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Tag: College and Career Readiness

  • ACT and Texas Instruments Collaborate to Enhance Student Success in Mathematics

    Iowa City, Iowa and Dallas, Texas (November 12, 2025) – ACT, a leader in college and career readiness assessment, and Texas Instruments Education Technology (TI), a division of the global semiconductor company, today announced a comprehensive partnership aimed at empowering students to achieve their best performance on the ACT mathematics test.

    This initiative brings together two education leaders to provide innovative resources and tools that maximize student potential. The partnership will start by providing:

    • A new dedicated online resource center featuring co-branded instructional videos demonstrating optimal use of TI calculators during the ACT mathematics test.
    • Additional study materials featuring TI calculators to help students build upon and apply their mathematical knowledge while maximizing their time on the ACT test.
    • Professional development programs for teachers focused on effective calculator-based testing strategies.

    “This partnership represents our commitment to providing students with the tools and resources they need to demonstrate their mathematical knowledge effectively,” said Andrew Taylor, Senior Vice President of Educational Solutions and International, ACT, “By working with Texas Instruments, we’re ensuring students have access to familiar, powerful technology tools during this important assessment.”

    “Texas Instruments is proud to partner with ACT to support student success,” said Laura Chambers, President at Texas Instruments Education Technology. “Our calculator technology, combined with targeted instructional resources, will help students showcase their true mathematical abilities during the ACT test.” 

    The new resources are available now to students and educators on the ACT website www.act.org under ACT Math Calculator Tips.

    About ACT

    ACT is transforming college and career readiness pathways so that everyone can discover and fulfill their potential. Grounded in more than 65 years of research, ACT’s learning resources, assessments, research, and work-ready credentials are trusted by students, job seekers, educators, schools, government agencies, and employers in the U.S. and around the world to help people achieve their education and career goals at every stage of life. Visit us at https://www.act.org/.  

    About Texas Instruments

    Texas Instruments Education Technology (TI) — the gold standard for excellence in math — provides exam-approved graphing calculators and interactive STEM technology. TI calculators and accessories drive student understanding and engagement without adding to online distractions. We are committed to empowering teachers, inspiring students and supporting real learning in classrooms everywhere. For more information, visit education.ti.com.

    Texas Instruments Incorporated (Nasdaq: TXN) is a global semiconductor company that designs, manufactures and sells analog and embedded processing chips for markets such as industrial, automotive, personal electronics, enterprise systems and communications equipment. At our core, we have a passion to create a better world by making electronics more affordable through semiconductors. This passion is alive today as each generation of innovation builds upon the last to make our technology more reliable, more affordable and lower power, making it possible for semiconductors to go into electronics everywhere. Learn more at TI.com.

    eSchool News Staff
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    ESchool News Staff

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  • Students need clarity on their postsecondary pathways

    Students need clarity on their postsecondary pathways

    Key points:

    Much emphasis is placed on college and career readiness, but too often, K-12 students aren’t exposed to career possibilities or career resources to form an idea of what their future may look like.

    Students have the aptitudes (or natural talents) for the nation’s most in-demand career fields–including healthcare, manufacturing, technology, and finance–but they are not inclined to pursue those occupations due to a profound lack of exposure, according to The 2024 State of the Future U.S. Workforce Report from tech provider YouScience, which aims to solve the skills gap crisis for students and employers.

    Exposure gaps are particularly prevalent in STEM education and are more pronounced for underrepresented groups like girls and minorities.

    Women play a crucial role in filling high-paying, in-demand STEM careers, but they account for just 34 percent of the STEM workforce, according to 2024 Female Students and STEM Report.

    Beginning in middle school, female students experience significant STEM exposure gaps that continue through high school. The report highlights critical insights into career exposure gaps among female students across the nation for a variety of in-demand jobs, and offers actionable solutions to bridge these gaps in the STEM field careers.

    “Too many young people are leaving high school without clarity on where they’re going next or how to get there. In fact, less than half of respondents who identified as members of Generation Z said they had enough information to decide what post-high school pathway was best for them,” said Judy Goldstein, SVP, PR/Communications, American Student Assistance (ASA).

    A survey commissioned by ASA and Jobs for the Future (JFF) found that both parents and educators lack sufficient information about the range and quality of education to career pathways available to young people today. The survey and accompanying white paper, Beyond Degrees, found nearly 90 percent of parents are interested in learning more about non-degree pathways for their children, and two in five want schools to start advising students about their postsecondary options as early as middle school.

    “With more than a million credentials available through various programs and organizations, today’s youth face a vast array of degree and non-degree options–including certificate programs, apprenticeships, short-term credentials, and professional licenses–but little information on which non-degree paths lead to meaningful, quality jobs and careers. Recognizing this information gap, we’ll see a greater trend toward providing increased equitable access to the information, including free digital resources, that young people need to help them find the path after high school that’s right for them,” Goldstein added.

    As the workforce evolves, students and teachers should know how classroom learning connects to future careers. In fact, making learning relevant to careers and the real world is among the stop strategies educators employ to increase student engagement and interest in lessons.

