The Texas OnCourse Educator Blog

Taking a holistic look at our Texas school districts to determine how we can influence college, career, and military readiness (CCMR) is more important this school year than ever. During this professional development webinar, we show how districts around Texas are improving CCMR using Texas OnCourse. In this webinar, you’ll:

The process of selecting a best-fit career assessment can be overwhelming for an educator. There are so many to choose from! Read on to find out how to choose the best assessment for your students. For more info on career assessments, be sure to visit the Texas OnCourse Academy.

A career paths quiz, or career assessment, is a tool designed to help individuals understand how personal attributes impact their potential success and satisfaction with different career options and work environments. Assessments are used to help individuals make more informed career decisions. They are often used by individuals and organizations such as universities, career counselors, outplacement companies, corporate human resources, executive coaches, and vocational rehabilitation counselors.

In Texas, career clusters are organized into related groups to allow students to select complementary endorsements through the Foundation High School Program. Once students determine the cluster that supports their career goals and pathway, the endorsement they will earn becomes clearer. Students can determine the career cluster for them by first exploring clusters and then taking a career cluster quiz or completing an assessment or activity.

In today's economy, students have to show strong skills to enter the workforce. This is especially true in the United States, where industries are growing faster but creating far fewer jobs. Students need to be ready for the increasingly competitive job market. 

Today's high school graduates face a much different economy than graduates in the past did. For example, students now face increased job competition, different skill requirements, and retirement uncertainty.

As part of the Foundation Graduation Plan, Texas middle schoolers are required to declare an endorsement that will influence their path of study in high school. Because this can be a confusing topic for students and families, we’re here with up-to-date information on everything you need to know about the five endorsements in Texas.

Programs of study provide high school students with the opportunity to study their career field of interest in depth so that they are better prepared for postsecondary education and the workforce. A program of study is a comprehensive, structured approach for delivering academic and career and technical education (CTE).

Admissions tests have long been an essential part of the college application process. The admissions test process includes test prep, taking the actual test (sometimes multiple times), interpreting scores, and finally, submitting it to the institution of interest. In the era of COVID-19, testing cancelations and barriers to entry called for change. Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, thousands of colleges and universities nationwide have become “test-optional,” affirming that they will not penalize students for the absence of a standardized test score. Some of those schools are in Texas. Some will remain test-optional even once the pandemic passes.

Searching and applying for scholarships can take a lot of time for educators and students alike. And we get why – students are often both excited and overwhelmed by going to college and taking on the cost that comes with it. As an educator, it’s your job to help students navigate their remaining time in high school, finalize their postsecondary plans, and help minimize student debt. This blog will walk you through the basics of scholarships so you can be prepared to support your students through this exciting time.

Like students, scholarships come in all shapes and sizes, and there are more scholarships now than ever before! We'll go over all the things that educators need to know about scholarships, including links to additional articles, webinars, videos, and other resources. And don’t forget to refer to the ultimate source for all postsecondary planning information for professionals: the Texas OnCourse Academy.