6A:8-3.2 Career education and counseling
(a) The Department of Education shall conduct a two-year pilot project and evaluation of Personalized Student Learning Plans beginning in the 2009-2010 school year. The Department intends that district boards of education shall develop and implement a Personalized Student Learning Plan, for each secondary school student in grades six through 12, according to a schedule developed by the Department of Education.
(b) District boards of education, in fulfillment of the Core Curriculum Content Standards, shall develop and implement a comprehensive guidance and academic counseling program for all students to facilitate career awareness, exploration, and preparation.
1. District boards of education shall implement a developmental, comprehensive career guidance and academic counseling program, linked to the Core Curriculum Content Standards, which:
i. Is infused throughout the K-12 curriculum as appropriate for all students;
ii. Is supported by professional development programs; and
iii. Takes into consideration the National Career Development Guidelines and the Career Development Standards of the National Standards for School Counseling Programs of the American School Counselor Association in the following three areas of student development:
(1) Academic development;
(2) Career development; and
(3) Personal/social development.
2. District boards of education shall provide developmental career guidance and academic counseling, linked to the Core Curriculum Content Standards, designed to:
i. Assist students in making and implementing informed educational and career choices, including opportunities to change career focus;
ii. Support students' academic attainment, career development, and personal/social development;
iii. Develop students' understanding of the relationships among academic attainment, career development, and personal/social development; and
iv. Encourage students to create and maintain portfolios consisting of student accomplishments including academic and career-oriented work samples that reflect achievement of the Core Curriculum Content Standards.
3. District boards of education shall ensure that, for students with disabilities beginning at age 14, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP team, career guidance and academic counseling are coordinated with transition services provided in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.7.
(c) District boards of education, in fulfillment of the Core Curriculum Content Standards, shall develop and implement curriculum and instructional methods which:
1. Include the integration of technological literacy, consistent with the Core Curriculum Content Standards;
2. Provide all students with an understanding of the career applications of knowledge and skills learned in the classroom; and
3. Provide all students with opportunities to apply knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to real or simulated career challenges.
(d) District boards of education, in fulfillment of the Core Curriculum Content Standards, shall develop and implement for all students a system of career development activities which:
1. Offers all students the opportunity to more fully explore career interests within one or more of the Career Clusters identified in the Vocational-Technical Education Programs and Standards rules at N.J.A.C. 6A:19, that are linked to the Core Curriculum Content Standards and measured by the Statewide assessment system according to N.J.A.C. 6A:8-4;
2. Allows district boards of education to select the appropriate format for offering career-development activities based on district resources, community needs, and student interest;
3. Allows district boards of education to select the delivery format that may include:
i. An integrated curriculum, based on the Core Curriculum Content Standards, that provides students the opportunity to acquire information about their career interests and/or take advanced courses linked to their career interests; or
ii. Specialized programs that reflect the needs of students and the community; and
4. Instills the concept of the need for continuous learning throughout one's life.
(e) District boards of education shall offer all high school students opportunities to more actively explore career interests by participating in structured learning experiences linked to the Core Curriculum Content Standards.
1. District boards of education shall design structured learning experiences as rigorous activities that are integrated into the curriculum. As used in this paragraph, "rigorous activities" means that the student activities have identifiable educational goals which support the Core Curriculum Content Standards, and in particular the career education and consumer, family and life skills standards and the technological literacy standards. Structured learning experiences should give students opportunities to demonstrate and apply a high level of academic attainment and to develop career and personal/social goals.
2. Interested students may voluntarily select structured learning experiences that are:
i. Co-curricular or extra-curricular activities; or
ii. External experiences taking place at a work site or in the community in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:19-6.4.
3. District boards of education shall ensure that students participating in school-sponsored, paid or unpaid external structured learning experiences:
i. Are supervised by school personnel in accordance with the requirements identified in the Professional Licensure and Standards rules at N.J.A.C. 6A:9-13.19 through 13.22:
ii. Are conducted at sites registered with the Department of Education via the Worksite Registration System; and
iii. Conform to Federal and State law.
4. The Commissioner shall establish a process to recognize the contributions of students who engage in a structured learning experience that involves volunteer and/or community service activities.
Amended by R. 2005 d. 213, effective July 5, 2005. See: 37 N.J.R. 833(a), 37 N.J.R. 2487(a). Rewrote the section. Amended by R. 2009 d. 234, effective July 20, 2009. See: 41 N.J.R. 1302(a), 41 N.J.R. 2779(c). Added new (a); and recodified former (a) through (d) as (b) through (c).