Our guest for this podcast episode is Bill DeBaun from NCAN.

Bill starts by telling us about the work of the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), including the conference in 2025.

Bill says that districts and states can use frameworks of success to ensure that students are reaching their postsecondary goals.

We must treat college and career exploration as a subject matter like any other subject in schools, including exploration, lesson plans, and curriculum resources, so that every student has equal access to the knowledge and experiences they need for postsecondary planning.

Bill tells listeners about Tempe Union High School District in Arizona and their special scope and sequence for college and career awareness.

One of the best outcomes of a framework that teaches students about colleges and universities is that it can provide information to students who might not otherwise have access, and it can dispel myths about who college is for.

One thing that students can learn as they explore college options is an understanding of how financial aid works and college affordability. Bill explains that the cost of college has gone up, but there are still many different ways to make it affordable for students who want to go.

Bill talks about the importance of making sure that students understand the completion rates at the colleges and universities where they want to apply so that they know the likelihood of actually graduating with a credential.

Bill and T.J. discuss credentialing and the fact that lots of important credentials are only available at 2- and 4-year colleges despite the rhetoric around not having to attend college after high school.

Bill explains the kind of data that schools are using to track postsecondary success after graduation, including the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC).

Bill says that senior exit surveys are often not an accurate representation of postsecondary attainment, and districts are surprised when they compare their rates of acceptance and matriculation to real numbers from the NSC.

He tells listeners that a better use of survey data is on the front end of the student experience, such as asking them early in K-12 what their interests are and then building programs based on that.

Bill mentions FAFSA as a data point that schools can analyze because it’s a solid indicator that students are returning to college year-over-year.

Bill recommends the book, Ready, Willing, and Able by Mandy Savitz-Romer and Suzanne M. Bouffard.

Bill’s final message is that the “water’s edge” of the K-12 experience cannot be high school graduation. The investment that we’re making in our students must lead to more than walking across a stage.