SUPPORTING STUDENTS ON THEIR JOURNEY
Achieving Milestones in Grade 12 and Beyond The postsecondary planning process is daunting for most students. Not only are students making major decisions about their future, they also have to complete numerous postsecondary planning milestones on top of their coursework during senior year. This includes everything from applications to essays to the FAFSA to letters of recommendation to assessments. Prior to the RISE Data Hub, counselors lacked a way to track students’ postsecondary plans and the milestones necessary to pursue those plans. For example, students planning to enlist in the military need to meet with an enlistment office and take the ASVAB exam. Students planning to enter the workforce must prepare a resume and identify potential job opportunities. The Hub now provides counselors with data to provide personalized coaching for all of the students on their caseloads, and Grade 11 and 12 Data Teams use the data to monitor progress toward school goals. At Platt H.S. in Meriden, Principal Dan Corsetti and his team meet biweekly to review student data in the Hub. The team identifies next steps to ensure students in all pathways are completing their milestones to reach their postsecondary goals. This process begins with plan identification and includes several supporting milestones for each pathway. “As the Principal, I am always telling students and families that my job is to make sure they graduate with two things — a diploma and a solid plan for life after high school,” said Corsetti. “Grade 12 data meetings, with the assistance of the Data Hub, allow my team to remain focused on this goal. Our meetings provide a level of structure to enable actions that open doors of success for all of our students, regardless of their life goals.” An important milestone for many seniors is completing and submitting their applications for higher education. RISE works in partnership with schools on application campaigns, which encourage all students to apply to at least one college or program, providing them with guidance and clear and actionable steps to do so. Application campaigns aim to maximize the number of students who submit strong applications and access future opportunities. At the end of Grade 12, these campaigns culminate in Senior Signing Day events that celebrate students pursuing a diverse array of postsecondary pathways.
16 • 2023 ANNUAL REPORT
