DCPS is requiring students to use the website Clever for log-on access to the college and career readiness software, Naviance. Central Office’s College and Career Programs made the switch on January 16 to improve security but a glitch allowed students to override this new system.

Noa Maltzman, DCPS College Prep Program Analyst, explained that the shift was in response to a Naviance program update that altered their log-on system, preventing school districts from having set logins. Eleventh-grade counselor Patrice Maites added that “Naviance originally had a standard log-on that I could change for you if a student forgot it. But now, only the student has access and I have no ability to change your password.” With Clever, an existing partner of Naviance, all students will have standard account information that can’t be changed.

Naviance provides DCPS students with numerous tools including college profiles and matching systems, surveys, and scholarship resources. As the website contains personal student data, account safety was the leading cause for the switch. 

Now Naviance is intended to be only reachable through Clever, a website allowing students and staff to access numerous education softwares with a single sign-on. “DCPS had already been using Clever for students to access other applications, the switch was recommended to a single sign-in method which offers an increased level of security,” Maites said. Programs such as Khan Academy, Code.org, and Reading Inventory also exist on Clever. 

All students are supposed to use their student ID as their username and six-digit birthday as their password to log on to Clever and then reach Naviance. Parents and teachers will continue to sign in to Naviance directly. 

However, when trying to log in using Naviance, instead of clearly being directed to Clever, students are given the option to reset their password. The new passwords provide students with direct access to their Naviance accounts whenever they try to sign on in the future. Maltzman said that this ability was added when Naviance made their changes to the login system, and DCPS turned off the feature after being notified that it was running. Still, students have the ability to reset their account information and bypass the use of Clever. 

Despite the glitch, Maites believes that this change to Clever has had a positive reception so far, with few reports of difficulty from students. “Wilson website has posted the message [and] directions available online; counselors have posted directions in the school building and continue to support students with access,” Maites said. In addition, some counselors have been going into classes to teach students how to use the new logins.