# data[].attributes.body
Professional Perspective:
For this project, I will take the role of the director of College Career and Military Readiness (CCMR) with San Antonio ISD.
Audience:
This guide was put together for someone who is new to college and career readiness work. This guide aims to be a one-stop shop for new professionals wanting to learn the laws, best practices, and more. It also exists to help them understand why this work is important, especially for students in marginalized groups. A guide like this would have been helpful for me to read when I first started, so I hope this is as helpful as possible!
Topic:
I chose this topic as it is hits very close to home. College and career readiness programs have a special place in my heart because I know the difference they make in the lives of the students they serve.

# data[].attributes.body
Texas Association for College Admission Counseling. (n.d.). About. TACAC. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.tacac.org/

The professional association I have chosen is TACAC (Texas Association for College Admission Counseling). TACAC "promotes access to post-secondary education, supports the role of college counseling professionals in their schools, and supports ethical practices concerning student rights and the college admission process" (Texas Association for College Admission Counseling, n.d.). One reason TACAC is an amazing resource for CCMR professionals is that their conferences bring together secondary and higher education professionals together so they can network and learn from each other. I attended a TACAC ACCI (Admissions and College Counseling Institute) summer conference in 2019 and have fond memories of a roundtable exercise where admissions counselors sat with high school counselors and reviewed student profiles to determine whether or not they would be admitted to a university or not. We were not only looking at hard data like transcripts and GPAs, we were also looking at personal essays and recommendation letters. I was able to gain insight from the counselors and understand the role ethics plays in admission decisions.

You can read more about TACAC's programs, events, resources, and more here: https://www.tacac.org/

# data[].attributes.body
Inside Higher Ed. (2022, January 24). Will test optional become the new normal in admissions? Retrieved March 2, 2022, from https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2022/01/24/will-test-optional-become-new-normal-admissions

Many colleges and universities are moving towards test optional admissions. “Applicants will be considered on the basis of what they have presented, and students are encouraged to send whatever materials they believe would convey their accomplishments in secondary school and their promise for the future” (Inside Higher Ed, 2022). This puts less pressure on the student by allowing them to decide whether they want to send their scores or not.

However, there is some push back claiming that test scores actually tell admissions counselors more than grades could. Jane Godwin, CEO of ACT claims that "ACT has found a correlation between grades and ACT scores for 75 percent of students, but not for the remaining 25 percent of students. Some of the 25 percent do better in college and some worse, based on their ACT scores" (Inside Higher Ed, 2022).

Many professionals think test-optional admissions are “here to stay” as states and universities alike have made test-optional policies permanent.

You can read more about this topic here: https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2022/01/24/will-test-optional-become-new-normal-admissions

# data[].attributes.headline
#5 Current News Article- College Readiness & COVID-19

# data[].attributes.subject
#5 Current News Article- College Readiness & COVID-19

# data[].attributes.body
Quattrocchi, A. (2021, November 9). Impacts of the pandemic on college readiness. EducationNC. Retrieved March 2, 2022, from https://www.ednc.org/2021-11-9-higher-ed-leaders-discuss-college-readiness-in-the-wake-of-covid-19/

With the pandemic unexpectedly springing itself on high school students, they had to adjust to online learning quickly while also making important decisions that will affect their future. “These students didn’t have the opportunity to visit campuses and have the opportunity to have those conversations with admissions officers. And so they were, you know, lacking confidence about their decision and their next steps" (Quattrocchi, 2021).

Students were also not taking advantage of financial aid and institutional aid/scholarships. This lead to a decrease in enrollment because students did not have the funds to pay for school.

FAFSA numbers also decreased in 2020. "During COVID-19, Delaware saw its FAFSA completion rate decrease from 52% to 47%" (Quattrocchi, 2021).

“We found that because of the learning loss, many of our freshmen students were not ready for the math courses that they would face" (Quattrocchi, 2021).

# data[].attributes.body
Tex. Const. art. 7, § 19a.

The Texas Tomorrow Fund (now known as the Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan) allows families to create a college tuition and fees savings fund for their child(ren).

Programs such as the Texas Tomorrow Fund are especially beneficial to low-income and minority students whose families cannot spend thousands of dollars to put their child(ren) through school.

This program allows them to make monthly installments at a rate that financially makes sense and can started at any time after they are born.

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CN/htm/CN.7/CN.7.19.htm

# data[].attributes.body
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g (1974)

Students must consent to allowing others to access their personal information once they are 18. Otherwise, both the parent(s) and student will have access to personal information.

Schools must have written permission from the parent(s) or student to release information from a student's personal record/information.

Parents of minors and students over 18 have the right to review the student's educational records.

