East Penn outlines K–12 Chapter 339 counseling plan, sets graduation and career‑evidence goals

Dr. Campbell and district counselors presented East Penn School District’s updated K–12 counseling and guidance plan under Pennsylvania Chapter 339 at the March 9 board meeting, saying the plan codifies how the district will deliver academic, career and personal‑social supports from kindergarten through grade 12.

The plan was introduced by Jen Corolla and explained in detail by Dr. Susan Fuller, the district’s K–8 counseling department chair, who described nine required components that range from a school‑counselor curriculum to career placement and follow‑up studies. "Pennsylvania is the only state in the country which doesn't require school counselors or have a defined school counseling program," Fuller said, underscoring why Chapter 339 serves as the statutory framework for district counseling services.

Why it matters: the plan sets measurable targets and timelines the district will use to hold its counseling program accountable. At the high‑school level the administration proposed an academic goal to maintain a 95% graduation rate annually, a career goal to attain 100% completion of required career evidence by the end of 11th grade, and a personal‑social target for students’ sense of belonging. The district explained that career‑evidence items are collected at grades 5, 8 and 11 and include artifacts such as resumes, interest inventories, budget or financial‑literacy projects and other classroom assignments tied to the state’s Career Education and Work standards.

District leaders cited recent outcomes for the class of 2025 to frame the plan: roughly 64% of graduates reported plans to pursue four‑year colleges, 16% two‑year colleges, nearly 8% employment, about 2.5% military enlistment and 4.5% undecided. The presentation noted the share pursuing two‑year colleges rose 4–5 percentage points from 2024 to 2025.

Board discussion centered on implementation details: how counselor caseloads and transitions work across elementary, middle and high school; how career artifacts are stored and shared (elementary artifacts are housed via Seesaw, secondary artifacts in Schooly and Naviance components are used for resumes and portfolios); how the district communicates results to families; and how the career advisory council (about 15–17 members) will be broadened to better reflect community diversity.

In response to questions about whether the plan differs from other districts’ submissions, administrators said East Penn emphasized an embedded K–8 counseling curriculum and clear, data‑driven goals rather than a box‑checking exercise. The administration also said the district will continue to refine data collection and consider additional disaggregation to identify equity gaps and target supports.

The board approved the curriculum items tied to this presentation as part of its curriculum vote later in the meeting. The district said it will continue outreach to families and community partners — including LCTI and local higher‑education partners — to expand work‑based exposure and better inform parents about career options.

What's next: the administration will finalize the plan for state submission and pursue the advisory‑council outreach discussed in public board Q&A. The district asked board members to watch for follow‑up material on comparative benchmarks and disaggregated outcome data.