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The college and career readiness movement figures prominently in the nation's educational reform and policies, including strategies to increase graduation rates among disadvantaged students in urban schools. As part of a multi-pronged approach to help youth transition to post-secondary education and the workforce, the present study evaluated a new career intervention, Making My Future Work, designed to serve as a comprehensive, flexible career curriculum. Based on a quasi-experimental design among a sample of urban youth (N = 429), multilevel modeling revealed promising evidence for its impact across a range of outcomes, including grade point average, school engagement, career preparation, self-determination, and self-awareness. The implications of the findings, limitations, and future directions for research are discussed.

Self-regulation is a well-known construct in educational and psychological research, as it is often related to academic success and well-being. Drawing from criticisms of a lack of context applied to the investigation of this construct, the current study examined the multi-dimensional role of social support (teachers, parents, peers) and coping skills as predictors of self-regulated learning among a diverse sample of urban youth (N = 229). Based on a cross-sectional and longitudinal design, structural equation modeling was used to test two models. Social support predicted self-regulated learning at Time 1 and Time 2 after controlling for grades. Results further indicated that coping skills did not predict self-regulated learning in either model. The implications for practice, limitations of the study, and future directions for research are discussed.

This article details the development and validation of a measure of critical consciousness, defined as the capacity of oppressed or marginalized people to critically analyze their social and political conditions, endorsement of societal equality, and action to change perceived inequities. In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with a diverse sample of youth, resulting in three internally consistent factors: (a) Critical Reflection: Perceived Inequality, (b) Critical Reflection: Egalitarianism, and (c) Critical Action: Sociopolitical Participation. In Study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was completed with a new sample of youth. Strong model fit estimates in Study 2 confirmed the factor structure of Study 1 and resulted in a final 22-item measure called the "Critical Consciousness Scale" (CCS). The CCS has the potential to unite and advance the fragmented conceptualization and measurement of critical consciousness, the primary motivation for the development of the scale.

The present study explored the causal relationship between self-esteem and school belongingness among a sample of urban youth. Based on a longitudinal cross-lagged panel design, the results offered initial support for the personal agency perspective of growth in self-esteem leading to growth in school belongingness. We discuss the implications for school counselors and the study's limitations and directions for future research.

The present study investigated developmental differences and stability in possible selves within the educational and occupational domain among a diverse sample of urban youth (N = 319). A secondary aim was to test the "aspiration-expectation gap" while exploring the role of subjective social class and gender differences. Results did not indicate any significant differences among possible selves between different grades in high school. Seniors evidenced the lowest levels of subjective social class, whereas freshmen had the highest levels. Subjective social class was significantly associated with the expected levels of education. In addition, girls aspired toward significantly higher levels of prestige than boys in terms of occupations they hoped to attain, while a substantial gap was found between hoped-for and expected education. Implications for practice, limitations, and directions for research are discussed.

In general, vocational psychologists have not been engaged in applied research that demonstrates how career interventions can improve educational problems that matter to relevant decision-makers and stakeholders. This article describes how vocational psychology can make a difference in K-12 education by embracing an interdisciplinary community-based approach. To illustrate this approach, a quasi-experimental evaluation of multiple after-school programs provided to a sample of Hispanic Americans is presented. This study offers a realistic example of how researchers in the field can induce change through the development of meaningful partnerships within the community.

The present study investigated the impact of a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Health (STEM+H) university-based pipeline program, the Careers in Health and Medical Professions Program, over the course of two summers among predominantly African-American high school students recruited from urban school districts (N = 155). Based on a mixed methods approach, results indicated that youth made significant gains in both academic and career knowledge. Furthermore, youth generally rated the program's sessions favorably, but also rated sessions with varying levels of satisfaction. The limitations and implications for program delivery and evaluation methods among pipeline programs are discussed.

Based on a diverse sample of 11 urban Hispanic youth, the career, educational, and cultural domains of developmental adjustment were investigated through a triangulation of interview data and field notes within the context of delivering an after-school program. Consensual qualitative research (CQR) and content analysis were used to explore how youth constructed meaning within these domains and experienced their participation in the program. The CQR results yielded five domains of categories and subcategories, while four themes emerged from the analysis of field notes. By synthesizing this corpus of data, directions for future research and implications for practice are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

