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© SCHOOLINKS INC. • 2023
The Advantages Of College and Career Programming For Small Districts
August 14, 2023
August 14, 2023
College and career readiness (CCR) programs in large municipalities and districts often include options for a wide variety of specialized magnet or career and technical education programs where students can develop industry-ready skills on state-of-the-art equipment by the time they graduate. These programs sometimes boast relationships with large companies who call their community home. And students in these communities who stand out with achievements and credentials have access to internships and mentoring opportunities with professionals from a wide swath of industries.
CCR programs in smaller districts or schools often, at first glance, seem more limited in their opportunities for students. With a lower overall operating budget compared to large districts and more limited access for highly-specialized programs, some might feel that these programs cannot offer students the same level of readiness and access.
However, smaller districts and schools have advantages and qualities that foster a unique CCR experience and level of support that is not possible in larger districts and schools. Small districts and school communities should recognize the benefits that they–and their entire community–provide students and leverage these assets to bolster the college and career readiness opportunities for their students.
A Collective Investment in Student Success
In small districts, schools are often the nexus of learning, opportunity, and community; nearly everyone in a community is personally connected to the school in some way. Because of this, there is a greater drive for shared success that transcends individual plans and aspirations. Community support–including time, resources, celebrations, and other contributions–is not diluted across multiple schools and buildings within a region; it is focused on a single high school and everyone feels invested in the outcomes. With this communal energy and commitment to student growth, schools in smaller districts can better mobilize support and create opportunities to empower students.
Robust School-Business Partnerships
The most successful CCR programs have strong partnerships between local businesses and schools. Related to the overlap between the community and the school, in smaller districts, there are pre-existing tight-knit relationships and connections that tie local businesses to the school community. Many businesses, for instance, might be run by alumni of the local high school and often have children in the school system and/or family members working there. Because of this, local businesses are deeply invested in students’ growth and development and are often willing to do more to create opportunities for students. These connections can lead to valuable work-based learning opportunities, industry partnerships, event sponsors, and advisors for CCR planning.
A More Personalized College and Career Readiness Experience for Students
In smaller districts and schools, relationships between adults and students often extend beyond classroom and even school walls. In these communities, teachers and counselors are often required to wear multiple hats–as educators, club leaders, coaches, supervisors, and mentors–and, therefore, have more touch points with students, getting to know them at a deeper level. When community boundaries match school boundaries, the interactions and familiarity between educators, students, and families are often much more personal and nuanced. This dynamic provides opportunities for educators to get to know a student’s talents, skills, and strengths and are better able to advise them on what opportunities might be a good fit, both in the short- and long-term. And because staff often work with students year after year, these relationships develop and grow stronger over time. With that, educators can monitor and respond to shifts in student engagement, check in at intermediate points toward long-term goals, and provide a deeper level of support and accountability.
Access to CCR Opportunities for All Students
In larger districts and schools, it is often a small subset of students who get to participate in specialized CCR programming. Because of heightened requirements for program admission and additional competition, students often have to choose a single preferred activity or area of interest to pursue. In smaller districts and schools, students have more opportunity to explore and pursue multiple paths of involvement–ranging from CTE opportunities, to extracurriculars, to work-based learning roles. This diversity of experiences that nearly all students can access can be highly valuable for future planning with students having a wider variety of opportunities to inform their decision making and build important teamwork, collaboration, and leadership skills.
Systemic Change is Possible
In large districts with many school buildings and multi-layered bureaucracies, systemic change takes substantial amounts of time and often cannot be made before current students have graduated. In smaller districts and schools–especially where there is a single high school–recognizing trends, evaluating progress, and implementing new resources and programs are much more doable in a timeframe where current students can benefit.
Embedding processes for collecting feedback from students to ensure that CCR programming is meeting their needs is possible without unnecessary approval protocols. And counselors are more able to respond to this feedback with events and opportunities informed by these needs and preferences. Some schools have enlisted the help of community partners to conduct exit interviews with each graduating student so that students can share a constructive assessment of their high school learning journey. These approaches amplify student voices and create modalities for feedback that are authentically driven by the student CCR experience. With these opportunities, smaller districts are able to personalize the CCR offerings, partnerships, and experiences to the evolving needs of their students and their community.
