1. Career Day

2. Issues Facing Middle School Students Physical, psychological, and social changes Bullying, social status, and academics Low levels of self-efficacy (Legum & Hoare, 2004) Pressure to make preliminary decisions about future career opportunities (Akos, Konold, & Niles, 2004) School dropout At least 25% of students entering high school will leave before they graduate (Brown, 1998)

3. Needs of Middle School Students  Development of interpersonal skills and an increase in occupational knowledge (Osborn & Reardon, 2006)  Increase in self-efficacy  Interventions specific to career readiness (Akos et al., 2004)  Support from parents, peers, teachers, and counselors  Finding the connection between school and work  80% of middle school students do not understand how their favorite school subjects can be applied to future careers (Schaefer, Rivera, & Ophals, 2010)

4. Theorists and Terms Related to Middle School Career Counseling  Super, 1984: Crystallization  Understanding identity  Marcia, 1980: Engagement in the exploration process (Akos et al., 2004)  Gottfredson: Circumscription  Process of eliminating unacceptable occupational alternatives

5. Interventions  Determine Values  Set Goals  Complete Assessments (interest inventories)  Develop a “plan of study”  Career Genograms  Career Portfolios  Mentoring  Job Shadowing

6. References  Akos, P., Konold, T., & Niles, S. G. (2004). A career readiness typology and typal membership in middle school. The Career Development Quarterly, 53, 53-66.  Brown, D. (2007). Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.  Legum, H. L,. & Hoare, C. H. (2004). Impact of a career intervention on at-risk middle school students' career maturity levels, academic achievement, and self- esteem. Professional School Counseling, 8 (2), 148-155.  Osborn, D. S., & Reardon, R. C. (2006). Using the self-directed search: Career explorer with high-risk middle school students. The Career Development Quarterly, 54, 269-273.  Schaefer, M. B., Rivera, L. M., & Ophals, E. (2010). Creating a collaborative career development program for middle grades students. Middle School Journal, 42(2), 30-38.  Turner, S., & Lapan, T.R. (2002). Career self-efficacy and perceptions of parent support in adolescent career development. The Career Development Quarterly, 15, 44-55.