Designing with the Goal in Mind: How Public Charter Schools Are Facilitating a Comprehensive College-going Culture

Charter schools were approved to exist in the U.S. as an alternative form of public education to offer solutions to the challenges of traditional public schools. Learnings from charter schools continue to live in our texts, and minimal efforts have been made to inventory the takeaways from this setting. By examining how seven school counselors representing six Charter Management Organization (CMOs) high schools in Los Angeles have used their school’s autonomy to implement a comprehensive college-for-all-all model, this study offers implications for the counselor role and how mission-driven public schools offer comprehensive college counseling. Participants described the goals of the counselor role, systematic components, and supporting factors that allow for a college-for-all model. The study also discusses implications for educational leaders and policymakers on how role clarity and the school mission can influence school outcomes for college acceptance and enrollment.