Madison school counselors outline expanded college planning, testing and student-support services

Jen Haldier, the district’s school counseling coordinator, told the Madison Board of Education that the counseling office is focusing less on raw test numbers and more on direct student support and planning. “We really want you to see what we do, and what we offer the students,” Haldier said.

The counselors described a suite of practical changes and services they said are intended to streamline postsecondary planning and daily student support. Those include adopting School Links to replace Naviance for college searches and application tracking; routine proctoring of AP exams and the school-day SAT for juniors; a summer “common application” workshop that helps students complete application forms; and a growing set of employer and internship connections including Electric Boat and regional trade programs.

Why it matters: the counseling office is the primary school-based resource families use to navigate college admissions, test registration and day-to-day…