U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

NCES 2017-111 MAY 2017

Public High School Students’ 

Use of Graduation, 

Career, or Education Plans

 

This report uses data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09). HSLS:09 is a nationally representative, longitudinal study 

of more than 23,000 students who were first surveyed in fall 2009, when they were in the ninth grade, and then again in spring 2012, when 

most were in the eleventh grade. The 2012 administration also included a survey of the students’ school counselors. This report includes 

data for all public school students and public high school counselors who participated in the 2012 follow-up. 

To help high school students align their 

curricula with career goals, some 

schools require that their students 

have a curriculum plan, variously referred to as a graduation, career, or 

education plan. This Data Point examines the use of such plans in public 

high schools, as of 2012. 

The HSLS:09 2012 follow-up asked 

school counselors whether their school 

required students to have a graduation, 

career, or education plan and, if so, 

how students were assigned to a specific plan. 

The school counselors of 

most public high school 

students reported that their 

school requires a graduation, career, or education 

plan. 

School counselors of about threequarters of public high school students 

(72 percent) reported that the school 

requires students have a graduation, 

career, or education plan (figure 1). 

The nature of this requirement varies 

across schools, however. 

The counselors of about 

4 out of 10 public high 

school students reported 

that students are asked to 

create their own plan. 

The school counselors of 43 percent of 

students reported that students in their 

school are asked to create a personalized graduation, career, or education 

plan. Counselors of fewer students, 23 

percent, reported that students are 

asked to choose a plan from among 

those offered by their school, and counselors of only 5 percent of students 

reported that students are assigned to 

a plan by their school. 

The HSLS:09 2012 follow-up also 

asked students directly whether their 

school had asked them to develop a 

graduation, career, or education 

plan. Confirming counselor reports, 

44 percent of students reported that 

their school had asked them to develop such a plan (figure 2). 

FIGURE 1. Percentage distribution of fall 2009 public school 

ninth-graders as of 2012 whose school counselors reported 

various requirements for graduation, career, or education 

plans: 2012 

NOTE: Standard errors for estimates can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/tables/h155.asp. Detail may 

not sum to total because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), First Follow-up Restricted-Use Data File.

To learn more about the data collection used in this report, visit 

https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/hsls09. For questions about content or to view

this report online, go to https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2017111.
Public High School Students’ Use of Graduation, Career, or Education Plans

Students who reported that their 

school had asked them to develop a 

graduation, career, or education plan 

were also asked whether they submitted their plan to their school and 

whether they met with school staff at 

least once a year to review their plan.

Although 44 percent of public 

high school students were 

asked to develop a plan, 

fewer students submitted 

their plan to their school or 

reviewed the plan with 

school staff at least annually. 

Only 39 percent of the public high 

school students who were asked to 

develop a plan submitted their plan 

to their school, and only about half 

(51 percent) of the students who 

were asked to develop a plan met 

with school staff to review or revise 

the plan (not in figures; see 

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/

tables/h171.asp).

Thus, only 17 percent of all students

reported that they developed a plan 

that they submitted to their school, and 

only 22 percent of all students developed a plan and met with school staff 

at least once a year to review or revise 

their plan (figure 2). Overall, 11 percent 

of all students reported that they did all 

three—they developed a plan, submitted their plan to their school, and met 

with school staff at least once a year to 

review or revise the plan. 

FIGURE 2. Percentage of 2009 public school ninth-graders as of 2012 who reported various 

activities concerning the development and use of a graduation, career, or education plan: 

2012 

NOTE: Standard errors for estimates can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/tables/h171.asp. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), First 

Follow-up Restricted-Use Data File.

This National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Data Point presents information on education topics of current interest. It was authored by Lisa Hudson of 

NCES. Estimates based on samples are subject to sampling variability, and 

apparent differences may not be statistically significant. All stated differences 

are statistically significant at the .05 level. In the design, conduct, and data processing of NCES surveys, efforts are made to minimize effects of nonsampling 

errors, such as item nonresponse, measurement error, data processing error, or 

other systematic error.