Title: Creating a LifeLong Learning Culture Making school relevant for students accessing postsecondary opt
1Creating a Life-Long Learning CultureMaking
school relevant for students accessing
post-secondary options
- Elsa Clark, President
- Western Association for College Admission
Counseling - Esther Hugo, Past-President
- Western Association for College Admission
Counseling - Diana Fuentes-Michel, Executive Director
- California Association for
- Student Financial Aid Administrators
2The Landscape
- World of college admission has changed
- Before 1950s, 20 went to college
- Today, 65 do.
- Almost 9 out of 10 students say they plan on
going to college - Most ambitious generation ever
3California Landscape
- Statewide, only 26 of the 9th graders graduated
from high school ready for college - California ranks below all but one state in
sending high school seniors to four-year colleges - Only Mississippi sends a smaller percentage of
its high school seniors to four-year colleges -
- Source California Educational Opportunity
Report, 2006
4Presentation Objectives
- Understanding the general context and specific
issues for our new school counseling program - Identify strategies for working with at-risk
students - Learn specific strategies for helping students
select college and career pathways
5Presentation Overview
- At-Risk Strategies
- Middle School students
- High School students
- Career/College Counseling
- Strategies
- Issues
- Financial Aid information
6Goals and Methods
- Prepare ALL students for a full range of
postsecondary options thru - Structural
- Motivational
- Experiential college prep and career
opportunities - Achieve a balance between
- High-quality mass communication
- High-quality personal communication
7At-Risk Students
- First-Generation students
- Face barriers to college access
- Poor academic preparation
- Lack of support from family and friends
- Need assistance in understanding the meaning of
college - Need help in identifying careers
8Gaps in Attendance
- 75 of African-American
- 78 of Latino high school graduates are not
eligible for the UC and CSU systems - What can be done to increase participation,
especially for low-income, at-risk students?
9At-Risk Students Middle School
- What Works
- Career Exploration and awareness activities
- Shows relevance of learning to career choice
- Occupations explored with high school planning in
mind - Forms links to hs curriculum
10At-Risk Middle School Students
- Career Focus leads to curricular focus
- Skills, training and education needed for
occupations - Concludes with My High School Planner preview
of 4-year plan - Validation of student interests and abilities
- Classroom lessons faculty, too
11At-Risk Middle School Students
- Personalizing the educational environment
- Improve school climate
- Help students develop a sense of belonging
through school clubs and activities - Provide options for leadership
12At-Risk Students High School
- Summer intervention to enhance upcoming ninth
grade year - Scheduling double period in math and literacy to
provide more time on task for students with
deficits - Personalizing education through learning
community models
13At-Risk High School Strategies
- Tutoring programs
- After-school programs
- Dual enrollment options
- Concurrent enrollment in community colleges
- Partner with local colleges
- Math Academy taught on college campuses
14At-Risk High School Options
- Career Technical Education
- Careers demand high-level math, critical reading,
problem solving, reading and writing - Construction workers, Plumbers,
- Auto Technicians, Sheet Metal Workers, Computer
Specialists - Associates degree has value
15At-Risk High School Options
- Community Colleges
- 30 of UC and 60 of CSU transfers
- Facilitate community college enrollment for
transfer and/or certificate programs - Apply Early
- English and math matter
- Placement test preparation
- Financial Aid
16Community College Options
- Communicate student achievement to high school
departments - Summer Bridge programs
- Learning Communities
- Research says Algebra 2 matters
- Community college is still college
- CTE classes help students prepare for major
coursework - Financial Aid big factor in student success
17Career/College Counseling for ALL
- Prepare ALL students for a FULL range of
postsecondary options - A-G and Career Technical Education
- Test preparation and career assessments
- Counseling for broad access students
- Professional development training must be ongoing
18Career/College Counseling Issues
- More than one-half of CA high schools offer too
few college prep classes - Career pathways articulated?
- Career Technical Education classes part of A-G
sequence - Parents must be involved in process
19College/Career Strategies
- People
- Programs
- Publications
- Parents
- Personalization
- Planning
20College/Career Counseling Issues
- Classroom presentations/faculty
- Conducting conferences with students and parents
- Ongoing development and evaluation of the school
counseling program - Collaboration with campus constituents and
community
21What were working toward
- Students with better grades and test scores
- Students with positive attitudes
- Parents with more direct involvement
- High school graduates who graduate with a plan
- Greater access to financial aid and scholarships