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

# data[].attributes.body
I interviewed Willie Castrejon who is a College Admissions and Aid Specialist at the Institute of Public School Initiatives (IPS) at the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to his work with IPSI, Mr. Castrejon has previous CCMR related experience as he was both an Advise TX and GEAR UP adviser. Advise TX and GEAR UP are two college access programs that he attributes his experience and knowledge to.
More information about IPSI can be found here: https://ipsi.utexas.edu/

Legal guides are important... when working in and with college and career readiness programs because they can serve as an easy access legal resource guide. Professionals are expected to stay up to date with new laws and policies, and legal guides can help them keep up with this expectation. It is also important to be aware of student rights and safety laws. Most students you are working with in college and career readiness programs are minors up until their senior year of high school. With this in mind, it is very important to know how the law affects and protects minors.

Some of Mr. Castrejon's best practices are:

1. The cohort model- meaning that a cohort of students start with a college access program in middle school and continue until they graduate high school. "The sooner you start, the better".
2. The cohort model should be replicated as much as possible for other grade levels. This allows an opportunity to establish and maintain a college going culture at the school while ensuring each cohort is being served equitably.
3. The individual or team identified to work with the cohort model should move up with the students and their families.
4. The near-peer model is effective. Students having a college and career adviser who is close in age makes them more relatable, willing to open up, and allows the students to learn about college from someone who was just a student.

Emerging Issue:
Mr. Castrejon is interested in is the current test-optional movement that has been sped up by the pandemic. He is curious as to whether or not the potential total elimination of the ACT and SAT will ultimately benefit or hurt low-income students in the college admissions process. For example, will admissions items such as letters of recommendation carrying more weight hurt or help these students?

# data[].attributes.headline
#9 Judicial- Edgewood Independent School District vs. Kirby

# data[].attributes.subject
#9 Judicial- Edgewood Independent School District vs. Kirby

# data[].attributes.body
Edgewood Independent School District vs. Kirby, 17 U.S.C. 107 (1989).

This case fought for discrimination against students in poor school districts, as this violated the Texas Constitution.

The resolution of this court case was guaranteed funding for programs, operations, and facilities for all school districts regardless of the socio-economic status of their students.

https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/educational-resources/edgewood-isd-v-kirby

# data[].attributes.headline
#10 Local Law- Edgewood ISD Student Handbook

# data[].attributes.subject
#10 Local Law- Edgewood ISD Student Handbook

# data[].attributes.body
Edgewood Independent School District Student Handbook. [Online]. (2020). San Antonio, Texas.

Career and Technical Education-- p. 27

Edgewood ISD has committed to offering career and technical education programs (also known as endorsements) for students to participate in based on their future career/area of interest. The idea is that these courses and programs will teach students skills and knowledge that will serve them long after they graduate high school, which aligns with the goals of college and career readiness programs.

https://www.eisd.net/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=12407220

# data[].attributes.headline
#8 Administrative- Student Loan Debt Disclosure Procedure

# data[].attributes.subject
#8 Administrative- Student Loan Debt Disclosure Procedure

# data[].attributes.body
19 Tex. Admin. Code § 21.48

Every higher institution must provide a student debt disclosure for students to review.

Students must understand their responsibilities to pay back their loans

https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=1&ch=21&rl=48

# data[].attributes.body
NEA. (2020, September 14). Code of Ethics for Educators | NEA. National Education Association. https://www.nea.org/resource-library/code-ethics-educators

6. Shall not on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, marital status, political or religious beliefs, family, social or cultural background, or sexual orientation, unfairly--

A. Exclude any student from participation in any program

The National Education Association commitment 6.A. is especially relevant to college and career readiness as we must ensure our programs are inclusive and accessible by all students. Programs and services need to be beneficial for students of all backgrounds.

https://www.nea.org/resource-library/code-ethics-educators

# data[].attributes.body
I appreciate legal and ethical principles providing structure to society. They also serve as holding professionals accountable. I also appreciate that ethical standards and principles ensure that professionals are serving their students and colleagues in a way that is equitable and ethical.

# data[].attributes.body
EQUITY: Ensure that all programs, services, and events are accessible by all students. Also ensure that all students are learning and benefitting from what you have to offer.

STAY UP TO DATE: On laws, policies, and current events surrounding your field. Being aware of your student's rights will help you stay out of trouble and avoid legal trouble.

WORK AS A TEAM: You are not alone. Lean on to other college and career readiness staff, counselors, teachers, administrators, etc. to make things happen for your students. Each colleague brings different perspectives and insights that can help make your services and events stronger! More hands on projects is also helpful.

MENTAL HEALTH: Especially in these uncertain pandemic times, mental health check-ins are key. As professionals, we should be aware of the resources that can help our students and provide extra support when needed.

POWER OF ADVOCACY: Remind students of the importance of speaking up for themselves. This skill will serve them for the rest of their lives. We need to drill confidence into our students and empower them to self-advocate and identify their needs.

EXTEND THE SCOPE: It is important to understand that your services and events can extend much farther than your students. Parents and extended family members along with the district community can all benefit from college and career readiness programs and services. Challenge yourself to think of new ways to reach those outside of your immediate student circle.