A National Call to Action: School Counselors Ensuring College and Career Readiness College Board National Office for School Counselor Advocacy Presented By: Jennifer A. Reed, Director of Counselor Advocacy
Each one of us has the responsibility to assess the roads that lie ahead and those roads of which we have traveled. And if the future road looms ominous and unpromising and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and carry only the necessary baggage, step off that road to a new directions. Maya Angelou
RECALLING MY JOURNEY Raise Your Hand If You Are: WHAT GENERATION? WHEN DID YOU KNOW? Why did you go to college? WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL? WHAT COURSES?
What Is NOSCA About? NOSCA Vision Every student exits high school with the educational preparation and social capital necessary for college success and full participation in a democratic society. NOSCA Mission Endorse and institutionalize school counseling practice that advocates for equitable educational access and rigorous academic preparation necessary for college readiness for all students.
At NOSCA we believe in Equity... The elimination of systemic barriers that restrict equitable access to and, acquisition of educational preparation necessary for college readiness, especially for students from ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups that have been traditionally underserved. Schools and districts should make every effort to ensure that the full range of students educational participation and performance reflect the diversity of their student population.
Let s Focus on the National Landscape
America s Workforce has Transformed from One that Featured More Jobs for High School Drop-outs to Demanding More College Graduates
The President s Goal is to lead the world in the number of college graduates by 2020-- moving the college completion rate from 40% to 60% for 25-34 year olds. Source: Secretary Arne Duncan, Ed.gov March 2009, Speech
Who is Going to College? Source: Education Pays 2010, The College Board
US Population Projections to 2050 Source: Internet Stats Today, http://internetstatstoday.com
Who is Not Going Anywhere? Persons age 18 to 24 not attending school, not working, and no degree beyond high school, 2009 Source: http://datacenter.kidscount.org
State By State Graduation Rates for Black, Non- Hispanic Male Students The Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2010
The Opportunity to Learn The Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2010
What s the United States Opportunity to Learning Gap(s)? The Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2010
The Opportunity to Learn The Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2010
The Opportunity to Learn The Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2010
College & Careers in America: Where Do We Stand? Once first in the world, America now ranks 10 th in the percentage of young adults with a college degree. For the first time in our history, the current generation of college-age Americans will be less educated than their parents generation unless things change quickly. In the current recession, unemployment rates are twice as high for those with just a high school diploma (10.8%) compared to those with a bachelor's degree or higher (4.9%). In just ten years, more than 60% of all new jobs will require a college education. Source: Complete College America National Eight Components Office for School of College Counselor and Career Advocacy Readiness (NOSCA) Counseling
How would this change what you already do? Not at All Somewhat Significantly 0% 50% 100%
The Need for College and Career Readiness Counseling The Importance of the School Counselor A Call to Action
School counselors should absolutely own the turf when it comes to college and career readiness counseling. -APAC July 2010 U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
A national advocacy campaign to galvanize and mobilize school counselors to own the turf of college and career readiness counseling and take the lead in establishing a college-going culture in their schools, districts, and communities.
Campaign Goals Provide every student with the inspiration, planning, academic preparation, and social capital to graduate high school ready for college. Empower school counselors. Increase awareness and understanding of the value and importance of college and career readiness counseling among school and district leaders, policymakers, and the public.
The Turf is counseling that provides the guidance and support for all students to graduate from high school be prepared for college and a career.
The Road Map
A Systemic K-12 Approach Page 4 Middle High Elementary Education is like constructing a building: the stronger the foundation the higher you can go.
College and Career Readiness Counseling A Systemic K-12 Approach Elementary School To create early awareness, knowledge and skills that lay the foundation for academic rigor and social development necessary for college and career readiness. Middle School To create opportunities to explore and deepen college and career knowledge and skill necessary for academic planning and goal setting. High School To create college and career pathways that promote full implementation of personal goals that ensure the widest range of future life options.
NOSCA s Eight Components of College and Career Readiness Counseling 1. College Aspirations 2. Academic Planning for College and Career Readiness 3. Enrichment and Extracurricular Engagement 4. College and Career Exploration and Selection Processes 5. College and Career Assessments 6. College Affordability Planning 7. College and Career Admission Processes 8. Transition from High School Graduation to College Enrollment
How to Deliver the Eight Components of College and Career Counseling Using the Transformative Process?
