The Texas OnCourse Educator Blog

Introducing students to pathways they can pursue after high school is no easy task, and we applaud your hard work! We’re here to make college planning even smoother for your high school students. Texas OnCourse has partnered with the Texas Education Agency and College Forward to bring you the College and Career Support guide from Texas College Bridge. This resource comes with five helpful, student-facing modules where students can learn about their interests and passions, different postsecondary paths, how to apply for college, financial aid, and so much more!  

Watch the webinar recording below and download the slides or continue reading for resources and highlights.   

Happy Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, everyone! We are excited to celebrate and spotlight the numerous CTE programs and resources available to you. In this month’s webinar, we dug into online tools available for your students to peek into what their future could look like.  

From the time students are young, we ask them what they want to be when they grow up. Preparing students for a successful postsecondary career is the focus of much of K-12 education. In this article, we’ll cover:

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.

Career fairs in middle and high school used to conjure images of gyms bustling with booths and guest speakers, swag a-plenty. In post-COVID days, educators have pivoted to hosting virtual career fairs. We talked to two Texas educators who hosted virtual career fairs with great success. Whether you’re doing yours live through Zoom, putting videos together on Flipgrid, or making a Google Site for your students, here are some tips!

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).