graduation Archives

Houston ISD Chooses SchooLinks for College and Career Readiness

Houston, TX (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Houston Independent School District in Houston, TX announced their decision to switch to the modernized College and Career Readiness platform, SchooLinks, starting the 2023/24 school year.

Serving over 194,000 students across 276 schools, Houston Independent School District understands the necessity to invest in technology that will holistically support all students on their journey toward academic and career success. SchooLinks, the platform of choice is able to provide the support to HISD’s student population while also offering administrators real-time data to improve data-driven decision-making.

Houston ISD will be streamlining a number of initiatives using SchooLinks including college application management, academic planning, personalized graduation plans, CCMR and college and career exploration. This will enable Houston ISD to consolidate multiple redundant systems – reducing overall costs, driving student outcomes, and increasing staff efficiency.

“SchooLinks is an essential piece to HISD’s CCMR strategy. As the district reorgs, we want to ensure we provide uninterrupted support to students and parents on their college & career planning journey while streamline process flows,” said Adrian Acosta, Executive Director of CCMR.

“SchooLinks is excited to serve Houston ISD – one of Texas’ top school districts, to innovate college and career readiness for students! With 6 of the 10 largest school districts in Texas using SchooLinks, SchooLinks is becoming the go-to platform and network for communities to empower their students to achieve post-secondary success,” said SchooLinks CEO and Founder, Katie Fang.

SchooLinks is a web-based college and career platform that supports districts nationwide as they implement a comprehensive curriculum and framework to prepare students for the post-secondary pathway of their choice. School staff utilize the solutions within SchooLinks to effectively collaborate across departments, improve processes, and deliver lessons that support students’ post-secondary readiness. A full suite of reports provides real-time, actionable data for school and district leaders to measure student achievement and school staff impact. SchooLinks is dedicated to supporting district goals of expanding opportunities for all students to reach their potential and achieve their post-secondary goals.

Savannah-Chatham County Public School System Selects D2L Brightspace to Provide a More Unified Learning Experience

TORONTO /PRNewswire/ – D2L, a global learning technology company, announced today that Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, the 10^th largest school district in Georgia, has selected D2L Brightspace to support student learning and teacher professional development.

With a current enrollment of more than 36,000 students and 5,600 employees, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System is the largest employer in Chatham County. This school system is the winner of two National Blue Ribbon Schools and has outperformed the state graduation rate average eight years in a row.

Recognizing the need for a consolidated learning platform to support student learning and professional development, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System selected D2L Brightspace for its ability to help provide teachers with access to curriculum, content creation and upskilling – all in one place. D2L Brightspace will help provide Savannah-Chatham teachers with a space to access consistent teaching and learning materials and help enable them to reach and empower students throughout their educational journeys.…Read More

4 tips for creating an elementary esports program

Key points:

Esports programs are inclusive and can lead to positive student outcomes

A simple approach with accessible, easy-to-use tools, is critical

Scholastic esports is rapidly growing, and many schools are starting to incorporate esports programs into their curriculum. The benefits of esports make a compelling case for creating a program: Research shows that students who participate in scholastic esports experience social and emotional benefits, increased academic achievement, and higher graduation rates.

These positive learning outcomes make esports popular in secondary grades, with both students and educators advocating for the addition and growth of scholastic esports in their middle and high schools. But esports isn’t just for the older kids, and starting an esports program in early elementary school can be an effective way to lay the groundwork for esports participation as students make their way into higher grade levels.…Read More

TutorMe Partners With Snowline Joint Unified School District to Provide One-on-One Tutoring Support

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) — TutorMe, an online tutoring solution creating access and opportunity for all students, announces a partnership with Snowline Joint Unified School District (JUSD). This partnership provides high school students in the rural community with accessible tutoring support to meet graduation requirements.

The state of California provided the district with an A-G Completion Improvement Grant, which allows districts to purchase resources students need to improve their knowledge. The district used the funding to acquire TutorMe for students to increase their subject knowledge for the A-G requirements, which they must pass to apply to a four-year university.

Through the partnership with TutorMe, students can work one-on-one with high-quality tutors 24/7 when it works best for them, whether before school, after school, or even on weekends. TutorMe enables meaningful connections that students need to learn and thrive, creating better learning outcomes for the entire school community.…Read More

Major gender disparities harm students’ college and career readiness

Far fewer female high school graduates say they feel prepared to decide on a career path compared to male high school graduates, according to the second part of a national student survey, Post-Graduation Readiness Report Part II, with additional findings focused on disparities between male and female high school graduates.

