School Counselor Advocacy: It s Not a Choice Anymore!

Transcription

1 School Counselor Advocacy: It s Not a Choice Anymore! Presenters: Mike Lefort~Professional School Counselor/ Coordinator (Retired) Cathy Smith~Professional School Counselor Louisiana Counseling Association Conference September 15-17, 2013 New Orleans, LA

2 Each secondary school SHALL provide school counselors. REVISED IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT each secondary school (shall) provide school counselors at a ration of 1:450 - or a major fraction thereof. Bulletin 741

3 BESE BOARD

4 January 16, 2013 BESE Meeting Testified on behalf of school counselors Result Kept in Shall and the 450:1 ratio Added two statements making school counselor s optional if schools can provide counseling services through alternate means. BESE Meeting #1

5 Refer to the Louisiana State Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Model. B. Each secondary school shall provide school counselors at a ratio of 1:450 or a major fraction thereof. Each elementary school and middle school shall provide school counselors when enrichment formula funds are provided. 1. THIS PROVISION SHALL NOT APPLY TO SCHOOLS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING ACADEMIC GUIDANCE, POSTSECONDARY COUNSELING, AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENTAL SUPPORT THROUGH ALTERNATE MEANS. 2. THE LDE MAY REQUEST INFORMATION REGARDING THE SERVICES PROVIDED IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE ABOVE RATIO IS NOT BEING MET. C. A planned, comprehensive counseling program that is preventive and developmental in nature shall be provided in the school through an interdisciplinary approach. Bulletin 741

6 LSCA meets with Superintendent John White and BESE President Chas Roemer

7 February 19, 2013 Increased Flexibility for Districts and Schools Graduation coaches Career Compass Higher education institutions Community mentors Community health providers Local business leaders or professionals DOE Newsletter

8 Louisiana Register March 20, days to mail public comments to BESE EBLAST; s; phone calls Result 206 letters mailed in all in support of school counselors Notice of Intent

9 Added an evaluation for private service providers LSCA still not satisfied! CONFERENCE CALL WITH SUPERTENTENT WHITE Revisions

10 About 30 school counselors and LSU graduate students attended During testimonies. Mr. Walter Lee, 4 th BESE District of Shreveport motioned to return to original language. RESULT Make request to State Superintendent of Education John White for his consideration BESE Meeting #2

11 Bulletin 741 remains untouched from last year original before all the revisions. DOE has reached out to LSCA Working relationship Today

12 feature=player_detailpage&v=c VAiRd8X0qA A video

13 What does Advocacy mean to you? THINK - PAIR - SHARE

14 Lee (1998) defined advocacy the process or act of arguing or pleading for a cause or proposal. Recommends that counselors become agents of social change Argue for the advancement of the counseling profession Find themselves intervening with systems and organizations Advocacy for Counseling and Counselors: A Professional Imperative by Meyers, Sweeney, White What is advocacy?

15 Research indicates effective schools are: Characterized by staff members who support a guiding mission, purpose, and goals, and understand the importance of colleagues specialized roles in reaching school goals (Lieberman, 2004). Why school counselor advocacy?

16 Professional school counselors are Important members of school teams Professional school counselors face challenges Fellow educators and other stakeholders are unclear about their current position in schools (Dotson, 2009). Why school counselor advocacy?

17 School counselor s role is unclear School counselors tasks, expectations and demands vary Definition of the school counselor s role is left to the administrator s discretion (ASCA, Public Relations and Advocacy) and also because

18 Individual school counseling program Comprehensive Data-driven program School counselors Must educate the public Clarify the function of a school counseling curriculum and also because

19 Where is advocacy in the model?

20 Develop a comprehensive counseling program handbook Provide workshops to explain the role of the professional school counselor and the components of a comprehensive counseling program. Communicate with the total school family-that includes custodians, cooks, and bus drivers as well as other educators. Advocacy activities on role of PSCs

21 Publish a monthly counseling newsletter. Let others know the process for referring a student for services. Organize and maintain a counseling advisory committee made up of parents, teachers, counselors, administrators, students, and community members. Advocacy activities on role of PSCs

22 Serve as a member on school/district wide committees. Present the role of the professional school counselor to new staff members during new staff orientation meetings. Provide workshops to share special topics to meet student needs. More advocacy activities

23 Present information about the counseling program at monthly faculty meetings. Prepare a brochure about your school s comprehensive counseling program to demonstrate what services are available. Be visible, be helpful, and involve others in your counseling program activities. More advocacy activities

24 Make posters and hang them in classrooms, hallways, and the office to advocate the counseling services available. Develop a job description to share with appropriate stakeholders. Publish a monthly counseling newsletter for teachers Let students and teachers know the process for referring a student for responsive services. More advocacy activities

