Common Planner
K–12 Standards

Grades 9-12

Other Maryland Career Development Framework For College and Career Readiness sets

Self-Awareness – Students shall acquire and apply self-knowledge in order to develop personal, learning and career goals.1

  • A

    Acquire and apply self-knowledge to understand one’s abilities, strengths, interests, skills, and talents as seen by self and others.1.A

    1. 1a

      Integrate a broad range of interests into personal learning and career goals, and assess the impact of abilities, strengths, skills, and talents on career planning.1.A.1a

    2. 1b

      Evaluate how positive personal characteristics affect career decisions and planning.1.A.1b

    3. 2

      Explain and assess how one’s self-concept affects and promotes both educational achievement and success at work.1.A.2

    4. 3

      Evaluate how the impact of situations, attitudes, and the behaviors of others affect selfconcept and how behaviors and attitudes affect the self-concept of others.1.A.3

  • B

    Demonstrate positive interpersonal skills and respect for diversity to facilitate one’s career development.1.B

    1. 1

      Monitor and adjust behavior in group activities in a way that is honest, fair, helpful, and respectful.1.B.1

    2. 2

      Demonstrate and assess the degree to which one accepts responsibility for personal actions including dealing with outside pressures and contributing to group activities. 1.B.2

    3. 3

      Evaluate individual and group performance and plan improvements using explicit criteria.1.B.3

    4. 4

      Demonstrate the ability to support group decisions, respect dissenting positions, and/or use consensus.1.B.4

    5. 5

      Demonstrate, problem-solve, and evaluate communication experiences and use of effective strategies such as paraphrasing, reflections, active listening, and assertive communication.1.B.5

  • C

    Recognize that growth and change are integral parts of the career development process.1.C

    1. 1

      Analyze the results of personal growth and change throughout life to determine future growth opportunities.1.C.1

    2. 2

      Identify situations (e.g. applying to college, seeking employment, experiencing problems in school, encountering financial instability, developing a disability, and design strategies to access resources, including other people, to seek assistance when needed. 1.C.2

    3. 3

      Demonstrate and analyze how effectively one responds to change and/or initiates change.1.C.3

    4. 4

      Explain how motivations and aspirations changed with time and circumstance.1.C.4

  • D

    Apply self-knowledge to decision-making and goal-setting.1.D

    1. 1a

      Plan and follow steps to make effective decisions and achieve goals for learning and performance.1.D.1a

    2. 1b

      Revise academic and career plan to reflect growth and development.1.D.1b

    3. 1c

      Identify financial choices based on available resources, needs, and wants for goods and services1.D.1c

Career Awareness – Students shall use the Maryland Career Clusters and career pathways including Career and Technology Education (CTE) programs of study in order to understand their relationship to educational achievement and life-long learning.2

  • A

    Analyze/compare the industries represented in Maryland’s 10 Career Clusters and how they relate to the needs and functions of the economy and society.2.A

    1. 1a

      Identify and research career clusters and CTE programs of interest.2.A.1a

    2. 1b

      Determine academic and career related goals2.A.1b

    3. 2

      Compare/contrast the shift in the work organization of the 21st century versus the past.2.A.2

  • B

    Understand the connections among educational achievement, lifelong learning and the career options across career pathways.2.B

    1. 1a

      Assess past, present, and future informal and formal learning experiences that connect to one’s life goals.2.B.1a

    2. 1b

      Analyze the connections between one’s educational achievement and personal and career goals and adjust behavior in a way that integrates the strong connections.2.B.1b

    3. 2a

      Prioritize educational achievement areas needing improvement and develop a plan to obtain proficiency of one’s personal and career goals.2.B.2a

    4. 2b

      Use study skills, strategies and learning habits to improve achievement.2.B.2b

    5. 2c

      Use technology to access, store, manage, analyze and communicate information to enhance and improve achievement.2.B.2c

  • C

    Understand how accurate, current and unbiased career information is necessary for successful career planning and management using career clusters2.C

    1. 1a

      Evaluate and identify relevant career information resources to use in selecting and planning for a career cluster and career pathway. (i.e., economic, labor market, and employer-specific).2.C.1a

    2. 1b

      Compare occupations and careers within a career cluster using labor market information to determine post secondary education opportunities including two-year and four-year college programs, certificate programs, apprenticeship, and trade school options.2.C.1b

    3. 1c

      Compare and contrast earning power with levels of education and training of careers within clusters of interest.2.C.1c

    4. 2

      Demonstrate openness to and consider career cluster and options that one might view as nontraditional (i.e. relative to one’s gender, race, culture, or ability.)2.C.2

    5. 3

      Evaluate career assessment results to identify a career cluster related academic courses and program of study to inform academic and career planning.2.C.3

  • D

    Recognize that decision-making is an important part of an individual’s career development.2.D

    1. 1a

      Explore and evaluate career information relevant to making a decision.2.D.1a

    2. 1b

      Evaluate the relationships among education, skills, career choices, economic conditions and income.2.D.1b

    3. 2

      Explain how one’s career decision-making reflects personal priorities (e.g. financial, educational, leisure).2.D.2

    4. 3

      Examine the implications of decisions, consider new alternatives, and analyze the need to compromise and its effect on one’s decisions.2.D.3

    5. 4

      Apply decision-making may involve compromise and cite examples.2.D.4

  • E

    Understand that balancing personal, leisure, community, learner and work roles is an important part of one’s career development.2.E

