superman found: school counselors improving post- secondary opportunities for all students bob...
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SUPERMAN FOUND: SCHOOL COUNSELORS IMPROVING POST-SECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL STUDENTS
Bob BardwellMonson High School, MA
Laura OwenSan Diego State University, CA
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Agenda
First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative Overview Connection To School Counselor Preparation
Training Sharing Best Practices And Sample Pledges Next Steps Questions & Conversation
White House College Opportunity AgendaStrengthening the School Counseling Profession Through
First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative
The Journey to Reach Higher
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.”
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,
or a four year college or university
The Journey to Reach Higher
#ReachHigher
The FLOTUS’s Priority!
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 high school counselors who can help more kids get into college
Listening and Learning Conversation ~ May,
2014 Senior White House staff convened a Listening and Learning Session
on School Counseling with experts from the field, higher education,
and professional organizations. This session examined the
challenges and opportunities for school counselors to support
students’ college aspirations
The Miracle of Homero
“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
The Harvard White House Convening On July 28, 2014 a special White House Convening
at Harvard University focused on maximizing school counselors’ impact and influence on college
enrollment.
Reach Higher Connecting ExperienceConnecting:
College Access Partners School Counselor Educators Funders Researchers Non Profits Agencies School Districts State Department
Attendees agreed to work collaboratively for the benefit of all students.
8:45 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks, Askwith Hall DEAN JIM RYAN, Harvard Graduate School of Education JAMES KVAAL, Deputy Director, Domestic Policy Council, The White House
9:20 a.m. Panel: Professional Development and Training, Askwith Hall
INTRODUCTION MANDY SAVITZ-ROMER, Harvard Graduate School of Education
PANELISTS BRANDY JOHNSON, Michigan College Access Network MELISSA MILLER KINCART, Utah System of Higher Education RACHELLE PERUSSE, University of Connecticut-Storrs
10:05 a.m. Breakout Discussion Groups, Various locations
11:25 a.m. Panel: Innovative Programming and Research, Askwith Hall
INTRODUCTION PAT MARTIN, Education Consultant
PANELISTS LAURA OWEN, San Diego State University JOYCE BROWN, Center for College and Career Readiness JUDY PETERSEN, Granite School District, Utah
12:10 p.m. Breakout Discussion Groups, Various locations
1:10 p.m. Lunch, Gutman Library Reading Area FEATURED SPEAKERS
ERIC WALDO, Executive Director Reach Higher, Office of the First Lady TRISH HATCH, San Diego State University
Representatives from College Board, College Possible, Complete College America, Council for Opportunity and Education, iMentor, National College Access Network, National College Advising Corps, and the Posse Foundation
2:40 p.m. Panel: College Counseling Tools, Askwith Hall INTRODUCTION CHERYL HOLCOMB MCCOY, Johns Hopkins University
PANELISTS ALICE ANNE BAILEY, Go Alliance, Southern Regional Education Board KEITH FROME, College Summit/King Center Charter Middle School DREW SCHEBERLE, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce SYLVIA LOPEZ, Dallas Independent School District
3:35 p.m. Breakout Discussion Groups, Various locations
4:40 p.m. Call to Action and Closing, Askwith Hall TED MITCHELL, Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Education BRIDGET TERRY LONG, Harvard Graduate School of Education
5 p.m. Reception, Gutman Library Reading Area Generously sponsored by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC
White House Convening Reports
http://go.sdsu.edu/education/cescal/Default.aspx
San Diego State University White House Convening - November 17-18, 2014
https://youtu.be/EWi-g12gh9M
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Agenda
First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative Overview Connection To School Counselor Preparation
Training Sharing Best Practices And Sample Pledges Next Steps Questions & Conversation
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OUR Challenge: PREPARING SCHOOL COUNSELORS The proportion of students going on to
postsecondary education has steadily increased over the past 100 years and is likely to continue to increase.
Getting more students ready for college means succeeding with an increasingly challenging student population, but one that needs the opportunity.
National, state, and local education policy emphasize college and career readiness.
Today’s young people will need to be better educated and prepared as the US continues to move to a knowledge/information economic model.
Who cares? Why is this important? What impact does this have on my
school counselor preparation program?
