General
- Who can use Invest in What’s Next?
- For what grade level is Invest in What’s Next appropriate?
- How long does each lesson take to complete?
- What do I do after completing Lesson 3?
- What concepts and standards does Invest in What’s Next cover?
Account Management
- Why do I need to register?
- As a teacher, can I register my entire class?
- How do I change my account information?
- What if I forget my username or password?
Course Components and Functionality
- Does the website work on touch devices?
- What is on my Dashboard?
- As a teacher, how can I track my students’ progress?
- What is the “Keeping It Real” tab about?
- If I have questions during the lesson, where can I get more information?
- There is a lot of data involved in the course. Where can I find more information about the sources?
- How often is the course data updated?
- How do data updates affect my selections?
- Can I make changes after I have clicked “Submit” on an interaction or once I finish a lesson?
- How do I save my progress if I don’t finish a lesson?
- Do I have to complete the lessons in order?
Troubleshooting
Terms of Use
General
Who can use Invest in What’s Next?
Invest in What’s Next: Life
After High School is intended to guide high school students in their decision-making process about education
after high school. The course is designed so that students can drive their progress, and teachers or
facilitators can tailor their own level of involvement. Guidance counselors and mentors can also use the course
as a resource for planning sessions with students. We also encourage families to try out Invest in What’s
Next. Students must be at least 13 years of age to register. The site is open and free to the public.
For what grade level is Invest in What’s Next appropriate?
The
course is designed for high school students, grades 9-12. However, 8th grade students may benefit from this
course by coordinating their high school plan with the long-term future plan they create here.
How long does each lesson take to complete?
Each lesson takes about 45 to
60 minutes of continuous sit-down time. There are also suggested homework assignments at the end of lessons 1
and 2 that will take additional time to complete.
What do I do after completing Lesson 3?
Once you’ve finished all
three lessons, you can freely build additional plans to explore your other interests and job options. The
Preparation Assessment that you’ll complete as part of Lesson 3 will also be available on your Dashboard.
You can use it as a checklist as you continue to prepare for life after high school.
What concepts and standards does Invest in What’s Next
cover?
Lessons 1 and 2 are correlated with the following national standards from the Council
for Economic Education (CEE):
CEE Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics
- Standard 1: Scarcity
- Standard 2: Decision Making
- Standard 4: Incentives
- Standard 13: Income
- Standard 19: Unemployment and Inflation
CEE National Standards for Financial Literacy
- Standard 1: Earning Income
- Standard 2: Buying Goods and Services
- Standard 3: Saving
- Standard 4: Using Credit
Lesson 3 reinforces concepts included in these standards as students test their post-high school plan against real life scenarios. Throughout the course, students also interact with charts and data in a variety of formats and develop research skills as they explore their options.
Account Management
Why do I need to register?
Registering allows you to save your
personalized selections and to track your progress as you complete each lesson. It also allows us to send
occasional broad email communication, such as site updates and reminders. It is free to register and only
requires your first name, e-mail address, and your school/organization name and zip code. Click here to register now. For more information on our privacy policy, please review our Terms and Conditions.
As a teacher, can I register my entire class?
We certainly hope your
entire class will register! The site is designed so that each student sets up and maintains an individual user
account. Registration will only take a few minutes for your students to complete.
How do I change my account information?
Once you’re signed into
the course, click on your username in the upper right portion of the site banner. Then, you can update the
information you provided during registration, including your password. Your username cannot be updated.
What if I forget my username or password?
On the course homepage, click
on the “Forgot Username or Password?” link. Then, follow the prompts. An email will be sent to you
with your username or a temporary password to access your account.
Course Components and Functionality
Does the website work on touch devices?
This website works on touch
devices, but the site isn’t completely optimized for them. For the best touch experience, we recommend
using a tablet device. For the best overall experience, we recommend using a computer with a mouse.
What is on my Dashboard?
The Dashboard is your launching point for the
course after you sign in. It charts your progress, tracks your Knowledge Check scores, stores links to your
resources, and provides access to your research and plans.
As a teacher, how can I track my students’ progress?
Your
students’ dashboards contain print-ready summaries of their Knowledge Check scores and their research. We
are also working to integrate the course into an instructor management system so that you can assign and track
pre- and post-tests for each lesson. Stay tuned for more information.
What is the “Keeping It Real” tab about?
The “Keeping
It Real” tab points out simplifications or assumptions that have been made for the interactions in the
course. This tab is important for understanding how the interaction relates to the real world, so that you can
create a more accurate, personalized plan outside of the course.
If I have questions during the lesson, where can I get more
information?
Most pages include a “Resources” tab and an Info button. The
Resources tab provides links to additional information tied to the content on the page. The Info button provides
data sources or information about functionality.
There is a lot of data involved in the course. Where can I find more information about
the sources?
Most of the data are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational
Outlook Handbook and Consumer Expenditure Survey, as well as the National Center for Education Statistics. The
Info button located in the upper right-hand corner of each interaction contains data source information. The
Technical Notes page contains additional details about how the data are used.
How often is the course updated?
The course data is updated at least
every 2 years to align with the timing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ update of its Occupational
Outlook Handbook.
How do data updates affect my selections?
In most cases, a data update
will be seamless for your user experience. However, in some cases a data update may conflict with your previous
selections. For example, the education requirement for a job you are interested may change from one data update
to the next. In that case, you will have the opportunity to change your selections depending on your progress in
the course.
Can I make changes after I have clicked “Submit” on an interaction or once
I finish a lesson?
You can change your selections as many times as you would like while you
are on a particular page, even after you click “Submit.” However, once you click “Next”
to proceed to the next page you may be prompted to confirm your choices. Once you confirm your choices, your
selections will be locked so that your data can be pulled into future interactions.
How do I save my progress if I don’t finish a lesson?
If you wish
to continue the lesson at a later time, it’s best to sign out after you complete an interaction. Pressing
“Submit” or “Finished Exploring” automatically saves your selections and your progress.
When you sign back in, your Dashboard will indicate your progress and allow you to navigate to your last
interaction where you can begin again.
Do I have to complete the lessons in order?
Yes. You cannot complete
Lesson 2 or Lesson 3 without finishing the previous lesson(s) because the content builds on what has already
been completed. If you only want to complete one lesson, Lesson 1 covers a number of concepts as a stand-alone
lesson. These include spending, saving, income, taxes, human capital, and unemployment. You’ll also
interact with charts and data in a variety of formats and develop research skills as you explore your options
for life after high school.
Troubleshooting
What if I encounter a problem during the course, like an error or my selections
aren’t being saved correctly?
First, try clicking the “Dashboard” link on
the upper-left side of the page. If that does not work, try signing out and back in. If you are still unable to
advance in the course, click on the Contact Us link to submit the issue, so our team
can try to fix the problem. Please provide as much information about the issue as possible.
Terms of Use
What are the terms and conditions for the using the website?
Please
review our Terms and Conditions for the site disclaimer and our privacy policy. In order
to use the site, you must agree to these terms and conditions when you register.
How do I reference the course?
Please refer to the course as Invest in
What’s Next: Life After High School from the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond and San Francisco. Please
use the following citation for the website: "Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond and San Francisco, Invest in
What’s Next: Life After High School, [date accessed] [http://www.investinwhatsnext.org]."