Program helps kids gauge abilities

[Source: Andrea Natekar, East Valley Tribune] — For ninth-grader Jade McDowell, it came down to two choices: preschool teacher or pharmacist. After completing a new online career test, the 14-year-old Mesa student discovered those two careers best fit her interests, skills, and values. The Kuder Assessment computer program, new this year to the Mesa Unified School District, is one of the ways Mesa educators are trying to get students thinking about their careers well before they fill out college applications.