Finding Their SPARCK: College and Career Readiness Groups for African American Females

Abstract

At the broadest level, college and career readiness characterizes students who have the necessary levels of proficiency to enter college or career training programs without remedial assistance (Conley, 2012). However, those levels and types of proficiency vary depending on the goals and next steps chosen by the students. That is to say, CCR for entering a four-year college may be slightly different from CCR for starting a certificate program or entering a technical training program. Yet, some areas of overlap have been postulated. Conley (2012) generated four keys to CCR, including key learning skills, key content knowledge, key cognitive strategies, and key transition skills. Conley's definition is seen throughout the CCR literature as an early example that has continued influence on the scholarly conversation. NOSCA, the College Board National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (2010), put forward a list of eight components of college and career readiness tied to the work done by school counselors as key contributors to CCR. NOSCA's list included promoting college aspirations, academic planning, extracurricular engagement, college/career exploration, college/career assessments, college financing, college/career admissions, and the transition from high school to the next setting. Alternatively, the American School Counselor Association, or ASCA (2014), described college and career readiness as mind-sets and behaviors that could be organized by domain (academic, career, social/emotional) and broken down into actionable standards (e.g., demonstrate ability to work independently, create relationships with adults that support success). The ASCA (2014) definition expands beyond academic learning and career skills to incorporate personal/social skills and non-cognitive variables, such as self-beliefs, social skills, self-management skills, and learning strategies. Conley (2012) also mentions the importance of attitudes like resilience, motivation, and self-regulation, but notes that his four keys are based on attributes that can be taught or influenced within the schools. Thus, the accountability movement has influenced what is seen as possible or feasible to measure in terms of students' CCR outcomes, and perhaps curtailed our discussion of what CCR ideally could mean to students, families, and school counselors.

Working while Black: examining the career development gap in the Black workforce and investigating the racist roots of professionalism

“…The reported lack of career education and exploration experiences among Black professionals aligns with P. N. Harris et al (2019). According to P. N. Harris et al (2019), there is inequity in college and career readiness, particularly for students in low socioeconomic areas, from immigrant families, or whose families lack a college-going tradition. The impact of this disparity was notable among Black students in this study.…”

“…College and career readiness are not prioritized for students who reside in low socioeconomic areas, hail from immigrant families, or live in under resourced communities, especially those whose families lack a college-going tradition (Harris et al, 2019). This lack of prioritization disproportionately affects students of color, with a significant number belonging to Black families.…”

“…This lack of prioritization disproportionately affects students of color, with a significant number belonging to Black families. Unfortunately, these circumstances can lead to stereotypes that perpetuate misconceptions about how interested people of color are in pursuing higher education or a career (Harris et al, 2019). Black girls and women are particularly vulnerable to stereotypes, often being unfairly characterized as angry, aggressive, or hypersexual-stereotypes that deviate from traditional White standards of femininity.…”

“…Black girls and women are particularly vulnerable to stereotypes, often being unfairly characterized as angry, aggressive, or hypersexual-stereotypes that deviate from traditional White standards of femininity. These misperceptions can result in teachers responding more harshly to their Black female students, thereby hindering their personal and psychological development (Harris et al, 2019).…”

“…This bias has persisted in workplace culture, with preferences for lighter skinned individuals evident among White gatekeepers (Dhillon-Jamerson, 2018). P. N. Harris et al (2019) ascertained that Black women, even in the early stages of adulthood, are scrutinized and unfairly stereotyped as disinterested in career growth and are often labeled as aggressive, angry, or hypersexual. These stereotypes and baseless assumptions persist throughout their personal and professional lives, contributing to a cycle of unfair bias that hinders their career advancement (Dunn et al, 2019;Rabelo et al, 2020).…”