District Administration - November 2008 - (Page 54)

Simplifying College Admissions not the right path, and you will need to help them plan for appropriate noncollege options, from career and vocational planning to military, public or community service possibilities. Start Early It is best to meet your freshmen, even your eighth-graders, with the notion that high school is a pathway to college and that to get to college, every class and every year counts. That doesn’t entail putting undue pressure or stress on students. You can reassure them that there are many things they don’t need to worry about, including essays, interviews, or Include Everyone While some districts face the onslaught of the dreaded “helicopter parent” obsessed with every aspect of college admissions to the detriment of school, child, and college admissions officer, many others face the challenge of getting parents more involved in the education of their children and getting parents and students to see themselves as college material. In general, we find most parents can find a happy medium between overinvolvement and underinvolvement, and if they believe the school has a plan and program that is preparing their child for college admission, they will be satisfied. A unique college prep charter school, KIPP AMP, has extended days and two hours of homework daily for fifth- through eighth-graders. College admissions program models and planning materials ACT, www.act.org. Offers academic and career planning tools, as well as the ACT test, the primary competitor to the SAT. The College Board, www.collegeboard.com. Offers administrators and students the SAT and Advanced Placement (AP) test programs. Greenwich High School, www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=5348. Senior Packet shows students and parents how to furnish detailed questionnaires to counselors and follow a specific plan of action for admissions in a large and diverse high school. Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), www.kipp.org. This national network of free, open-enrollment, college preparatory public schools focuses on underserved students. National Association for College Admission Counseling, www.nacacnet.org. Professional association for college admissions officers and guidance counselors. See its Knowledge Center Project for program resources, as well as its Seal of Approval program. Naviance, www.naviance.com. Many public and private schools are using Naviance’s WorkspaceK12 program to manage their college planning and other functions. It is fast becoming the industry standard. Peterson’s, www.petersons.com. In addition to being a test preparatory company, Peterson’s offers a lot of free resources for students and schools, as well as programs that work with schools and districts. Student Aid on the Web, www.studentaid.ed.gov. The federal government’s help and resource center on financial aid and paying for college. Ten Steps to College with the Greenes, www.pbs.org/tenstepstocollege. Our Web site developed in conjunction with our PBS programs, with free resources for counselors and families. District Administration While some districts face the onslaught of the dreaded “helicopter parent” obsessed with every aspect of college admissions, others face the challenge of getting parents more involved in their child’s education. special, magic activities that will somehow make them stand out. Their number one job is to take college prep courses as much as possible, and more demanding classes if appropriate to their interests and abilities, and to perform consistently well. Over time, they will take standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests that will be predominately based on reading, writing and math skills, as well as individual subject area knowledge. The College Board, purveyor of the SAT programs, recently changed its testing policy to allow students total “score choice”, which means that students can take the SAT and Subject Tests, of which there are 21, any number of times and submit only the scores they want to show during senior year. Thus, a freshman biology or sophomore student taking world history class might want to take the SAT Subject Test in that area with no risk of showing a “bad score” down the line. It is this kind of early planning and portfolio building that will empower your students as they grow through high school. 54 November 2008 The focus of most families is on process rather than outcome, and if you include parents from freshman year onward in an annual or even semiannual presentation on college admissions and what you are doing, and what they and their collegebound children should be doing at each stage, you will go a long way toward helping them and helping your staff, not to mention college admissions outcomes. By including everyone of all ages, backgrounds and levels, you will expose them to necessary information and perhaps convince those sitting on the fence that college is an important and viable option. The good news is that there are many such options among the several thousand two- and four-year institutions of higher education in America, and that a student with a good work ethic and open mind will find a right choice among them. DA Howard and Matthew Greene are independent educational consultants working with families on college planning. They have written books on college admissions, including the Greenes’ Guides to Educational Planning, and are hosts of TV programs on admissions. http://www.act.org http://www.collegeboard.com http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=5348 http://www.kipp.org http://www.nacacnet.org http://www.naviance.com http://www.petersons.com http://www.studentaid.ed.gov http://www.pbs.org/tenstepstocollege

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - November 2008

District Administration - November 2008
School Breakfasts: An Added Value
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
1-2-3 Campus Safety
News Update
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Snacks as Part of Your School Nutrition Program
Technology
Facilities & Construction
Admissions
DA Web Seminars
Leadership Assessment
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
New Products
Technology Books
Professional Opinion
Supervisor’s Opinion
Crisis Response
Problem Solution
Research Center

District Administration - November 2008