Riverside launches three‑year RISE counseling framework to strengthen grades 6–12 guidance and career pathways

The Riverside Local School District on Aug. 14 introduced the RISE strategic guidance framework, a three‑year plan the district says aims to ensure “every student graduates with a clear plan for their future” by strengthening counselor–student relationships, coordinating services and expanding career programming beginning in middle school.

District staff described RISE as a three‑year effort that starts with building consistent counselor–student relationships in year 1, deepens integration of services in year 2 and sustains measurable excellence in year 3. The plan would move the district to a cohort‑based counselor model so the same counselor follows a student starting in eighth grade through graduation.

Staff said the plan emphasizes counselor visibility and centralized communications. The district will use SchoolLinks, a commercial career and counseling platform, as “a central hub” for college transcripts, scheduling, career inventories and…