Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

Kentucky Advising Academy releases new tool to strengthen college and career planning in schools

May 27, 2026

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education’s (CPE) Kentucky Advising Academy has launched a new multi-grade advising tool designed to help educators support students in earlier, more intentional planning for college and careers. 

The tool, A Roadmap for Career and College Advising for Kentucky Schools, aligns K-12 career studies standards with high school graduation requirements and equips educators with grade-by-grade learning experiences that support middle and high school students in exploring careers. This free tool can be found on CPE’s advising website, Futuriti.org.  

Developed in partnership with Education Strategy Group, the tool is designed to help Kentucky students and families begin planning earlier and with greater confidence. By introducing college and career exploration before the final years of high school, the resource gives students more time to understand their options, connect their interests to real opportunities and build a clear path for what comes next. 

In 2024, only 47.5 percent of high school students immediately enrolled in college courses; and more than 2,600 entered a Kentucky public college without a declared major. Studies show that helping students explore programs, careers and credentials earlier can support more informed decisions, strengthen advising conversations and help students choose courses that count toward their long-term goals. 

“Two of the big issues facing our students are mental health and debt, and both can be significantly improved through better advising,” said CPE President Aaron Thompson. “This new postsecondary advising tool will help students set college and career goals and plan for the financial impact of postsecondary education, giving them greater confidence and a clearer path to success.” 

Shaped by feedback from hundreds of Kentucky advisors, the tool uses a holistic, tiered approach that emphasizes annual assessment of student interests and skills to ensure postsecondary and career choices reflect students’ evolving strengths and aspirations, rather than a single point-in-time evaluation.  

“If we want more Kentuckians earning credentials and entering high-demand fields, advising has to start earlier and continue over time - not as a one-time activity, but as an ongoing process,” said KAA Director Mitzi Holland. “The Scope and Sequence, with its structured approach and connection to students’ Individual Learning Plan (ILP), is designed to support that.” 

What sets Kentucky’s Scope and Sequence apart is not only its ability to connect students’ identified interests to a range of postsecondary pathways, but also to clearly outline the costs compared to potential wages for each using the state’s college and career website, Futuriti.org. This helps families make more data-informed decisions and avoid unnecessary student debt. 

It also helps educators connect students to opportunities like dual credit, career and technical education and summer bridge programming, which can allow students to earn college credit while still in high school and reduce future education costs.

In addition, the tool includes activities that build essential workplace skills, an increasingly urgent need identified by employers across the nation.  

“We’ve been mindful through the development process to make sure that we’re connecting KAA’s work with the roadmap to the broader improvement initiatives of CPE – academic quality, student access and success, workforce and economic development,” said Holland. “That’s how we build a strong postsecondary education culture not just within our schools, but throughout the state.” 

Ten Kentucky school districts will be piloting the Scope and Sequence in their schools over the next year; however, all districts are welcome to use and adapt it to their needs.  

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More information can be found at https://futuriti.org/public/page/postsecondary-advising-scope-and-sequence, or by contacting Mitzi Holland at mitzi.holland@ky.gov. Training sessions are also available; those interested can register for one of the locations listed below: 

Last Updated: 5/27/2026