{"id":2158,"date":"2021-11-10T12:54:41","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T17:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nnpa.org\/education\/?p=2158"},"modified":"2023-05-29T14:08:22","modified_gmt":"2023-05-29T18:08:22","slug":"a-moment-of-opportunity-for-student-pathways-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nnpa.org\/education\/2021\/11\/10\/a-moment-of-opportunity-for-student-pathways-support\/","title":{"rendered":"A Moment of Opportunity for Student Pathways Support"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sara Allan | Gates Foundation, U.S. Program<\/p>\n

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Valerie Gonzales is an inspiration. A recent college graduate in Fort Worth, Texas, she navigated challenging circumstances as a college adviser during the pandemic to support and guide high school students as they strove to make their own transition to college. Always willing to brainstorm career options in her office or track down a student at their afterschool job to make sure they completed application paperwork, Valerie is a trusted partner to her students and a testament to the power of individual relationships in students\u2019 lives. Sadly, the kind of help she provides through the College Advising Corps<\/a>\u00a0is not universal in high schools across the country.<\/p>\n

Valerie\u2019s work, highlighted by Bill Gates in his\u00a0recent<\/a>\u00a0 Gates Notes post, is a shining example of how a holistic approach to college advising lifts up students, including those in underserved communities. At the same time, we know that too many students also miss out on other supports and opportunities that are more likely to keep them on a path to success beyond high school such as opportunities for mentoring, advanced course placement, and career-connected learning opportunities. They also need access to the kind of social capital<\/a>\u00a0and networking opportunities that will help them out in the world. In essence, students need a Valerie at every stage of their education-to-career pathway.<\/p>\n

Our education system creates opportunity and provides support for some students, but not others. And too often, the system fails the students who need it most, and who would benefit most from these key learning opportunities, supports, and experiences. Supporting students through critical transition points between high school, college and employment systems requires intentional design to keep students on their education pathway. However, few young people feel they are receiving a great deal of support from their high schools, counselors, or outside programs as they make their plans for college, or their career and life goals, according to the\u00a02020-2021 Equitable Futures National Youth Poll<\/a>. The situation is even worse for young people from lower-income households.<\/p>\n

Many young people who took the poll said that they don\u2019t know of any outside programs that can provide support, and they don\u2019t know where to look for them. Students overwhelmingly feel as if setting and achieving their career and life goals is all on them.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI never had anyone ask me about my plans. The only time I met my assigned counselor, she doubted my ability to take AP classes. I had no one to ask questions of,\u201d a Hispanic male, age 20 and from a lower-income family, told the surveyors.<\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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\u201cThey only cared about you graduating; they didn\u2019t talk about life after high school or careers,\u201d said a\u00a0\u00a0Hispanic female, age 20, also from a lower-income household.<\/p>\n

There has never been a more important time to act to change this. COVID-19 disrupted the paths and dreams of too many young people. High school students are\u00a0shifting their postsecondary plans<\/a>\u00a0and college enrollment continues to decline. At the height of the pandemic, we\u00a0saw how critical relationship-based programs propelled some students<\/a>\u2014 but unfortunately not all\u2014to get back on track.<\/p>\n

We need to strengthen our education pathway structures and systems so that all students\u2019 access to high-quality supports and learning opportunities aren\u2019t left to chance or determined by where a student lives. We know we can do better. It\u2019s already happening in some places \u2013 just not in enough places \u2013 and it\u2019s happening in a systematic way. We have strong examples from across the country that prove change is possible:<\/p>\n