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College and Career Readiness: A Guide for Navigators

While there are many websites and resources that provide students with college and career information, most focus on achieving short-term success — college admission or finding work — rather than the critical connections between college and career readiness.

This guide is different. It highlights what navigators can do to nurture the critical connections young people must make between college and career readiness. Planning for future success requires an integrated approach that helps students understand their education and career options and what they must do to become prepared. This guide identifies action steps that young people can take to achieve their college and career goals. The knowledge and skills outlined in it are specific and teachable.

The guide is divided into three sections, each of which corresponds to one of the three areas of the framework: college readiness; career readiness; and college and career readiness. Simple concept maps and readiness charts help navigators understand the skills and knowledge students need to attain in each area and help them communicate with students about the ways in which career and college planning should be jointly addressed.

Go back to the home page to start using the guide.

About FHI 360

FHI 360 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives by developing, implementing, and evaluating locally driven integrated solutions to health, education, economic development, environment and civil society challenges. Our domestic education work focuses on improving educational opportunities for youth through services that include program design (e.g., the creation of models, protocols, tools, and materials), project management, professional development, school-based coaching, creation of local and national networks, and collective impact and program evaluation. We have worked at the intersection of schools and communities for nearly 40 years, solving critical issues in education, health, and youth development through projects in 48 states and with more than 400 school districts. Our staff are experts in education, health services, youth development, gender, school improvement, nutrition, communications, research and evaluation, technology, and advocacy.

Learn more about FHI 360:
www.fhi360.org

Learn more about FHI 360’s U.S. Education Programs:
www.fhi360.org/education-us

About the Authors

Constancia Warren, PhD is a leader in domestic education in developing and delivering technical assistance as well as conducting policy research and evaluation projects. She has worked with state and local school systems, higher education institutions, and community-based organizations to integrate and improve education through the U.S. Her areas of expertise include technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation, and research.

Robin White is currently the senior director of program and policy development for the National Institute for Work and Learning at FHI 360. She has more than 30 years of experience in the design, implementation, management, and evaluation of education projects and reform initiatives. Her areas of expertise include teacher education, career and technical education, school business partnerships, school reform strategies, and curriculum integration.

Ivan Charner, MA is director of the FHI 360 National Institute for Work and Learning. He designs, develops, and directs national projects and programs dealing with federal, state, and local education reform; teacher education and professional development; school-to-career transition systems; out-of-school youth; college and career planning; school-business partnerships; postsecondary education and training; employment policies and practices; workforce development, adult education, and training; and productive aging.

Lisa Johnson, MPA is the director of workforce programs within FHI 360’s National Institute for Work and Learning.  She has more than 20 years of experience developing and implementing workforce development programs and strategies and has held several leadership positions in which she created and managed education, skills training, and employment preparation programs for youth and adult populations.

Risa Sackman, MA has more than two decades of experience providing leadership and support to education, non-profit, higher education, and cultural organizations as well as to school improvement initiatives at the school, district, state, and federal levels. She has dedicated her career to improving students’ engagement, healthy development, and ongoing success. Her areas of expertise include program/curriculum development, instructional design, technical assistance, and evaluation.

Cole McMahon has devoted his career to inventing, scaling, and sustaining national service programs. In his 20 years in the government and nonprofit sectors, he has led both AmeriCorps programs at the state and national levels programs and servied as a program and training officer. He has placed AmeriCorps members in all 50 states.

Amanda McMahon, MPA is currently a program director within FHI 360’s National Institute for Work and Learning. McMahon is a leader with more than 20 years of experience in the fields of corporate social development, business-education partnerships, youth development, and education reform. She co-manages Johnson & Johnson’s Bridge to Employment—a collaborative effort among  the private sector, government, schools, and community groups to engage at-risk youth and help them achieve academically, enroll in higher education, and pursue careers in the STEM/health sectors.

Acknowledgments

This publication was made possible with the generous support of the Hess Corporation. FHI 360 recognizes McMahon Consulting Group, LLC, for its research and preparation of the first draft of the guide. Jennifer Charles of FHI 360 led development of the 11 lesson plans featured on this website, and Caitlin Rose Dailey of FHI 360 led efforts to convert the original guide to this web-based format. FHI 360 is also grateful for the expertise and offerings of the individuals interviewed for this guide:

  • Maud Abeel, Education Consultant (NY)
  • Lisa Bishop, Former Chief of Staff, Delaware Department of Education (DE)
  • Janet Bray, Founder and CEO, Bray Strategies (VA)
  • Joanne Ciezak, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, New Brunswick Public Schools (NJ)
  • Stacy Duffield, Coordinator, Teacher Education, North Dakota State University (ND)
  • Tifanie Gelinske, Vice President, Workforce Development, Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation (ND)
  • Jennifer Grandalen, School Counseling Coordinator, Missouri River Education Cooperative (ND)
  • Adrienne Grayson, Director, Special Populations and Equity Programs, Chaffey College (CA)
  • Heather Jarvis, Student Loan Expert
  • Karine Kanikkeberg, Resource Teacher, Kern High School District Career Resource Department (CA)
  • Wayne Kutzer, Former Director and Executive Officer, North Dakota
    Department of Career and Technical Education (ND)
  • Daniel Lozier, Professor, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (OH)
  • Mandy McNeff, College and Career Readiness Coordinator, North Central Education Cooperative (ND)
  • Elliott Medrich, Consultant and Former Vice President, MPR Associates (CA)
  • Jennifer Moore, Former Director of Programs, College Access Now, Seattle (WA)
  • Tiffany Nesbey, Assistant Director, Office for Diversity and Academic Success in the Sciences, Division of Life Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (NJ)
  • Marilyn Orgaard, Career Resource Network Supervisor, North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education (ND)
  • Elizabeth Pawlowski, Curriculum Coordinator, Taunton Public Schools (MA)
  • Kristina Quezada, Guidance Counselor, San Diego High School (CA)
  • Hector Rivera, Chief Operating Officer, Our Piece of the Pie (CT)
  • Michael Robbins, Founder and Director, District of Learning (Washington, DC)
  • Roland Selby, Executive Director, Year Up Baltimore (MD)
  • Wayde Sick, Director and Executive Officer, North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education and Former Director, Workforce Development Division, North Dakota Department of Commerce (ND)
  • Erica Spangler, Coordinator of Dual Enrollment Grant Programs, Montgomery County Community College (PA)
  • Beatrice Streitz, High School Counselor, New Town Public School District #1 (ND)
  • Derrick Taliaferro, External Relations Manager, Year Up Baltimore (MD)