25 Brown and Trusty (2005) derived several useful practice guidelines from the advocacy competencies. A step-by-step model of the advocacy process based on those guidelines and based on the competencies follows. A Model of the Advocacy Process

26 Develop and clarify professional identity around advocacy dispositions. These are motivating to the advocacy process, and they help in making decisions of an ethical-legal nature. 1. Develop advocacy dispositions

27 Build collaborative relationships with decision-makers and potential advocacy resource people and groups. Acquire knowledge of parameters, and gain an understanding of relevant systems within and outside the school. 2. Develop relationships/knowledge

28 Gather data and other information to understand and objectively assess and define the advocacy problem and to aid advocacy efforts. Determine problem etiology and understand the problem in the context of systems. 3. Define the advocacy problem

29 Clear and specific plans of action should effectively utilize resources and anticipate difficulties. Be flexible unless an important moral principle is at stake. 4. Develop action plans.

30 Use problem-solving skills, communication skills, collaboration skills, dispute resolution mechanisms, and advocacy models for producing change. Monitor, organize, and manage advocacy efforts on various fronts. 5. Implement action plans

31 Ensure that agreed-upon changes are implemented. Promote and support collaborators and others as changes unfold and as setbacks occur. Continued 5. Implement action plans

32 Evaluate the effectiveness of advocacy efforts by following up on changes and determining if needs are met. The problem assessment and problem definition should specify or imply appropriate evaluation criteria. 6. Make an evaluation

33 If advocacy efforts are successful, recognize and reward contributions to success and empower all involved (including students and families) to become advocates for themselves and others. If goals were not reached, regroup and focus on support and coping. 7. Celebrate or regroup

34 feature=player_detailpage&v=h nnwcf06yso A video

35 Get mad? Get even? Get upset? Get ahead? As comedian Lily Tomlin once said, I always wondered why somebody doesn t do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody. What are we to do?

36 The time is now for all professional counselors and counselor educators to advocate for the profession to which you have dedicated yourselves. You need to advocate for the profession with as much intensity as you exhibit in advocating for those whom you serve. When do I do this and how?

37 List three activities you will do to advocate at your school. Goals

38 School Counseling as a program not a position within the schools. A program A coherent sequence of instruction based upon a validated set of competencies (WV, 2011) ASCA 2013 Springfield Public Schools Carol A. Dahir Ylanda D. Johnson A Shift in Thinking!

39 Design Implement Evaluate Comprehensive array of services Preventative and developmental A Shift in Thinking

40 Program Foundation Delivery System Management System Accountability System What does ASCA tell us we are supposed to do?

41 Align school counseling practice with district and building goals Help the principal to understand the work of school counselors Ask the question - How are students different as a result of school counseling program? Counselors will need to see the connection between comprehensive school counseling and effectiveness What should School Counselors do?

42 The program must also be evaluated to ensure that desired student learning outcomes are achieved. Proactively get ahead of the curve, instead of waiting for the next phase of a mandate. MAKE IT HAPPEN!

43 Everyone is accountable for student success! CHALLENGE Show how the school counseling program influences critical data elements on the school s report card. A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH to building your program will help support and secure the school counselor s position as a valued player in school improvement. Have priorities to achieve goals EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE THRIVE NOT SURVIVE

44 School Counselors are active participants in an evaluation process that supports collaboration and continuous learning. Continuous Learning

45 Self Assessment Summative Evaluation Analysis, Goal Setting and Plan Development Formatting Assessment/Evaluation Implementation of the PLAN

46 Louisiana School Counseling Model Appendix C Program Audit Sample ASCA National Model School Counseling Program Assessment Self-Assessment

47 Results of Needs Assessment Parent, Teacher and Student Test Scores School Improvement Plan School Report Card Ask Yourself How will students be DIFFERENT as a result of the school counseling program? Analysis

48 Student Learning Targets Goal Setting and Developing Plan

49 Formatting assessments and evaluation Yearly calendar Weekly calendar How are students DIFFERENT as a result of the school counseling program? Implement Plan

50 Summative Evaluation

51 Self Assessment Summative Evaluation Analysis, Goal Setting and Plan Development Formatting Assessment/Evaluation Implementation of the PLAN Start all over!

52 Administrators Teachers Parents Other relevant stakeholders ASCA 2013 Needs Assessment as an Advocacy Tool Dr. Amy Milson Share Results Widely

53 Website Newsletter Announcements Use Different Formats

54 LSCA Scene ASCA Scene Counselor s Toolbox Attend professional development Get involved Networking

55 Use results to: Inform others of next year s goals Make changes Celebrate Reflect

56 Cathy Smith Mike Lefort School Counselor Advocacy: It s Not a Choice Anymore!