Wiesbaden, Germany — Do you know where you’re going? Not all of us do at any given moment, but DoDDS-Europe middle school and high school students have to give the question some thought as they work their way toward graduation — it’s part of the rules.

“It’s standard counseling practice that every seventh-grader must have a Six Year Plan, a road map outlining where they are, the requirements they need to graduate and the sequence of courses they have to take to meet that goal,” said Dr. Tricia Cassiday, Student Services coordinator with the DoDDS-Europe Area office in Wiesbaden, Germany.

The “Six Year Plan” is a baseline, reference tool by which all DoDDS-Europe students, with input and guidance from their parents, school counselors and teachers, plot out courses they need to take to meet graduation requirements. Those requirements include 26 credits and a final grade point average of 2.0 or better. Along the way, students are compelled to consider their interests and goals as they grow into young adulthood and begin to plan for life after high school.

This support mechanism is in place for all students, including those who transfer into DoDDS-Europe from schools around the world, said Cassiday. Before the end of his or her seventh-grade year, every student in DoDDS-Europe must have a “Six Year Plan” in place.

Cassiday pointed out that as they progress through their middle and high school years, DoDDS-Europe students can take advantage of a plethora of support tools and programs that help them explore and understand the possibilities their futures may hold. Students and parents are encouraged to actively explore career paths and the academic preparation they require. School counselors, career teachers and other educators offer direction and a reality check.

“There is an extensive network of programs and activities that can help students better define their interests, discover possible career fields and figure out how to get where they think they want to go. Parents need to be aware of these opportunities and students need to be aware of the support available to guide them,” said Cassiday.

She pointed to “My Road,” an online site that is available to DoDDS-Europe students at no cost. This program was developed by the College Board, the organization that administers the Standard Aptitude Tests and Advanced Placement classes. “My Road” makes it possible for students, with the participation of their parents and the support of their educators, to go online to develop interest inventories, and consider career paths and job clusters that that might be of value to them as adults. Students are then able to chart the steps necessary to turning their interests into actual academic programs and career aspirations. “My Road” is appropriate for students in eighth grade and older, said Cassiday.

She stressed as well the importance of DoDDS-E parents becoming actively engaged in their children’s discoveries and planning process. The DoDDS-Europe requirements and additional resources compel students and their parents to sit down together to discuss academic needs and career possibilities, and draw up a plan of action that meets the student’s goals, she said.

For high school students approaching their junior and senior years, Cassiday noted that DoDDS-Europe provides a tremendous amount of financial aid planning resources. Every DoDDS-Europe high school has two copies of the highly respected Terry Wilfong DVD, “The Complete Guide to College Financing and Admissions,” which provides a wealth of information about the college application and financial aid processes. The informational DVD is produced in partnership with the Military Child Education Coalition, which supports DoDDS-Europe students through a range of programs and advocacy.

In addition, every high school in DoDDS-Europe provides ongoing support to its upper grade students through a variety of activities and resources that help them prepare for life after graduation. College nights, scholarship information, military-educator partnership activities and online resource guidance are all part of the bigger picture of college preparation available to high school students and their parents.

So whether your child is going to enter a DoDDS-Europe middle school in August or is farther along toward graduation, it is important for you to sit down with him or her and review their “Six Year Plan,” said Cassiday. The map toward the future your child produces is essential to their graduation. Along the way, the process of figuring out where they are helps them clarify where they want to go, and just what they need to do to get there. Your child’s school counselor is always available to answer questions and assist in planning.

Parents and students interested in more information on “My Road” can find it on the World Wide Web at https://myroad.collegeboard.com/myroad/navigator.jsp. Data on DoDDS-Europe 2006 graduates’ postsecondary plans and scholarship awards are at http://www.dodea.edu/instruction/support/r&e/pdf/2006_scholarship_report.pdf.

David Ruderman
Deputy Public Affairs Officer
Office of the Director
DoDDS-Europe
DSN 338-7613/7614
CIV (49) 0611-380-7613/7614
FAX: DSN 338-7685 CIV 0611-380-7685
david.ruderman@eu.dodea.edu

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