Broken Systems of Support: Structural Constraints for Counselors Supporting Multilingual Learners’ Career Exploration

• In Event: Dismantling Oppressive Practices and Envisioning Tailored Practices to Foster Multilingual Learners’ College and Career Readiness

Abstract

As the population of multilingual learners (MLs) in US schools continues to grow, the imperative that they receive equitable access to college and career readiness (CCR) is more acute than ever. Yet, research has shown that MLs persistently face barriers in accessing educational experiences and opportunities that lead to college and career readiness (e.g., Callahan, 2005; Author 3, 2014; 2018). In order to effect change in this area, more research is needed focusing on CCR for MLs in secondary schools. One aspect of CCR that has received little attention is career exploration for MLs (Zhou et al., 2019). This study addresses that gap in the literature by examining the career exploration opportunities that school counselors provide for MLs in a large urban high school in the northeastern United States. Data are drawn from an ongoing ethnography at West Avenue High School (pseudonym) and include 152 pages of fieldnotes from 54 site visits, 26 semi-structured interviews with school counselors, teachers, and the principal from a large urban high school with a substantial ML population, and school policy and curricular documents.

Theorizing teachers and counselors as policy actors (e.g., Farrell et al., 2022; Sattin-Bajaj et al., 2018; Stone-Johnson, 2015) and drawing on research on equity leadership for MLs (e.g., Author, 2022; Callahan et al., 2023; Theoharis & O’Toole, 2011), I argue that school counselors attempted to support MLs’ career exploration and readiness in the face of a dysfunctional organization that failed to provide even basic support to MLs or their educators. On the whole, college and career readiness opportunities were either limited or difficult to access for MLs. Most counselors, who were well positioned as arbiters of opportunity, aimed to provide the best opportunities possible for MLs to explore career possibilities, based on their knowledge of the strengths and aspirations of each individual student. Unfortunately, they did not have the necessary resources, support, or knowledge of MLs’ specific needs. This included lack of time to meet with students because of heavy caseloads, extraneous administrative responsibilities unrelated to counseling responsibilities, lack of language support for translation and interpretation with MLs and their families, and limited access to career exploration products and services.

Additionally, the ethnographic data showed that the school systems failed in numerous areas, which left counselors and teachers with few tools to support MLs’ career exploration. This included a toxic and chaotic school culture, administrative and staff turnover, and misinformation about the career exploration and readiness opportunities that did exist. Counselors expressed that they lacked professional development opportunities that would support their work with MLs career readiness, such as support for learning Spanish, opportunities to learn about CTE programs, and time to learn about available career exploration tools. Implications include the importance of engaged school leadership in designing coherent systems of support for career exploration that address the particular needs of MLs and the need for further development for school counselors on the challenges that MLs face in U.S. schools beyond language proficiency.

Author

• Mark R Emerick, Vassar College