The Texas OnCourse Educator Blog

School is underway, and it’s looking different in many parts of Texas and the country. While some counselors and educators are delivering in-person support, others are entirely virtual or somewhere in-between, offering hybrid instruction. We decided to talk to four veteran Texas school counselors about what’s working for them right now.

Financial aid season is quickly approaching. We want to make sure you’re teed up to help your students afford college. This week, we’ll walk you through some new and existing information and resources.

2020 has been full of unique challenges for educators and students. Many of you are juggling shifting deadlines, new enrollment processes, and new systems for sending students to college this year. In our September 2020 webinar, we break down how to help students plan for college during COVID-19 and share resources to keep you on track. More resources like those in this webinar can be found in the Texas OnCourse Academy under College Costs, Admissions and Application Process, and Financial Aid Application Process.

We’ll be taking a break from our live videos next week, as I’ll be away on vacation, but we’ll be back September 10 at 4 p.m.. As always, leave requests in the comments if there’s anything you like us to research. And if you find the videos helpful, like and share to help us spread the word!

In 2018, 121,000 Texas students graduated without demonstrating college, career, or military readiness. That number will likely be even higher in 2020 due to the effects of COVID-19. Students have been unable to take the ACT, SAT, or TSIA, or they may not have finished college prep courses given the limited ability of these courses to deliver remote instruction. 

In our bonus webinar for August 2020, we covered Navigating Social Justice Issues in College and Career Advising. Recent civic action and racial injustices will undoubtedly impact your counseling, advising, and teaching practices as you move into the 2020–2021 school year. We know it’s important to serve as a resource and provide a network for you.

If you’re working with college-bound seniors this year, you’ll want to help them stay on track. With virtual schooling and COVID-19 causing so many uncertain variables, we’re here to help. 

Hello everyone, and thanks for tuning in to this week’s Facebook Live. Each Thursday at four p.m., we update you on the newest COVID-related education information for Texas.

As we enter an uncertain and uncharted year, we at Texas OnCourse will be sharing resources to help you hit the ground running. Look for time-critical posts from us now through Labor Day here, on the blog, as well as on our social media and in our weekly subscription email, the Playbook.

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.