06/01/2025

Navigating Uncharted Territory in K-12 Schools Using Schlossberg’s Transition Theory

By Natasha Barnes-Gwynn & Kenya Johns

A rapidly changing job market has been a foundational part of American history. Noting the shift from an agricultural focus to manufacturing and white-collar jobs, the workforce continues to change significantly. Most recently, the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the evolution of the job market (Maley et al., 2024). In 2025, a new shift has begun in the labor market that may create a drastic change for those in K-12 education. Recent executive orders from US President Donald Trump's administration introduced significant changes in education and workforce policies, affecting students' career/workforce preparedness and mental health (Kamenetz, 2025). For example, the Department of Education is being urged by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) to preserve programs that provide funding, training and access to mental health services so as to ensure a coordinated effort of service that students cannot receive elsewhere (NCDA, 2025). The transition from education to the workforce is a critical period in a student's life, often accompanied by uncertainty and stress. In an effort to navigate this new, uncharted territory, it is imperative that school counselors and career development professionals begin to explore the implications on K-12 students and strategies for success using Schlossberg’s Transition Theory.

Putting Theory Into Action

Schlossberg’s Transition Theory is  generally used to assist individuals as they transition into retirement (Sharf, 2013). The theory encompasses four Ss: Situation, Self, Support, and Strategies.  The theory can also be adjusted to fit other populations in their career development, such as those moving from education to the workforce. When considering new policies that have been enacted and proposed which affect the K-12 population, it is important that school counselors and career professionals are able to examine the transition through this lens, identify appropriate actions with the student in mind, and advocate for the ones affected. The individual’s ability to cope with the transition depends on this.

Situation

When considering the situation, it is important that school counselors and career professionals are able to evaluate the type of transition. Determining if this transition is positive/negative, voluntary/involuntary, or at a good/bad time is important to understanding how to effectively manage the transition (Sharf, 2013). Given the current orders that affect mental health services  for K-12 students (NCDA, 2025), the transition could have a negative impact, was involuntarily placed on the administration, and came at a bad time, as no time is a good time to remove all efforts of respecting diversity and creating environments that encompass equity and inclusion of all students.

Self

When considering the aspects of self that affect the ability to cope as related to Schlossberg’s theory, cultural characteristics (e.g., ethnicity, values, socioeconomic status, etc.) are important factors, as well as emotional strengths and weaknesses such as outlook and commitment (Sharf, 2013). This section of the theory is major when working with the K-12 population, as it causes school counselors and career professionals to give attention to the students’ personal and demographic characteristics, their emotional wellness and coping strategies, and the cultural factors that may lead to an inequitable education, lack of resources, and discrimination as they move through their academic journey.  

Support

Schlossberg’s theory refers to support as the help or lack of help that may be available to students as they experience this transition (Sharf, 2013). Many children are receiving support from school resources, such as Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), 504 Plans, tutoring, reduced lunches, etc. Oftentimes, this support is dependent upon factors influenced by culture such as mental health diagnoses, academic delays, socioeconomic status, etc. With the new order to remove any considerations based on DEI, these supports could be removed from many children, which could ultimately have a negative impact on their career development.

Strategies

Lastly, Schlossberg employs the idea of developing strategies or responses to cope with the change (Sharf, 2013).  With the compounded challenges that K-12 students may experience with workforce and academic transitions, there are several recommendations for school counselors and career development professionals to consider, which aim to modify, control or manage the situation. The recommendations are:

1. Staying Informed - Addressing the current changes directly to keep the students, faculty and administration informed.
2. Building Resilience and Flexibility - Resilience has been shown to improve “mental health and well-being, with secondary benefits associated with enhanced social support, optimism, self-efficacy, active coping, self-esteem and positive emotions. Theseoutcomes have been linked with better adaptation to pressures and demands in the workplace” (Baker et al., 2021).
3. Expanding Mental Health Services - It is important to prioritize integrated mental health services to offer counseling, peer support groups, and crisis intervention programs, especially during times of political and policy transition (Anderson et al., 2012).
4. Reinstating Support Programs - It is imperative to find ways to effectively employ DEI initiatives, which research shows improve students' sense of belonging and workforce preparedness (García & Weiss, 2020).  This may involve looking into more strategies related to cultural competence and culturally responsive teaching and learning.
5. Policy Advocacy and Stability - Advocacy for policies that protect and enhance student equity and ensuring that transitions to higher education and the workforce are not dependent on unstable or politically driven educational landscapes is necessary for success (Arundel, 2025).

Why Is This Important?

The executive orders given to K-12 schools by the current US administration could have a major impact on the education that students receive, as well as the workforce that they enter. It is important that school counselors and career professionals begin equipping themselves and filling their toolkits with effective strategies to navigate these unchartered territories. Schlossberg’s Theory of Transition provides a framework that gives insight into how looking at the situation, self, supports, and strategies can effectively aid in the work that will be necessary to aid students as they maneuver through an academic journey that may be different from one that they have ever known. The more that school counselors and career professionals can prepare students for this change, the easier their transition may be into the next level of education or the workforce.

References

Anderson, M. L., Goodman, J., & Schlossberg, N. K. (2012). Counseling adults in transition: Linking Schlossberg’s theory with practice in a diverse world (4th ed.). Springer Publishing.

Arundel, K. (2025, April 25). Will Trump's school discipline order drive wider disparities or 'restore common sense'? K–12 Dive. https://www.k12dive.com/news/white-house-school-discipline-DEI-Linda-McMahon/746322/

Baker, F. R., Baker, K. L., & Burrell, J. (2021). Introducing the skills‐based model of personal resilience: Drawing on content and process factors to build resilience in the workplace. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 94(2), 458-481.

García, E., & Weiss, E. (2020). Education inequalities at the school starting gate: Gaps, trends,and strategies to address them. Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/publication/education-inequalities-at-the-school-starting-gate/ 

Kamenetz, A. (2025, April 23). Trump signs education executive actions targeting DEI and federal education standards. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/04/23/nx-s1-5374365/trump-signs-education-executive-actions 

National Career Development Association. (2025, April 16). National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), along with NCDA, urge the department of education to reconsider the proposed elimination of essential programs that support mental health services in schools. https://ncdacredentialing.org/aws/NCDA/pt/sp/govtrelations 

Sharf, R. S. (2013). Applying career development theory to counseling (6th ed.). Brooks/Cole

Dr. Kenya Johns, LPC, NCC, CAADC, CCTP, ACS is a well-known advocate and community engager who focuses on creating communities and environments that foster collaboration, that strengthens communication and collaboration across all sectors. Dr. Johns is a professor, counselor, community organizer and a member of executive leadership in an international organization. She is committed to developing sustainable change. Email: drkenyajohns@gmail.com 

Dr. Natasha Barnes, CCC, NCC, CDF-I is a counselor educator and career counselor, consultant, and instructor.  She is a co-chair of the Diversity Initiative and Cultural Inclusion committee, as well as an associate editor for the K-12 section of Career Convergence, where she strives to bring attention to the career issues of diverse populations in the K12 sector. Email: i.o.u.consultation@gmail.com