Career Advising in Student Success and Graduation Plans

Career Advising in Student Success and Graduation Plans

The fourth component of the Career Advising Policy is a Student Success Plan. Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, Ohio law requires local boards of education to adopt a policy on career advising, part of this being creating a Student Success Plan. This is a student-focused process that addresses academic and career goals and resources of individual students that are at risk of dropping out. However, national research and best practices will support that all students benefit from having focused, individualized plans for their futures that recognizes the role of various educational options, resources, and goals for high school and beyond. Student Success Plans are vital in ensuring a student achieves their post-high school goals. With the addition of the graduation plan, students are one step closer to making these goals a reality.

In accordance with Ohio law (ORC 3313.617), each school board and governing authority must adopt a policy regarding students who are at risk of not qualifying for a high school diploma, no later than June 30, 2020. This policy requires districts or schools to develop a graduation plan for each student in grades 9 through 12. 

The graduation plan:

  • Must be developed by the student and a representative of the district or school and updated each school year in which the student is enrolled in the district or school until the student qualifies for the high school diploma. The district or school must invite the student’s parent, guardian, or custodian to assist in the development and updating of the graduation plan.
  • Must address the student's academic pathway to meet the curriculum requirements specified by the district or school and satisfy graduation conditions.
  • Documents the student’s progress and/or deficiency in meeting the terms of a graduation plan.
  • Must be used as both a criterion and a procedure for identifying at-risk students in the district or school’s policy on identifying students at-risk of not qualifying for a high school diploma (outlined below).
  • Supplements and enhances a school district’s policy on Career Advising.
  • May be a student’s individualized education program (IEP) in lieu of a separate graduation plan under the above criteria if the individualized education program contains academic goals substantively similar to a graduation plan.

Not only are these graduation plans useful for identifying students at risk of not graduating, but they can also be used as a career advising tool. In the graduation plan, students are asked to identify their post-high school goals as well as the supports they will need to achieve these goals. Teachers and counselors should be engaging students in making these graduation plans and encouraging the students to take an active role in their post-high school plans. 

As Ohio transitions into the new long-term graduation requirements… large menu of options… graduation plans allow students to make educated choices.. large opportunity with new requirements means we must be intentional with choices and grad plan allows that.

Harvard's Graduate School of Education Education Redesign Lab is implementing Student Success Plans in 8 school districts. These plans are unique to each student and cover everything from student goals to student hardships - a plan concerned with supporting the whole child.  

Student Success Plans work. In an article published by NPEC, they concluded that student success in postsecondary education starts in a student’s early years through the influences of their teachers and counselors. These educators have the most direct effect on students’ postsecondary success. When a student receives these supports in high school, they can see a clear path to success to their future goals.
 

Tools and Resources  

The Department of Education in partnership with InfOhio has established a clearinghouse of resources related to prov en practices for policies in career advising and student success plans, which districts may access when developing student success and graduation plans in compliance with Ohio law.
  Designed to empowers Ohio's districts with the necessary knowledge, tools, and resources to identify, select, and implement evidence-based strategies to improve student success.
 

References

Last Modified: 9/5/2023 11:44:03 AM