Career Education - PaCE Framework

The Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework is designed to provide students with a guided exploration of postsecondary planning and options in a manner consistent with adolescent development.

Meaningful participation in postsecondary preparation programs requires that students perceive college and/or career as possible and probable. Too often, programs are designed to serve only students who already have a college-going or career-oriented identity. The developmental work in the middle school framework is intended to prepare students to more fully engage with the PaCE Framework throughout the critical high school years.

PaCE Framework

By the End of 6th Grade:

• Students will engage in Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons throughout the year to foster character development.
• Students will learn to develop and establish both short-term and long-term goals to support personal and/or academic goals. 
• Students will describe challenges they might face as they start middle school and identify resources where they can get help.
• Students will describe what happens in their brains when they try something new and how their brains change with practice in order to develop a growth mindset.
• Students will complete the Career Interest Survey to discover career paths aligned with their interests and values.
• Students will engage in exploratory elective classes to expose them to current or future interests or careers.

By the End of 7th Grade:

• Students will engage in Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons throughout the year to foster character development.
• Students will establish both short-term and long-term goals to support personal and/or academic goals.
• Students will describe challenges they might face and identify resources. 
• Students will understand how to develop a growth mindset and be able to distinguish between a fixed and growth mindset.
• Students will explore career clusters or career inventories to discover career paths aligned with their interests and values.
• Students will engage in choice elective classes to expose them to current or future interests or careers. 
• Students will have the opportunity to elect a financial literacy class to develop essential money management skills through units such as investing, money in our lives, consumer skills, life after high school/college, credit, and budgeting.

By the End of 8th Grade:

• Students will engage in Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons throughout the year to foster character development.
• Students will establish both short-term and long-term goals to support personal and/or academic goals.
• Students will describe challenges they might face and identify resources.
• Students will implement strategies to demonstrate a growth mindset as they begin to prepare for high school. 
• Students will complete the Career Interest Survey to discover career paths aligned with their interests and values.  
• Students will engage in choice elective classes to expose them to current or future interests or careers. 
• Students will have the opportunity to elect a financial literacy class to develop essential money management skills through units such as investing, money in our lives, consumer skills, life after high school/college, credit, and budgeting. 
• Students will participate in a Career Exploration Day in which they complete an education/career planning unit, hear from speakers in a variety of fields, and explore potential postsecondary options that align with their skills and interests.
• Students will attend a freshman orientation session at a feeder high school district.