District 211 students getting online tool to plan for future

Select students in Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 Friday will begin testing a new online tool allowing them to set goals, measure progress and access resources to plan their post-graduation lives and careers.

But as Associate Superintendent for Student Services Mark Kovack told school board members Thursday night, the Web-based tool is not exclusively intended to track preparedness for college.

"We need to serve all students regardless of their path after high school," he said.

Named the Student Readiness Plan, the personalized website designed by Americaneagle.com is based around the five readiness components identified by last year's community engagement process - Academic Readiness, College and Career Exploration, Global Competitive Skills, Student Involvement, and Wellness.

On Friday about 100 freshmen at each of the district's five high schools, as well as a handful of students in each of the upper grades, will start using the completed parts of the website even as additional components are added through the spring.

Paula Hill, leader of Conant High School's Guidance Department, said those chosen to start using the website represent a range of students and post-graduation goals.

Kovack said the district hopes the pilot program identifies and fixes any problems with the website even as its design continues.

"At the start of the next school year we will have full implementation with all of our students," he said.

Students in the Harper Promise program aiming to earn free tuition at Harper College in Palatine through academic achievement in high school will be able to track their progress toward that on the same website.

Though parents, teachers and counselors can use the site to help guide students, its primary purpose is to assist the students themselves, Kovack said.

"The Student Readiness Plan is a student-driven resource," he said. "The Student Readiness Plan is a living, breathing tool."