of Implementation

Abstract

Objectives:

The FCCRI is designed to improve student preparation for college and careers, which makes it important to obtain feedback from students about this process. The fourth paper will use data from student essays to provide students’ perspectives of how their high school has helped prepare them for their postsecondary plans, and ways in which their high school could have been more helpful.

Theoretical Framework:

Figure 1 illustrates key components of the FCCRI as it is intended to be implemented. One of the short-term outcomes is “increasing the number of high school graduates who are college and career ready.” This paper looks at existing support provided by high schools to reach this outcome, perceptions of how the FCCRI is contributing to this outcome, and recommendations for other supports that students still need.

Methods:

We conducted site visits at six counties (two rural, two suburban, and two urban) across Florida in spring 2014. We visited two high schools in each county, one school that teachers rated as having a highly effective FCCRI program in our year 1 survey, and one school rated as ineffective (N=12 schools). At each school we conducted interviews with one math and one college readiness and success (CRS) teacher, and asked them to invite their students to participate in an essay contest about their post-high school plans. Paper 4 will use qualitative data collected from these essays to address the following questions:
1. How are students’ post-high school plans shaped by their high school experiences?
2. What could high schools do to improve students’ post-high school plans?

Data:

The data for the evaluation consists of 1- to 2-page essays written by 12th graders in CRS courses that addressed these three questions: 1) What are your post-HS plans? 2) How did your high school shape those plans? 3) What could your high school have done differently to improve your plans? Text from the essays was analyzed to identify key themes across students’ responses.

Results:

We found that the quality of students’ plans varies greatly within, and especially across, high schools. Many students said that starting in 9th grade they would have liked to have more information about careers, as well as the connections between careers and courses in high school and postsecondary institutions. We identified several programs that appeared to positively affect student engagement and interest in postsecondary training. Examples include:
• Requiring students to develop plans in 9th grade and periodically updating those plans.
• Inviting outside speakers to discuss career and college connections.
• Providing students with opportunities to attend field trips to colleges.
• Providing high-quality career-oriented programs that are closely aligned with certificate and degree programs at local postsecondary and vocational institutions.

Significance:

The presentation will identify best practices used by schools to prepare students for their plans after high school, and provide recommendations from students on how to improve the planning process. This is important for understanding the type of support that students are not getting through the FCCRI that could further improve students’ post-high school plans.

Author

• Louis Jacobson, New Horizons Economic Research