Today’s high school senior is the voter, business owner, and wage earner of tomorrow. The success of our community, state, and nation depend on the students who are now being educated in our schools. Post-secondary education has never been more important so that students will be equipped with the necessary skills to carry them far beyond their school days into a productive and successful future. FutureQuest, a district initiative now in its second year, addresses this issue to positively impact MISD students and the entire community.
FutureQuest is all about giving students more options for the future. It is about changing the culture of the school district and the community to have the expectation of post-secondary education for every student. The goal is for all students to plan for and work toward some form of post-secondary education, such as university, junior college, community college, military, trade school or apprenticeship. Students will know that school does not end with a high school diploma; they will understand that with more learning will come more options.
The goal of FutureQuest is to create a culture in our district so that college is an expectation for all of our students. We must weave this expectation for college into our everyday conversation with them. Think of the possibilities! College changes lives; it changes generations.
There are five major FutureQuest messages:
- Education includes 4 steps: Elementary, Middle School, High School and College.
- You must set goals, work hard, and make good choices.
- You need to get involved in clubs and activities.
- You need to take challenging classes.
- Your future is all up to You!
During September, elementary and middle school students will have a special FutureQuest lesson, the first of six that are scheduled throughout the year. The elementary lessons are based on MISD’s FutureQuest book, Where Will You Go? The book was written for Mesquite ISD students in a Dr. Seuss style and encourages students to set high expectations for themselves. The book begins this way:
Where you can go and what you can do
Is not up to me, it’s all up to you!
The theme about making choices for the future continues throughout the book.
The FutureQuest themes will be emphasized in middle and high school as well; so that by the time the students are in high school they will understand the importance of post-secondary education and the path they need to take to get there. The consistent message for students will be about the importance of planning for the continuation of school after high school as a part of building a career.
There are two goals for FutureQuest adults this year—teachers and all other staff members who come into contact with our students. First, use “future language” with students. Ask them about plans after high school; don’t let an opportunity go by to reinforce the importance of college. Daily, find ways to make students think about the future and the messages of FutureQuest.
Our second FutureQuest goal this year gives us all an opportunity to show our students the importance of vocabulary and pushing ourselves to learn more each day. Every week, MISD employees will receive an email with three to five “SAT words” defined and pronounced. Incorporate these SAT words into conversations with students. Find ways to use the words throughout the year so that our children gradually and effectively learn these words that can help them do well not just on the SAT but in their school work.
FutureQuest sets a higher expectation for our students and our community. The goal is to give all students the opportunity to reach their maximum potential, providing exciting options for them through continued education.
For more information about college, see our College Resources for Parents and Students page. |
