Did you know… Created by Dan Blake Career Development Specialist Sonoma County Office of Education

92% of middle school students say they will attend college… ¹

Of those students, only 32% know what classes are required in high school that would allow them to attend college. ¹

Did you know…

93% of middle school students say there is “no chance” they will drop out of high school. ¹

29% of Californians age lack a high school diploma.

Did you know…

Each year in the U.S., over 3.8 million young people leave the education system before receiving a high school diploma. ²

High school dropouts can expect to earn $462,000 less during their lives than high school graduates.

Did you know…

The U.S. loses $192 billion annually (or 1.6% of the GDP) as a result of 18-year-olds who do not complete high school. ²

Did you know…

High school dropouts account for almost half of the heads of households on welfare and 75% of the population in state prisons. ²

Did you know…

Increasing the high school completion rate by just 1% for all men ages would save the U.S. up to $1.4 billion per year in reduced costs from crime. ²

Did you know…

When surveyed, the majority of high school dropouts say they began to “disconnect” in middle school or earlier. ³

Did you know…

A 1999 study stated that… “Few middle schools adequately address the career development of students despite evidence to indicate that it enhances academic performance, facilitates high school completion, and encourages postsecondary education.” 4

Did you know…

The ratio of students per counselor in California averages 945 to 1, ranking California last in the nation. 5

Did you know…

Many youth have already limited their career aspirations by the time they reach middle school largely due to sex-stereotyped views of occupations. 6

Did you know…

In a recent survey of California community college students, 75% stated that they had not considered applying for a manufacturing job because the pay was too low. 7

Dow Chemical currently pays skilled workers up to $100,000, but a shortage of applicants has forced them to recruit most of their labor force from outside California. 7

Did you know…

The average cost of a year of tuition, room and board, and books and supplies at a California State University is $20,787. 8

At some CSU schools, as many as 60% of incoming students enter “undecided” when asked to list a major and it is increasingly common for a “4-year degree” to take 6+ years to complete.

Did you know…

In 2006, 143,000 four-year degree holders enrolled in community colleges. 9

When surveyed, more than half of these students said they were attending specifically to develop vocational skills.

Did you know…

In the U.S., 20% of 26-year-olds live at home (in Great Britain their called KIPPERS: Kids In Parents Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings). 10

Did you know…

Students with access to career information resources & programs and who make the connection between their academic coursework & future goals: Increase their self-esteem & career maturity levels Demonstrate better classroom attendance Are more likely to enroll in algebra or higher-level math courses in high school Participate in more A.P. classes Earn higher test scores on the ACT exam Are more likely to graduate from high school Are more likely to complete postsecondary education Are more likely to succeed in the workplace²/ ¹¹

Now you know.

Citations ¹National Association of Secondary School Principals and Phi Delta Kappa International. A Voice from the Middle. NASSP Reports, May (Poll conducted by Harris Interactive). ²America’s Career Resource Network (ACRN) ³Rotermund, S. (May 2008). “When Do California Students Drop Out of School?” California Dropout Research Project. Internet: 4 O’Brien, K.M., et al. (March 1999). Broadening career horizons for students in at-risk environments. The Career Development Quarterly, 47. Alexandria, VA: National Career Development Association. 5 Research on School Counseling Effectiveness (August 2010). Internet: 6 Guss, T.O. and Adams, L. “Gender Orientation and Career Maturation among Rural Elementary School Students.” (ED ) 7 Stewart, J.M. (October 2006).“School should prepare students for real-world jobs.” Internet: 8 CaliforniaColleges.edu (November 2010) 9 Stewart, J.M. (November 2007). “Tech ed neglect puts state in a jobs crisis.” Internet: 10 Time magazine (January 2005) ¹¹Hughes, K.L. and Karp, M.M. (2004). School-Based Career Development: A Synthesis of the Literature. Internet: