Operation Preparation coming March 2013

Community Support + Prepared Students = College/Career Success

What is Operation Preparation?

A community-based, student advising week focused on college/career readiness. Operation Preparation is a powerful opportunity for schools, students, parents and communities to collaborate in effective advising for Kentucky middle and high school students to help them focus on the importance of planning for college and/or a career. A joint effort of the Kentucky Department of Education and the Department of Workforce Development, Operation Preparation has the potential to reach more than 100,000 statewide.

Why is it important?

To inform and inspire students as they move along the path to college/career readiness. You may be thinking, “isn’t this the job of a school counselor?” Unfortunately, with a statewide student-to-counselor ratio of about 450:1, many school counselors are overloaded with the number of students they need to reach. Operation Preparation gives parents and community members a chance to partner with their local schools in support of Kentucky’s goal to increase the college/career-readiness of students. It will help students maximize their educational opportunities in high school and also provide them with the opportunity to hear about the importance of college/career planning and readiness from an unbiased adult-someone other than a parent or teacher.

Who participates in Operation Preparation?

8th- and 10th-grade students. These are pivotal years in the college/career planning process. In 8th grade, all Kentucky public school students take the EXPLORE high school readiness exam which is designed to help 8th graders explore a broad range of options for their future as they prepare for high school and beyond. In 10th grade, Kentucky students take the PLAN assessment, which helps build a solid foundation for future academic and career success. The exam assesses the same subjects as EXPLORE (English, mathematics, reading and science) and is a predictor of success on the ACT exam that all students take in spring of their junior year in high schoool.

When is Operation Preparation?

The month of March. It will be up to each middle and high school to determine whether to participate in Operation Preparation and how it wishes to structure the program to meet the needs of its students and the local community.

Where does Operation Preparation happen?

Your local school. Contact the school district office in your community to find out which schools in your area are participating in Operation Preparation and let them know you’d like to help. All advising sessions will take place at the school in a public setting.

How can parents and other adults get involved in Operation Preparation?

Be a Volunteer.
Parents play a critical role in the advising process and in ensuring that their student graduates from high school college/career ready. As a parent, you can support the middle and high schools in your district and their students by volunteering to be a community advisor. Your participation could make the difference in the life of a child.

Talk with your child.
If you are the parent of an 8th- or 10th-grade student, you can support and encourage your child’s participation in Operation Preparation. One-on-one advising can be a powerful tool and a valuable experience for the student and should help them maximize their education and preparation for the future.

Get to Know the ILP.
If you have a middle or high school student, help them in the development of their Individual Learning Plan — an online tool designed to allow students to explore careers, track coursework and activities, and search for postsecondary options. It is mandatory for students in grades 6-12 and parents are required to sign off on a student’s Individual Learning Plan each year. Log-in credentials are available from your child’s school. Spend some time looking over your child’s ILP and discussing it with him or her.