College and career readiness (CCR) programs in large municipalities and districts often include options for a wide variety of specialized magnet or career and technical education programs where students can develop industry-ready skills on state-of-the-art equipment by the time they graduate. These programs sometimes boast relationships with large companies who call their community home. And students in these communities who stand out with achievements and credentials have access to internships and mentoring opportunities with professionals from a wide swath of industries.
CCR programs in smaller districts or schools often, at first glance, seem more limited in their opportunities for students. With a lower overall operating budget compared to large districts and more limited access for highly-specialized programs, some might feel that these programs cannot offer students the same level of readiness and access.
However, smaller districts and schools have advantages and qualities that foster a unique CCR experience and level of support that is not possible in larger districts and schools. Small districts and school communities should recognize the benefits that they–and their entire community–provide students and leverage these assets to bolster the college and career readiness opportunities for their students.
A Collective Investment in Student Success
In small districts, schools are often the nexus of learning, opportunity, and community; nearly everyone in a community is personally connected to the school in some way. Because of this, there is a greater drive for shared success that transcends individual plans and aspirations. Community support–including time, resources, celebrations, and other contributions–is not diluted across multiple schools and buildings within a region; it is focused on a single high school and everyone feels invested in the outcomes. With this communal energy and commitment to student growth, schools in smaller districts can better mobilize support and create opportunities to empower students.
Robust School-Business Partnerships
The most successful CCR programs have strong partnerships between local businesses and schools. Related to the overlap between the community and the school, in smaller districts, there are pre-existing tight-knit relationships and connections that tie local businesses to the school community. Many businesses, for instance, might be run by alumni of the local high school and often have children in the school system and/or family members working there. Because of this, local businesses are deeply invested in students’ growth and development and are often willing to do more to create opportunities for students. These connections can lead to valuable work-based learning opportunities, industry partnerships, event sponsors, and advisors for CCR planning.
A More Personalized College and Career Readiness Experience for Students
In smaller districts and schools, relationships between adults and students often extend beyond classroom and even school walls. In these communities, teachers and counselors are often required to wear multiple hats–as educators, club leaders, coaches, supervisors, and mentors–and, therefore, have more touch points with students, getting to know them at a deeper level. When community boundaries match school boundaries, the interactions and familiarity between educators, students, and families are often much more personal and nuanced. This dynamic provides opportunities for educators to get to know a student’s talents, skills, and strengths and are better able to advise them on what opportunities might be a good fit, both in the short- and long-term. And because staff often work with students year after year, these relationships develop and grow stronger over time. With that, educators can monitor and respond to shifts in student engagement, check in at intermediate points toward long-term goals, and provide a deeper level of support and accountability.
Access to CCR Opportunities for All Students
In larger districts and schools, it is often a small subset of students who get to participate in specialized CCR programming. Because of heightened requirements for program admission and additional competition, students often have to choose a single preferred activity or area of interest to pursue. In smaller districts and schools, students have more opportunity to explore and pursue multiple paths of involvement–ranging from CTE opportunities, to extracurriculars, to work-based learning roles. This diversity of experiences that nearly all students can access can be highly valuable for future planning with students having a wider variety of opportunities to inform their decision making and build important teamwork, collaboration, and leadership skills.
Systemic Change is Possible
In large districts with many school buildings and multi-layered bureaucracies, systemic change takes substantial amounts of time and often cannot be made before current students have graduated. In smaller districts and schools–especially where there is a single high school–recognizing trends, evaluating progress, and implementing new resources and programs are much more doable in a timeframe where current students can benefit.
Embedding processes for collecting feedback from students to ensure that CCR programming is meeting their needs is possible without unnecessary approval protocols. And counselors are more able to respond to this feedback with events and opportunities informed by these needs and preferences. Some schools have enlisted the help of community partners to conduct exit interviews with each graduating student so that students can share a constructive assessment of their high school learning journey. These approaches amplify student voices and create modalities for feedback that are authentically driven by the student CCR experience. With these opportunities, smaller districts are able to personalize the CCR offerings, partnerships, and experiences to the evolving needs of their students and their community.
