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Stephanie W. Mathis

June 29, 2012

Dr. Sheryl Moss

Impact of Legislation on Schools and Students

The demands of a globally competitive U S workforce have raised the bar for all, and adequately

preparing just a fraction of the student population is not an option because of the profound, negative social

and economic consequences. Students face growing challenges in their capacity to succeed and

historically struggle in work-based skills which are indispensable for success. In response to these

challenges, and with accountability movements gaining momentum, since the 1983 report, A Nation at

Risk, new legislations provide South Carolina students with the educational resources they need to achieve

successful futures (Fullan, 2007, p. 351). The chief state legislation to support this development is the

mandate of the Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA). Developed in 2005, this legislation

works to support academic performance by enhancing students' job skill preparation, brings real life

learning into the classroom, and improves parent-school communication and involvement. The infusion of

these three dynamics ensures that more students will graduate from high school prepared to succeed in the

global economy.

Description of Program

EEDA works to enhance student success and graduation rates and to increase students’

preparation for postsecondary education and high-skill jobs. EEDA’s goal is to guide each student by way

of a concentration on career awareness, provide career investigation at every school level, and establish

locally appropriate programs of study (POS) in high schools. EEDA includes almost all of the fundamental

necessities of Perkins IV as well as additional components designed to support the implementation of POS.

These components include additional support for high-risk students, the structuring of the high school

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curriculum around a minimum of three career clusters per school, and enhancing the role of school

guidance counselors. These goals sustain evidence-based high school development and enhance better

communication among secondary and postsecondary education (Hilber, 2006). Providing these factors for

student success also supports the federal mandate of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).

The EEDA Act also requests the addition of career specialists who have Career Development

Facilitator (CDF) training certification. These individuals are under the direction of school counselors;

supplying career awareness, career education, and career exploration activities to students. It also

incorporates a 300 to 1 student to guidance personnel ratio, which includes school counselors and career

specialists. A further remarkable characteristic of EEDA is engaging the students' parents in the career

guidance development and involving them in the process of a yearly review of the student’s Individual

Graduation Plan (IGP) (Hilber, 2006).

In addition, included in the EEDA requirement is Personal Pathways to Success, a structure

designed to support South Carolina businesses and students in meeting the demands of the work force.

This component has shown to improve graduation rates and to prepare students for postsecondary work.

Personal Pathways to Success provides students with the employment knowledge that they need to

improve job opportunities in the current economy (Stipanovic, 2010, p. 33).

Impact of Legislation on Curriculum and Students

Communication between secondary and postsecondary institutions is also supported by EEDA as

it is incorporates features of the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) National Model through

stressing the responsibility of school counselors in offering comprehensive career services to every

student. EEDA creates a framework for participation in career counseling that is often missed in schools by

centering both the counseling program and the curriculum focus on career pathways. It provides

accessibility of counseling and career guidance services across all grade levels and incorporates career

familiarity at the elementary school level. Over the last five years, Senior Projects have become a focus for

Spartanburg District One. These projects require that every senior enlist a mentor to help him develop their

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chosen area of interest. Community and career representatives also engage in the project presentation

based on career clusters which forces students to make connections to outside of the high school setting.

Services employed in the framework of the career cluster curriculum make available to students both real-

world problem-solving opportunities paired with robust academics (Stipanovic, 2010, pp. 33-34).

The Personal Pathways to Success framework supplies a common goal of preparing students for

the path they need to accomplish their postsecondary career goals. It offers a combination of technical and

academic skills students need to be competitive in a global market. Greater connections with

postsecondary institutions have created articulation agreements between districts resulting in more dual

credit opportunities for students, thus earning college credit in high school. This reduces the cost of college

for families. Relating success in school through success in life motivates students to be successful in the

school setting. EEDA retains the South Carolina fundamental diploma requirements while developing

pathways to students’ success no matter what their postsecondary plans. Specifically, since 2007, the dual

credit enrollment at Chapman High School has increased by 100%. Increasing opportunities for students

provides more options. As a result, graduates, prepared with job skills, are more marketable in the

workforce and make businesses more competitive. This yields more jobs and wealth for every person in the

state (Stipanovic, 2010, p. 34).

The addition of the CDF position as well as the application of the Personal Pathways to Success

component has enhanced learning opportunites and increased graduation rates. The CDF incorporates real

life learning into the curriculum by employing guest speakers as well as job shadowing opporotunities.

Chapman High School had 50% of its student populations engage in job shadowing. Students were

required to complete a reflection analysis as a requirement which further develops their career awareness

and interests. Increased awareness of career requirements has increased our graduation rate

approximately 10%, from 75% to 84% graduating on time. When students encounter real-life work

experiences, they see the connection between high academic standards and career connections.

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This emphasis in EEDA and the necessities of the IGP development have increased the amount of

time counselors spend on one-on-one career-based counseling with students and parents (Reese, 2010,

pp. 17-18). It can be challenging to meet with every student on an annual basis due to other duties

assigned to counselors. However, an additional benefit for students is the individual attention they receive

in these conferences. For instance, in 2011-2012, Spartanburg District One had 100% parent participation

in the development of the students' IGPs, which means that every parent (or designee) had a conference

with his/her child's counselor in preparation for high school completion and career development. Greater

effort towards involving parents in the class and career planning of their children, fosters school, family, and

community involvement; ensuring that students have the support necessary for success (Hilber, 2006).

