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What are the knowledge, skills, and experiences high school students need to transition successfully into careers?

Response:

Thank you for the question you submitted to our REL Reference Desk regarding the knowledge, skills, and experiences high school students need to be career ready. We have prepared the following memo with research references to help answer your question. For each reference, we provide an abstract, excerpt, or summary written by the study’s author or publisher. The references are selected from the most commonly used research resources and may not be comprehensive. Other relevant studies may exist. We have not evaluated the quality of these references, but provide them for your information only.

Research References

1. Care, E., Scoular, C., & Griffin, P. (2016). Assessment of collaborative problem solving in education environments. Applied Measurement in Education, 29(4), 250-264.
   https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1111391
   From the abstract: “The Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S™) project undertook a research and development plan that included conceptualization of 21st century skills and assessment task development. Conceptualization focused on the definition of 21st century skills. This article outlines the particular case of one of these skills, collaborative problem solving, from its definition and identification of subskills, to development of a method for its assessment. The theories contributing to construct definition are described. These have implications for the particular clusters of subskills that are of interest for educational assessment. An approach to assessment task creation is illustrated through the deconstruction of a well-known reasoning task, and its re-development to sample both the cognitive and social aspects of collaborative problem solving. The assessment tasks are designed to generate formative feedback for teachers in order to identify levels of ability within and between their students and support tailoring of instruction differentially for improvement.”
2. Hooker, S. & Brand, B. (2010). College knowledge: A critical component of college and career readiness. New Directions for Youth Development, 2010(127), 75-85.
   https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ903048
   From the abstract: “Policy has traditionally emphasized the completion of academic requirements as the gateway to postsecondary education. There is, however, growing understanding that youth need to develop a wide range of knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal resources for career success, civic engagement, and lifelong learning. It also is necessary to address the social, informational, and financial barriers to college that many first-generation and low-income youth come up against. Allowing youth to participate in programs that provide access to college campuses and classes, through dual or concurrent enrollment, early college models, or expanded learning opportunities, is an effective way to help students gain college knowledge and see themselves as college students. This article offers an expanded definition of college and career readiness and profiles three programs drawn from a larger review of twenty-three programs designed to support college and career success for students from underrepresented groups.”
3. Loveland, T.R. (2017). Teaching personal skills in technology and engineering education: Is it our job? Technology and Engineering Teacher, 76(7), 15-19.
   https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1141531
   From the abstract: “Recent papers on career and college readiness have emphasized preparation of secondary students for either future college and/or career choices (Robles, 2012, Rateau, Kaufman & Cletzer, 2015). While technologies used in business change rapidly and make the teaching of job-specific skills somewhat impractical, the foundational skills needed for success in postsecondary education and future work continue to be considered crucial at all levels of society. Foundation skills are those that cross academic and career boundaries. They include basic skills, thinking skills, and personal qualities. This article will explore the inclusion of personal qualities or characteristics that can be taught in technology and engineering education classrooms.”
4. Mazzotti, V.L., Rowe, D.A., Sinclair, J., Poppen, M., Woods, W.E., & Shearer, M.L. (2016). Predictors of post-school success: A systematic review of NLTS2 Secondary Analyses. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 39(4), 196-215.
   https://eric.ed.gov/?q=EJ1116487
   From the abstract: “The purpose of this systematic review was to (a) systematically review the literature to identify National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 secondary analyses articles published since 2009 that met the quality indicators for correlational research, (b) further extend the findings of Test et al. by identifying additional evidence to support the existing in-school predictors of post-school success, and (c) identify any new in-school predictors of post-school success for youth with disabilities. Based on the results of this systematic review, results of the analysis added additional evidence to nine of the Test et al.’s predictors further expanding the literature base to support evidence-based predictors of post-school success. Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed.”
5. Morningstar, M.E., Lombardi, A., Fowler, C.H., & Test, D.W. (2017). A college and career readiness framework for secondary students with disabilities. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 40(2), 79-91.
   https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1138886
   From the abstract: “In this qualitative study, a proposed organizing framework of college and career readiness for secondary students with disabilities was developed based on a synthesis of extant research articulating student success. The original proposed framework included six domains representing academic and nonacademic skills associated with college and career readiness: academic engagement, academic mind-sets, learning processes, critical thinking, social skills, and transition knowledge. Focus groups were conducted to examine perspectives among state-level stakeholders with knowledge and expertise regarding college and career readiness, drop-out prevention, and secondary transition. Through an iterative process, the focus group data were analyzed and the framework was refined based on findings. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.”
6. Stone, J.R. (2013). If programs of study are the solution, what is the problem? International Journal of Educational Reform, 22(1), 294-312.
   https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1044761
   From the abstract: “Programs of study are the most recent in a series of federal efforts to create a more transparent and rational system for school-to-work transition for all youth. The current article places this construct in the context of today's labor market and the new focus on college and career readiness for all students. It then provides evidence indicating that all students need a mix of academic, employability, and technical skills to graduate ready for college and careers. Furthermore, it posits that effective programs of study enhance student engagement with school, improve academic and technical achievement, and facilitate students' transition to continued education beyond high school and into the workplace.”
7. Wei, H., Cromwell, A.M., & McLarty, K.L. (2016). Career readiness: An analysis of text complexity for occupational reading materials. Journal of Educational Research, 109(3), 266-274.
   https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1100015
   From the abstract: “The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the broader college and career readiness agenda encourage educators, researchers, and other stakeholders to focus on preparing students for life after high school. A key emphasis is literacy, as the ability to read and comprehend written language is critical to success in college and careers. Understanding the level of reading comprehension needed for college and careers has important instructional implications. This study examined text complexity levels of various career texts using the Reading Maturity Metric and compared them to expectations in the CCSS. Text samples were selected for jobs from the five job zones in the Occupational Information Network database. Text complexity demands for all careers were generally in the CCSS range of college and career readiness and increased as job zone and required preparation increased. Results could provide specific career-related targets to make the CCSS reading requirements more relevant for students.”