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College and career readiness (CCR) programs in large municipalities and districts often include options for a wide variety of specialized magnet or career and technical education programs where students can develop industry-ready skills on state-of-the-art equipment by the time they graduate. These programs sometimes boast relationships with large companies who call their community home. And students in these communities who stand out with achievements and credentials have access to internships and mentoring opportunities with professionals from a wide swath of industries.
CCR programs in smaller districts or schools often, at first glance, seem more limited in their opportunities for students. With a lower overall operating budget compared to large districts and more limited access for highly-specialized programs, some might feel that these programs cannot offer students the same level of readiness and access.
However, smaller districts and schools have advantages and qualities that foster a unique CCR experience and level of support that is not possible in larger districts and schools. Small districts and school communities should recognize the benefits that they–and their entire community–provide students and leverage these assets to bolster the college and career readiness opportunities for their students.
A Collective Investment in Student Success
In small districts, schools are often the nexus of learning, opportunity, and community; nearly everyone in a community is personally connected to the school in some way. Because of this, there is a greater drive for shared success that transcends individual plans and aspirations. Community support–including time, resources, celebrations, and other contributions–is not diluted across multiple schools and buildings within a region; it is focused on a single high school and everyone feels invested in the outcomes. With this communal energy and commitment to student growth, schools in smaller districts can better mobilize support and create opportunities to empower students.
Robust School-Business Partnerships
The most successful CCR programs have strong partnerships between local businesses and schools. Related to the overlap between the community and the school, in smaller districts, there are pre-existing tight-knit relationships and connections that tie local businesses to the school community. Many businesses, for instance, might be run by alumni of the local high school and often have children in the school system and/or family members working there. Because of this, local businesses are deeply invested in students’ growth and development and are often willing to do more to create opportunities for students. These connections can lead to valuable work-based learning opportunities, industry partnerships, event sponsors, and advisors for CCR planning.
A More Personalized College and Career Readiness Experience for Students
In smaller districts and schools, relationships between adults and students often extend beyond classroom and even school walls. In these communities, teachers and counselors are often required to wear multiple hats–as educators, club leaders, coaches, supervisors, and mentors–and, therefore, have more touch points with students, getting to know them at a deeper level. When community boundaries match school boundaries, the interactions and familiarity between educators, students, and families are often much more personal and nuanced. This dynamic provides opportunities for educators to get to know a student’s talents, skills, and strengths and are better able to advise them on what opportunities might be a good fit, both in the short- and long-term. And because staff often work with students year after year, these relationships develop and grow stronger over time. With that, educators can monitor and respond to shifts in student engagement, check in at intermediate points toward long-term goals, and provide a deeper level of support and accountability.
Access to CCR Opportunities for All Students
In larger districts and schools, it is often a small subset of students who get to participate in specialized CCR programming. Because of heightened requirements for program admission and additional competition, students often have to choose a single preferred activity or area of interest to pursue. In smaller districts and schools, students have more opportunity to explore and pursue multiple paths of involvement–ranging from CTE opportunities, to extracurriculars, to work-based learning roles. This diversity of experiences that nearly all students can access can be highly valuable for future planning with students having a wider variety of opportunities to inform their decision making and build important teamwork, collaboration, and leadership skills.
Systemic Change is Possible
In large districts with many school buildings and multi-layered bureaucracies, systemic change takes substantial amounts of time and often cannot be made before current students have graduated. In smaller districts and schools–especially where there is a single high school–recognizing trends, evaluating progress, and implementing new resources and programs are much more doable in a timeframe where current students can benefit.
Embedding processes for collecting feedback from students to ensure that CCR programming is meeting their needs is possible without unnecessary approval protocols. And counselors are more able to respond to this feedback with events and opportunities informed by these needs and preferences. Some schools have enlisted the help of community partners to conduct exit interviews with each graduating student so that students can share a constructive assessment of their high school learning journey. These approaches amplify student voices and create modalities for feedback that are authentically driven by the student CCR experience. With these opportunities, smaller districts are able to personalize the CCR offerings, partnerships, and experiences to the evolving needs of their students and their community.
