Advising Florida’s Students

Florida’s Official Student Advising Web site!

Melissa BensonField Training Coordinator

FACTS.orgFlorida Department of Education

Melissa.Benson@fldoe.org

Seminole County:

7th Grade Social Studies

Schools must verify that your current 8th graders have already received / will receive the complete course this year.

Wherever the Course is delivered, THAT is where CHOICES Planner & ePEP

are completed.

ePEP

#1 Goal for State of Florida: 100% of your 8th graders

have ePEPs by year’s end

The ePEP will guide

MS students / HS Students

in planning courses that will fulfill all of their HS graduation requirements…

16 + 4 + 4 = 24

Core C

lasses

MA

I

Other E

lectives

Total

Middle School students plan for 4 years / 24 credits based on their

HS Graduation Requirements

ePEP still requires Counselor/Advisor

review.The ePEP does not check for: errors course sequencing prerequisites

ePEP

An ePEP is NOT…

A schedule of classesRegistration form

Set in stoneA contract

…AFTER a student transitions to High School

the ePEP will show a student: transcript information – three (3) times a year progress towards HS school graduation requirements progress towards all three Bright Futures Scholarships progress towards minimum State University

Admissions requirements

“O J J”

Pasco StudentPasco Middle School Wesley Chapel High School2011

Planned Courses

Courses from Transcript

The Hot `

for High School students and their families:

Personal access to all HS Academic Evaluations

Access to HS Evaluations

Student has access to his/her own “filing cabinet”

24 Credit / Standard HS Diploma Requirements:Updated three (3) times a year

Bright Futures Eligibility:Updated three (3) times a year

State University Admissions Eligibility:Updated three (3) times a year

State Seminole

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:ePEPs and

High School Students…what happens next?

Review and/or update with 9th

graders

Assist new 9th grade students with ePEPs when they

enter HS

Beginning August 2009

What works well?

Middle School level Teacher* & Counselor

and the Career Course / ePEP Process

Contact

Collaborate

Review

Assist

Counselors may want to advise students about ePEP choices

BEFORE entering the computer lab

Diploma Type

Graduation Track

Graduation Plan

Career Cluster

Major Area of Interest

Contact Melissa atMelissa.Benson@fldoe.org

for the Educator Resource Bundle

Bundle includes: ePEP Lesson Plan (2 – 50 minute class periods) Student Activity Sheet for ePEP decisions Step-by-step directions for student users

MS students will plan all four (4) years of

high school courses.

ePEP: What happens next?

Keep It Simple.Consider the middle school ePEP

a starter plan.

Honors Advanced Placement Dual Enrollment Florida Virtual School International Baccalaureate (IB) ** Advanced International Certificate of

Education (AICE) ** ** Program not offered at all schools

Strengthen the Counselor Bridge: Communicate with your program partners MS Counselor: Request a “sample”

academic plan from your feeder HS HS Counselor: Understand that the MS

ePEP is a starting plan; may need to be modified after entry to HS

Best Practices

Frequently Asked Questions about ePEP

#1 What kind of LOGIN ID and PW are necessary to

create an account on FACTS.org this year?

FACTS.org ID created is permanent!ID and PW must be 8-32 characters each

No ePEP

yet?

Start here!

Have students use a unique but memorable LOGIN ID format: Example: firstnamelastnamebirthdate Sample: melissabenson10061995Provide students with your desired format

BEFORE entering the computer lab

Best Practices

#2What Student Information is required in

order to create an ePEP?

Accuracy is everything!

“James” not “Jim”

Moore

SUGGESTION: Ask your Data Processor or Registrar to provide

you with this information ahead of time!

What IS the FSIN?

If a Social Security number was available…

If a Social Security number was not available…

Then the FSIN is the student’s SSN with an “x” at the end

Ex. 5915551234X

Then the FSIN is the student’s 10 Digit district generated ID

Ex. 1234567890

When the student first entered a Florida Public School…

#3What will prevent an ePEP from being

“counted” in your school’s data?

Incorrect first or last name Incorrect birth date Incorrect school or district

Any one of these errors

#4What if a student can NOT remember his/her LOGIN ID and a Counselor is not available?

Will need to enter FSIN, name, birth date to retrieve account; password can be reset

#5Does an ePEP have to be printed?

YES! But only the ePEP completed in the Career/Education Course, must be signed and sent home for signature. Your district determines where it should be housed upon return.

Allow time for Parents to review ePEPs b before they are printed

Print two (2) copies: 1 – send home for s signature; 1 – fi le where designated

Best Practices

Helpful Reminders

ePEP

Usage

Promote Parent Communication

(middle schools and high schools) Middle Schools are required to communicate about Career/Education Course to families Schools choose the method and form of delivery

Letter Newsletter School’s Web page Automated Phone calls FACTS.org Parent Event

Communication Examples

Need Help with a Parent Event?Contact Melissa at

Melissa.Benson@fldoe.orgfor the

FACTS.org Parent Workshop Bundle

Bundle includes: Guide to Getting Started (countdown checklist) Customizable flyer 50+ slide PPT (can modify) Customizable Sign-In Sheet Parent Evaluation Form

Block time for ePEPs in Computer Labs

MS Counselors/educators will need 4 – 50 minute class periods in computer lab with students (CHOICES & ePEP) HS Counselors can determine amount of time as implemented

Work with Admin. to secure necessary

RESOURCES Secure paper to print ePEPs * (apprx. 2 pages per MS student)

Locate working printers around campus; check toner supply

#6 How can I review / monitor ePEPs?

Where do I go?How do I get in?

Who do I contact?

A LOGIN ID and PASSWORD are issued by the district’s Guidance Contact in order to gain access to the ePEP Student Activity System

Can be given permission to assign additional Login IDs and PWs

at the school

Grants primary access at the district level

Seminole County FACTS.org

Contact: Kathy Dooley

ePEPs and HS Evals

can be viewed here

Quick links for easy access

User choice!

Login ID and PW

are required

Roster Can Not Be Printed…Yet!

Rosters are updated with each Survey Report Survey 6: August 29 – September 17 Survey 2: October 20 - November 14 Survey 3: February 16 - March 13

Student Activity System Features

ePEP “Lock” Feature (individual not group) Counselor or district decision Students can view ePEPs but can’t make any changes Students can see name of person who locked their ePEP

Date ePEP was: first created last viewed last updated

Go Higher Florida, education pays!

The Student Activity System will shade any student who entered

the wrong FSIN

• Student who has multiple ePEPs • The shaded ePEP used the wrong FSIN

• Students who have only one ePEP• Used wrong FSIN to create this account

Printing options

Scroll down for more information

Can Be Printed…Anytime!

Make sure you have this

Handbook!

Available now on FACTS.org

ePEPs and HS Evals

can be viewed here

2008-2009 Counseling Handbook

Plan to open Pandora’s Box Speak with Admin and District Contacts

about your DISTRICT / SCHOOL POLICIES:

Students banned from using school computers? Students who fail the MS Career/Education Planning

Course? Signed ePEPs; if and when returned – where will they be

housed? Cut off date for MS Course (late year arrivals)?

#9What if I am having a technical issue with

FACTS.org or an ePEP?

I can not locate a student’s ePEP.

Who do I contact?

If you feel like this during the ePEP

process…

Scared Frustrated

Confused

Melissa.Benson@fldoe.org

Contact Me!

Thank you for your support

in helping all students

realize and strategize their academic success!

-The FACTS.org Team-Florida Department of Education