School Counselors can Impact College and Career Readiness True change occurs when school counselors work as leaders to attain equity through transformative practice by engaging in: Constructive and intentional action; Data usage to guide work; Use of systemic implementation; Movement from what is the status quo; and/or Progress toward a stated goal for improvement.
Students in need of champions Movers/Shakers Muscle Problem-Solvers Resources Tools
Who is locked out? Large # s African American Large # s Low SES Large # s Male Large # s Latino/Hispanic Locked Out Crew Others
Transformation is: Leadership and advocacy in school counseling practice that focuses on eliminating systemic barriers and gaps between student groups necessary for equity in college and career readiness outcomes.
Transformative Delivery of the Eight Components Content NOSCA s Transformative Process Context Cultural Competence Data Outcome Equitable Outcomes College and Career Readiness for all Students Multi-Level Delivery
The Transformative Process Context Context: Customized strategies and interventions to the setting, community and demographics of the school that consider. School Leadership and Bureaucracy Policies, Practices and Procedures Expectations, Beliefs & Behaviors School Culture and Climate Readiness for Change and Innovation Family and Community Norms and Values Geographic Context: Urban Suburban Rural Demographic Context: Diversity in Race/Ethnicity/ SES/Income/Language Family/Community Context: Single/Two Parent Families Single/Multi-family Households Blue /White Collar Workers
Context Family Poverty Community No value for education A natural dislike for reading Parents don t read to their kids Parents are uneducated Parents are always working There is no money for books They can t visit museums or travel Kids have to work to support the family No value for education No respect for authority No good role models Kids feel too unsafe to focus on school Language The students don t understand English well enough Since the parents can t speak English, they can t help their kids A lack of proper English proves a lack of intelligence I (the teacher) can t speak their language so I can t help them Mobility We (the school) are not responsible for their lack of learning since they just arrived here How can we help a student who is just going to move again? The student isn t stable enough learn
How would you customize your strategies and intervention to build student s college and career aspirations based on the context of your school? Geographic Context Demographic Context Family/Community Context
The Transformative Process Cultural Competence Cultural Competence: Apply the components in culturally sensitive ways, with knowledge of how programs, policies and practices impact diverse student groups. Cultural Competence Requires Action that Promotes Equity by: Providing leadership for open and authentic dialogue. Advocating against systemic and institutional barriers. Collaborating for shared outcomes that advantage all students.
The Culturally Competent School Counselor Awareness of self and others (individual and group) life realities, world views, and experiences in an inequitable society. I am aware of how my own group membership(s) (race/ethnicity, gender, disability, socio-economic status, nationality, and/or religion) can impact my group and other groups, especially groups that are traditionally underrepresented in college and career readiness. Knowledge of self and others (individual and group) history, culture, norms and, values. I understand and can acknowledge how diverse student groups and their families face systemic barriers in schools and society. National Eight Components Office for School of College Counselor and Career Advocacy Readiness (NOSCA) Counseling
The Culturally Competent School Counselor Skills that foster genuine communication and understanding necessary to build authentic and respectful relationships. I can match my communication style and interactions to meet the needs of the diverse groups that I work with in ways that facilitate trust and understanding. Action that promotes equity by: I can provide leadership for open and authentic dialogue. I can advocate against systemic and institutional barriers. I can collaborate for shared outcomes that advantage all students. National Eight Components Office for School of College Counselor and Career Advocacy Readiness (NOSCA) Counseling
What are the five greatest challenges to discussing race/ethnicity issues in your school? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Frequent Responses 1. Makes people of all races uncomfortable 2. There is no need to talk about race because I don t see color 3. I don t want to be isolated or be accused of being racist
Four Agreements of Courageous Conversations 1. Stay engaged- is a personal commitment to stay engaged regardless of the engagement of others. Staying engaged means remaining morally, emotionally, intellectually, and socially involved in the dialogue. 2. Speak the truth- is the willingness to engage in authentic conversation and is willing examination of one s true core racial beliefs, values, perceptions, and behaviors. 3. Experience discomfort- is the willingness to be uncomfortable as result of addressing differences about race. 4. Expect and accept non-closure- is understanding that these types of conversations will not reach closure. There is not quick fix and solutions discovered are forming and forever changing. Singleton & Linton (2006) Courageous Conversations About Race: A field Guide for Achieving Equity in School.