College and career readiness (CCR) programs in large municipalities and districts often include options for a wide variety of specialized magnet or career and technical education programs where students can develop industry-ready skills on state-of-the-art equipment by the time they graduate. These programs sometimes boast relationships with large companies who call their community home. And students in these communities who stand out with achievements and credentials have access to internships and mentoring opportunities with professionals from a wide swath of industries.
CCR programs in smaller districts or schools often, at first glance, seem more limited in their opportunities for students. With a lower overall operating budget compared to large districts and more limited access for highly-specialized programs, some might feel that these programs cannot offer students the same level of readiness and access.
However, smaller districts and schools have advantages and qualities that foster a unique CCR experience and level of support that is not possible in larger districts and schools. Small districts and school communities should recognize the benefits that they–and their entire community–provide students and leverage these assets to bolster the college and career readiness opportunities for their students.
A Collective Investment in Student Success
In small districts, schools are often the nexus of learning, opportunity, and community; nearly everyone in a community is personally connected to the school in some way. Because of this, there is a greater drive for shared success that transcends individual plans and aspirations. Community support–including time, resources, celebrations, and other contributions–is not diluted across multiple schools and buildings within a region; it is focused on a single high school and everyone feels invested in the outcomes. With this communal energy and commitment to student growth, schools in smaller districts can better mobilize support and create opportunities to empower students.
Robust School-Business Partnerships
The most successful CCR programs have strong partnerships between local businesses and schools. Related to the overlap between the community and the school, in smaller districts, there are pre-existing tight-knit relationships and connections that tie local businesses to the school community. Many businesses, for instance, might be run by alumni of the local high school and often have children in the school system and/or family members working there. Because of this, local businesses are deeply invested in students’ growth and development and are often willing to do more to create opportunities for students. These connections can lead to valuable work-based learning opportunities, industry partnerships, event sponsors, and advisors for CCR planning.
A More Personalized College and Career Readiness Experience for Students
In smaller districts and schools, relationships between adults and students often extend beyond classroom and even school walls. In these communities, teachers and counselors are often required to wear multiple hats–as educators, club leaders, coaches, supervisors, and mentors–and, therefore, have more touch points with students, getting to know them at a deeper level. When community boundaries match school boundaries, the interactions and familiarity between educators, students, and families are often much more personal and nuanced. This dynamic provides opportunities for educators to get to know a student’s talents, skills, and strengths and are better able to advise them on what opportunities might be a good fit, both in the short- and long-term. And because staff often work with students year after year, these relationships develop and grow stronger over time. With that, educators can monitor and respond to shifts in student engagement, check in at intermediate points toward long-term goals, and provide a deeper level of support and accountability.
Access to CCR Opportunities for All Students
In larger districts and schools, it is often a small subset of students who get to participate in specialized CCR programming. Because of heightened requirements for program admission and additional competition, students often have to choose a single preferred activity or area of interest to pursue. In smaller districts and schools, students have more opportunity to explore and pursue multiple paths of involvement–ranging from CTE opportunities, to extracurriculars, to work-based learning roles. This diversity of experiences that nearly all students can access can be highly valuable for future planning with students having a wider variety of opportunities to inform their decision making and build important teamwork, collaboration, and leadership skills.
Systemic Change is Possible
In large districts with many school buildings and multi-layered bureaucracies, systemic change takes substantial amounts of time and often cannot be made before current students have graduated. In smaller districts and schools–especially where there is a single high school–recognizing trends, evaluating progress, and implementing new resources and programs are much more doable in a timeframe where current students can benefit.
Embedding processes for collecting feedback from students to ensure that CCR programming is meeting their needs is possible without unnecessary approval protocols. And counselors are more able to respond to this feedback with events and opportunities informed by these needs and preferences. Some schools have enlisted the help of community partners to conduct exit interviews with each graduating student so that students can share a constructive assessment of their high school learning journey. These approaches amplify student voices and create modalities for feedback that are authentically driven by the student CCR experience. With these opportunities, smaller districts are able to personalize the CCR offerings, partnerships, and experiences to the evolving needs of their students and their community.
