Opportunity and Access: Availability of Career Development Opportunities in Baltimore City Public Schools

• In Event: Career Development Opportunities Today and Tomorrow: Toward Equity and Opportunity

Abstract

Objective
One prominent purpose of high schools is to prepare students for productive activity after graduation. Indeed, college and career readiness is a growing point of emphasis nationally, and programming intended to engender readiness for both has proliferated (Conley, 2017; Darling-Hammond et al., 2014; Plasman & Thompson, 2023). Recent legislation expanded college and career readiness and is ultimately aimed at addressing the inequities in access to key educational opportunities (Carnevale et al., 2022; Irwin et al., 2023). Given this push to expand career development opportunities (CDOs) to more students under the college and career readiness umbrella, this study focuses on how various contextual factors influence students’ abilities to participate in different CDOs. Specifically, we pull from Perna’s (2006) integrated model of college choice to identify factors at individual, institutional, and broader community levels.
Our current study presents the results of a landscape analysis identifying CDO (e.g., CTE courses, work-based learning, technical assessments, career advising, mentoring, etc.) availability to high school students in Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS). Further, we explore how students learn about CDOs. Specifically, we respond to the following questions:
1. What CDOs are available to BCPS high school students and how has access to CDOs changed over time?
2. How do students learn about various CDOs?

Methods
To answer these questions, we conducted 16 interviews across 5 schools, 3 student focus groups at 3 schools, collected survey data (20 respondents), and reviewed existing documentation of CDOs in BCPS high school choice guides. Qualitative data was coded using content analysis and pattern matching to code qualitative text data into themes, using the data collection protocols as a framework (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Hsieh & Shannon, 2005; Miles et al., 2020). Data were triangulated across sources to ensure reliability and validity.

Findings
Initial findings suggest BCPS students have access to a range of CDOs. Most common were career advising, CTE coursework, and guest speakers. Less common options included CollegeBound, job shadowing, credentialing, pre-apprenticeship, mentorship, and internships (though availability differs across schools). Many CDOs are offered directly through CTE coursework. Survey and interview respondents described numerous ways students learn of CDOs, including formal events for upperclassmen to present opportunities to freshmen, career coaches, counselors, CTE teachers, and high school choice guides. The career coach is particularly instrumental in highlighting high school offerings. Over the past dozen years, programmatic opportunities described in choice guides remained robust across the district, though individual school offerings change year to year.


Significance
Clearly, institutional factors play a large role in raising awareness of CDOs. However, individual factors also play a role in the high school selection process. In large urban districts like Baltimore, a district-level approach to understanding CDO availability can potentially obscure differences at the school level. School districts may look at these findings as an opportunity to ensure information related to individual high school offerings is widely available. This study is part of a broader project that will ultimately dive into the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of CDOs in BCPS.

Authors

• Jay Plasman, The Ohio State University

• Tarsha I. Herelle, Johns Hopkins University

• Rachel E. Durham, Notre Dame of Maryland University

• Marcia H. Davis, Johns Hopkins University

• Martha Abele Mac Iver, Johns Hopkins University

• Rooppreet Sohal-Bagri, The Ohio State University

• Al Passarella, Johns Hopkins University

• Daniel Princiotta, Johns Hopkins University