Top 10 Ways to Prepare Your School for Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling

1
Top 10 Ways to Prepare Your School for
Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling

• Eric Sparks
• Past President
• American School Counselor Association

2
Objectives

• Participants will learn
• Practical tips for ASCA National Model
  implementation
• Ways to create interest among principals and
  district administrators in school counseling
  programs
• How to connect the ASCA National Model to school
  data and School Improvement Plans
• Tips for data usage and collection

3
The Best Thing to Do for Your Students

• Implement a Comprehensive School Counseling
  Program
• The ASCA National Model is Your Guide

4
Wake County Public School System (WCPSS)
Implementation

• 139,000 students
• 156 schools district wide
• 350 School Counselors

5
First Year WCPSS Participation Results (03-04)

• High level of participation!
• Elementary 60
• Middle 77
• High School 88

6
Fifth Year of Implementation (08-09)

• 25 RAMP Award Winners
• 9 Elementary
• 7 Middle (1 Alternative)
• 9 High (2 Re-Ramp)

7
13. Present the National Model to Stakeholders to
get Buy-In

• Principals
• Superintendent/Asst Superintendent
• Curriculum and
• Instruction Admin
• PTA
• Faculty Meeting
• School Counselors

8
Present to School Counselors

• Share the vision
• Prepare counselors for change
• Show how National Model addresses perennial
  school counseling issues
• Challenge them to continue to improve

9
Determine What Information to Provide

• Administrators
• ASCA National Model Executive Summary
• School Counselors
• ASCA National Model
• (1 per person)
• ASCA National Model Workbook (1 per school)

10
How are students different as a result of the
school counseling program?
11
12. Connect with school/district goals and plans

• School Improvement Plans
• District Goals
• State Goals

12
WCPSS Goal 2008

• By 2008
• 95 of students in grades 3 through
  12 will be at or above grade level as
  measured by NC EOG or EOC tests
• All student groups will demonstrate high growth
• 1 goal for entire district!

13
11. Provide Appropriate Training

• Great for teambuilding!
• Foundation
• Action Plans
• Use a team approach
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Nurses
• Administrators
• Career Development Coordinators
• Instructional Resource Teachers
• Intervention Coordinators

14
10. Understand Measurable Goals and Objectives

• Counselors may have difficulty writing clear
  action plans

• Goals are broad statements that describe expected
  outcomes

• Objectives are are clear, realistic, measurable
  and time-limited statements of actions which,
  when completed, will move towards goal
  achievement

15
Writing Goals and Objectives for Action Plans

• Choose a reasonable number of action plans
• All school counseling goals should be written in
  the terms of improving
• Academics
• Behavior
• Attendance

• Strategies are counseling strategies, and fit
  within the activities in the Delivery System

16
Example of Goals and Objectives
17
9. Define At-Risk

• How do you define at-risk?
• How does NCLB define at-risk?

18
Define At-Risk

• Big 3
• Academics
• Behavior
• Attendance

The Big 3!
19
WCPSS Academic Risk Factors for High School

• Below Grade Level (8th)
• Math
• Reading
• Competency Not Met
• Math
• Reading
• F on Computer Competency

• Below grade level any of 5 End of Course Tests
• F in one course last year
• F in more than one course last year
• Retained last year

20
8. Collaborate on Data

• Data may be difficult to get it is
  confidential
• Determine who has the data
• School level
• District level
• State level
• Find out what data is available
• Can they make it simple to use?

21
Who do you collaborate with?

• Evaluation and research experts
• Staff development experts
• Conduct Data Academies
• Independent Organizations
• EDSTAR

22
7. Use the Data

• May be the most difficult piece for counselors
• Counselors must
• get comfortable with data
• interpret data
• collect data

• Not turning counselors into statisticians or
  researchers

23
Some Ways to Examine Data
24
Phase I
Getting Comfortable with Data

• Learning to use data, technology, to target
  students

Phase II

• Identifying effective practices

Phase III

• Asking questions that can be answered with data

25
Phase II Identifying Effective Practices

• Increased minority enrollment in AP courses
• Fewer suspensions
• More ESL parent participation at conferences
• Increased test scores
• Documentation and evidence of success has
  clarified their roles
• Teachers have begun to make students more
  accessible for services

26
Phase III Asking Questions

• Are there variables that can predict who is
  likely to drop out as 9th graders?
• Can we use this data to identify effective
  practices for serving these students?
• Can we identify students to target for
  interventions who are likely to drop out as 9th
  graders?

27
Student Information Given To Counselors
(Individual)
28
Student Information Given To Counselors (By Grade)
29
6. Determine what services are available in your
schooldistrictcommunity

• Large schools offer many services
• Who knows all of the services?
• Counselors
• Social WorkersNursesPsychologists
• Teachers
• Administrators
• Parents
• Students
• How do you let students and parents know about
  these services?
• The power of resource lists

30
Resource Checklist
31
5. Focus on Leadership, Advocacy, Collaboration

• Need 1 person with a vision
• Youre here
• (This is you!)

• Expect difficult questions
• Answer questions within these categories
  (leadership, advocacy, collaboration)
• All lead to Systemic Change

32
4. Develop a Long-Range Plan

• Be clear about your vision
• Create a 3-5 year implementation plan
• Divide model into manageable chunks
• Start wherever it makes the most sense for your
  district
• Remember accountability takes time

33
WCPSS Recognition (Implementation Plan)

• ¼ carat

• ½ carat

• ¾ carat

• Full carat!
• (RAMP Ready)

34
What Level 1 (1/4 carat) Schools Do . . .

• Beginning of Year (by Nov. 9)
• Calendar (Including Suicide Prevention Activities
  - MS HS)
• Action Plans
• Management Agreement
• Resource Checklist
• End of the Year (by June 15)
• Results Report (year end)
• Results Over Time

35
(No Transcript)
36
(No Transcript)
37
WCPSS District School Counseling Goals
Objectives

• Goal All schools will demonstrate how students
  are different as a result of their school
  counseling program.
• Objectives
• 1. By the end of 2007, 100 of WCPSS schools
  will be at the ¼ carat program or higher.
• 2. By end of 2007, 20 (26) of schools will be
  RAMP.

38
3. Accept the Yeah, buts . . .

• Learn from probletunities
• Not everyone will embrace the model
• Improve from their questionscommentscomplaints
• Acknowledge issues
• Wont solve all the issues in one year
• Look for solutions
• Keep Moving!

from David Langford
39
2. Find Your Sardines!

• Some school counselors and administrators will
  buy in immediately
• Only need 20 to get going
• Start with volunteers

40
Blue Whales

• Blue whales take 3-5 minutes to turn 180 degrees

41
Committed Sardines from Doug Manning

42
1. The number one way to prepare your school or
district to implement the ASCA National Model
43
Contact Information

• Eric Sparks
• Past President
• American School Counselor Association
• esparks_at_wcpss.net
• 919.858.1702