BY JOANNA MONOBE
The Westside Express
Academic counselors at Los Banos High School visited underclassmen in their English classes. They gave them a presentation on the College Roadmap program, and the counselors gave the students a current outline of their progress in high school and their chances of being admitted to college.
On Nov. 11, counselors gave students in 10th and 11th grade the chance to see their progress toward graduation requirements and the A through G (college entrance) requirements in a color-coded report that made it easy for them to follow.
The presentation gave students a realistic picture of where they stand academically, and how prepared they are for post-secondary education plans. Even though there are students who don’t plan to attend a four-year university or enroll in a community college, this quick 20-minute presentation outlines their available options based on the classes they’ve taken in high school.
Los Banos High School academic counselor Katey Leeper shared that the College Roadmap program is new to the school. “This is the second year that College Roadmaps have been created for distribution to 10th and 11th grade students,” she said.
Leeper also noted the benefits of this program. “There are also suggestions and tips on how to improve their roadmap lane,” Leeper said. “Some students can improve by taking more rigorous courses the next school year. Students can also see their attendance for the past two years, which helps them connect the importance of attendance to school success, as well as college and career readiness.”
Many contributors to the College Roadmap program assisted in gathering the students’ information. Among them, the Tulare County Office of Education partnered with a group called CORE Districts, a non-profit organization formed by other California school districts, which streamlined the data formulas with specific data from the school to provide students with accurate information for their College Roadmaps.
Although it is a fairly new practice, the College Roadmap program has been a useful tool for students to assess their available options and prepare them for their educational future.
