Hobsons Takes Aim at the "Aspirations Gap," Launches Naviance College and Career Readiness Curriculum

ARLINGTON, Va., March 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Student aspirations to enroll in college are very high - 93 percent of middle school students list college as a personal goal. However, only 44 percent of these students ultimately enroll in a post-secondary institution, according to the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC). Hobsons aims to help schools close the aspirations gap – the difference between what students aspire to achieve and what they actually accomplish. 

In an effort to make college a possibility for all students, particularly students who would be first in their families to attend college, Hobsons today has announced the release of the Naviance College and Career Readiness Curriculum, a blended learning college and career readiness solution for students in middle and high school.

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"For more than a decade, thousands of schools around the world have created powerful college readiness programs for students using Naviance," said Steve Smith, president of Hobsons, K-12. "With the introduction of the Naviance College and Career Readiness Curriculum, we're providing an affordable means for even the most under-resourced schools and districts to deliver a comprehensive and compelling college counseling solution at scale to all their middle and high school students."

To achieve post-secondary success, students need support through each stage of the learning lifecycle, and development of critical knowledge and non-cognitive habits that will drive their educational journey. The Curriculum expands students' perspectives while simultaneously driving the necessary behaviors, college knowledge, and personal confidence to prepare them for college and career success by high school graduation.

Developed in collaboration with Roadtrip Nation, the Curriculum includes a sequence of 105 multi-media lessons for students in grades 6-12, including exclusive videos produced by Roadtrip Nation featuring students that have recently made the transition from high school to college and how they overcame life's challenges to reach their goals.

According to research by the National College Access Network (NCAN), the earlier students begin planning for college, the greater their chances are of enrolling.

The Curriculum addresses key areas that research shows increase a student's likelihood of achieving their goals by:

• Broadening perspectives of future possibilities
• developing non-cognitive habits, strategies, and behaviors like academic perseverance
• enriching student and family understanding of how to navigate the college process and what it takes to enroll
• enhancing personal confidence to encourage students to take ownership of their academic and post-secondary journeys.

Grade-specific lessons help students develop age-appropriate, non-cognitive strategies - time management, goal setting, and prioritization – skills that research shows are predictive of success. With a library of exclusive videos, the curriculum engages students in college exploration and features personal testimonies from students and successful leaders who have accomplished their goals.

Through pre- and post-assessments, schools can also gauge just how prepared students are for college at each grade. Teachers and other staff can then use this information to identify students needing additional support and ensure students are prepared to take advantage of opportunities during school and after graduation.

In the fall of 2013, the Naviance College and Career Readiness Curriculum was piloted with predominantly first-generation, eleventh grade students in schools in California, Minnesota, Texas, and Virginia. Over fifty percent of students showed college knowledge gains and 1/3 of all students improved their scores by ten percent or more between pre- and post-assessment.

"The Naviance Curriculum presents a scalable opportunity for all middle and high school students in Napa County to explore and prepare for their futures with a single system," said Tammie Holloway, director of ROP/CTE at Napa County Office of Education. "We are thrilled to take part in a program that will help our students and their families stay engaged with the college and career process while providing them with the tools to be successful."

To celebrate the launch of this new collaboration, Hobsons and Roadtrip Nation are hosting a free networking event at Roadtrip Nation's headquarters on Friday, March 14, 2014 featuring speakers from PBS SoCal, Oxnard Union High School District, and Newport Mesa Unified School District. Learn more here.

Learn more about the Naviance College and Career Readiness Curriculum and sign-up for a complimentary demo, or contact us at (866) 337-0080.

About Hobsons
Hobsons helps educators, administrators, students, and families maximize success through every stage of the learning lifecycle. Hobsons' personalized learning, academic planning, post-secondary enrollment, and student support solutions serve millions of students across more than 7,500 schools, colleges, and universities worldwide.

About Roadtrip Nation
In the summer of 2001, three friends decided to take a Roadtrip to seek their place in the world. The idea behind the Roadtrip was simple: If you don't know what to do with your life, talk to people who are doing what they love, then ask them how they got there. The trio hit the road in a mechanically unsound Green RV, and three months and 17,000 miles later, had interviewed 85 eclectic individuals.

Since then, Roadtrip Nation has evolved into a Movement to help individuals define their own roads in life: Including seven seasons on public television, three books, an online community, and a student network on more than 350 campuses. 

In 2009, the Movement expanded into education with the creation of RoadtripNation.org and the development of The Roadtrip Nation Experience, a hands-on, engaging curriculum that guides students through an explorative process to learn about pathways relevant to their own individuality.

Roadtrip Nation is dedicated to inspiring people everywhere to create lives based on doing what they love. For more information, visit roadtripnation.com and roadtripnation.org.

SOURCE Hobsons