Helping Students Prepare for Life After High School

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Why does it matter?

When students have a plan for life after high school – whether career or military training or two-year or four-year college programs – they are better able to contribute to their community and more likely to thrive. 

Unfortunately, Alaska has among the lowest rates of postsecondary attainment in the nation and high rates of disconnected youth: one in five young adults in Alaska (ages 16-24) is not engaged in school or work, according to the Measure of America. Our communities and employers need the next generation to be ready to step into leadership roles, and our young adults need a sense of purpose and connection.

How Can AASB Help?

AASB has been taking a close look at why Alaska’s postsecondary outcomes are far lower than other states and how we can improve those outcomes.

Research finds that students thrive when school districts take a systemic and holistic approach to supporting postsecondary preparation. Schools can help students prepare for life after high school by fostering academic preparation, postsecondary and life navigation skills, and cultural and self-identity.

In the fall of 2022, AASB teamed up with the Alaska Postsecondary Completion and Access Network (Alaska CAN) to host a statewide convening on what we can do Now to help prepare students for what’s Next. Over one hundred Alaskans from all corners of the state came together during the Now for Next workshop to make recommendations which include:

  • Embed culturally affirming social & emotional learning
  • Identify key timelines & provide financial literacy support for families
  • Start early (no later than middle school)
  • Fund career guides (coaches & advisors) to support students in making a plan
  • Foster mentorships at the community and campus levels

Did You Know?

College and Career Readiness is a goal of both Alaska’s Education Challenge and Healthy Alaskans 2030!

For more about how school boards can monitor and support postsecondary success of their graduates, see the January, 2024 Commentary article, Are your students ready for life after high school?

Did You Know?

Alaskan students are now eligible for up to $28,000 from the Alaska Performance Scholarship? 

In 2024 the Alaska legislature increased the amount of money available to students for this merit-based scholarship and changed eligibility requirements. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Students must take a qualifying curriculum over four years of high school.
  • Schools are required to inform students about their eligibility for the scholarship.
  • The amount of funding available depends on a student’s GPA.
  • Test scores (SAT, ACT or Workkeys) are optional and can be used to determine how much money a student is eligible to receive in lieu of their GPA. 

Qualifying curriculum:

School boards and administrators should review their curriculum offerings to ensure that students have access to the Alaska Performance Scholarship. Some school districts align their graduation requirements to meet the scholarship requirements. 

Eligible courses are outlined in the state statute, however, districts may offer substitute courses that are considered rigorous.  

For example, Bering Strait School District (BSSD), recently identified qualifying APS courses in their catalog. Administrators determined that their Siberian Yupik class, met the requirement for rigor while other Intro to Yupik classes did not yet meet that standard. 

Some smaller schools in BSSD don’t currently offer enough stand-alone science courses for students to qualify for the scholarship. Instead, they are partnering with universities to offer dual enrollment science credit options.

School boards and administrators can help teachers, counselors, students, and families plan for the scholarship by:

  • Sharing a list of eligible courses offered by the district and its partners.
  • Providing families and students with support to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA serves as the application for the Alaska Performance Scholarship.

Ensuring faculty and staff have the training and resources necessary to educate the school community about the Alaska Performance Scholarship.

The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education has more information on eligibility requirements, FAQs, FAFSA completion support, and additional info on its website. Felicia Swanson at the Department of Education & Early Development, felicia.swanson@alaska.gov can help determine which courses qualify for the scholarship. 

Informing students (and their families):

The new state legislation requires Alaskan school districts to inform students about their eligibility. It is important that schools also share this information with families because we know that students often rely on their families for guidance and financial support.

Another change in the legislation requires schools to inform students about the APS during their 9th and 10th grade years. We recommend also sharing information with middle school students and their families so they can plan ahead and stay motivated to keep their GPA high. 

Additionally, schools must let 11th grade students know about all remaining course requirements and GPA or test scores needed to be eligible for the Alaska Performance Scholarship. Again, keeping families in the loop helps strengthen the web of support for students.

Here are some examples to help you get started:

Tracking your district’s progress
The goal of these legislative changes is to increase the number of students who are eligible for the scholarship and increase the overall utilization of the APS. In 2023, only 17% of the state’s students were eligible, and only a third of those students used the scholarship. You can see how many students in your district were eligible and used the scholarship in Appendix B of this annual report. 

When standardized testing was requirements were removed as an APS requirement during the pandemic, the rate of Alaskan students eligible for the scholarship jumped to 61%. Keep an eye out for the Annual Alaska Performance Scholarship report in future years to monitor your district’s progress. If we succeed in offering eligible curriculum statewide and communicating the opportunity with students and families, we anticipate every district will see a big jump in scholarship eligibility and use. That’s a good an excellent outcome for both our students and our state.

Workshops

In addition to the reports and resources listed on this page, AASB can facilitate workshops with school boards, staff, and community members to assess your postsecondary outcomes and develop strategies to help more students transition to meaningful opportunities after high school.  

To learn more about these workshops and other resources, contact Emily Ferry, eferry@aasb.org.