This study constructed an instrument measuring work volition for adult populations, defined as the perceived capacity to make occupational choices despite constraints. In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis produced a 3-factor structure containing subscales assessing general volition, financial constraints, and structural constraints. The full Work Volition Scale (WVS) and three subscales demonstrated adequate to strong internal consistency. In Study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis replicated the factor structure from Study 1 with a new sample. The hypothesized factor structure of the WVS was a good fit to the data and was internally consistent. In Studies 2 and 3, work volition correlated in hypothesized directions with work locus of control, core self-evaluations, career barriers, career compromise, and adaptive personality traits, providing evidence of construct validity. Additionally, none of these correlations was large enough to indicate overlapping constructs. Finally, work volition added unique variance in the prediction of job satisfaction above and beyond the variance accounted for by work locus of control, core self-evaluations, and the big 5 personality traits, suggesting incremental validity of the construct. Research implications are discussed. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

This article describes the role that schools are playing in supporting career development for young people. It examines the history of career-related programming in schools, including school-to-work programs, career and technical education, the college and career readiness movement, and current school reform initiatives. This understanding of schools' history, roles, opportunities, and constraints can help practitioners and policymakers think about how to build a system that supports youth development.

In this study (N = 137), although 70.8% of participants reported no current substance use and 42.3% reported never using, the Adolescent Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI-A2; Miller & Lazowski, 2001) screened 39.41% of the participants for a high level of probability of having a substance-related disorder. SASSI-A2 classified more females in our sample as having a high probability of substance-related disorder than males. Among African American participants, male adolescents had substantially higher levels of drug use and significantly lower levels of alcohol use than did female adolescents. Implications, limitations, and future directions are provided. (Contains 3 tables.)

This study examined the construct validity of the Career Locus of Control Scale (CLCS) among diverse urban youth within the United States (N = 308). Confirmatory factor analyses verified two of the three models as acceptable fits. Two new models were also explored. Model 5 (Internality, Luck, and Non-Control), which was one of the new models, was the most useful explanation of the data. Abstract and concrete educational attitudes correlated with the CLCS subscales in a manner consistent with expectations. No significant differences in the CLCS subscales were found as a function of race; male students had significantly higher levels of concrete attitudes and scored significantly higher on Powerful Others than female students. Age was not related to Internality, abstract attitudes, or concrete attitudes but was significantly associated with Luck and Non-Control. (Contains 1 figure, 5 tables, and 1 note.)

This study examines the effects on early reading skills of three different methods of presenting material with computer-assisted instruction (CAI): (1) learner-controlled picture menu, which allows the student to choose activities, (2) linear sequencer, which progresses the students through lessons at a pre-specified pace, and (3) mastery-based adaptive sequencer, which progresses students through lessons based on whether or not the student has mastered the given skill. Preschool- and kindergarten-aged children (n = 183) were randomly assigned to one of the three CAI groups and spent 40 min a week, for 13 weeks, using the software program in a computer lab. An additional control group of students attending typical preschool or kindergarten received no CAI. ANCOVA results examining post-test reading ability sum score, covarying pre-test score, indicated that the mastery-based sequencer group significantly outperformed the learner-control and control groups, but was not statistically different from the linear sequence group. Analysis by task, rather than overall reading score, revealed significantly better performance for the linear sequence group over controls and picture menu group on the Initial Sound Fluency task, while the mastery-based sequencer group outperformed all three other groups on Non Word Fluency. In sum, these results suggest that the use of a sequencer is a very important element in presenting computerized reading content for young children. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)

Drawing from possible selves theory (H. Markus & P. Nurius, 1986), this study explored the roles of peer beliefs about school and gender differences in the development of academic and occupational visions of the future among 216 urban youths of color. Peer beliefs were not related to career and educational possible selves. No gender-based differences were found in educational possible selves; however, boys were more likely to report hoped-for and expected possible selves with lower occupational prestige than were girls. Directions for future research and the implications for practice in counseling urban youths of color are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)

Drawing from the contributions of vocational psychology, this study examined school engagement as a mediator of academic performance through the effects of career preparation (career planning, career decision-making self-efficacy), parental career support, and teacher support among diverse urban youth in middle school and high school (N = 285). Based on structural equation modeling, all structural paths of the proposed hypothetical model were significant. The effects of teacher support and parental career support on school engagement were mediated by career preparation; in turn, the effect of career preparation on grades was mediated by school engagement. Teacher support also had a direct effect on school engagement.The middle school students had significantly higher grades than the high school students, but there were no significant grade-level differences in terms of school engagement, career preparation, parental career support, or teacher support.The limitations of the study and its implications for research, practice, and public policy are discussed. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure and 1 note.)

This article proposes a social action, mixed methods approach to verifying the efficacy of vocational guidance programs. Research strategies are discussed in the context of how the processes and purposes of efficacy research have been conceptualized and studied in vocational psychology. Examples of how to implement this approach in future efficacy research are provided.