School Counselor Training
Focus on School counseling Pre-service training and
preparation coursework and Career and College readiness Systemic change in schools and
communities
Reach Higher = Opportunity
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Agenda
First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative Overview Connection To School Counselor Preparation
Training Sharing Sample Pledges, Best Practices and
Research Next Steps Questions & Conversation
Provide dedicated pre-service graduate coursework which teach college admission counseling topics and require specific CCR competencies be met
Integrate CCR topics and standards in all courses
Expose school counseling graduates to family/cultural issues/expectations around higher education
Sample pledges/best practices to encourage K-12 students to seek post-secondary education/training
Ensure graduates understand how to create and maintain partnerships with K-12, higher education and community resources in relation to CCR
Ensure that aspiring school counselors understand how school policies are created and how some policies may create barriers to access higher education for some students
Teach school counseling students the necessary college and career readiness leadership and advocacy skills to impact change
Sample pledges (continued)
Ensure K-12 school counseling students have fieldwork experiences that expose them to Creating a college going culture within the
school and extended communities Organizing career/college programs and
activities within the school Implementing classroom lessons targeting
career and college readiness Financing higher education and the financial aid
application process
Sample pledges (continued)
Expose students to theory and significance of early career and college exploration, awareness and investigation activities
Ensure students have an understanding and exposure to financing higher education and the financial aid application process
Convene leaders from K-12, higher education, state agencies, the local community, non-profits, research and public policy organizations on your campus to engage in discussion and dialogue about CCR
Sample pledges (continued)
26
Study Background
Objective: Identify information to shape educational and advising strategies that facilitate college success for underserved students
Data: ~ 6,800 ACT-tested high school seniors who took the ACT Fall 2012 completed online questionnaire that asked about
• Academic engagement• Parental involvement in college planning• College planning activities and intentions• College expectations and concerns
(Radunzel, 2014)
Underserved Groups Studied
• Survey respondents included:
• Majority of underserved students • (> 90%) in the sample indicated:
• Having aspirations of earning a college degree• Being committed to completing a college degree• Having the knowledge and skills needed for their post-HS plans
• 21% first-generation students• 32% racial/ethnic minority students• 30% lower-income students
(Radunzel, 2014)
Academic Preparation and College Readiness
• Compared to their peers, underserved students less likely to:
• Discrepancy exists between students’ perceived and actual levels of college readiness
• Meet the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks• Earn a HSGPA of 3.0 or higher• Take higher-level HS math and science coursework• Participate in dual-credit courses• Earn college credit while in high school
(Radunzel, 2014)
Parental Involvement
• Underserved students somewhat less likely to indicate parents involved in their post-HS plans
1 to 18 19 to 23 24 to 360
102030405060708090
100
8478
70
92 92 91
First-generation Non-first-generation
ACT Composite score range
Perc
ent
Example shown by parents’ education level and ACT score
(Radunzel, 2014)
College Planning Activities
• Underserved students less likely to participate early in college educational planning activities
(Radunzel, 2014)
College Planning Activities (cont.)• Results hold even among higher-scoring students
1 to 18 19 to 23 24 to 360
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
56 58
6870 70
81
Lower-income Higher-income
ACT Composite score range
Perc
ent
Example shown for percent visiting one or more colleges
(Radunzel, 2014)
College Concerns
• Underserved students more likely to indicate they have college concerns
(Radunzel, 2014)
College Intentions
• Underserved students have somewhat different college intentions
(Radunzel, 2014)
College Enrollment and Persistence• Underserved students less likely to immediately
enroll in college and persist to the second year
(Radunzel, 2014)
College Enrollment and Persistence• College readiness helps reduce these gaps
Example shown for college enrollment by family income and ACT score
(Radunzel, 2014)
How is educational disparity being discussed in your program?
Is this viewed as a social justice issue?
How are you preparing your students to address inequity and opportunity gaps?
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Activity
Cutting Edge Innovation and ResearchMust Drive Practitioners Work
We need research that will identify best practices and contribute to the development of effective equity driven school counseling models focused on increasing postsecondary opportunities for all students
It’s time to look beyond stereotypical responses which maintain the status quo
We must challenge current policies and practices which impede school counselor efforts to increase college opportunity for our most disadvantaged students
Collaborative research must be relevant to both school district and university partners
Developing Robust Research Partnerships with School Counselor Practitioners Collaborate with school counseling district
and school level leadership Establish strong working relationships with
district research departments Write joint proposals and prepare
presentations for potential funders with school counselors and school counselor leaders
Recognize and honor the value of working with practitioners who bring a wealth of experience and a much needed voice for the students, school, and community you intend to work with.
Share research findings with the appropriate stakeholders
FAFSA Completion Project
Media Coverage
Trusted Centers
Student Involvement
Summit
Community Partnerships
New Mexico Educational Assistance Foundation
Counselor Training
Logo Branding
Harvard/Stanford/Johns Hopkins University – School District Research Collaboration
Year to Year Overall FAFSA Results (2010 vs. 2011)
Outcome FAFSA Completion
FAFSA Initiation
College Enrollment
Treatment Effect
.103***(.01)
.067***(.01)
.117***(.01)
2010 rate .402(.01)
.567(.01)
.576(.01)
N 8655 8655 8655*** p<.001
Comparison to *H&R Block Study
Pilot H&R Block study
Pilot H&R Block study
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
40% 40%
57%
30%
51%56%
69%
41%
Not offered help with FAFSAOffered help with FAFSA
Percent completing the FAFSA
Percent enrolling in college
*H&R Block Study – (Bettinger, Long, Oreopoulos & Sanbonmatsu, 2012)
The Concept of Summer Melt
Summer melt is a term that has been traditionally used by college admissions
officers to describe the phenomenon that students pay a deposit to attend a particular
college but do not matriculate at that college the following fall.
