Opinion
Teaching Profession Teacher Leaders Network

15 Tips for Getting Students Focused on College and Careers

By Jennifer L. Barnett — March 26, 2013 4 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Last year, Childersburg High School in Talladega, Ala., embarked on an initiative to make students more college- and career- ready. As a teacher at Childersburg, I’m proud to be involved in this college and career program, which requires bold action, targeted initiatives, and a fresh approach to teaching and learning. And the program is working so far.

We’ve found that students at Childersburg High School want to be at school. This year, since we’ve increased our focus on careers and college, dropouts have declined 86 percent. Tardiness has declined 19 percent, and more than 80 percent of students are involved in clubs, sports, and other school organizations.

Here are 15 ways we’ve created a college- and career-focused culture at our school. Which ones might work in yours?

1) Host a mock-interview day. Recruit volunteers and have them interview every student in your school, not just upperclassmen. Arm your students with the tools they need for this important scenario: résumés, cover letters, communication skills, business attire, and professional attitudes!

2) Establish a speakers series. Invite the world to your school. Our students have learned from college recruiters, career specialists, community activists, recent graduates, and others with unique skills, talents, and information. Expose students to the world through those you invite to school.

3) Plaster college pennants everywhere. Never underestimate the power of a visual message!

4) Decorate classroom doors with teachers’ alma maters’ décor. Students want to know more about teachers, and sharing this information can establish great connections to higher education possibilities.

5) Create a college-checklist bulletin board. Provide handouts for each grade level with “to do” lists. Be sure to share with parents as well.

6) Build a fully functioning college and career library. Students need a space to explore careers and colleges more deeply. Provide brochures, pamphlets, books, online resources, ACT practice packets, and financial aid information to your students.

7) Create ambience. If possible, play classical music in hallways to create a professional feel in your building. Students should feel like they are coming to a professional workplace.

8) Create ID badges for students and staff. These communicate a workplace feel. Give special privileges to students who have their card with them at all times.

9) Dress the part. Have “professional dress” day at least once a month. Reward students for their participation, and be sure to set guidelines and inform parents and students with plenty of notice.

10) Hold a spring interview day. Hold real interviews for actual positions at school such as science-lab assistant, college and career student counselors, library and office assistants, and SWAT (Students Willing to Assist With Technology). Unlike mock-interview day, this time the interview really counts.

11) Establish a college-campus tour program. Offer tours once a month to area colleges and universities. If you can, include a teacher on staff who graduated from that school. Also, arrange for former students from your school who attend that college to have lunch with your students. Students like hearing from recruiters, but they love hearing about a college from their friends.

12) Go to college in high school. Organize an opportunity for students to conduct research for term papers in a college library. Arrange assistance from the university’s education majors. Be sure to allow time for a campus tour while there.

13) Start a “College Day.” Dress in college colors, play college fight songs in the hallway, and have students sign “pledges” listing their schools of choice.

14) Hold a nontraditional career day. Ask seniors to invite someone in their field of interest to school for a morning. Each student sets up a station with a project board of information about that career. Arrange the stations as if in an exhibit hall. Other students walk around, allowing the seniors to play host and answer questions.

15) Use digital portfolios. Tools like Google Sites allow students to share coursework, reflections on learning, and other products from their studies. If all teachers require students to share their work in the portfolio, students will place great value on the tool. Consider creating senior projects or requiring seniors to present their complete high school portfolio prior to graduation.

Students care about their futures and will respond with great passion and enthusiasm when the adults in their life show them how much they care as well. In a recent survey we administered to students, one student wrote, “I am most happy to see the increase in student involvement and how students are more intrigued with school.” Another student shared, “I was glad to see the change in students’ attitudes when they got to school and saw all of the work the teachers, student leadership team, and others had put into it. I’m excited to see CHS have a complete turnaround!”

You can download more information about these initiatives here. What other ideas do you have for preparing students for college and careers?

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession Opinion The Teacher Who Inspired Me to Be Who I Am Today
It wasn’t until 10th grade that a teacher truly saw me for the first time.
Raj Tawney
3 min read
Surreal art of dream success and hope concept, a man in a grey environment looks through an open door into a bright colorful exterior
Jorm Sangsorn/iStock
Teaching Profession Opinion Teacher Stress Is Not Inevitable
But first we need to stop expecting teachers to be Band-Aids for system inequalities. Sacrifice shouldn't be part of the job.
Kristabel Stark, Kathryn Meyer & Elizabeth Bettini
4 min read
Illustration of teachers and students.
Mary Haasdyk Vooys for Education Week<br/>
Teaching Profession Dear Administrators: Here Are 7 Things Teachers Want You to Know
Teachers offer unvarnished advice about how administrators can make them feel heard and respected.
6 min read
Image of someone balancing happy, sad, and neutral emojis.
Nuthawut Somsuk/iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Q&A Why This Author Wants to Ditch the Term 'Teacher Burnout'
Alexandra Robbins' advocacy on behalf of teachers stems from her own research for a book on the teaching profession.
5 min read
Alexandra Robbins
Alexandra Robbins