involving others and maximizing professionals to improve college and career readiness wacac...
TRANSCRIPT
Developing a Shared Agenda
Involving Others and Maximizing Professionals to Improve College and Career Readiness
WACAC Share-Learn-Connect Conference, University of San Francisco, 2014
Workshop Presenters & OverviewIntroduction and Foundational Research
Dr. Esther Hugo, LMU School of Education
Getting Administrators on Board and Using DataGuadalupe Navarrete, Head Counselor, Sequoia HS
Bringing it All Together with Innovation and CreativityTeresa Ignaitis, College and Career Advisor,
Sequoia HS
Counselors: Cure for the Common Core
Common Core State Standards ChallengeHow do we get from
here......to here?
All studentsleave high school college and career
ready
Common Core State Standards
specify K-12 expectations for
college and career readiness ...and what can
Counselors do to help?
Local Control Budget Overlaps CC
SB 1458 passed in 2012 -Senator Steinberg
Test results will constitute no more than 60% of the value of a secondary school
Measures graduation rates and college-going rates – 40%
From API – EQI – Equity Quality Index
College Board Applications Increasing the number of
college applications from one to two increases the probability of enrolling at a four-year college by 40 percent, and increasing the number of applications from two to three can increase a student’s probability of enrollment by 10 percent.
Pipeline Steps Reduces Income Gap1. Creating aspiration about
college and understanding the doors it opens
2. Taking the appropriate curriculum and staying on track
3. Preparing for and taking college entrance exams
4. Applying to college
Q: What do college preparation and college attendance look like at your school?
Nine Principles of the College-Going Culture
Getting Administrators on Board! Administrators are not trained to understand
how the guidance counseling piece worksIt is our job to educate them about our
purpose and missionWe need to do it in a way that will make
sense for them and how our work also helps them achieve their goals for the school
We need to make their participation as simple as possible by providing them with all of the information they need to make the decisions we need.
Start with your Counseling TeamThe counseling team has to be a united frontYou need to clearly know what your goals are as
a team and how you want to accomplish themCome up with your mission statement for your
departmentResearch data that will help support your case
about where the need is at your school Come up with a detailed plan as to how you plan
to make it happenClearly state what you need and what it will
cost
Strategize as a TeamCome to an agreement as to how you want to
make your presentation to your principal:As a teamWith one or two delegates
Use your data to present the problem you are trying to solve
Understand your AdministrationGet to know your principal and what is dear
to him/her:What are their goals for the school and for the
studentsHow do they want to achieve those goalsWhat are their strengths and weaknesses as
administratorsWhat is their learning style
Make Your Presentation StrategicallyPresent your concerns and ideas in a way
that works with what they too want to achieve
Show how it works well with what they want to achieve
Clearly state the type of support you need from themIf in meeting with the staff –show how you will
use your timeIf the need is financial bring exact figures and
how it will benefit the student body and the results you will gain that makes the expense worth while
Simplify their involvementPrincipals are very busy and have little time:
If you need them to come to your meetings to support you, make it easy for them. Talk to their secretary to put your meeting in their calendar Offer to write their speech Offer to get them a sandwich or coffee to save them time
Update them on what you are doing and how it is going – especially share all your positive accomplishments When ever possible gather data that will show you are
achieving your goals and that they can use in their own presentations with parents community and district
Know Your District AdministrationsThey too have a great deal to do with what
happens at your school sitesParticipate in key committees
Share the load of participation with other counselors
Strategize together how you will learn about what is out there and how it can help you achieve your goals.
UnderstandingsThe administration at the school wants and
expects all students to consider college as an optionProvides time at staff meetings for trainings
and updates on college information Communicates to teachers about giving time to
counseling for post-secondary education Backs up support by allocating resources to
expand college going population
Working With StaffMOST IMPORTANT: Form relationships with
teachers and have a mutual respect for each otherSchedule around their schedules if possibleDo not allow students out of class unless absolutely
necessary Meet individually if need helpProvide resources if asked Work closely with Senior teachers Include ALL populations (IB, ESL, Sp Ed) PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE AND LET THEM
KNOW YOU WILL HELP THEM
All Staff Information TrainingsCounseling Department shared calendar and
roles by subject departmentsDiscussed how teachers could help students
with their post-secondary plans and how counseling could help them
Staff Meeting Training on Letters of Recommendations, PSAT Information, and Naviance Overview
Collaboration with English DepartmentAll of our seniors write a personal statement in
EnglishGuidance counselors require a School Report(SR)
Survey to be completed by any senior applying to a private school
By collaborating, all seniors now complete theGuidance SR Survey as a pre-writing assignment for their personal statements. I go into all senior English classes and show students
why and how to complete the survey (ten minutes)I then go into all senior English classes and go over
how to write a personal statement (45 minutes)
How to Get TEACHERS to Help You Get Information to the Students/FamiliesEach week I send an All Staff email that includes some
of the following requests by grade level:Upcoming eventsUpcoming deadlinesResources available
Desired ActionsSee events listed on classroom boardTeachers allow you in class for short messagesTeachers print out/read the weekly emails Teachers send students to College/Career CenterTeachers offer extra credit if students attend Teachers are asking for resources and sending students to
your office
Working With Families Need to work with all students and families
Attend Spanish Parent meetings make yourself known Families need to understand how to access and be
responsible for post-secondary informationMy Two Main Sources:
Read weekly emails Will refer students/parents back to information in Weekly Email if
they are emailing something I have mentioned and they should have read
Attend evening presentations Will refrain from answering individual questions if will be answered
at an upcoming meeting (post PowerPoint on website after event for families who do not attend)
Go to Parent Center and ask for help if Spanish speaking Students need to make all meetings with me in person
Weekly Email on NavianceGrade specific In both English and Spanish Contains:
Upcoming events and due dates“How To” Information – Ex: How to Sign Up for SATStudent opportunities - Jobs, contests, scholarships
How to easily get emails:Naviance downloads parent emails from Infinite
Campus nightly Students receive Naviance account as a freshmen in
Life Skills class during a guidance counselor presentation
How YOU Get Families to Your Meetings Marquee All Call Naviance Weekly EmailWebsite CalendarIndividual Emails by Counselors Parent Center (Title 1 Funded) Calls to
Spanish speaking parents Drop In to Classes to Remind Students
Getting Families to Attend Your Meetings: StrategiesThis event was not the best attended in the pastNormal Communication: Marquee, All Call, and Weekly Email Messages, Listed on
Website Added Communication: Multiple messages to staff about having students attend,presented at Spanish speaking meeting, asked counselors to write individual messages to their community college studentsto attend, had Parent Center call Spanish parents to comeOutcome: Biggest turn out ever over 200 people that included equalnumbers of Spanish and English speaking families
Presenter Contacts:Terri Ignaitis, Sequoia High School College
Advisor [email protected]
Guadalupe Navarrete, Sequoia HS Head Counselor [email protected]
Esther Hugo, LMU, [email protected]