Here, summer melt describes the phenomenon that college-intending students
fail to enroll in college at all in the fall following high school graduation.
High School to College Transition
Fulton County
22%
Fort Worth, TX
44%
Boston, MA21%
Dallas, TX28%
Albuquerque, NM29%
Providence, RI
33%
Philadelphia, PA
32%
Percentages indicate the share of college-intending students that do not enroll anywhere in the fall following high school graduation
Austin, TX31%
Baltimore, MD50%
Denver, CO31%
A financial aid process stacked
against low-income students
Confusion about paperwork/bureaucracy
Unique nudge-free time in students’ education
Lack of access to help during
the summer
Hard-working HS grads who’ve done everything they’re supposed to fail to
matriculate in college
Why do students melt?
Lack of Access to Support
Low-income, 1st generation college
going
Middle-income, college-educated
family
Summer Hurdles
Understanding financial aid award letters FAFSA verification Financial aid gap Family and friends not supportive Forms, fees, deadlines Housing Orientation Health insurance, vaccinations Haven’t started
Urban School districts around the country over five years
Counselor Outreach:Counselors reached out to students to offer help with financial aid, required paperwork, and social-emotional issues
Text messages:Personalized texts reminding students of of tasks to complete at their intended college
Peer mentor outreach:
Peers in college reached out to offer advice and help navigating summer barriers
Approximately 100,000 students Participating across interventions
Strategies To Reduce Summer Melt
Summer counselor outreach: Improved enrollment & persistence
Fall enrollment 1st yr per-sistence
2nd yr per-sistence
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
83% 81%72%
78%74%
64%
Impact of HS counselor outreach on enrollment and persistence
Treatment
Control
Perc
en
t
*~
**
• Levels of statistical significance: ~ p <0.10 * p<0.05 ** p<0.01
Impacts largest among
students from the lowest-income
backgrounds
Text & peer mentor outreach: Increased enrollment among students with little college planning support
Boston Lawrence / Springfield
Dallas FRL0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
69% 70% 69%74%
67%70%63% 65%
Impact of text and peer mentor outreach on initial enrollment
Text messagePeer mentorControl
Perc
en
t
**
Impacts largest among
students in the middle of the academic distribution
• Levels of statistical significance: ~ p <0.10 * p<0.05 ** p<0.01
IES National Study
National Sample of Students Large Urban School Districts Graduate Students Participating in
Qualitative Analysis of Focus Groups Text Messages Support
National Call Center Counselor Support
Student Challenges
Lack Of Information And Support With The Process
Financial Challenges And Concerns
Confusion Navigating The College Admissions Process
Discouragement Leading To Giving Up
Transportation Issues Lack Of Motivation Accountability
Counselor Challenges
Inconsistences Across And Within Colleges
Lack Of Communication Across College Departments
Research Issues Concern Over Randomization
Design Lack Of Time/Interest To
Document Individual Student Support
Lack of Resources To Address All Student Needs
Language Barriers
Leadership Skills Needed
Confidence In College Knowledge And Abilities
Motivation and Passion Able To Form Collaborative
Relationships Bilingual Skills Personal GRIT Resourceful Problem Solving
Skills Ability To Think Proactively Taking Initiative
BRIDGIT
Adaptive Online Platform to Increase Counselor’s Capacity to Mitigate Summer Melt
Bridgit2college.com
Bridgit2college.com
Bridgit
Students complete brief survey on their progress toward matriculation
Guides Counselor Outreach Provides student with prioritized task list
and online resources Platform for text messaging
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Graduate Student Participation Three graduate students traveled to
Memphis, TN, St. Louis, MO, and Kansas City, MO to interview principals, school counselors and college advisors on their experience using Bridgit.
They transcribed the interviews and participated in all aspects of the coding and analysis
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San Diego Summer College Center Graduate Students volunteered 10 hours
each Student are now placed in High School
Fieldwork Assignments and recognize the tasks that students need help with earlier in the year
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Agenda
First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative Overview Connection To School Counselor Preparation
Training Sharing Best Practices And Sample Pledges Next Steps Questions & Conversation
National Consortium for School Counseling and Postsecondary Success (NCSCPS)
Conceptual Framework
NCSCPS Goals Creating a system where the relationships
and outcomes between and among five critical areas for school counselors and college access professionals will be aligned and collaboratively implemented
Establishing a common set of student postsecondary outcome metrics success that intentionally address issues of unconscious bias and embedded inequitable practice
Driven and maintained through school counselor leadership with engaged strategic partnerships in order to reach equity in postsecondary results for all students
NCSCPS and University of North Florida
White House Convening
November 2-4, 2015Jacksonville, Florida
RESOURCES
http://acesccrworkshop.weebly.com/
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Agenda
First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative Overview Connection To School Counselor Preparation
Training Sharing Best Practices And Sample Pledges Next Steps Questions & Conversation
67
Questions
