Education and Career Planning in High School: A National Study of School and Student Characteristics and College-Going Behaviors

Title:	Education and Career Planning in High School: A National Study of School and Student Characteristics and College-Going Behaviors
Description:	A large proportion of high schools across the country have adopted education and career planning requirements intended to help students prepare for postsecondary education and to facilitate successful transitions to the labor market. This study used student and counselor survey responses from a nationally representative longitudinal dataset to examine the relationships between students’ participation in three core elements of education and career planning during high school and their application, coursetaking, and enrollment behaviors associated with the transition to college. Students who developed an education or career plan upon first entering high school in grade 9 were no more or less likely to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, complete a college preparatory curriculum, apply to college, or enroll in college than students who did not develop a plan. However, for students who received support from a teacher or a parent to develop their plan and for students who met with an adult in school to review the plan at least once a year, developing a plan was significantly associated with several college-going behaviors.
Online Availability:	Download, view and print the report as a pdf file. (1MB) Download, view and print the report snapshot as a pdf file. (171KB) Download, view and print the report appendices as a pdf file. (1.4MB)
Cover Date:	November 2021
Web Release:	November 29, 2021
Publication #:	REL 2022127
Center/Program:	REL
Associated Centers:	NCEE
Authors:	Thomas Torre Gibney and Mary Rauner
Type of Product:	Descriptive Study
Keywords:	College Preparation High-School Graduates • expectations for high school graduates Higher Education Students • transition from college to work • transition to college Transition To College
Questions:	For questions about the content of this Descriptive Study, please contact: Amy Johnson.