Additional Organizations to Consult

• College & Career Readiness & Success Center. http://www.ccrscenter.org/
  From the website: “The College and Career Readiness and Success Center (CCRS Center) is dedicated to ensuring all students graduate high school ready for college and career success. The mission of the CCRS Center is to serve Regional Comprehensive Centers in building the capacity of states to effectively implement initiatives for college and career readiness and success. Through technical assistance delivery and supporting resources, the CCRS Center provides customized support that facilitates the continuous design, implementation, and improvement of college and career readiness priorities.”

Additional Resources

• Balestreri, K., Sambolt, M., Duhon, C., Smerdon, B., & Harris, J. (2014, May). The college and career readiness and success organizer (Issue Brief). Washington, DC: College & Career Readiness & Success Center.
  http://www.ccrscenter.org/sites/default/files/College and Career Readiness and Success Organizer Brief_FINAL.pdf
  From the abstract: “The Organizer is a graphic that displays a consolidated overview of the many elements that impact a learner’s ability to succeed in college and careers at both the institutional and individual levels. Originally created by the National High School Center, the revised Organizer incorporates feedback and insights provided by content-area experts representing diverse stakeholder communities, including workforce, early childhood education, career and technical education, community colleges, education nonprofits, and out-of-school time. The Organizer is intended to be a comprehensive and visual representation of the complexities of the college and career readiness and success universe.”
• Dymnicki, A., Sambolt, M., & Kidron, Y. (2013, March). Improving college and career readiness by incorporating social and emotional learning. Washington, DC: College & Career Readiness & Success Center.
  https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED555695
  From the abstract: “This issue brief was written to assist state policymakers in better understanding how social and emotional learning (SEL) can help students to be college and career ready. The brief provides a short description of what SEL is, why it is needed, and what it looks like in practice. In addition, examples of standards that support SEL at the federal and state levels, current SEL initiatives and programs, and outcomes and measures that can be used to assess SEL programming are described. A list of resources is included at the end of this brief for policymakers who are interested in learning more. The framework used in this brief aligns with the "College and Career Development Organizer," developed by the National High School Center (National High School Center, 2012). In the following sections, we describe how SEL fits into each of the three strands focused on (1) goals and expectations for college and career readiness, (2) pathways and supports for college and career preparation, and (3) outcomes and measures for college and career success. In the first section of the brief, we describe what high school graduates should know and be able to do. In the second section, we discuss what policies, programs, and structures will help high school graduates meet expectations. And, in the third section, we describe how we know when high school graduates meet expectations.”
• McGarrah, M.W. (2014). Lifelong learning skills for college and career readiness: An annotated bibliography. Washington, DC: College & Career Readiness & Success Center.
  https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED561900
  From the abstract: “The sources contained within this annotated bibliography can help inform state efforts to define the competencies that students need to be able to demonstrate, determine how schools and districts can ensure that students master these competencies, and measure school and student progress toward college and career readiness and success goals. This annotated bibliography seeks to provide a point of reference for achieving these objectives and catalogs resources designed to explain what lifelong learning skills are, how they impact and relate to college and career readiness and success outcomes, and how they can be taught and measured in the classroom across the pre-kindergarten to workforce (PK-20W) spectrum. It should be noted, however, that although many of these resources demonstrate a direct link to college and career readiness, most focus on academic achievement more broadly, and were conducted with learners at various stages of the PK-20W spectrum. The following is appended: Summary of Sources Used in This Report.”
• Mishkind, A. (2014, September). Overview: State definitions of college and career readiness (Issue Brief). Washington, DC: College & Career Readiness & Success Center.
  http://www.ccrscenter.org/sites/default/files/CCRS%20Defintions%20Brief_REV_1.pdf
  From the document: “The purpose of this overview is to highlight select common elements of state definitions of “college and career readiness.” Although preparing students for postgraduation opportunities has long been a priority for states, districts, and schools, a burgeoning global economy and ongoing labor market shifts call for renewed attention to the readiness requirements for student success in this changing postsecondary landscape. The current domestic workforce demands employees who can fill middle-and high-skills jobs that require a combination of technical and academic skills (Carnevale, Smith, & Strohl, 2010). However, employers struggle to find such qualified workers (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2013). A definition of college and career readiness can help build an understanding of what these skills are, by highlighting the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of learners who are prepared for postsecondary success. In addition, these definitions can guide educators’ efforts to identify which students are on track to succeed in the economy of the 21st century.”

Methods:

Search Strings: Career ready definitions OR definitions of career readiness

Searched Databases and Resources.

• ERIC
• Academic Databases (e.g., EBSCO databases)

Reference Search and Selection Criteria. The following factors are considered when selecting references:

• Date of Publication: Priority is given to references published in the past 10 years.
• Search Priorities of Reference Sources: ERIC, other academic databases, Institute of Education Sciences Resources, and other resources including general internet searches
• Methodology: Priority is given to the most rigorous study types, such as randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs, as well as to surveys, descriptive analyses, and literature reviews. Other considerations include the target population and sample, including their relevance to the question, generalizability, and general quality.