In January 2014, the White House sponsored a Summit during which President Barack Obama called for “an ambitious new agenda aimed at improving college value, removing barriers to innovation and competition, and ensuring that student debt remains affordable.”

The Journey to Reach Higher

The Journey to Reach Higher Following this Summit

First Lady Michelle Obama continued the call for action through the Reach Higher Initiative which aims to inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school whether at

• a professional training program• a community college• a four year college or university• military training

The First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative

The Reach Higher initiative will help make sure all students understand what they need to complete their education, including:

• Exposing students to college and career opportunities

• Understanding financial aid eligibility that can make college affordability a reality

• Encouraging academic planning and summer learning opportunities

• Supporting school counselors who can help more kids get into college

                              

First Lady's Address - American School Counselor Association

July 1, 2014  

1. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released new guidance for students -- that superintendents and school principals can and should use their budgets to create professional development units for school counselors

2. The White House will be partnering with the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with ASCA, and with other organizations to host a special event on college counseling at the end of July, 2014

3. Starting in 2015, for the first time ever, there will be a White House ceremony honoring the School Counselor of the Year.

“School counseling should not be an extra or a luxury just for school systems that can afford it. School counseling is a necessity to ensure that all our young people get the education they need to succeed in today’s economy”                                                 -  FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA 

1st Reach Higher White House Convening Harvard University

Boston, MAJuly 28, 2014

Focus: maximizing the school counselors’ impact and influence on college enrollment.

• College Access Partners • School Counselor Educators • Funders • Researchers • Non Profit Agencies • School Districts • State Department

2nd Reach Higher White House Convening San Diego State University

San Diego, California – November 17/18, 2014July 28, 2014

• 30+ University/K-12/Community Partnerships

• Commitments for Future Opportunities to Link Successful Partnerships with those Seeking Mentoring to create them

• Mechanisms to Create, Consult and Contribute Action Plans, supporting documents, policies, outcomes and research designed to assist Strategic Partners in meeting the goals and outcomes stated above over the next two years and beyond.

Yo

Missouri TeamSan Diego, Nov. 2014

Dr. Lela Kosteck Bunch Past Executive Director

Missouri School Counselor Association

Dr. Marci Dowdy Missouri State University

Rhonda Mammen  Springfield Public Schools

Dr. Rene’YoeselDepartment of Elementary and Secondary EducationSan Diego State University

Six Target Outcomes San Diego State University Convening

November 17-18, 2014

1. Designing or revising school counselor preparation at higher ed to ensure adequate preparation standards for school counselors in college career readiness (CCR)

2. Developing, improving, and sustaining partnerships between university training programs and K-12 school districts to ensure field site placements and activities during fieldwork and training for site supervisors and administrators align with new requirements in CCR

3. Writing and implementing minimum credentialing/certificate standards for all who participate in CCR activities (university training programs, K-12 school districts, college access staff, and not-for-profit non-college access groups).

4. Supporting professional development in districts for school counselors and CCR service providers ensuring a collaborative scaffolding of agreed upon roles and services

5. Creating policies, practices, and procedures that support hiring, supervision, and placement of appropriately trained/certificated/licensed CCR service providers ensuring responsibilities are tied to training (job descriptions, evaluation tools, etc.)

6. Providing opportunities to develop strategic partnerships with donors, funders, and researchers interested in evaluating or supporting any or all of this work, promoting new systemic change models, and discovering evidence based practices to support school counselors and the students they serve

Missouri:  Our Commitment to the First Lady’s #ReachHigher Initiative

We will Implement a College and Career Readiness (CCR) component into new or existing career development course for pre-service school counselors and into in-service opportunities for practicing school counselors

Who/What is the commitment target initiative:Missouri pre-service and practicing school counselors.

Revise current coursework and professional development to include appropriate dedicated instruction in College and Career Readiness (CCR)

What stakeholders are missing from Missouri team: Representatives from Higher Education, CCR staff, Data Analyst/Research, Practitioner, Legislature/state govt.

New Members to Missouri TeamD

Dr. M. Rene’ Yoesel, LPC Director of Guidance and Counseling Dept. of Elem. & Sec. EducationDr. Lela Kosteck Bunch Former Executive Director Missouri School Counselor Assoc.Dr. Marci Dowdy Counselor Educator Missouri State UniversityRhonda Mammen Director of School Counseling Services Springfield Public SchoolsDr. Norm Gysbers Curators Distinguished Professor University of MissouriDr. Melissa Maras Asst. Professor, Dept. of Educational, School, & 

Counseling Psychology University of Missouri

Leroy Wade Deputy Commissioner MO Dept. of Higher EducationJackie Coleman Missouri Statewide Trainer Missouri ConnectionsSuzanne Richardson Director of Secondary Guidance Bayless School DistrictHayley Arnold School Counselor, District Coordinator Ladue School DistrictKaren Verstraete Counseling Dept. Chair & College Counselor Webster Groves School DistrictGay Baer Director of Guidance  Pilot Grove C-4 School District

