Middle/High School Students Need More Help From Schools To Plan For Future

May 26, 2005

IOWA CITY, Iowa—Many of America's middle and high school students need more help from schools to effectively plan for the future, according to a recent study by ACT. The study suggests that many students don't start thinking about their post-high school plans early enough, and that those who do may not be taking the right classes to prepare to meet their goals.

The results of the study, a survey conducted among nearly 3,000 middle school and high school students in six different states, show that close to one-fourth (22%) of eighth and ninth grade respondents had not yet even thought about their post-high school plans, let alone planned a program of study to help them meet their goals. In addition, only two-thirds of the students who were planning to attend college said they were taking a college preparatory program of study in high school. Only slightly more—seven in 10—had begun to consider ways to finance college or training.

"There is clearly a disconnect between students' post-high school goals and their plans to meet those goals," said Richard J. Noeth, director of ACT's Office of Policy Research. "The most important element for middle and high school students in preparing for the future is to take the right courses, and too few are doing that now."

The ACT report, titled "College Readiness Begins in Middle School," suggests one reason students are not planning properly is that they may not be relying on their schools for guidance. The study found that students are relying more on parents and friends than on trained school personnel for help in selecting their high school classes. Fewer than two-thirds (63%) of respondents said they received help from a guidance counselor in selecting their classes, and around one-fourth (27%) said they were helped by a principal. In comparison, the overwhelming majority named their mother (92%), father (84%), or friends (85%) as sources who provided help in selecting high school courses.

"Trained school personnel know what classes students should take to be prepared for college and careers," said Noeth. "Parents and friends certainly have the student's best interests at heart and are strong sources of support, but unless the school district has a formal parent information program that focuses on educational and career planning, parents may not always be well enough informed to provide accurate advice."

The ACT report recommends that school districts set up a formal program to help students develop a college readiness plan starting in middle school. It urges schools to work with all students and their parents, explaining to them the importance of taking a challenging curriculum and the effect it can have on their future educational, career and income options. It also recommends that schools work with families to calculate college costs and develop a plan to meet those costs.

"Schools can help students by helping their parents," said Noeth. "Information is vital. If parents understand what their children need to meet their goals, then they can properly advise and encourage them to make the right decisions on course planning."

The report emphasizes that guidance counselors are not to blame for the problem. Some students attend schools with no counselors at all, and many attend schools with high counselor-to-student ratios, which limits the amount of time that counselors can spend with each student. The American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of one counselor for every 250 students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, however, the national average is one counselor for every 315 students, and in many large schools the ratio can be as high as one counselor for every 600 students, if they have any counselors at all.

"Guidance counselors cannot do this on their own," said Noeth. "Quite simply, there are far too few counselors trying to serve far too many students. The solution has to come from the broader school system. A formal, school-wide program must be set up to inform students and their parents of their best options."

The survey, conducted in the spring of 2002, was administered to all eighth, ninth, and 10th grade students (2,942 students) in 16 participating schools. Students in the study were from six cities (Chicago; Charleston, WV; Denver; Los Angeles; New Orleans; and Oklahoma City).

See the complete ACT Policy Report for more details.