Post-Secondary Readiness

Eagle County School District's Post-Secondary Readiness Department supports students in following their interests for a successful future. There are a variety of pathways available to meet the needs of each student, with consideration for the demands of an evolving economy and workforce. A growing number of jobs in Colorado that pay a living wage are requiring increasing levels of training, skills, and continuing education.

The content available on this website is not a substitute for the work our school sites do, but rather a brief introduction to the work we do. Our school teams are vital in providing support and school-specific content for families and students. If you have any questions, please contact your child's school counselor.

Students are encouraged to pursue their interests and think about their futures at all grade levels, increasing in detail and reality as students mature. Just as there are building-block approaches to learning a new language or a subject like math, preparing a student to make informed choices for one's career path is strengthened by a multi-year career readiness process through different developmental stages.

Visit our Career Readiness page for detailed information about our programs and supports.

Elementary Level – Awareness

At the elementary level, the focus of this process is about broadening awareness of future career opportunities. It is not too young to introduce different career opportunities to engage a child's mind for future possibilities. Below are a few resources that introduce fun ways to raise awareness of career possibilities in elementary school students.

Alphabet Occupations
Cartoons & Careers PDF
What Will I Be? PDF
10 Ways to Explore Careers and Colleges with Your Child
College and Career Readiness in Elementary Schools – An article from the International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education

Middle School Level – Early Exploration

At the middle school level, students are supported in self-discovery and exploration. At this stage, we facilitate the use of Naviance and other tools (like this Career Conversations for Middle School Students PDF) to help students know themselves better, connect interests to career clusters, explore different careers, and learn from leaders in their field of interest.

We also introduce students to the process of creating an initial post-secondary goal and four-year academic plan to help create a smooth transition to high school and their post-secondary pathway. Below are a few resources that introduce how the self-knowledge gleaned through this process is used to further explore career and post-secondary paths.

6th Grade Activities

In sixth grade, students are encouraged to complete a Career Key Assessment in Naviance, which helps students identify careers and/or college majors that match their interests, traits, skills, and abilities. Students can access Career Key by logging into Naviance Student, selecting "About Me," and then selecting "My Assessments."

Learn more about the uses and applications of Career Key assessment results, or review this introductory presentation to Career Key

7th Grade Activities

In seventh grade, students are encouraged to complete the Career Cluster Finder Assessment in Naviance and set an Initial Post-Secondary Goal. The Career Cluster Finder Assessment is an online questionnaire that helps students discover the top one or two career clusters that are most interesting to them. Once a student completes the Career Cluster Finder, they can learn more about options in their top matching career clusters. Students can access Career Cluster Finder by logging into Naviance Student, selecting "About Me," and the selecting "My Assessments."

Seventh grade students are also introduced to SMART goals, which helps students create an initial postsecondary goal in Naviance. Students can revisit these goals each year with their counselors to edit and refine an action place for after high school graduation. Students can set these goals by logging into Naviance Student, selecting "My Planner," and then selecting "My Goals."

8th Grade Activities

In eighth grade, students are encouraged to complete the StrengthsExplorer Assessment, update their post-secondary goal, and create a four-year course plan. The StrengthsExplorer Assessment provides students with a report showing their top three strengths and ideas for how to use those talents. Students can access StrengthsExplorer by logging into Naviance Student, selecting "About Me," and then selecting "My Assessments."

High School Level – Exploration & Planning

In high school, students have a multitude of options and resources to help them reach their post-secondary goals, including Advanced Placement classes, the ASCENT Program, CareerX, and Dual Enrollment classes. Career exploration activities and Naviance assessments help high school students refine their searches.

As part of this process of finding a good fit for post-secondary plans, students are highly encouraged to visit and evaluate different post-secondary options. Below are linked resources for specific post-secondary options, but this College to Career Planning System and Decision Day packet may also be helpful for processing a student's choice.

Two-Year / Community College
Four-Year College
Historically Black Colleges & Universities
- Commonly referred to as HBCUs, these illustrious institutions allow students to display their culture unapologetically. Students that want a deeper understanding of black history, noble alumni networking, and a smaller professor to student ratio may consider higher education at an HBCU.
- Best Historically Black Colleges & Universities
- Scholarships to Help Fund Your HBCU Education
Military Options
- Learn how you can join the United States military as an officer or enlisted member.
Gap Years

Additional Resources for Careers & Career Pathways

O*Net – A national tool for career exploration and job analysis, including a listing of desired skills and required education levels for an occupation.
SkillsEngine, Skillscape, and Identifor – Tools for skills recognition and development.
Success in the New Economy – This video encourages students to begin career exploration early, to make informed decisions about their post-secondary education goals, and to consider technical skill acquisition, real-world application and career technical programs along with a foundational education.
My Next Move – What do you want to do for a living?
Career Clusters in Colorado (en Español)
Careers in Colorado – Find Careers in Growing Industries in Colorado
Top Jobs in Colorado
Colorado Talent Pipeline Report

College Planning Checklists: 9th-12th Grad

9th Grade Activities

In ninth grade, students are encouraged to complete the Game Plan Survey, create a resume, revise their four-year high school academic plan with their counselor (if necessary), and create or update their post-secondary SMART Goal.

Students can access the Game Plan Survey by logging into Naviance Student, selecting "About Me," then "Postsecondary Plans," and then "Game Plan."

Creating a resume is a great opportunity to highlight different skills, strengths, and life experiences including extracurricular activities, athletics, leadership positions, and volunteer work as a way to begin showcasing yourself to potential employers. Here is a resume guide resource for high school freshman.

Students can create or update their post-secondary SMART Goal by logging into Naviance Student, selecting "My Planner," and then selecting "Goals."

10th Grade Activities

11th Grade Activities

In eleventh grade, students are encouraged to complete the Multiple Intelligence Advantage, complete an internship through CareerX, begin searching for scholarships, and revise their resume.

Students can complete the Multiple Intelligence Advantage by logging into Naviance Student, selecting "About Me," then "Career Assessments," and then "MI Advantage."

For students interested in attending a four-year college, we encourage they take advantage of SuperMatch within Naviance to search for schools by geography, cost, enrollment size, and more to find your best fit. You can find SuperMatch under the header "Colleges/Home."

12th Grade Activities

In twelfth grade, students are encouraged to apply to colleges, community colleges, and/or technical or trade schools; continue scholarship search and apply for scholarships, complete an internship through CareerX, update their resume, and complete the Graduation Survey.

Students can complete the Graduation Survey by logging into Naviance Student, selecting "About Me," then "My Surveys," and then "Graduation Survey."

Academic Planning & Career Readiness

College Planning Checklists

Financial Aid Resources

Individualized Career & Academic Plan

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