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College and career readiness (CCR) programs in large municipalities and districts often include options for a wide variety of specialized magnet or career and technical education programs where students can develop industry-ready skills on state-of-the-art equipment by the time they graduate. These programs sometimes boast relationships with large companies who call their community home. And students in these communities who stand out with achievements and credentials have access to internships and mentoring opportunities with professionals from a wide swath of industries.
CCR programs in smaller districts or schools often, at first glance, seem more limited in their opportunities for students. With a lower overall operating budget compared to large districts and more limited access for highly-specialized programs, some might feel that these programs cannot offer students the same level of readiness and access.
However, smaller districts and schools have advantages and qualities that foster a unique CCR experience and level of support that is not possible in larger districts and schools. Small districts and school communities should recognize the benefits that they–and their entire community–provide students and leverage these assets to bolster the college and career readiness opportunities for their students.
A Collective Investment in Student Success
In small districts, schools are often the nexus of learning, opportunity, and community; nearly everyone in a community is personally connected to the school in some way. Because of this, there is a greater drive for shared success that transcends individual plans and aspirations. Community support–including time, resources, celebrations, and other contributions–is not diluted across multiple schools and buildings within a region; it is focused on a single high school and everyone feels invested in the outcomes. With this communal energy and commitment to student growth, schools in smaller districts can better mobilize support and create opportunities to empower students.
Robust School-Business Partnerships
The most successful CCR programs have strong partnerships between local businesses and schools. Related to the overlap between the community and the school, in smaller districts, there are pre-existing tight-knit relationships and connections that tie local businesses to the school community. Many businesses, for instance, might be run by alumni of the local high school and often have children in the school system and/or family members working there. Because of this, local businesses are deeply invested in students’ growth and development and are often willing to do more to create opportunities for students. These connections can lead to valuable work-based learning opportunities, industry partnerships, event sponsors, and advisors for CCR planning.
A More Personalized College and Career Readiness Experience for Students
In smaller districts and schools, relationships between adults and students often extend beyond classroom and even school walls. In these communities, teachers and counselors are often required to wear multiple hats–as educators, club leaders, coaches, supervisors, and mentors–and, therefore, have more touch points with students, getting to know them at a deeper level. When community boundaries match school boundaries, the interactions and familiarity between educators, students, and families are often much more personal and nuanced. This dynamic provides opportunities for educators to get to know a student’s talents, skills, and strengths and are better able to advise them on what opportunities might be a good fit, both in the short- and long-term. And because staff often work with students year after year, these relationships develop and grow stronger over time. With that, educators can monitor and respond to shifts in student engagement, check in at intermediate points toward long-term goals, and provide a deeper level of support and accountability.
Access to CCR Opportunities for All Students
In larger districts and schools, it is often a small subset of students who get to participate in specialized CCR programming. Because of heightened requirements for program admission and additional competition, students often have to choose a single preferred activity or area of interest to pursue. In smaller districts and schools, students have more opportunity to explore and pursue multiple paths of involvement–ranging from CTE opportunities, to extracurriculars, to work-based learning roles. This diversity of experiences that nearly all students can access can be highly valuable for future planning with students having a wider variety of opportunities to inform their decision making and build important teamwork, collaboration, and leadership skills.
Systemic Change is Possible
In large districts with many school buildings and multi-layered bureaucracies, systemic change takes substantial amounts of time and often cannot be made before current students have graduated. In smaller districts and schools–especially where there is a single high school–recognizing trends, evaluating progress, and implementing new resources and programs are much more doable in a timeframe where current students can benefit.
Embedding processes for collecting feedback from students to ensure that CCR programming is meeting their needs is possible without unnecessary approval protocols. And counselors are more able to respond to this feedback with events and opportunities informed by these needs and preferences. Some schools have enlisted the help of community partners to conduct exit interviews with each graduating student so that students can share a constructive assessment of their high school learning journey. These approaches amplify student voices and create modalities for feedback that are authentically driven by the student CCR experience. With these opportunities, smaller districts are able to personalize the CCR offerings, partnerships, and experiences to the evolving needs of their students and their community.
