Each month, we host the School of Education Research Speakers Series. These talks will highlight one of our esteemed colleagues as they share insights from a recent publication or other scholarly product and how their work informs practice and policy.
“College and Career Readiness: Experiences of students with neighborhood disadvantage and their school counselors”
College and career readiness education is implemented by school counselors for students participating in K-12 education.
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has a rigorous certification program called RAMP - Recognized ASCA Model Program - through which schools must go to prove they have a comprehensive, data-driven program. One of the categories of qualification is college and career readiness interventions for 100% of students in the building. Dr. Franklin's study explored the experiences of young adults ages 18-25 who participated in the federal lunch assistance program while they were enrolled in a high school that achieved RAMP certification. Participants in the study were people who, as high school students, lived below the poverty line as evidenced by their participation in the federal lunch assistance program, and who experienced neighborhood disadvantage.
The study included a qualitative approach and respondents who graduated from the same school district and who were part of the lunch assistance program participated in semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked to share their experiences and interactions with their school counselors in the area of college and career readiness and preparation. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis. During the discussion, results of the study, common themes, and implications for future research and changes to the profession will be shared.