Planning for Post-Secondary Education and Career Goals
One of the most important skills a student can acquire is the ability to set goals and make plans. If you
have assisted students in successfully completing stages one and two, they now have a belief in their
potential and a belief in their future. Students investigated their interests and aptitudes and matched them
to ultimate destinations they can see now as realistic possibilities. Now it becomes a matter of planning
backwards, beginning with the end in mind. Planning is the process of setting incremental goals and
actions along the path toward the long-term destination.
Too often, school plunge into career planning without helping students understand the intricacies of
solid goal setting and detailed planning. Before a student can plan for the future, he or she must frst
create short-term plans to accomplish more immediate goals. Students’ academic and personal
achievement is directly related to their ability to set concrete goals and make plans in a meaningful,
specific way that yields results. If post-secondary and career goals are going to be reached, the student
needs to begin with goal setting and planning in the day-to-day reality of personal and academic
improvement.
Goal setting gives students long-term vision and short-term motivation. It helps them organize current
resources, tap into strengths, and acquire new skills. Knowing what they want to achieve helps students
focus on where to start, how to concentrate, and what to improve. In turn, it helps students eliminate
distractions and overcome obstacles. The positive effects of goal-setting skills are well-researched. The
more goals are vocalized, the more likely students are to stay on target. Writing down goals adds clarity
to them and gives the, more weight. Students who write down goals and visit them daily are the most
likely to have measured success. Students who acquire goal-setting skills are shown to:
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Increase motivation to achieve
Improve performance
Improve attitude
Concentrate better
Experience less stress and anxiety
Demonstrate more self-confidence
Express greater satisfaction with school
There are several things to be wary of when teaching goal setting. Because goal setting is directly tied to
academic achievement, goals should always be performance goals rather than outcome goals. A student
cannot guarantee that e will make a “B” in English, but he can guarantee that he will read twenty
minutes a night and attend tutoring after school every Tuesday. Goals based on outcomes are
extremely susceptible to failure. Always make sure students are setting goals over which they have
some degree of control.
Measure progress incrementally. Keep goals small and achievable in the beginning. By setting goals and
measuring achievement, students see what they have accomplished and what they are capable of
achieving. A sense of accomplishment build confidence that they ability to achieve grows toward higher
and more difficult goals each time. If a goal is too large or too far away, then it can seem to a teenager as
is he or she is making no progress. Keeping goals small and incremental gives students more
opportunities for reward.
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At the same time, students should have a “vision” – a long-term goal/dream that motivated them.
Activities should help students select an ultimate destination and then work backwards until they make
the connection to the way in which what they do each day propels them toward that vision.
At the beginning of the planning stage, students begin by addressing academic and personal challenges
and setting short-term goals that are closely monitored, evaluated, and revisited within advisory
regularly. It may be necessary during the first few weeks to help students revise plans and strategies
when goals are not met and give them the opportunity to retry for the same goal. After several successes,
students can begin on slightly broader and more difficult academic goals. With each successive meeting
students are asked to stretch themselves further.
As planning progresses, career and post-secondary education components are introduced as long-term
goal setting. Goal-setting activities lead to the creation of a post-secondary plan, as well as to longer –
term potential career goals. After the students have investigated their interests and career areas more
closely, they can develop a plan of study for completing high school and traveling toward postsecondary destinations. It is important to involve families, counselors, and teacher-advisors
cooperatively in the activities that help students plan for a long-range future.
The paperwork surrounding planning should be seen as a collection of artifacts and statements of
personal commitment. The importance of committing these goals to paper, and breaking them down step
by step, helps ensure it will be a plan for progress that moves students forward.
© 2013 Pittsfield School District
PERSONAL ACTION PLAN – Creating SMART Goals
S = Specific - Write down one large, long-term goal:
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A long-term goal is accomplished by taking specific short-term steps. A specific
step would be, “I want to lose 2 pounds by next Thursday”.
Write down three SPECIFIC, SHORT-TERM STEPS that you could take to achieve
your goal, potential barriers that could get in your way, supports you feel you may need
to help you achieve your goal, and a target date for completion:
Specific Step
Potential Barriers
Required Supports
Target Date
#1
#2
#3
M = Measurable - A goal is more rewarding when you are sure that it has been
accomplished. How can you measure the progress that you have made? Think
NUMBERS! How much? How many? How often? In the chart above, write down an
amount (measurement) that you can try to achieve.
A = Attainable - Choose a goal that you can really achieve in a reasonable timeframe.
Don’t set yourself an impossible task! Small steps put together can go a great distance,
but you can’t walk on water! In the chart above, write down a deadline by which
you hope to complete your step.
R = Relevant - This goal needs to be important to your life now, or you probably won’t
make the consistent effort needed to reach it.