    “Career-connected learning will become more important than ever. The workforce has undergone significant changes, and today’s jobs require advanced skills and specialized training, particularly in STEM fields. However, many high school classrooms still use outdated college and career preparation models, which can leave high school graduates feeling unprepared for their future,” said Edson Barton, CEO of YouScience. “This highlights the increasing need for high schools to incorporate career-connected learning. In the upcoming school year, we can expect more educators and counselors to focus on aligning their students’ educational experiences with the demands of the job market so that they are better prepared to pursue college and/or career pathways that will empower them to succeed.”

    One way to help students learn what their futures may look like? Career planning.

    “High school students said learning skills they need to be successful in the real world is a top criterion in choosing a path after they graduate. But there’s a disconnect between what students know they want to learn and what they do learn,” writes Joanna McCumber, a digital integration specialist for Anderson School District 5 in South Carolina.

    McCumber uses several career planning tools to help students find what they love to do and identify career paths in those areas:

    1. Discovery Education’s Career Connect helps students connect with working industry professionals to learn about career journeys and what it’s like to work in the field. Teachers can virtually connect students with industry professionals to talk about their careers, the concepts they use to solve problems, and the path they have taken to get to where they are today.

    2. A Day in the Life is a free digital archive of first-hand accounts of what it’s like to work in a specific field or role. Students will be able to find jobs that reflect their interests and get excited about their future. From social media manager, to oncology charge nurse, to video game lead animator, there are countless different career paths to explore.

    3. Forage offers free job simulations that expose students to a wide array of careers and skills. Through partnerships with top companies, students get a unique look into what being an industry professional would be like. Industries range from marketing to software engineering, with popular companies such as J.P. Morgan and Lululemon offering job simulations. This is a great tool for students looking to develop industry-related skills and explore real-life projects.

    Laura Ascione
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    Laura Ascione

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  • 3 ways to support special education students with college and career readiness

    3 ways to support special education students with college and career readiness

    Key points:

    There are more than 140,000 special education (SPED) students in the state of Washington. Often, these students don’t have access to the same level of resources that are available to general education students. While we have made great strides in how we support students receiving special education services, there are still equity gaps that exist in areas like college and career planning. 

    Special education students can be perceived as being unable to succeed in general and advanced level high school classes, engage in challenging job training, or succeed in postsecondary education. Often, these low expectations are fostered by previous educational experiences that teachers, school counselors, and parents had during their own K-12 education. Special education students should have their ambitions, interests, and talents acknowledged and encouraged, while also taking into consideration the learning supports needed for them to succeed. 

    Regardless of ability, all students are entitled to access the resources that help them develop a successful and fulfilling post-secondary plan. 

    Here are three ways to help special education students engage in the college and career planning process: 

    Identify goals

    Establishing goals is a critical first step for all students in the post-secondary planning process, as this provides a clear vision of what they want to achieve, and begins to create a road map of how to get there. 

    School staff and families should work together to help special education students set goals that reflect and embrace the realities of their academic challenges without lowering expectations that could limit their options. These goals should be achievable, ambitious, and most importantly, personalized to include the student’s capabilities, strengths, and aspirations, while pushing them to maximize achievement based on their strengths.

    Coursework can offer valuable insights, as well as reviewing what goals students have established for themselves in high school, to help in developing a clear and complete inventory of their skills. This will enable the career and college readiness team to have a solid understanding of what tools and support these students need to succeed.  

    It’s important to keep conversations surrounding goal setting positive and focused on strengths, especially for students, staff, and families, who may struggle to see the possibilities for their future. 

    Provide personalized experiences and instruction 

    As with all students, the skills for college and career readiness can be developed in a variety of environments, with the support of both school staff and the larger community.

    Creative opportunities for skill building and workforce training can be found within many schools. For instance, in our school district, we have special education students that work as teacher’s assistants delivering mail to offices and classrooms. Additionally, both hard and soft skills are  learned and cultivated outside the classroom in experiential settings, such as: community service projects, extracurricular activities, job shadowing, career mentorship, informational interviews, internships, practicums, and afterschool programs. 

    Evaluate what skills and talents your special education students have, and create multiple opportunities both in and out of the classroom, to help students build upon them and prepare them for post-secondary life. 

    Group involvement 

    Special education students are often working with many different professionals within the school system, so it’s important that everyone involved has a shared understanding of their interests, strengths, and future goals to help them succeed.

    Successful collaboration can help facilitate positive and realistic conversations among the entire team, ensuring all stakeholders are working toward supporting the student in reaching their post-secondary goals. College and career readiness software is a valuable tool that keeps everyone on the same page, allowing multiple individuals to easily track and monitor student progress. For Special Education students, the transition from high school to college or career can be a major step, so parent or guardian involvement is especially critical as they continue to offer support and guidance after graduation. 

    Everyone who is a part of the student’s team–administrators, teachers, counselors, paraeducators, and parents–needs to embrace a culture and belief system that Special Education students are capable of high-level work, can succeed in postsecondary education, and can embark upon meaningful careers. Special education students deserve the same opportunities as their general education peers, including the individualized support that their path may require along the way. 

