Policy Adopted Aug 28, 2017

This policy has been developed as prescribed in R.C. 3313.6020 and the State Board of Education's Model Policy. This policy shall be updated at least once every two (2) years. The policy shall be made available to students, parents/guardians/custodians, and local postsecondary institutions, residents of the District, and shall be posted on the District web site.

Career advising is an integrated process that helps students understand how their personal interests, strengths and values might predict satisfaction and success in school and related career fields, as well as how to tie these interests and strengths to their academic and career goals. Students need to have access to comprehensive resources and support to prepare for their future success. Through relevant classroom instruction, career-related learning experiences, and a program of counseling and advising, students can discover their interests and explore academic and career pathway options.

The District’s Career Advising Plan shall include:

1. Grade-level examples that link students’ schoolwork to one (1) or more career field.

2. Career advising to students in grades K-12, which includes age- appropriate activities and also includes creating and maintaining a Student Success Plan beginning in grade 6.

3. Additional interventions and career advising for students who are identified as at risk of dropping out of school.

   These may include:

   1. Identifying students who are at risk of dropping out of school using a local, research-based method, such as the Early Warning System offered by the Ohio Department of Education, with input from teachers, school counselors and other appropriate school staff.

   2. Developing a Student Success Plan for each at-risk student that addresses the student’s academic and career pathway to a successful graduation and the role of career-technical education, competency-based education and experiential learning when appropriate.

   3. Before developing a Student Success Plan, District staff will invite the student’s parent/guardian/custodian to assist. If that adult does not participate in the plan development, the District will provide the adult a copy of the plan, a statement of the importance of a high school diploma and a listing of the pathways to graduation available to the student.

4. Training for employees on how to advise students on career pathways, including training on advising students using the tools available in OhioMeansJobs K-12.

   This may also include training on other online tools provided that offer resources for discovering career interests, exploring and researching career and education options and supporting the development of a Student Success Plan.

5. Multiple academic and career pathways through high school that students may choose to earn a high school diploma, including opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials and postsecondary course credit.

6. Information on courses that can award students both traditional academic and career-technical credit.

7. Documentation on career advising provided for review by the student, student’s parent, guardian or custodian, and schools the student may attend in the future.

   This may include activities that support the student’s academic, career and social/emotional development, such as those saved to a student’s OhioMeansJobs K-12 Backpack.

8. The supports necessary for students to have successful transitions from high school to their postsecondary destinations, including interventions and services for students in need of remediation in mathematics and English language arts.