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January 18, 2024

Parent Resource: What is Post-Secondary Readiness?

As a parent in Ankeny schools, you may have heard the term post-secondary readiness and wondered what it’s all about. Post-secondary readiness, or PSR, encompasses the preparedness of students for life beyond high school and empowering students to make informed choices about their future pathways. In Ankeny schools, post-secondary readiness is a component of our Strategic Plan in Pillar One: Rigorous and Relevant Academics. We strive to ensure all students acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to succeed in whichever pathway they choose after high school, whether that is employment, enlistment, or enrollment in an educational institution or training program. 

Parents play a vital role in shaping a well-rounded and future-ready educational experience for Ankeny students. One way in which parents can contribute to post-secondary education efforts in our district is through volunteering time to share their careers and experiences at events for various grade levels. Upcoming opportunities to get involved include

Another way parents can support their student in planning for post-secondary success is by simply having a conversation about it! Listed below are a few easy conversation starters that we suggest: 

For elementary students:

  • What is something you enjoy learning about?  
  • If you were a teacher for a day, what would you teach the students in your class?  
  • If you woke up tomorrow and were an adult, what job would you have?

For middle school students:

  • If you could learn about anything, what topic would you want to learn about and why? 
  • If you could create a new class at our school, what would it be?

For high school students:

  • What type of lifestyle do you want to live when you are older? What will you need to do in order to get the lifestyle you want?
  • Imagine your life five years after you graduate from high school. What challenges do you want to solve? How does this relate to a career? 

Click here for a full list of conversation starters.