Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public Schools Sept/Oct 2017 | Page 7

Back to School: Naviance helps students jumpstart college and career readiness Thanks to Naviance, a college and career readiness software, students as young as 11 years old will soon be able to get a head start on planning for their future. Naviance, which will be provided at no cost to UCPS families, will ultimately help students identify their strengths, explore career interests and create education plans for high school and beyond. Thanks to Naviance, a college and career readiness software, students as young as 11 years old will soon be able to get a head start on planning for their future. The software – which will be provided at no cost to UCPS families – will ultimately help students identify their strengths, explore career interests and create education plans for high school and beyond. “It’s important to provide students with access to be able to explore college and career options early on, beginning in middle school and moving forward to help chart their pathway,” said Robert Filter, UCPS Director of Career Readiness. For students, Naviance will help them plan for and achieve their post-secondary goals through career exploration and academic planning. Parents will also be able to log into their students’ accounts to participate in the academic and post- secondary planning process. Teachers and principals will be able to use the data-tracking tools to learn more about their students’ college acceptance rates, career interests and more – all of which is important to helping them find ways to match the school’s long-term goals with actionable plans. And for school counselors, Naviance allows them to assist students with planning high school courses and post-secondary options that best fit their individual strengths, personalities and plans for the future. “I’m excited about the fact that this will provide students with specific tools to help them be more strategic about their high school career,” said UCPS Director of College Readiness and Innovation Jessica Garner. “And it will help them consider what path they want to take to prepare them for what they want to do for the rest of their lives.” Naviance will be implemented in middle and high schools this fall. —This article was provided by the Union County Public Schools Communications Office. In middle school, students will have access to: • Career Key, an online career assessment that allows students to view careers related to their interests • Learning Style Inventory, an assessment that will help boost their academic potential by having students recognize their learning style, discover better learning strategies and gain career development skills • Career Cluster Finder, a questionnaire that helps students discover career clusters that are most interesting to them In high school, students will have access to: • Strengths Explorer, a strengths assessment that identifies each students’ three strongest emerging talents and helps them identify what they need to do to continue building on their strengths • Career Interest Profiler, a career interest assessment that matches students’ interests with activities and/or occupations MARTIAL ARTS FOR ALL AGES! DISCIPLINE CONFIDENCE SELF-DEFENSE FITNESS A Blackbelt Leadership Academy for the ENTIRE family! Ages 3-65, we have the right program for you! Call for a 30-day free trial mention this add and get a free uniform. www.uplevelmartialarts.com ‌•‌‌(704)‌843-9289‌‌• 1526 Providence Rd S. #120 •‌Waxhaw, NC 28173 Parent Teacher Magazine • Sept/Oct 2017 • 5