The Texas OnCourse Educator Blog

It’s the first week back at school for many Texas educators and students. Who knew summer could fly by so fast? Now that you’re getting back in the swing of things, we want to make sure you have all the tools you need to help your middle schoolers succeed. College and career readiness starts early, and it’s never too soon for your students to start dreaming of a fruitful life after high school. 

As a middle school educator, are you looking for ways to enhance career exploration at your school? Helping middle school students investigate career options can be quite the task. First, be sure to take a look at our Middle School Resources for in-class activities. Second, consider hosting a middle school career fair! In addition to giving students a better understanding of various careers, a middle school career fair can show how specific careers fit with each of the five endorsements offered in high school. Third, be sure to check out our comprehensive blog on the Basics of Career Exploration for Students.

Eighth-grade students in schools across Texas are getting ready to choose their endorsements and the personal graduation plans they intend to pursue in high school. It’s an exciting time, even though these choices can feel daunting. Fortunately, Texas OnCourse has a number of resources for middle school students, like MapMyGrad and the Grad Planner, to make the experience meaningful and engaging.

What are the differences between Career Clusters and Endorsements, and how do they hang together?

Texas OnCourse has published a new data note highlighting the differences in how various demographic groups select their high school endorsements.