Respect for differences allows all members of the school to feel safe, which is a key component of

the comprehensive guidance program in the “learning to live” component of the EEDA. This component

also develops student leadership, empathy for others, and ability to control impulsiveness through

individual counseling, classroom guidance, and small group sessions (Reese, 2010, pp. 17-18). School

counselors may also celebrate accomplishments of students through rituals and traditions, develop strong

interpersonal relationships with peers and adults, and foster open dialogue on school issues (Seem &

Hernandez, 2004, pp. 257-259).

Comprehensive school counseling programs affect school climate. School counselors ensure that

the program is school wide and reaches all students (Reese, 2010, pp. 17-18). The development of a

character education program addresses issues of school violence and supports the Safe Schools Climate

Act of 2006, which incorporates harassment, intimidation, or bullying prevention in school. Counselors also

assist with training of constituents, the developing of mentoring programs, facilitating programs to deal with

anger management, and conducting thorough discussion groups to address disciplinary policies. For

example, CHAMP (Chapman High School Advisory and Mentoring Program) incorporates weekly lessons

appropriate to students’ grade-level on strategies for success in high school.

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Utilizing extra-curricular programs and mental health services to inspire proper behavior and

expectations also works to strengthen the idea of real world behavior. At Chapman High School, the

Champions by Choice program includes athletic leaders who define and model appropriate behavioral

expectations. This peer modeling is particularly effective for high school students. Likewise, course

offerings, such as Freshman Seminar incorporates instructional units to maintain appropriate behaviors. In

the same way, two freshman academies provide safety nets for at-risk incoming freshman. These programs

build student-teacher relationships in the school by providing yearlong class offerings. Teachers in these

programs have more time to focus on “soft skill” development such as study skills and time management,

building the students’ confidence which often alleviates behavior problems in the future. Similarly, students

are more likely to attend school when they are a part of a safe and orderly environment (Seem &

Hernandez, 2004, pp. 260-261).

Impact of Legislation on District and Funding.

In an effort to secure and maintain the implementation of EEDA, districts have incorporated key

individuals to administer these programs. In some cases, the job title includes the name of the act itself.

Successful program implementation requires that coordinators work with school level principals. For

instance, guidance counselors meet periodically to review comprehensive guidance plans and EEDA

requirements. As mentioned, at the school level, it also incorporates a 300 to 1 student to guidance

personnel ratio.

Also, additional funding is also needed to support the guidance program with this initiative. For

example, to ensure that incoming Freshman have the foundation skills needed in upper-level course

offerings, the transitional programs establishished for them requires a 15 to 1 teacher student ratio.

Program development for CHAMPS and Champions by Choice requires professional development for all

teachers, as well as time carved out bi-weekly in class schedules for this instruction. Similarly, school

districts must ensure that the elective classes offerings support the career development for the students.

As dual credit options increase for students, districts must develop vertical articulation agreements to meet

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this requirement. This also increases the need for more personnel to ensure that class sizes remain viable

in other course offerings.

As the EEDA mandates that counselors are not to perform administrative tasks, the administrators'

job descriptions must also change to support master schedule development, truancy interventions, parent

communication, and graduation rate. Hence, when additional responsibilities are added without additional

staff everyone on staff must carry more responsibility.

For Spartanburg District One to implement the EEDA mandates and the programs to support it

requires nine Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions. In dollar amounts, this is roughly $630,000 for salaries,

which only includes the guidance personnel and two teachers. The financial impact is higher if additional

staff is needed to support supplementary course offerings. This figure does not include the administrative

costs acrued through copies and mailings. While District One receives $212,631 to assist with program and

staff support for this mandate, the financial concern is in acquiring additional funds to support the

employees' salaries as well as supplying the professional development needed for implementation. Hence,

the challenge of this legislation is finding the adequate resources to continue to provide these services to

students.

South Carolina will encounter numerous challenges in the upcoming years as it continues to

improve public schools. Eller and Carlson hypothesize “instructional leadership is a journey, not a

destination” (2009, p. 143). This is essential to keep in mind as a superintendent works through the

opportunities and difficulties provided as the chief academic officer of his/her school district. Problems will

still face the state and educational development, including those connected with economic and family

status, well-being, school readiness, and at-risk behaviors. EEDA works to enhance this responsibility by

making the school environment more meaningful for students. It supports improving the graduation rate,

reducing achievement gaps, and developing skills for success in the workplace. Therefore, it is crucial that

our state continue to support these intiatives as the impact of the decisions made today will directly affect

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teaching and learning and will have long-term benefits for students as they grow to be the decision makers

of the future.

Works Cited

Eller, J., & Carlson, H. C. (2009). So now you’re the superintendent [Kindle IPad].

Fullan, M. (2007). Educational Leadership (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Hilber, D. (2006, September). The career clusters framework. SC Department of Education: Office of

Career and Technology Education.

Reese, S. (2010, October). A leading role for career guidance counselors. Techniques: Connecting

Education and Careers, 85(7), 16-19. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov./‌PDFS/‌EJ909592

Seem, S. R., & Hernandez, T. J. (2004, April). A safe school climate: A systematic approach and the school

counselor. ASCA Professional School Counseling, 256-262.

Stipanovic, N. (2010, October). Providing comprehensive career guidance services through a career

pathways framework. Techniques: Connecting Education and Careers, 85, 32-35. Retrieved from

http://www.eric.ed.gov./‌PDFS/‌EJ909596