    1. 1

      Examine one’s personal, leisure, community, learner, work roles, and responsibilities and illustrate how they are interconnected.2.E.1

    2. 2

      Identify the connections between life roles and lifestyle.2.E.2

Career Exploration – Students shall assess career cluster choices and related career pathways including Career Technology Education (CTE) programs of study in order to develop an academic and career plan.3

  • A

    Prepare an academic and career plan based on high school graduation requirements, a sequence of Career Technology Education (CTE) program of study courses, related academics and postsecondary options.3.A

    1. 1

      Review one’s academic and career plan, including postsecondary options and make modifications on an annual basis3.A.1

    2. 2

      Demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to transfer effectively from one learning level to the next.3.A.2

    3. 3

      Design a program sequence for selected academic/career options including, if applicable, CTE programs of study, postsecondary education and/or training opportunities.3.A.3

    4. 4

      Apply academic/career-related content standards including CTE programs of study, if applicable, to work-based learning experiences and one’s program sequence (high school plan).3.A.4

    5. 5

      Select options for further education and/or training (i.e. dual enrollment, articulated credit, advanced placement, certification, two-year colleges, four-year colleges, apprenticeships, and technical schools.)3.A.5

  • B

    Use a process/model for knowing and thinking about how one makes decisions.3.B

    1. 1

      Demonstrate the use of a decision-making model to inform academic and career planning on an ongoing basis.3.B.1

    2. 2

      Describe the impact of one’s culture, beliefs, and attitudes on one’s career decisions.3.B.2

Career Preparation: Students shall prepare for postsecondary and career success through a sequenced academic and technical program of study and related workplace experiences.4

  • A

    Acquire cluster and academic content knowledge and skills to succeed in high school and beyond.4.A

    1. 1

      Apply academic content standards of the Maryland State Curriculum4.A.1

    2. 2

      Apply academic and career – related content knowledge and skills (foundation, pathway, cross cluster) through technology, research, problem-solving, workbased learning, and project-based learning.4.A.2

    3. 3

      Demonstrate academic and career related skill and the Skills for Success through projectbased learning and, if applicable, CTE programs of study and other career connecting activities4.A.3

    4. 4

      Develop a career folder /portfolio to demonstrate academic and technical knowledge and skills of a career cluster for employment and postsecondary preparation.4.A.4

  • B

    Use the selected decision-making process/model to update and modify the six-year academic and career plan.4.B

    1. 1

      Identify problems and/or gaps in the existing academic and career plan annually.4.B.1

    2. 2

      Develop and complete the steps and timelines for taking post secondary entrance tests, choosing and applying to colleges / training programs, and gaining admission, obtaining financial aid (FAFSA) or selecting employment options.4.B.2

Job-Seeking and Advancement – Students shall demonstrate skills to secure, maintain and advance in employment5

  • A

    Understand how academic, technical, cross cluster and employability skills are needed to obtain or create, maintain, and advance in one’s career.5.A

    1. 1

      Demonstrate proficiency in academic and career-related content standards, academic content standards and Skills for Success.5.A.1

    2. 2

      Demonstrate skills to seek employment including writing a resume and cover letter, completing a job application, interviewing for a job, finding and pursuing employment leads and marketing oneself in the workplace.5.A.2

    3. 3

      Demonstrate proficiency in transferable skills that lead to advancement within a career cluster of occupations (e.g. business management finance cluster: financial management and accounting, legal services, regulatory compliance, risk management, government relations, marketing.)5.A.3

    4. 4

      Make decisions about the advantages and challenges of employment in a non-traditional career.5.A.4

    5. 5

      N/A5.A.5

    6. 6

      N/A5.A.6

    7. 7

      N/A5.A.7

Career Satisfaction and Transition – Individuals shall demonstrate how the ongoing attainment of knowledge and skills enhances one’s ability to function and transition effectively in a diverse and changing economy.6

  • A

    Apply career management and decision-making skills to update ones’ career plan as needed.6.A

    1. 1

      Determine changes and trends that may impact career plans and develop short- and long-term goals.6.A.1

    2. 2

      Explain that many skills and behaviors are needed to manage one’s career development (e.g. resiliency, self-efficacy, ability to scan the environment for trends and changes, having a futures perspective, and flexibility).6.A.2

    3. 3

      Describe how education, work, family issues, national crisis and economic/labor market conditions affect decisions.6.A.3

    4. 4

      N/A6.A.4

    5. 5

      Analyze and compare school and work needs with regard to interests, skills, and values to determine if long term goals are met.6.A.5

    6. 6

      N/A6.A.6

  • B

    Evaluate the impact of lifelong learning on one’s ability to function effectively in a diverse and changing economy.6.B

    1. 1

      Explain that our diverse and changing economy requires the updating of existing skills and the acquisition of new skills throughout life.6.B.1

    2. 2

      Evaluate selection of specific postsecondary education and training programs as they relate to changing societal and economic conditions and update personal and career goals.6.B.2

    3. 3

      N/A6.B.3

    4. 4

      Explain how society’s needs/functions and economic conditions affect one’s career development (e.g. demographics, global competition, economic recession, and war).6.B.4

    5. 5

      Evaluate how technology has changed and determine implications for one’s lifelong learning.6.B.5

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?
Grade 9, Grade 10, Grade 11, and Grade 12

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More Maryland Career Development Framework For College and Career Readiness sets

Career Development Framework For College and Career Readiness