High School Graduates Not Prepared for College or Career Decisions, National Survey Finds
- By Kate Lucariello
- 12/06/22
In a recent national survey, college and career readiness company YouScience
reported that 75% of
high school graduates are not ready to make college and career
decisions. This is despite the fact that the National Center for
Education Statistics reported that in the 2018-2019 school year, the
graduation rate for high schools was 86%, the highest it had been
since 2010. The “Post Graduation Readiness Report” polled more than 500 students from the 2019 through 2022 graduating classes about their sense of readiness for college and/or career opportunities.
The
75% graduates in the YouScience survey reported they felt
“moderately, slightly, or not at all prepared” for what might
come next after high school. Significantly, 62% felt that high school
should prepare them for future careers, but 57% reported five or
fewer conversations with teachers or counselors about opportunities
following graduation, and a large 80% felt they “would have been
more engaged in their learning if they better understood their own
aptitudes and potential career opportunities.”
Based
on their survey, YouScience suggests that K–12 schools can better
help prepare students for the future with aptitude and skills tests,
exposure to various career options, and counseling, beginning as
early as the eighth grade. “Education leaders and industry must
come together to help our students better understand themselves and
their opportunities beyond high school,” said Edson Barton, founder
and CEO of YouScience. “If students rely on family and friends for
direction, they can be limited in their dreams and fail to fulfill
their potential. In large part, our talent gap is also a career
exposure gap.” YouScience said it will release further data in the
coming months. To
obtain the report, visit this page.
YouScience
currently serves over 7,000 educational and career institutions and
provides an integrated college and career readiness platform that
delivers aptitude-based assessments, personalized career guidance,
and industry-recognized certifications, based on research and
industry input. To learn more, visit
the YouScience site.
About the Author
Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.