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College and career readiness (CCR) programs in large municipalities and districts often include options for a wide variety of specialized magnet or career and technical education programs where students can develop industry-ready skills on state-of-the-art equipment by the time they graduate. These programs sometimes boast relationships with large companies who call their community home. And students in these communities who stand out with achievements and credentials have access to internships and mentoring opportunities with professionals from a wide swath of industries.
CCR programs in smaller districts or schools often, at first glance, seem more limited in their opportunities for students. With a lower overall operating budget compared to large districts and more limited access for highly-specialized programs, some might feel that these programs cannot offer students the same level of readiness and access.
However, smaller districts and schools have advantages and qualities that foster a unique CCR experience and level of support that is not possible in larger districts and schools. Small districts and school communities should recognize the benefits that they–and their entire community–provide students and leverage these assets to bolster the college and career readiness opportunities for their students.
A Collective Investment in Student Success
In small districts, schools are often the nexus of learning, opportunity, and community; nearly everyone in a community is personally connected to the school in some way. Because of this, there is a greater drive for shared success that transcends individual plans and aspirations. Community support–including time, resources, celebrations, and other contributions–is not diluted across multiple schools and buildings within a region; it is focused on a single high school and everyone feels invested in the outcomes. With this communal energy and commitment to student growth, schools in smaller districts can better mobilize support and create opportunities to empower students.
Robust School-Business Partnerships
The most successful CCR programs have strong partnerships between local businesses and schools. Related to the overlap between the community and the school, in smaller districts, there are pre-existing tight-knit relationships and connections that tie local businesses to the school community. Many businesses, for instance, might be run by alumni of the local high school and often have children in the school system and/or family members working there. Because of this, local businesses are deeply invested in students’ growth and development and are often willing to do more to create opportunities for students. These connections can lead to valuable work-based learning opportunities, industry partnerships, event sponsors, and advisors for CCR planning.
A More Personalized College and Career Readiness Experience for Students
In smaller districts and schools, relationships between adults and students often extend beyond classroom and even school walls. In these communities, teachers and counselors are often required to wear multiple hats–as educators, club leaders, coaches, supervisors, and mentors–and, therefore, have more touch points with students, getting to know them at a deeper level. When community boundaries match school boundaries, the interactions and familiarity between educators, students, and families are often much more personal and nuanced. This dynamic provides opportunities for educators to get to know a student’s talents, skills, and strengths and are better able to advise them on what opportunities might be a good fit, both in the short- and long-term. And because staff often work with students year after year, these relationships develop and grow stronger over time. With that, educators can monitor and respond to shifts in student engagement, check in at intermediate points toward long-term goals, and provide a deeper level of support and accountability.
Access to CCR Opportunities for All Students
In larger districts and schools, it is often a small subset of students who get to participate in specialized CCR programming. Because of heightened requirements for program admission and additional competition, students often have to choose a single preferred activity or area of interest to pursue. In smaller districts and schools, students have more opportunity to explore and pursue multiple paths of involvement–ranging from CTE opportunities, to extracurriculars, to work-based learning roles. This diversity of experiences that nearly all students can access can be highly valuable for future planning with students having a wider variety of opportunities to inform their decision making and build important teamwork, collaboration, and leadership skills.
Systemic Change is Possible
In large districts with many school buildings and multi-layered bureaucracies, systemic change takes substantial amounts of time and often cannot be made before current students have graduated. In smaller districts and schools–especially where there is a single high school–recognizing trends, evaluating progress, and implementing new resources and programs are much more doable in a timeframe where current students can benefit.
Embedding processes for collecting feedback from students to ensure that CCR programming is meeting their needs is possible without unnecessary approval protocols. And counselors are more able to respond to this feedback with events and opportunities informed by these needs and preferences. Some schools have enlisted the help of community partners to conduct exit interviews with each graduating student so that students can share a constructive assessment of their high school learning journey. These approaches amplify student voices and create modalities for feedback that are authentically driven by the student CCR experience. With these opportunities, smaller districts are able to personalize the CCR offerings, partnerships, and experiences to the evolving needs of their students and their community.
