N A V I G A T I O N 1 0 1

GRADE: 12 LESSON: 14

THEME: PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR

LESSON GOALS:

• Help students use their High School & Beyond checklists and other materials from their portfolios to begin preparing a final High School & Beyond Plan.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

• What will I do after high school?
• How can I plan?

MATERIALS NEEDED: (All but the first handout are from students’ portfolios)

• HS & Beyond Plan Requirements (final page of this lesson plan)
• HS & Beyond Plan Checklist (Gr 12) (from Lesson 12 – in students’ portfolios)
• Most recent Four-year Plan or transcript (from grade 11)
• Financial Plan (completed during Grade 12 Lesson 8)

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES:

• Continue working on HSBP

1. Explain format of final High School & Beyond Plan. Students’ High School & Beyond Plans will represent the culmination of the work they have done during Navigation. Students will be able to formally present their Plans during their Senior Presentations (or final student-led conferences). Distribute the HS & Beyond Plan Requirements handout and discuss the work students will need to complete. Then, discuss substance – what do your students want to do after graduation? How can they share their goals through the HS & Beyond Plan? (5-10 minutes)

2. Retrieve materials from portfolios. Ask students to use the HS & Beyond Plan Requirements handout as a guide to help them retrieve the needed materials from their portfolios (5-10 minutes)

3. Begin work on final HS & Beyond essays. You may organize small group discussions or have students work individually on the essays that are required as part of their High School & Beyond Plans. (10-15 minutes)

STUDENT PRODUCTS:

• HS & Beyond Plan Essay. Each student should begin working on an essay.

HIGH SCHOOL & BEYOND PLAN REQUIREMENTS

WHAT IS THE HIGH SCHOOL & BEYOND PLAN?

Each student graduating from high school in Washington State in 2008 or after must complete a High School & Beyond Plan. The High School & Beyond Plan is a state graduation requirement; however, the contents of that plan are up to the individual school district.

Your High School & Beyond Plan will build on the work you’ve done through your Navigation 101 advisories to plan for the future. By now, you should have a good idea of what you hope to do next year – and you should have already completed many of the steps needed to prepare for next year.

WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL & BEYOND PLAN?

Your High School & Beyond Plan will consist of:

1. High School & Beyond Plan essay (typed, at least two pages in length – see below)
2. High School & Beyond Plan Checklist from grade 12 (from your portfolio)
3. Most recent four-year course plan (or transcript) that shows all your courses in high school
4. Financial Plan completed during grade 12 (from your portfolio)

The essay, which you will write during the next several Navigation lessons, should be headed with your name, the title “High School & Beyond Plan,” and the date. It should include the following information, which you may gather from documents in your portfolio:

• Your Career Pathway, the career that is most interesting to you, and the reasons you selected this career and pathway;

• The postsecondary education or training you will need to pursue this career;

• The courses you took during high school to prepare for postsecondary and for your chosen career, noting, in particular, any honors or advanced courses you took;

• The career exploration activities you completed during high school to prepare for your career, including job shadows, internships, or research; and a description of your volunteer service;

• The steps you’ve taken during junior and senior year to prepare for and apply to your top postsecondary choices;

• The plan you’ve made to finance the next several years of your life; and

• Your backup plan, in case you can’t attend your top-choice postsecondary school.