The Texas OnCourse Educator Blog

In our first monthly webinar of the 2020–2021 school year, over 375 educators from across the state registered to tap into an open discussion on back to school during COVID-19. We covered CCMR updates and tools for accountability, data-driven strategies for programs, and Texas OnCourse resources that can enhance remote teaching, counseling, and advising practices.

This week, we're focusing on TEA updates on COVID-19.

You may be aware of Texas OnCourse’s College and Career Readiness Curriculum, formerly referred to as the Middle School Curriculum Guide. This curriculum is designed to help educators teach college and career readiness in grades 6–8. To date, this resource has helped over 1,950 Texas educators meet TEKS requirements by using plug and play middle school lesson plans designed to make career exploration fun. 

Many of your students have likely experienced changes to their personal and family income. These changes can affect expected family contribution, so your students may need help submitting a financial aid appeal during COVID-19. 

The college admissions process of 2020 will go down in history books. Campus visits have been canceled. Individual and family financial circumstances are up in the air. Many colleges have moved their admissions decision deadline to June 1. So how on earth can educators guide their students on how to choose a college during COVID-19? Read on for four tips below:

[UPDATED May 2021] College-bound high school seniors have a big transition ahead of them. In addition to choosing their college, they’ll need to keep track of financial aid deadlines, make housing plans, and schedule orientation. We compiled the top five ways high school seniors can stay on track through the end of high school and into the summer to have a stellar freshman year.

[UPDATED May 2021] The 2020-21 academic year has been unlike any other for students around the world. In particular, students making big transitions in the fall (like entering high school as a freshman!) are facing unique challenges.

You’ve likely seen the changes to the August 2020 accountability ratings, but in case you missed it, formal ratings for all Texas school districts will be labeled “not-rated” due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 emergency. College, career, and military readiness data will be reported only on TEA reports such as Texas Academic Performance Reports. It will not be used in ratings calculations for the 2019-2020 school year.

The current moment presents plenty of challenges as we figure out how to support, instruct, and counsel our students remotely. Among those challenges is how to communicate effectively in online classes. Fortunately, this is an obstacle that presents opportunities for growth and learning for our students, and ourselves. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is confronting all of us with challenges. In particular, the education system faces extraordinary difficulties. School closures and testing delays abound. And a ripple effect is impacting educators, students, and families in ways we couldn’t have anticipated.