While part I of the report from YouScience revealed that almost all high school graduates (75 percent) do not feel prepared to make college or career decisions after graduation, the newest findings reveal imbalances between male and female graduates in relation to college and career readiness. The national online survey polled more than 500 male and female high school graduates from the classes of 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

The survey highlights how the lack of career exposure can lead to feelings of uncertainty for all students when it comes to post-high school readiness, however males felt more confident to make a choice after graduation simply due to being more exposed to more career options: only 41% of female high school graduates stated that they felt prepared to make a career choice or declare a major upon graduation compared to 57% of males.…Read More

Most high school grads feel their skills aren’t up to par

Most high school graduates (75 percent) do not feel prepared to make college or career decisions after graduation, according to a survey from YouScience, a college and career readiness company.

The national online survey, Post-Graduation Readiness Report, polled more than 500 students from the 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 high school graduation classes.

There is a tremendous opportunity for high schools to impact students’ college and career readiness, and most of the respondents (62 percent) felt that it is one of schools’ responsibilities. Despite that, 41 percent felt unprepared to make a career choice or declare a college major upon graduation, and 30 percent were not following any planned educational or career path. For 57 percent of the graduates, family and friends had the greatest impact on their college and career decision-making.…Read More

6 tips to help start an elementary esports program in your school

Each year, we share our 10 most-read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year’s Top 10 focused on innovative ways to engage students, digital resources, and online and hybrid learning strategies related to post-pandemic teaching. This year’s 2nd most-read story focuses on creating an elementary esports program.

The benefits of esports are well documented. A significant body of research has found that students who participate in scholastic esports programs benefit from increased emotional regulation, academic achievement, and graduation rates.

These benefits only scratch the surface of the positive consequences for students participating in scholastic esports. Thus far, conversations around esports have centered on collegiate and secondary levels, however, a recent change in the winds has shifted the conversation to elementary esports. …Read More

4 ways districts can better advocate for students

Public education remains the nation’s great equalizer, giving every child the best chance for success in life. A chance that can turn into an assurance if school districts provide a solid foundation at every step in a student’s path toward graduation and beyond. Unfortunately, too many children right now are standing on shaky ground.

As the superintendent of Meriden Public Schools (MPS) in Meriden, Conn., I can tell you not one of our 8,500 children emerged from the pandemic completely unscathed. The academic and emotional fallout took its toll on everyone. However, it’s been especially hard on students who need extra support, including English learners, students in special education programs, and those who have been disenfranchised from or disengaged with education in general.

Over the years, MPS has developed strategies to help our administrators, teachers, and staff become stronger advocates for their students and to more effectively engage community partners and families. Our goal is to ensure education works for every child, regardless of their circumstances.…Read More

6 tips to begin an elementary esports program in your school

My question: Why haven’t we started this conversation sooner?…Read More

National Study Finds High Schoolers Keenly Aware of Current In-Demand Jobs, Impacting Education Choices After Graduation

MINNEAPOLIS (May 20, 2022)—Today’s high schoolers are keenly aware of the impact the pandemic had on the job market and are evaluating their options as they forge their path to a career, according to the latest Question The Quo Education Pulse survey. The most recent national study of 14-18-year-olds in the United States, fielded in January, found three-quarters have heard about worker shortages, and more than one-third are more likely to pursue an education or career in an in-demand field.

“The most stunning finding for me has been how insightful, intuitive and engaged this demographic is when it comes to understanding the career landscape, the impact of student debt and the options available to them in the current environment,” said Jeremy Wheaton, president and CEO of ECMC Group. “Today’s students have experienced the pandemic’s impact, and they want to forge their own path—a path that is shorter in duration, more affordable and connects directly to a career—especially a career in a field that needs workers.”

According to this survey, two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, half of high schoolers are no longer considering four-year college and less than half believe a four-year degree will make them successful. More than half are open to a path other than four-year college, and because of the pandemic, one-third say they’re more comfortable with following a shorter pathway. Despite that, 85% feel pressure to pursue a four-year degree.…Read More