The CDP is an evolving plan that starts in the 6th grade and is expanded and refined as students’ career goals come into focus throughout high school.  The CDP helps middle and high school students of all backgrounds, abilities, and aspirations explore careers and colleges in a meaningful, personalized way. In collaboration with School Counselors, Career Development Coordinators (CDCs), Student Support Specialists, and Teachers, students begin exploring career and college readiness options through career assessments, employability skills training, career and college research, and creating goals and plans. 

Students revise their CDP annually to accommodate changing interests, personalized pathway choices, and post-graduation goals. Through this process students maximize their time in middle and high school by making intentional choices about the courses, programs, and opportunities they choose along the way. This process makes the transition from middle-to-high school and high school-to-postsecondary more seamless and less stressful. After high school graduation, our goal is that students are either: 

• Enrolled in a college, university, community college, technical school, or apprenticeship program,

• Employed in the workforce, or

• Enlisted in the military. 

As part of this effort, we want to inform you that, under current North Carolina law, all 8th graders are required to have a Career Development Plan in order to be promoted to 9th grade. Additionally, this plan will be reviewed in 10th grade as part of the promotion process to 11th grade, ensuring students stay on track toward their post-graduation goals.