Middle School Transitions: A Window For Future of Career Development
a new opportunity
On March 1st, 2023 we partnered with New York City Public Schools (DOE) - Office Of Student Pathways (OSP) to host a space for Network members to help guide the city’s Middle School advising plans forward.
The Office Of Student Pathways (OSP) identified that they were interested in learning from Network members who incorporate Middle School advising into their programs. Because we know that collaboration can strengthen coordination and we know the value of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) experience and expertise, we gladly said yes!
The event, Student Pathways Advising in Middle School: A Discussion With DOE was held over Zoom and invited folx to explore promising practices and gaps, centering practitioner experiences as valuable data points. Members in attendance offered thoughtful reflections and insights which made for a rich discussion that shed light on the current Middle School advising landscape. This was the first opportunity for partnership between OSP and SSN, and we're excited to continue the conversation!
4x4 take on middle school transitions
Through poll questions and a group discussion, we heard from members about their perspective on middle school advising. Topics explored included types of touch points, communication, roles, timing, focus areas, and caregiver engagement. There was a lot of wonderful thoughts shared but here’s a 4x4 recap, 4 challenges and 4 bright spots:
4 challenges
Time
Practitioners shared that it feels like there is not enough time to educate caregivers and students about the process of applying to High School and college
They also shared that time poses a barrier for engaging with caregivers, who are already stretched and hard to reach
Lack of clarity around DOE choices
Practitioners reflected that it has been challenging to advocate for good fit transitions when report cards and standard tests are unclear and uncoordinated
Most shared that this has required them to offer differentiating services given so many unique needs and circumstances to support students and families navigate challenges along transitions
Career development is not a priority focus
Folx feel there are many competing priorities in Middle School advising like academic enrichment, SEL, supporting student and family mental health barriers, finding a high school
Practitioners voiced concerns that career related activities and/or measures might not be counted towards contract requirements
Reactive communication
Many admitted they are currently communicating with schools in a reactionary way and based on individualized coordination as needed or when a student is in crisis, but leaves gaps for intentional partnership
4 bright spots
Reframing Purpose of Career Development
Practitioners reflected it is inspiring to think about career development as a way to focus on the future and possibilities, which can be restorative and therapeutic
Relationship Building
Even though schools and CBOs are stretched thin, they shared that relationships and strong partnerships are critical to improve transitions
Practitioners are looking to partner with schools as much as possible and are interested in strengthening coordination to make their (schools AND CBOs) work easier
Family Engagement Is an Untapped Resource
The conversation shed light on the opportunity to partner more closely with caregivers and families to strengthen the transition journey
Youth Success Is A Through-Line
While practitioners named that career development is not a main priority, the conversation shed light that there is an opportunity to better connect middle school transitions to career, especially in NYC where students have the opportunity to choose career-specific tracks and programs in high school or to attend Career & Technical Education (CTE) high schools
There is an opportunity to think about how to improve the through-line from Middle School to transformative career development as there are coordination moments along the pathway to success
building forward
Towards the end of our conversation, there was interest in exploring how we reframe standard "career development" to include exploration of purpose, affirmation of youth identities, and strengths-based practices. Given the movement towards career preparation that the Mayor is driving, we hope that we can continue this conversation and explore what exists and what is possible.
Learning more about the dimensions of Middle School advisement is helpful for how our Transformative Career Development (TCD) Initiative might grow and evolve.
The TCD initiative is aimed at supporting NYC youth in accessing quality relationships, advising, curriculum, work environments, and career pathways. The hope is that young people have the opportunity to build the skills and social networks needed to feel more clear and confident about their pathway to thrive in career choices they’re interested in. We’re interested in continuing to deepen our knowledge about how quality programming in middle school can support this ultimate goal.
We look forward to building on this partnership and fueling more opportunities for CBO practitioners to inform New York City Public Schools (DOE) planning and strengthen coordination across the education sector!
