Parent to Parent: Connect Edu

WSVN -- These students at Miami Edison Senior High are looking forward to starting college this fall. Since 9th grade, 18-year old Geraldine has kept track of her classes and extra-curricular activities.

Geraldine Placide, High School Senior: "I've had to keep record of everything I've done on a piece of paper. I have so many notebooks everywhere with a bunch of stuff written inside."

With school budgets tightening and the student population booming, keeping track of a student's performance and progress can be a challenge.

Deborah Montilla, Miami-Dade Public Schools Division of Student Services: "Currently we have a ratio of over 500 students for every one of our school counselors."

Now, new online technology is streamlining the process for Miami-Dade public high schools It's called Connect Edu.

Deborah Montilla: "Connect Edu is a web-based career and college planning tool."

Students create an online portfolio of their high school history. Questions help them focus on interests and skills guiding them toward a career and eventually the right college.

Carlos Viera, Graduation Coach, Miami Edison Senior High: "So as they get to learn more about these things, it creates intrinsic motivation to help them learn and grow and be great students."

The program also helps guidance counselors monitor students' curriculum decisions and manage long term goals. Parents get involved too.

Carlos Viera: "The parent can actually create their own account and then kind of look over the shoulder of their child and kinda see how much progress are they making."

Seventeen-year old Adley likes that colleges get a better picture of who you are.

Adley Calixte, High School Senior: "Colleges can actually go into your profile and see what you're all about, and see everything, it helps you with scholarships, financial aid."

The program updates as you go, so when it's time to apply to colleges everything is in one place. It's a tool Geraldine wishes she had early on.

Geraldine Placide: "Remembering everything you did your freshman year when you're a senior it's not that easy."

Connect Edu is a free service to all Miami-Dade County public schools.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Connect Edu Program:
www.connectedu.com