The Upper Darby School District Education and Pupil Services Committee reviewed the district’s Chapter 339 K–12 guidance plan, a Pennsylvania Department of Education requirement that covers career and technical education guidance for students in grades 9–12 and career readiness activities across K–12. James Finch, the district K–12 guidance supervisor, presented the plan and said it "ensures that all students receive guidance related to career and technical education and post secondary planning focused on 3 domains, academic, career, and personal social."
The nut graf: The plan outlines age‑appropriate career awareness beginning in elementary school, career interest inventories in middle school, and structured postsecondary planning in high school, uses Naviance and other tools to collect career‑readiness artifacts, and is slated for board action on March 11 with a submission deadline of March 31 to the state portal.
Finch said the district’s counselors collaborated across elementary, middle and high schools to update the plan and highlighted the district’s use of Naviance and Intelligent Works for career inventories, artifact collection and family access. He described elementary work on attendance and early career awareness, middle school career interest inventories and exploration of postsecondary pathways, and high school work that includes guided postsecondary applications, career days and dual‑enrollment partnerships with Delaware County Community College.
Finch reported results the district credits to its counseling work: for the 2023–24 school year, every school in the district met or exceeded the statewide "career standards" benchmark (98% for the district versus a statewide average of 91.4% that year). He said that career day activities helped raise an eighth‑grade cohort from about 50% meeting the benchmark in April to nearly 100% after the event, and that overall 95% of current eighth graders have met the benchmark to date.
The presentation also noted implementation of a PA Future Focus course at the high school (a half‑credit of financial literacy paired with a half‑credit of career exploration) and described stakeholder engagement strategies including career fairs, job shadowing, financial aid nights and a partnership with the Main Line Chamber of Commerce to open employer site visits and panels to students. Finch said parents have access to Naviance and that communications, transition nights and interpreter services are used to reach families, including English‑learner families; counselors may convene meetings where family and student interests differ.
Finch told the committee the plan will be submitted via the Future Ready comprehensive planning portal and reiterated the March 31 submission deadline. Committee members thanked counseling staff and asked questions about parent involvement, EL support and the mechanics of career day; Finch and other staff described multilingual communications, interpreter availability and the district’s openness to parent or community members serving as presenters at career events when feasible. The committee agreed to forward the plan for board action on March 11.