By Roberto J. Rodríguez, Assistant Secretary, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development at the US Department of Education
Reading time: Four minutes
The US Department of Education (ED) recently released new toolkits to help make the College Scorecard more accessible and impactful than ever before. The College Scorecard is a free, easy-to-use,
online tool to help students of all ages make data-informed decisions about choosing a college or university to attend. This important tool supports students on their pathway to college and future careers by increasing the transparency of information
that will help them understand the benefits of higher education. The College Scorecard provides information about institutions, including costs, admission test scores, acceptance rates, and the diversity of students and faculty. It also highlights
key student outcomes, such as graduation rates, student debt and repayment rates, and post-college earnings.
Under US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona’s leadership, ED is working to Raise the Bar in education by reimagining pathways to college and careers and by building a more inclusive, accessible
higher education system that delivers value and upward mobility to students. The College Scorecard advances these goals by leveraging data from multiple federal
data sources to help young people and adults, families, and those in the workforce better navigate their options for college and career-readiness, steer clear of programs that fall short of delivering a strong return on investment, and choose a path
that will prepare them for well-paying jobs and rewarding careers in today’s globally competitive world. Using the College Scorecard, students can customize their search to find the schools and fields of study that best fit their needs to make informed
decisions about college and their futures.
In addition to continued improvements to the College Scorecard, ED also recently released two new helpful
toolkits; one tailored specifically for school counselors and college access advisors and
another for teachers. Collectively, these resources are designed to equip our education professionals
with the information and tools they need to guide students towards their best postsecondary education decisions. The toolkits offer users structured and comprehensive materials that they can quickly implement in educational and advisory settings
to teach students and other professionals about the College Scorecard.
The Toolkit for College Access Advisors is a professional development training that equips school
counselors and college access advisors with resources and knowledge to incorporate the College Scorecard into their professional practice. This toolkit begins by familiarizing advisors with the comprehensive features of the College Scorecard. It then
enhances their ability to navigate this resource efficiently, ensuring they can provide informed and effective supports. Lastly, it prepares advisors to share their knowledge by providing resources that convey complex information in an accessible
way. The toolkit is structured into three, 1-hour training modules and includes a facilitation guide, training slides, and handouts. The toolkit is designed to be modular and delivered in settings such as professional development events for counselors,
professional conferences, or at school district events. Facilitators are encouraged to tailor the training sessions to meet the needs of their audience. By completing this training, advisors gain the skills to navigate the College Scorecard and train
others, making it a powerful tool for guiding students toward informed postsecondary education decisions.
The Toolkit for the Classroom empowers teachers to transform their classroom into an interactive learning
environment where students can navigate the complexities of choosing a postsecondary institution. Educators are provided with a series of integrated teaching materials that begin with an introduction to the College Scorecard, explaining its importance
and utility in the higher education landscape. The journey continues as teachers guide students through the nuances of navigating this valuable tool, learning to find and analyze key data points. Finally, the toolkit engages students with practical
exercises that apply this data, empowering them to make informed decisions about their educational future. The Toolkit for the Classroom offers instructors a ready-made set of activities that they can quickly adopt for classrooms, college fairs, and
similar settings to equip students with the knowledge and tools that they need to make data-driven decisions about college.
Each toolkit not only contains step-by-step guides, but also dynamic presentation materials, and supplementary resources to enhance learning. These ready-to-use materials are also designed to be easily customizable, whether they are applied in a classroom
setting or as part of a professional development workshop. The College Scorecard and these new toolkits are essential resources for educators and advisors committed to empowering students with the tools they need to succeed. To download these toolkits
and integrate them into your educational practices, visit the “Resources” tab on the College Scorecard web site or contact the team at collegescorecard@ed.gov.
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