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    Chad Quesnell, Career and College Readiness Specialist, Eisenhower High School

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  • New Software Platform GoEnnounce Has Expanded Into 20 States, Educating Middle and High School Students in the Proper Use of Social Media

    New Software Platform GoEnnounce Has Expanded Into 20 States, Educating Middle and High School Students in the Proper Use of Social Media

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Mar 14, 2017


    Naples, FL, March 14, 2017 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​GoEnnounce, the new social platform where students build e-portfolios highlighting achievements, has expanded into 20 states nationwide. Since it’s launch to schools in July 2016, GoEnnounce’s popularity is spreading quickly, in part, because of its social media training curriculum used by educators to implement the course.

    As social media use continues to rise amongst teens and pre-teens, kids post things on the internet and may not realize that it can stay there permanently, sometimes having a very negative effect. BBC reports how 78% of children under 13 are already using at least 1 social media channel despite being under the legal age. 1 The earlier kids are trained in appropriate, responsible behavior regarding technology use, the better.

    “I saw immediate potential for GoEnnounce to fulfill a need that is not being met in the market currently. It’s a wonderful tool for educating kids in the safe use of social media while showcasing their accomplishments to potential colleges and employers.” – Arthur Allen, CEO, ALA Services Technology Companies.

    Arthur Allen, CEO, ALA Services Technology Companies

    GoEnnounce empowers students with a safe, social media solution that allows them to also build their personal brand. Kevin Honeycutt, an International Keynote Speaker and Technology Integration Specialist describes how, “Now every kid must learn to be a brand unto themselves. GoEnnounce builds the life skills for students to market themselves, while competing with the rest of the world.”

    In 2015, 40% of college admission officers visited applicants’ social media pages to learn more about them. 16% of admissions officers found something that negatively impacted an applicant’s chances of getting in. 2 When trying to get a job, social profiles are even more important.  92% of employers admit to using social media for recruiting, 3 out of 4 hiring managers check social profiles even when not provided by a candidate and say that 1 in 3 candidates are rejected because of something found on a social profile. 3

    As students share achievements in their own voice, GoEnnounce imparts important digital literacy lessons on how powerful digital communication across social media channels can be. The platform also fulfills districts’ accountability needs to record graduation requirements, as a student-centric e-portfolio that allows students to track their unique participation in activities such as community service, clubs & athletics. 

    Michael King, Principal of Dodge City Middle School in Kansas and NASSP 2012 National Digital Principal of the Year describes how he chose GoEnnounce to fulfill Kansas’ state mandate for portfolios.  “We recently incorporated GoEnnounce into our individual plan of study as an e-portfolio in student led conferencing. Student reflection is more powerful than data collection.  Administrators must look at students as individuals, not fixed data points. GoEnnounce is a student-centered approach.  GoEnnounce as an e-portfolio will support our students in preparing for a better and brighter future while experiencing ways to promote individual aspirations and practicing appropriate digital citizenship.”  

    A Digital Arts Teacher in Tennessee, Tim Wood, brought in GoEnnounce to Columbia Central High School after learning about it at a Career-Technical seminar in the summer of 2016.  “The portfolios fulfill a state curriculum requirement and give the students a fun way to showcase themselves and their accomplishments,” Wood said.  He describes the web portfolios as having an interface and profile like Facebook or LinkedIn, but operating much differently and being very safe and secure.

    Craig Badura, a K-12 Integration Specialist at Aurora School District in Nebraska, praises the curriculum for making Digital Citizenship lessons interactive & applicable. “The teachers are now trying to modify the schedule to give us more time,” Badura says. “The lessons are that engaging.”

    GoEnnounce began to fulfill a need for schools to offer this type of software service to students. Software Industry veteran Arthur Allen, CEO of ALA Services Technology Companies made a significant investment in GoEnnounce in July of 2016. This has fueled the company’s growth by increasing the sales and marketing reach nationally and recently internationally. “I saw immediate potential for GoEnnounce to fulfill a need that is not being met in the market currently. It’s a wonderful tool for educating kids in the safe use of social media, while showcasing their accomplishments to potential colleges and employers.” – Arthur Allen, CEO, ALA Services Technology Companies.

    About GoEnnounce: GoEnnounce is a student-centric, social media based, e-portfolio for middle & high school students. The portfolio solution fulfills districts’ accountability needs to track graduation requirements, while empowering students to build their personal brand as they track & share unique participation in activities such as community service, clubs & athletics. GoEnnounce is implemented in middle schools & high schools via a digital citizenship curriculum where students practice lessons on safe and positive internet use. The courses offered cover everything from digital literacy to digital copyright to commerce and cyberbullying. GoEnnounce addresses social media issues in schools by changing the conversation to encourage positive social media behavior.  

    To learn more visit: www.goennounce.com

    Media Contact:
    Meghan Davis​
    ​Phone:239.228.4559
    Email: Meghan@goennounce.com​
     

    Source: GoEnnounce

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