|
*Please note: These resources are independent of WSCA but have content potentially helpful to school counselors*
For K-12 School Counselors
Washington State Graduation Requirements
All public high school students are required to meet statewide graduation requirements to earn a diploma. The goal is for more students to be better prepared to meet 21st-century demands in their working and personal lives.
High School and Beyond Plan Template - Class of 2023 and Beyond
Native Education Collaborative College & Career Readiness & Access
College and career preparation begin in pre-school and continue throughout the K-12 grades. Native students deserve schools that are attentive to their needs and aspirations. Students’ progress, relative to academic standards, should proceed in step with their expanding understanding of their continuing education and career choice possibilities. Schools give students pathways to enter fields beyond those that are immediately accessible in their local environment.
English-Spanish Glossary of Student Financial Aid and Postsecondary Education
Trellis provides the online version of the English-Spanish Glossary of Student Financial Aid and Postsecondary Education to assist the financial aid community and the general public in locating the Spanish equivalent of English terms used in student financial aid and the higher education arena.
For High School Counselors:
The Workforce Board’s popular (and free!) Where Are You Going? career guides are ready for distribution to your high school students. The popular guide was printed just last year (middle of 2022). Features include a career quiz and hundreds of occupations, including projected growth rates in Washington, education requirements, and average pay in our state.
High Quality College and Career Advising in Washington State
Every student in Washington deserves access to high-quality college and career advising that helps them explore their interests, develop a plan, and successfully transition to a pathway after graduation. Whether students pursue a four-year degree, community or technical college, an apprenticeship, military service, or direct entry into the workforce, strong advising ensures they have the guidance and support needed to navigate their options and reach their goals. To support this work, two complementary frameworks are available to help schools and districts strengthen college and career advising systems in ways that align with Washington’s High School and Beyond Plan. Together, they provide both a vision for student experience and a tool for assessing and strengthening the conditions that make that vision possible. These frameworks draw on research, observed best practices, and practitioner experience from Washington and across the country. They are designed to meet schools and districts where they are, offering clear, actionable guidance that can be implemented incrementally within existing capacity and resources.
The college and career advising students deserve
Across both frameworks, high-quality college and career advising happens when students receive:
- Experiences in grades 9–12 that allow them to explore a range of postsecondary options and related careers over time
- Opportunities to reflect on evolving academic and career identity, alongside caring adults who know them well and value their culture
- Well-informed academic guidance about key milestones needed to access different pathways
- Knowledgeable pathway advice that helps students match interests and talents to good-fit postsecondary options
- Proactive, concrete application and enrollment support, in partnership with families
- Practice building navigational skills to manage transitions into postsecondary education or training
Two frameworks to guide your work
High Quality College and Career Advising Framework
Developed by College Access: Research & Action (CARA)
The High Quality College and Career Advising Framework outlines the essential experiences and supports students should receive from 9th grade through the summer after high school graduation. Developed by College Access: Research & Action (CARA), the framework is grounded in research on postsecondary advising and informed by input from students, educators, and practitioners nationwide. The framework aligns closely with Washington’s High School and Beyond Plan and presents a developmental progression of advising experiences and milestones—from early exploration of interests and careers to completing enrollment and transition steps after graduation. It emphasizes both the experiences students deserve and the concrete actions that support successful postsecondary transitions.
Best used for:
Planning grade-by-grade advising activities, training staff on developmental milestones,
and ensuring students receive timely, consistent support.
[Download the High-Quality Advising Framework]
Enabling Conditions Assessment for Effective College & Career Advising
Developed by College Access: Research & Action (CARA) Refined with support from Sankofa Consulting
The Enabling Conditions Assessment is a reflection and learning tool designed to help schools and districts evaluate the systems, structures, and practices that support effective college and career advising. The assessment, based on a national Enabling Conditions Framework was developed by College Access: Research & Action (CARA) and refined with support from Sankofa Consulting.
The assessment examines five elements of effective advising systems:
- Vision
- Allocating Resources
- Partnerships
- Capacity to Support Students
- Data and Continuous Improvement
Each element includes readiness levels that reflect a developmental progression, allowing teams to assess where systems are currently operating and identify practical next steps. The assessment is intentionally non-prescriptive and is designed to generate shared understanding and productive conversation, not just scores. The structure of the assessment builds on foundational research and early field analysis conducted by Kinetic West and other national and local partners and incorporates input from regional partnerships participating in the Horizons initiative, including South King County/PSESD, ESD 112, ELEVATE /United Way of the Blue Mountains, and PREP/West Sound STEM Network.
The assessment also benefited from review and feedback from additional research, evaluation, and field partners including Community Center for Education Results (CCER), Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE), Stern Analytics, and individual contributors such as Dr. Mandy Savitz-Romer, Dr. Kristin McCowan, Nesley Bravo, Dr. John Steach, Paul Stern, and Richard Ashford.
Best used for:
Collaborative self-assessment, tracking progress over time, aligning partners around shared priorities, and informing planning for the coming year.
[Download the Enabling Conditions Assessment]
A statewide public resource
This work was funded by the Gates Foundation. The findings and conclusions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation. The frameworks and assessment are hosted by the Washington School Counselor Association as a public good to support schools, districts, and counselors across Washington state.
NCAA High School Counselor Guide
The NCAA has created an updated version of the Guide for High School Counselors. The Eligibility Center recently hosted a webinar for international college-bound student-athletes that included an easy-to-understand overview of the academic requirements, as well as perspective on the recruiting process from a former NCAA student-athlete. Watch the recording here. Additionally, the National Federation of High School State Associations partnered with the NCAA Eligibility Center to develop and produce an online initial-eligibility course designed to help coaches and the high school community assist student-athletes and families with the NCAA registration and certification process, as well as the academic standards needed to study and participate at an NCAA Division I or II college.
Post-Secondary Resources for Students experiencing foster care
For students experiencing foster care and transitioning to postsecondary education, there are state and federal opportunities to help them navigate the next step in their life. The resources linked will help you to guide students in foster care to resources available to them for postsecondary opportunities.
For High School & Middle/Jr. High School Counselors:
Graduation Success and Educational Advocacy for Students in Foster Care
Treehouse provides a range of supports to help students in foster care experience success at school and have access to resources and support systems that all kids need to graduate from high school with a plan for the future. It takes all of us in coordination, with consistent positive adult presence and collaboration between foster parents, caseworkers, school staff, mentors, and Treehouse. Treehouse approaches this work with two academic support programs--Graduation Success and Educational Advocacy.