Chapter 3: Preparing High School Students for Career Development Activities in Higher Education

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) provides a valuable resource for counselors seeking to implement career development standards for students. The ASCA National Standards for Career Development are designed to help students acquire the necessary skills, attitudes, and knowledge to successfully transition into the world of work (ASCA, 2005). The career content standards for students are used as a foundation for the career development activities described in this chapter. The content standards describe what students should know and be able to do within the career education curriculum in a school system (ASCA, 2005). Within each of the three career content standards are competencies that outline specific expectations for students. Finally, indicators under the competencies describe the knowledge, skills, and abilities students will demonstrate to meet the competencies and standards.