Borden's mission is to give each student the necessary educational, social and life skills to develop positive self-esteem, becoming a productive member of society. The school counselor organizes and coordinates all activities of the career planning process.
Parents participate in the process at every level.
The career plan, which includes data on demographics, school courses and activity, goals, skills, values, career choices, honors, awards and course crediting, is used for course selection, documenting progress, systematic review and modification of path development, a reference for specialized help and exit interviews. A large suburban school system, Fairfax County services approximately 156,000 students with a diverse population encompassing more than 150 languages. Recognizing that each student must have appropriate skills for effective career planning, FCPS developed the Career Connections initiative to provide a system-wide focus on careers, infusing career development into curricular areas in grades K through 12. The counselors assure each seventh grade student develops a Career Connections portfolio, tracking skills in career investigation and developing a six-year academic and career plan. This portfolio is active through grade 12.