Alan Byrd, Jr..  Dean of Enrollment Services University of MO-St. LouisDr. Lori Mann  College & Career Consultant Region 3 – Greater Kansas City 

Missouri Reach Higher Planning Calendar:

December, 2014 –  Extend invitation to strategic state stakeholdersInvestigate/research what is currently being offered in MO CCR and   solicit training materials from universities/counselor 

educators in other states

January, 2015 –         Report of progress  to Dr. Joyce Brown, Reach Higher Initiative

February, 2015 –      Submit proposal to present Reach Higher break out session at  MOACAC conference in April, 2015 & MSCA conference Nov. 

March, 2015 -            MO Team meeting

April, 2015 –              Present Reach Higher progress at DESE/Counselor Educator meeting  and MOACAC state conference

September, 2015 -  Submit proposal to present at American School Counselor Association national conference July, 2016

October, 2015 -  DESE Missouri Counselor Educator report and MO Team meetingNew Council formed – National School Counseling & College Access Organizations

November 2015 -  Presentation MSCA Fall  Conference & MO Team  representatives  to University of North Florida,, White House Convening

3rd Reach Higher White House Convening North Florida University

Jacksonville, Florida– November 2-4, 2015

475 delegates from 35 states  K-12,higher education, nonprofit organizations, state and national school counseling 

organizations, policy makers, researchers

• Measurement, Mobilization, Moving Forward

• Strengthening School Counseling and College Advising

Hayley Arnold Dr. Rene’ Yoesel   Dr. Marci Dowdy

School Counselor Dir. of Counseling Counselor Educator

Ladue School District DESE Missouri State University

Missouri Team

Jacksonville

College & Career

Metrics States A

re Tracking

What Have We Done in Missouri ?Nov. 2014- Nov. 2015

1. Expanded Missouri Team2. Two meetings with expanded MO ReachHigher team3. Surveyed Counselor Training Programs – 3 have designated CCR course & 1 Draft course to be 

implemented FA164. Collected 15 syllabi from other Counselor Education programs to share with School Counselor training 

programs5. Conducted five Focus Groups – “What should be included in pre-service and in-service training regarding 

College & Career Readiness for school  counselors “?1. Missouri Counselor Educators2. Missouri Association of College Admissions Counselors (MoACAC)3. Missouri State University School Counseling Advisory Committee4. Missouri School Counseling  Writing Team5. Missouri  Reacher Higher Team

NOW – WE WANT YOU – MSCA Practicing School Counselors

How can you help Missouri goal?

Who:Missouri pre-service and practicing school counselors.

What:Revise current coursework and professional development to include appropriate dedicated instruction in College and Career Readiness

How can you help Missouri goal?

Think from multiple perspectives (parents, teachers, first generation college student, families of poverty, college admissions counselor, scholarship committee, college/military/ apprenticeship reps, on-the-job-training programs, employers, etc.)

Think for the three levels:  Elementary, Middle, High School Counselors

1. Brainstorm ideas—activities, resources, assignments, experiential learning, etc.—that might be included in either a graduate course or in-service/professional development for practicing school counselors 

– what do school counselors at each level need to know and be able to do to be effective in preparing Missouri students to be College and Career ready ?

2. Write one idea per post it note until time is called—10 minutes

3. Post your ideas on the corresponding level poster

http://www.online-stopwatch.com/

Select level you prefer and move to that poster – Elementary, Middle School, High School

Sort the ideas into related groups using the following process: 1. Start by looking for two ideas that seem related in some way. 2. Place them together in a column off to one side. 3. Look for ideas that are related to those you've already set aside and add them to that group. 4. Look for other ideas that are related to each other and establish new groups. 5. Create header/title for each group

This process is repeated until your team has placed all of the ideas in groups. NOTE: Ideally, all of the ideas can be sorted into related groups. If there are some "loners" that don’t fit any of the groups, don’t force them into groupings where they don’t really belong. Let them stand alone under their own headers.

Gallery Walk – Take time to view all posters before exiting or taking seat

National Consortium for School Counseling and Postsecondary Success -White House Conveninghttp://www.ncscps.org/white-house-convening/index.cfm

Resources

Elementary School Counselor’s Guide – NOSCA’s Eight Components of College and Career Readiness Counselling http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/advocacy/nosca/11b-4383_ES_Counselor_Guide_WEB_120213.pdf

Middle School Counselor’s Guide – NOSCA’s Eight Components of College and Career Readiness Counsellinghttp://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/advocacy/nosca/11b-4382_MS_Counselor_Guide_WEB_120213.pdf

High School Counselor’s Guide – NOSCA’s Eight Components of College and Career Readiness Counsellinghttp://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/nosca/11b-4151_HS_Counselor_Guide_web.pdf