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District outlines college-and-career strategy; FAFSA outreach and internships emphasized
Summary
Officials described myCAP integration, Springfield Promise FAFSA outreach and expansion of internships and work-based learning; district reported 45.3% FAFSA completion to date and a goal of 62% with 319 FAFSAs outstanding.
Springfield Public Schools presented a districtwide plan on March 27 to strengthen college and career readiness, highlighting myCAP implementation, FAFSA outreach through the Springfield Promise program, and expanded internships and work-based learning.
Doctor Yolanda Johnson described myCAP (Massachusetts’ My College and Career Plan) as the district’s guiding tool beginning in sixth grade. Doctor Goulet, Springfield Promise administrator, said the district’s FAFSA completion rate stands at 45.3% in March (compared with a 46% finish last year) and that the district’s goal is 62%; she said the district still needs 319 completed FAFSAs to reach that goal. The district offers targeted workshops, evening and weekend FAFSA “frenzies,” and outreach to adult learners.
Pam Matheson, School-to-Career lead, described career awareness and immersion activities (industry site visits, job shadowing, simulated experiences) and said the district hosted a Career & Internship Fair at the Basketball Hall of Fame with over 500 students and about 70 industry partners. She described work-based learning results: IT interns, marketing content work, health-care simulations and employer hires from Putnam Vocational Technical High School and other partnerships.
Committee members asked for follow-up data about which high schools students participating in internships come from and requested continued employer engagement. Officials said they will provide post-event metrics and school-level internship breakdowns on request.
