Pennridge presents K–12 counseling plan; SmartFutures used for career education benchmarks

Pennridge counselors presented the district’s five‑year K–12 counseling plan required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, focusing on academic development, career education and social‑emotional learning.

School counselors said the plan follows the American School Counselor Association framework and maps Career Education and Work (CEW) standards across K–12, with SmartFutures as the district’s chosen digital portfolio tool. Counselors described grade‑level benchmarks: elementary students complete age‑appropriate SmartFutures activities culminating in a fifth‑grade portfolio; middle school students use career cluster and Holland code activities (personality‑to‑career matching) with a culminating eighth‑grade career plan; high school students use SmartFutures for course selection, career cluster exploration and post‑secondary planning. Presenters said parents can view SmartFutures artifacts via the student’s PSD‑Key account.

Counselors recommended integrating teachers into CEW delivery (not counselor‑only work), expanding community partnerships for career awareness and mental‑health supports, and maintaining a high fulfillment rate across schools (staff reported most elementary schools met the 98% CEW benchmark). The plan will continue as an annual reporting and review process.