An online college-planning resource, rolling out in all 53 public high schools when students return from winter break, is seen as critical in a district that has laid off dozens of counselors and other key positions during a budget crisis stretching into its third year.

A $650,000 grant from the Philadelphia School Partnership, which invests private donations into school improvement projects screened by a committee, provides the bulk of the funding, with the William Penn Foundation contributing more than $100,000 in support.

The School District of Philadelphia has turned to Naviance, an online resource that has helped students across the country chart the path best suited for their short- and long-term goals.

The online college-planning resource would run midway through 2017, according to school district officials who are talking with their supporters about expanding the offering to middle schools, private schools and charter schools.

Miles Wilson, the school partnership group’s director of talent and collaboration, described Naviance as the go-to resource for college-bound students across the country.

“It doesn’t just help students apply to college,” Wilson stated. “It helps them identify schools and other post-secondary options that are the best fit.

“In Philadelphia, where students already are limited by too little access to guidance counselors, this has the potential to be a major asset in the campaign to increase college and career readiness.”

Shanee Garner of the Public Citizens for Children and Youth, an advocacy group for quality education, cautioned against trusting the online college planning resource to replace counselors in a city where students of color, many of whom come from low-income households, lack the same level of support as their peers in other school districts.

“I don’t think any program replaces the guidance and connection of real high school counselors,” said Garner, who expressed support for reinstating a fair formula for funding public schools in Pennsylvania. “We must keep the focus on what other kids take for granted. The end goal should be kids going to school using what we know works, and that’s high school counselors.”

The school partnership group will provide funding for the initial three years of the contract with Hobsons, which developed Naviance and is responsible for implementing its platform in middle schools. The school district is scheduled to take over payments for the final two years of the contract.

A key feature of the web-based platform is the Family Connection Portal, which provides access to school counselors who assist students in goal-setting.

“Students can then work with staff to develop an academic plan, while counselors, teachers and parents can effectively monitor and coach the student to reach those stated goals,” said Chanice Savage, a school district spokeswoman.

A previous award from the William Penn Foundation will supplement the cost of implementing the online resource throughout the district, officials said.

The Philadelphia Tribune – December 26, 2014 – Read article online