Reflect on how will achieving this goal improve your life in the short
term? In the long term?
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T = Time table/trackable - By keeping track of the effort and progress that you make
towards completing your goal, you will be able to see yourself gain and avoid becoming
discouraged or unfocused.
Today, what is the measurement that best “describes” your current success
with this goal (For example, “80%” or “once a week for 10 min.”)?
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In the space below, enter the date, the action taken to accomplish the goal, and the
measurement of your current progress:
Steps I will take
Action
Assessment
Date:
Date:
1.
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2.
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2.
3.
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3
Action
Date:
Date:
1.
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1.
2.
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2.
3.
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3
Action
Date:
Date:
1.
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1.
2.
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2.
3.
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3
Action
Date:
Date:
1.
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1.
2.
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2.
3.
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3
Action
Date:
Date:
1.
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1.
2.
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2.
3.
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3
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Amount
New
Measurement
Personal Goal
Week/Month of
Your goal and ways to prove it…
Specific
Measurable
Action-Oriented by
Realistic
Timetable
This is what I will add:
This is what I will give up:
This is my support system:
This is my reward:
Motivational Quote:
Areas of Concern
Academic
Social/ Emotional
© 2013 Pittsfield School District
Career
Post-secondary
Long Term Goals – End of Grade 9
Goal (academic, personal,
social):
Barriers
Supports
Long Term Goals – End of Grade 10
Goal (academic, personal,
social):
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Barriers
Supports
Long Term Goals – End of Grade 11
Goal (academic, personal,
social):
Barriers
Supports
Long Term Goals – End of Grade 12
Goal (academic, personal,
social):
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Barriers
Supports
Long Term Goals – After College graduation
Goal (academic, personal,
social):
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Barriers
Supports
THE FUTURE
Objective: To have students gain additional insights and information into potential post
graduation opportunities.
Directions: Look over the following tables and the questions outlined in each. Taking
into consideration your preferences, choose at least two to complete.
MILITARY EXPERIENCE
You can call any recruiting office to get the answers.
QUESTIONS
Name the branch of the service you would
like to enter:
List 3 programs offered by this branch of the
military:
Which program is most likely related to your
goals?
How many college credits could you obtain
while in the military?
What certifications could you obtain while in
the military?
What places would you like to visit?
What would you be doing at the end of two
years?
Other
Other
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ANSWERS
TECHINCAL CERTIFICATION
You can call or email the school to get the answers.
QUESTIONS
Name the certification you want to get:
How long does it take to get this
certification?
How much does it cost to get this
certification?
What are the qualifications to get into this
program?
What are the names of the courses you will
be taking the FIRST year?
What are the names of the courses you will
be taking the SECOND year? When would
you be expected to finish?
Will you have to take a test to receive
certification?
What is the school’s accreditation? Will the
courses transfer to a two-year or four-year
school?
Is this program offered evening hours as
well as day hours?
Other
Other
© 2013 Pittsfield School District
ANSWERS
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
You can call or look in a catalog to get the answers.
QUESTIONS
Name the school you are interested in:
Name two certifications offered by this
school:
Name two degrees (by major) offered at this
school that relate to your interests and
goals:
What are the qualifications to get into this
school?
What is the cost per credit hour at this
school?
What are the names of the courses you will
be taking the FIRST year?
What are the names of the courses you will
be taking the SECOND year? Will you get
any certification or degree at the end of your
second year?
Will you have to take a test to receive
certification?
Will the courses transfer to a two-year or
four-year school?
Is this program offered evening hours as
well as day hours?
Other
Other
© 2013 Pittsfield School District
ANSWERS
FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE
You can call or look in catalog to get the answers. Look at degree plan.
QUESTIONS
Name the school you are interested in:
Name two certifications offered by this
school:
Name two degrees (by major) offered at this
school that relate to your goals:
What are the qualifications to get into this
school?
What is the cost per credit hour at this
school?
What are the names of the courses you will
be taking the FIRST year?
What are the names of the courses you will
be taking the SECOND year?
Other
Other
Other
© 2013 Pittsfield School District
ANSWERS
MY FOUR YEAR PLAN
Directions – Compare your schedule to your graduation plan. Look for courses that
help you meet your interests and your goals. See what you can do in the summer that
relates to your goals or helps you get ahead academically. Talk with your parents, your
counselor, and your advisory teacher about plans, courses, and ideas. Get information
through e-mail, phone interviews, and personal interviews.
Reflect on changes or adjustments to your schedule that you may need to make
with your counselor for this year.
What did you take and pass first
semester
What are you taking, or want to retake and PASS this semester?
Reflect on summer possibilities. Could you shadow, volunteer, or work this
summer? Are there any academic summer programs you could attend?
Describe your summer.
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