The State of Career Exploration: Making Middle School Count

Middle school is an ideal time to introduce students to career exploration and guide them in navigating interests, aptitudes, and education options. Yet students entering high school now are less prepared than previous cohorts. Moreover, despite increased state support for students' career success pathways, reporting and tracking of middle school programs has largely remained stagnant. That’s why ASA commissioned a study that analyzes how all 50 states approach, and measure success in, middle school career exploration. Hear from state and education leaders and explore best practices, challenges, and opportunities in transforming career-connected learning in the middle grades, including program implementation and effective state reporting on impact.