The present study investigated the relevance of the "aspiration-expectation gap" and traditional gender differences among urban youth in middle school and high school (N = 294). Results failed to indicate a significant difference between the occupational prestige levels of aspired and expected careers, but did indicate a significant difference between aspired and expected levels of education. In general, the proportion of girls significantly outweighed the proportion of boys in traditionally "masculine" occupations with high levels of prestige; girls also had higher levels of occupational prestige than boys in terms of careers they hoped and expected to obtain. Black and bi/multi-racial youth expected to have higher levels of education than White youth. (Contains 3 tables.)

This article summarizes 12 presentations in Group 7 of the 2007 joint symposium of the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance, Society for Vocational Psychology, and National Career Development Association held in Padua, Italy, that focused on procedures for verifying the efficacy of vocational guidance programs. Three themes, or general tensions, emerged from the group's discussion of the presentations: (a) quantitative versus qualitative evidence, (b) public policy needs versus local needs, and (c) comprehensive versus cost-effective programs. On the basis of these core themes, recommendations are made for 3 potential directions for research that address certain threats and opportunities for the field.

School engagement is a multifaceted psychosocial process that functions as a key mediator of academic achievement, motivation, and school dropout. This study investigated the effects of vocational exploration and racial identity on behavioral (attendance, attention, time spent on class work) and psychological (identification with school) factors of school engagement among urban youth of color (N = 197). Hierarchical multiple regression and criterion-pattern analysis revealed a predictive profile marked by high levels of positive racial internalization and career planning combined with low levels of racial dissonance. The study's limitations, directions for research, and implications for practice are discussed. (Contains 2 tables, 1 figure, and 4 notes.)

To inform effective school-to-work programs, this study evaluates the effect of a school-based psychoeducational intervention on the academic self-efficacy of urban youth enrolled in the ninth grade. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected using a quantitative measure of academic self-efficacy and eight semistructured interviews over the course of an academic school semester. As hypothesized, t tests did not reveal a statistical difference in academic self-efficacy between preintervention (Time 1) and postintervention (Time 2). A consensual qualitative analysis of the interviews, however, indicated enhanced developmental specificity concerning use of academic skills and articulation of goals between Time 1 and Time 2. Limitations of the study and future directions for research are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)

The authors examined how college men's conformity to an array of masculinity norms varied as a function of their vocational interests to better understand the gendered context of men's vocational development. Three hundred ten mostly Caucasian and heterosexual college men completed the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory, and their answer to the question "What is your ideal job/career after college?" was classified into one of six high point codes reflecting Holland's RIASEC interests using the "Dictionary of Holland Occupational Titles" (1996). Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that college men's conformity to masculinity norms varied as a function of their vocational interests, and univariate analyses indicated that this was true for 9 of the 11 masculinity norms examined. The discussion addresses the implications of a multidimensional conceptualization of masculinity in understanding men's vocational development. (Contains 1 table.)

Despite strong indicators of the robustness of counseling psychology, the specialty seems somewhat vulnerable, as evidenced by the fact that several solid programs have been forced to phase out or to convert to combined-integrated programs. In fact, analyzing the trends among counseling psychology programs reveals that 30% of programs that have been accredited have been phased out. This article provides a context for understanding the accreditation history of counseling psychology programs. We then offer solutions and strategies to reduce this particular vulnerability. The proximal and distal solutions that are presented may help ensure the continued flourishing of counseling psychology across institutional, programmatic, and national levels.

Building on recent calls for a more explicit and intentional endorsement of social justice goals within counseling psychology and vocational psychology, this article proposes Prilleltensky's (1997) emancipatory communitarian approach to psychological practice as a useful framework for vocational theory, practice, and research. Such a framework emphasizes the distinction between the concepts of work and career and illuminates the extent to which traditional vocational psychology has attended to the needs of the people who experience little, if any, volition in their choices of career or line of work. We present a rationale for integrating an emancipatory communitarian approach into vocational psychology theory and the implications of this approach for future research and practice.

The informative and critical reactions from Fred Borgen; William Liu and Saba Rasheed Ali; Tod Sloan; and Kathy Gainor provide more reason and resolve to incorporate the emancipatory communitarian approach in vocational psychology. To move from a preoccupation with denunciation to the generation of solutions, or annunciation, we respond to each of the authors' suggestions and comments. We highlight points raised by each author to clarify our rationale and intentions as well as to invite space for dialogue, disagreement, and growth among the many perspectives and values held within our field.

The authors discuss the highlights of the 1st annual Diversity Challenge held at Boston College. The Challenge's general focus was preparing educators to cope with the resistances encountered when they teach about race and ethnic culture. Provides an overview of the proceedings, summarizes themes of presentations and articles selected, and offers recommendations for subsequent events. (GCP)