District Administration - March 2009 - (Page 23)

Top: Students in the College Headed and Mighty Proud program at the Azusa (Calif.) Unified School District receive formal mentoring to prepare for college. Left: Counselors help high school students in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District in California to “stay connected” to technology to expand their college search options with Naviance software, just like students (right) at Fairfax County (Va.) Public Schools. A GPA GPS Fairfax County (Va.) Public Schools sends more than 90 percent of its graduating seniors to college. As many educators know, boosting that last 10 percent can be the most difficult, since it requires reaching those students who actively resist suggestions of higher education. But now, administrators are requiring all Fairfax students to develop a virtual roadmap for their educational careers. Through Naviance, a company known for its career-based software programs, all students are learning to set personal goals for academic achievements, life skills such as time management, and community service during their high school careers. “We want them to think about who they are, what their interests are, their strengths and the kind of life they want to live,” says Alice Farling, a senior consultant to the district. Students will use this plan over the next three years to detail and record their steps to reach these goals and to journal www.DistrictAdministration.com the journey. Parents and teachers are given the passwords so they stay up-todate with their students’ progress. During their senior year, graduates will have a portfolio of work available to attach to college and scholarship applications. Farling already sees more subtle benefits. In just the first semester, teachers and students have closer relationships because the assignment prompts a better understanding of goals and interests. Counselors at the career centers inside each high school plan to use the tool to match portfolios with potential colleges and to prepare occupation background materials during chat sessions with the students. Students so far don’t mind the additional work. “They’re at the perfect age to like finding out about themselves,” Farling says. “I observed a session the other day when kids were evaluating their strengths and starting to type in their goals. They were so engaged, you could hear a pin drop—and this was a whole class of kids.” Making Progress? Because many of these college-bound programs throughout the country are only a few years old, the jury is still out on whether they ultimately will make a difference in college attendance, says Denver Scholarship Foundation’s Nate Easley. But there’s no doubt in his mind they’re having regional impacts today. “It’s not a matter of this generation being less interested,” he says. “It’s more about the high correlation between poverty and whether your parents have a college degree that influences these decisions. So the real question is, have we done what we need to do in our education system to inspire that interest?” DA www.DistrictAdministration.com Read more on successful college scholarship programs in Colorado and Michigan. Julie Sturgeon is a freelance writer based in Indianapolis. March 2008 23 http://www.DistrictAdministration.com http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - March 2009

District Administration - March 2009
Contents
Editor’s Letter
News Update
Health & Fitness
Online Learning
Conversations
District Profile
Administrator Profile
The College Promise
Do Economic Rewards Work?
The SIFication of America
Disciplining Students with Disabilities
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
Tech Disruptions
New Products
Product Focus
New Books
Research Center

District Administration - March 2009