The Texas OnCourse Educator Blog

Helping Texas middle school students prepare to choose an endorsement selection before they enter high school is just one step in career exploration.

The spread of coronavirus has resulted in a plethora of educational pivots since March, and the college admissions process has been no exception. With SAT and ACT testing dates canceled or postponed and testing centers closed, institutes of higher education have reconsidered the role that these exams play in admissions.

Providing equitable education and advising for students in the age of virtual learning is more important now than ever. 

Trabian Shorters, best-selling author, social entrepreneur, and leading authority on diversity and inclusion, has been working for years to help foundations and nonprofits change the stories they tell about the communities they support. Many philanthropic organizations start with the challenge or the problem first – “tales of deficit and despair,” as Shorters describes. But this sort of approach stigmatizes communities, contributes to further stereotyping, and can often make change seem impossible. 

Students who move frequently – like those whose parents or guardians are in the military or are migrant workers –  face unique challenges in becoming college and career ready. The feeling of being uprooted or displaced can be unsettling and may affect academic performance and postsecondary success. It’s important that educators, counselors, and advisers do all they can to provide transitioning students with a warm welcome. After all, research shows that students learn better when they feel safe and cared for.

Do you have a middle school student who has a dream job in mind? If so, you might find it easy to work backward to help that student select a corresponding endorsement. 

Scholarships and grants, federal student loans, state and college loans, private loans, work-study – these are the many ways your students can receive assistance in paying for college. Researching and pursuing these opportunities can be complicated, but there’s more to do once applications are in! Students need to learn that borrowing only what they need is crucial to minimizing debt, and that certain forms of financial aid will need to be re-paid or traded for time.

Earlier this fall, sophomores and juniors across Texas took the PSAT, giving many of them their first taste of rigorous college entrance exams. This test can reveal areas that need improvement in preparation for the actual SAT®. For juniors, it’s also an opportunity for students to earn scholarships by scoring high enough to become a National Merit Scholar! With test scores due to be released in mid-December, let’s talk about the scoring scale and how to interpret PSAT/NMSQT test results.

We’re loving the *slightly* cooler temperatures and slow slide into the holiday season. Before we all say farewell for Thanksgiving break, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on all we’re thankful for at Texas OnCourse:

As college and career readiness educators, you may have a good feel for what endorsements your local students are choosing, but have you ever wondered how that might compare to statewide academic trends?