The Transformative Process Data Data: Used to identify inequity, develop measurable goals, inform practice, and demonstrate accountability. 1. Use data to: identify inequities develop measurable goals inform practice demonstrate accountability 2. How are inequities demonstrated in these types of data elements? 3. Examples of Data Elements Attendance rates Discipline rates Algebra I enrollment PSAT scores End of course test scores AP enrollment College acceptance rates College application rates FAFSA completion rates AP exam scores State test scores Discipline rates PSAT scores End of course tests
Which figure indicates aggregate data or disaggregate data?
Multi-level Delivery: Apply the eight components at the student, school, family and community level. School Counseling for Systemic Impact Individual Group Classroom Grade-level School-wide District Parent/Family Community (Lee & Goodnough, 2011)
Multi-level Interventions Delivering a consistent message of college and career readiness across the school community! Individual Meet with individual students Group Conduct group counseling Classroom Collaborate with teachers in collaborative classroom instruction Grade-level Facilitate grade-level transitions School-wide Impact system through policies and procedures District Use vertical teams to build a systemic pipeline Parents/Families Outreach to help parents and families empower themselves by building social capital and gaining information for college and career readiness Community Create collaborative partnerships to promote college and career readiness Source: Lee, V. V. & Goodnough, G. E. (2011). Systemic data-driven school counseling practice and programming for equity. In B. T. Erford (Ed.) Transforming the school counseling profession (3 rd.). Columbus, OH: Pearson Merrill Prentice-Hall.
Transformative Delivery of the Eight Components Content NOSCA s Transformative Process Context Cultural Competence Data Outcome Equitable Outcomes College and Career Readiness for all Students Multi-Level Delivery
What is Strategic Planning? It is a step by step process that uses data to set short term and/or long term goals to ensure school counseling practice/program is focused and has measureable outcomes that are aligned with school improvement.
Why Should School Counselors Use Strategic Planning? RANDOM ACTS of Guidance Services to Makes the most of the school counselor s time Riches! Links goals, interventions and outcomes Provides evidence to advocate for system change Eliminates random initiatives Provides results measured in student outcomes
Step 1 Analyze the Data Step 2 Set Goals Step 3 Choose Solutions Step 6 Institutionalize Equity Gains Step 5 Collect/Report Outcome Data Step 4 Implementing the Plan
School Counselor Strategic Planning Tool Step 1: Collect, analyze and interpret data to identify gaps in student outcomes. Examine data elements that describe student outcomes, disaggregated by race/ethnicity, gender, family income and other relevant measures, in order to identify student, school community needs. Analyze data to identify inequities. Step 2: Develop and prioritize measurable, data-driven goals aligned with school, district, state, and national goals. Goals should be specific, quantifiable, time-sensitive statements of what is going to be achieved and when it will be achieved. Step 3: Develop strategies and interventions to meet goals. Develop solutions and interventions that can be successfully implemented within the context of the school and community and will gain support from stakeholders.
School Counselor Strategic Planning Tool Step #4 Develop and implement the plans for each goal, including benchmarks to monitor profess. Develop multilevel actions plans for each goal. Identify action items, the specific individuals responsible for implementation and key milestones. Step #5 Collect and report outcome data to all stakeholders, and adjust strategies and interventions as needed based on results. Collect results data to determine whether the goals were reached and if strategies or implementations need to be adjusted. Presented results to administrators and other stakeholders. Step #6 Institutionalize policies, practices and procedures to sustain gain in equity. Identify the strategies and interventions that result in positive student outcomes and equity gains to make them standard operating procedure within the context of the school.
Step 5: Building Level School Counseling Accountability Report 1 2 3 Baseline Data: Goal Statement: Individual Level Systemic Interventions 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Group Level 5 Classroom Level Legend Grade Level School-wide Level Family Level District Community Level 4 Results/Outcome Statement: (Lee & Goodnough, 2011)
Find the NOSCA Eight Components on www.collegeboard.com/nosca National Eight Components Office for School of College Counselor and Career Advocacy Readiness (NOSCA) Counseling
Each one of us has the responsibility to assess the roads that lie ahead and those roads of which we have traveled. And if the future road looms ominous and unpromising and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and carry only the necessary baggage, step off that road to a new directions. Maya Angelou
National Office for School Counselor Advocacy Jennifer Reed, Director jreed@collegeboard.org 202-741-4715