Available Data
Data collected via the Junior Next Step form include:
- Students/parents that have completed the Junior Next Step Form
- Students/parents indicating their intention to participate in the Next Step Online Program
- Primary and secondary plans for after high school
- A brief statement of their plans for after high school in their own words
- Career clusters of interest
- Student support needs
- Level of understanding of high school graduation requirements
- Level of understanding of applying/paying for college (if college-interested)
- NC colleges and universities of interest (if college-interested)
- Responses to pre-program assessment questions
Data collected via the Program Completion form include:
- Students/parents that have completed the Next Step Online Program
- Steps completed (e.g., have a CFNC account, personal email address, created StudentAid.gov account)
- A brief statement of their plans for after high school in their own words
- Top 3 colleges of interest (if in college path)
- Responses to post-program assessment questions to evaluate program learning
- Comments on the helpfulness of the Next Step Online Program
- Comments on suggested improvements for Next Step Online Program
Using the Data
One of the goals of Next Step is to provide you actionable data and insights to inform your practice. Below are some ways you could use Next Step data:
- Track program participation
- Inform your college planning program, curriculum, and events with knowledge of:
- Student post-graduation intentions to include NC two-year and four-year colleges, UNC System, in-state private, out-of-state private, military, and work
- College-planning student support needs such as college admission requirements, NC residency, ACT/SAT, succeeding in college, etc.
- Student/parent level of understanding of high school graduation requirements and the process of applying/paying for college
- NC colleges of most interest to your students
- Collaborate with CDCs and career planning professionals using information such as:
- Student’s career clusters of interest
- Career-focused student support needs include: choosing a career, apprenticeships, job shadowing opportunities, searching for jobs, etc.
- Utilize data in one-on-one student counseling sessions to inform conversations and advising approaches.
- Could you collaborate with a College Adviser (CAC) if there is one at your school?
- Consider sharing data with school/district leaders to substantiate resources/time for programming.
- Use data to demonstrate to school leaders and stakeholders how you are being responsive to student and parent needs.