Last year, during his state of the state address, Governor DeWine called on the legislature to “make a very simple fix in statute to insert career planning into existing graduation plan requirements.” The requirements that he references mandate that every Ohio student in grades nine through twelve who attends a public or chartered non-public school have a graduation plan that maps their academic pathway to a diploma. These pathways include course and graduation requirements and must be updated each year until the student graduates.
When the governor released his state budget recommendations a few weeks ago, it wasn’t a surprise to see that he followed through on his career planning idea. After all, DeWine has prioritized expanding and improving career pathways since taking office, and providing students with high-quality career planning is a key part of ensuring that pathways live up to their potential. He was also right that it only required a simple change in law. Rather than a “graduation plan,” students going forward would be required to have a “graduation and career plan.”
As simple as the change itself is, implementation will be much more complicated. To support the transition, DeWine charged the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) with adopting rules regarding the content of graduation and career plans. This is crucial because, although DEW currently publishes a template, districts and schools aren’t required to use it. That means plans can look wildly different from school to school or even student to student. Under this framework, well-meaning district leaders could struggle to identify what should and shouldn’t be included. Meanwhile, there’s no way for the department to ensure that every student ends up with a document that’s actually helpful. DEW can and should give schools some freedom about how to design their plans. But setting expectations and guardrails around what must be included is the best way to ensure that all students benefit.
It’s important to note that although DEW would be responsible for adopting rules, the budget includes some additional stipulations. For example, just like their predecessors, new plans must address how a student will meet curriculum and graduation requirements and must be updated each year. But under the budget, plans would also be required to identify post-graduation career goals and align the student’s high school experience to those goals. For example, if a student wants to go into a STEM field, then her graduation and career plan would likely map out high-level math and science courses. If she wants to work in cybersecurity, then her plan could include CTE courses (some of which could lead to college credit) and industry-recognized credentials. And if she wants to be a teacher, her plan might mention the state’s Grow Your Own Teacher Scholarship program.
This kind of alignment probably seems like a no-brainer. If a student wants to be an engineer or a cybersecurity analyst after they graduate, then of course they should be taking courses and earning credentials that will prepare them for that career. But for a lot of Ohio students, that’s not how high school works. It should be, especially since Ohio schools have been required to have career advising policies since the 2015–16 school year. But nearly a decade later, thousands of students still graduate each year with no idea how to pursue their interests or even what they’re interested in.
Don’t just take my word for it, though. In an interview last year, DEW Director Steve Dackin observed that “most kids were led to believe that their primary opportunities would be either in college or the military.” Because knowledge of their options is so limited, “they’re at a deficit. If you ask a kid, ‘What do you want to do when you get out of high school?’ they’re void of much information about what’s available.” By requiring schools to help students craft graduation and career plans that align with their interests and future goals, the budget takes a huge step toward solving this problem.
But there is one significant thing that’s missing. For these planning efforts to be truly beneficial, students need an in-depth opportunity to explore career fields and their associated educational pathways. It’s equally important that they are provided with this opportunity in middle school, so they have a better idea of which courses—traditional academic, career-technical, or both—they want to take in high school.
The best way to make this happen is to require all students to complete a career exploration course, equivalent to at least one semester of instruction, during grades 6–8. Lawmakers should charge DEW with outlining required course activities and instruction and creating a model curriculum. Course content should cover each of Ohio’s career fields, including available jobs within each field; the training (and training costs) required to obtain those jobs; salary ranges; Ohio regions where each field or job is most in demand; and projected job growth. Students should also be required to complete at least one aptitude or interest survey/assessment (like YouScience). Based on DEW’s guidance, districts and schools could design and offer this course, partner with a qualified organization to provide it, or pursue a state-approved alternative in collaboration with their CTPD and Business Advisory Council.
Getting courses up and running will take a significant amount of work. But the benefits would be huge. Students would be able to link academic work to their unique interests and the real world, which could have a profound impact on student engagement. And with a career exploration course under their belt, every ninth grader would walk into their high school empowered to make informed decisions about how to spend their next four years. This could lighten the load for school counselors and staff, as they would go from working with students who have little to no knowledge of their options and interests to working with students who are well-informed. Parents and families would have an additional opportunity to be involved in helping their kids plan for the future. And Ohio’s institutions of higher education and its employers would benefit from students who are more knowledgeable about what they want and how they can get it.
Planning for the future can be scary. But knowledge is power, and Ohio leaders have a responsibility to ensure that every student is equipped with the knowledge they need to prepare for their future. Requiring schools to help students craft career plans is a great start. But ensuring that students have the information and tools they need to take advantage of those planning opportunities is just as important.
