Course planning and selection are central to school operations. The allocation of students to courses determines staffing needs for the following year. These decisions form the building blocks for each school’s master schedule. And whether students complete the appropriate courses is a determining factor in on-time graduation rates, access to industry certifications, and overall readiness for postsecondary next steps across a district.
Course planning and selection are also a fundamental component of an individual student’s success. Beyond completing requisite graduation requirements, the courses a student takes over four years directly impact their readiness for a career or college after high school. The sequence and types of classes provide clear differentiators in terms of the rigor and diversity of coursework when applying to colleges and for scholarships. And the courses and program pathways create the unique landscape of opportunities and experiences for learning and growth students can access during these critical four years.
Most students and families do not realize the significance that course planning and selection play in making their postsecondary and broader life goals a reality. From their vantage point, this process is usually relegated to a couple weeks during second semester and is rarely done in a way that embeds course planning along broader college and career readiness goals. And most families are unaware of the options that even exist for course selection, let alone the consequences different decisions can have on short- and long-term outcomes and success for their students. To fill this gap and expand the value of course planning and selection, it is critical for there to be additional information-sharing, communications, and opportunities for students and parents to ask questions prior to course selection deadlines. District administrators can play a powerful role in doing so.
The District’s Role in This Year’s Course Planning
Many schools and districts will undertake their course planning and selection for next school year in the coming weeks. Processes, information, and outreach for course planning and selection often come from the school level and are focused mostly on logistical components including timelines, deadlines, and how to complete forms.
This year–and going forward–district communications and academics teams should take a lead on putting course selection on families’ and students’ radars and help them understand how to learn about the breadth and depth of options at schools both next year and beyond. By partnering this information and support with the efforts at the school level, district administrators can help students and families understand the central role course selection should play in a student’s trajectory and ensure that all students within a district are empowered with information as they make decisions.
Here are 5 tips district administrators can use to make course planning and selection effective and meaningful for all students within a district:
- Use district resources and communication channels to promote an equitable approach. So much of course selection and planning is dependent upon the individual school’s–or even individual counselors within a school–approaches. This creates great variation between schools and even within schools. For instance, one counselor may be more encouraging to students taking more rigorous course loads. Another counselor may have a greater awareness of the work-based learning opportunities within a school or district and share that with students as they make plans about courses. And with counselor and educator shortages nationwide, there can be greater turnover and staff openings to even support opportunities for students to meet one-on-one with a counselor to talk through different options. These small variations can have major impacts on a student’s class rank, GPA, rigor of course load, networking opportunities, ability to do internships, and so many others. If the district communicates to all students and families about the importance of course planning and selection, shares robust information about the many different available options and what they mean, helps families to answer questions they do not even know to ask, and creates easy ways for families and students to research options, they can mitigate many of the disparities in student experiences.
- Hold district-wide webinars or in-person support sessions that allow families and students to ask questions. With large caseloads and limited time, most counselors and school-based support staff are already overwhelmed with the course planning and selection processes. The district can be a greater partner and expand the capacity of school staff by providing district-based information sessions and help for students and families, especially about the issues that are relevant for all students and families. This includes graduation requirements, admissions requirements for different tiers of colleges and universities, how different types of courses (Honors, AP, IB, or AICE) affect GPA and class rank, prerequisites for higher level courses, as well as district-specific programs and opportunities for students. It can be very helpful to record these sessions and make them available on district and school websites as well as a district's Learning Management System (LMS). By doing this, counselors can focus more of their time and energy on specific student needs within their school community.
- Be inclusive of the wide breadth of postsecondary pathways in this communication and support. So much information about CCR planning assumes as a default that students hope to go onto a four-year college. However, going directly to the workforce or a trade school program can be a great option for many students. In communications and information sessions about course selection and planning, districts can help to create a dialogue that values both college- and career-going pathways and supports student exploration and learning for all sets of goals. In district communications and support sessions about course planning, share career pathway opportunities, how to access WBL and internships as part of a four-year course plan, and any industry certifications students might be able to earn as part of their course selection.
- Use a CCR platform to empower students and families and catalyze these efforts at scale. A college and career readiness platform can be an invaluable resource to help students and families have a deeper understanding of how different decisions about courses align with their broader goals and impact higher level courses, graduation requirements, admissions requirements for different schools, and development along a career pathway–without the need for school or district staff to moderate the information. A sophisticated CCR platform allows students to work through different course plans and visually see the way choices shift available possibilities down the line. This functionality both allows students to understand course selection in a tangible and dynamic way and provides a more goal-centric approach to course planning.
- Build enthusiasm and engagement in the course planning and selection process. Course planning really sets the foundation for a student’s secondary learning journey. Each year builds on the next and either opens up additional opportunities or closes doors for what is possible. By using the district platform to connect with students and families and educate and engage them on the vast opportunities that exist for students as part of their planning, educational leaders can help students find purpose in their courses. They can invite families into the conversation with their students as they make decisions about their futures. And they can convey to students that they have a voice and agency in taking the steps to realize their goals and dreams. SchooLinks has developed a Course Planning Toolkit to support districts and schools in these crucial efforts.
Every district can create a culture that celebrates the opportunity to make informed decisions on next year’s courses as the next step of accomplishment for postsecondary success. Districts that develop and refine course selection processes to both engineer successful outcomes while also building in room for personalized choice will have successful graduates, families that are engaged in their student’s learning journey, and a community benefiting from young people prepared to lead self-sufficient and fulfilling lives.