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College and career readiness (CCR) programs in large municipalities and districts often include options for a wide variety of specialized magnet or career and technical education programs where students can develop industry-ready skills on state-of-the-art equipment by the time they graduate. These programs sometimes boast relationships with large companies who call their community home. And students in these communities who stand out with achievements and credentials have access to internships and mentoring opportunities with professionals from a wide swath of industries.
CCR programs in smaller districts or schools often, at first glance, seem more limited in their opportunities for students. With a lower overall operating budget compared to large districts and more limited access for highly-specialized programs, some might feel that these programs cannot offer students the same level of readiness and access.
However, smaller districts and schools have advantages and qualities that foster a unique CCR experience and level of support that is not possible in larger districts and schools. Small districts and school communities should recognize the benefits that they–and their entire community–provide students and leverage these assets to bolster the college and career readiness opportunities for their students.
A Collective Investment in Student Success
In small districts, schools are often the nexus of learning, opportunity, and community; nearly everyone in a community is personally connected to the school in some way. Because of this, there is a greater drive for shared success that transcends individual plans and aspirations. Community support–including time, resources, celebrations, and other contributions–is not diluted across multiple schools and buildings within a region; it is focused on a single high school and everyone feels invested in the outcomes. With this communal energy and commitment to student growth, schools in smaller districts can better mobilize support and create opportunities to empower students.
Robust School-Business Partnerships
The most successful CCR programs have strong partnerships between local businesses and schools. Related to the overlap between the community and the school, in smaller districts, there are pre-existing tight-knit relationships and connections that tie local businesses to the school community. Many businesses, for instance, might be run by alumni of the local high school and often have children in the school system and/or family members working there. Because of this, local businesses are deeply invested in students’ growth and development and are often willing to do more to create opportunities for students. These connections can lead to valuable work-based learning opportunities, industry partnerships, event sponsors, and advisors for CCR planning.
A More Personalized College and Career Readiness Experience for Students
In smaller districts and schools, relationships between adults and students often extend beyond classroom and even school walls. In these communities, teachers and counselors are often required to wear multiple hats–as educators, club leaders, coaches, supervisors, and mentors–and, therefore, have more touch points with students, getting to know them at a deeper level. When community boundaries match school boundaries, the interactions and familiarity between educators, students, and families are often much more personal and nuanced. This dynamic provides opportunities for educators to get to know a student’s talents, skills, and strengths and are better able to advise them on what opportunities might be a good fit, both in the short- and long-term. And because staff often work with students year after year, these relationships develop and grow stronger over time. With that, educators can monitor and respond to shifts in student engagement, check in at intermediate points toward long-term goals, and provide a deeper level of support and accountability.
Access to CCR Opportunities for All Students
In larger districts and schools, it is often a small subset of students who get to participate in specialized CCR programming. Because of heightened requirements for program admission and additional competition, students often have to choose a single preferred activity or area of interest to pursue. In smaller districts and schools, students have more opportunity to explore and pursue multiple paths of involvement–ranging from CTE opportunities, to extracurriculars, to work-based learning roles. This diversity of experiences that nearly all students can access can be highly valuable for future planning with students having a wider variety of opportunities to inform their decision making and build important teamwork, collaboration, and leadership skills.
Systemic Change is Possible
In large districts with many school buildings and multi-layered bureaucracies, systemic change takes substantial amounts of time and often cannot be made before current students have graduated. In smaller districts and schools–especially where there is a single high school–recognizing trends, evaluating progress, and implementing new resources and programs are much more doable in a timeframe where current students can benefit.
Embedding processes for collecting feedback from students to ensure that CCR programming is meeting their needs is possible without unnecessary approval protocols. And counselors are more able to respond to this feedback with events and opportunities informed by these needs and preferences. Some schools have enlisted the help of community partners to conduct exit interviews with each graduating student so that students can share a constructive assessment of their high school learning journey. These approaches amplify student voices and create modalities for feedback that are authentically driven by the student CCR experience. With these opportunities, smaller districts are able to personalize the CCR offerings, partnerships, and experiences to the evolving needs of their students and their community.
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