the role of the school counselor in improving student achievement
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The Role of the School Counselor in Improving Student Achievement
Eric D. Katz MSACSchool Counselor, Newburgh Free Academy
This presentation can be downloaded from www.highschoolsnotforever.com
College Board National Forum October 29, 2005
Creating a Culturally Sensitive Environment with a Diverse
Population
What Defines our diverse populations?
Ethnicity/Culture Language Sexual orientation Socioeconomic status Children of divorce Transience Goths and Jocks Physical, emotional, and learning disabilities
Clichés About Student Achievementor
Horror Stories from the Faculty Room
Assessing the current climate in your school/district
Examples:
Perceived Educational Access
Assesses the degree to which the school provides access for students of both sexes and all ethnic/racial groups to instruction in which girls or minority group students are
sometimes under-represented.
For example, are girls and racial/ethnic minorities well represented in high-level math
and science classes, i.e. AP Courses?
Perceived Educational Access1) Who is taking these courses? (What the
data can tell us)
2) Who is not? (also what we know from the data)
3) Why are certain groups of students NOT taking these courses? (what we need to know)
4) What are there attitudes, beliefs and/or mind sets that need changing? (whose)
How do we Advocate for ALL Students?
A working Definition for Advocacy:
Advocacy is pursuit of influencing outcomes - including public policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions that directly affect people's lives.
Advocacy has purposeful results:
to enable social justice advocates to gain access and voice in the decision making of relevant institutions
to change the power relationships between these institutions and the people affected by their decisions, thereby changing the institutions themselves
to bring a clear improvement in people's lives
What do ALL Students Deserve?
To have parents, advocates, and
concerned educators involved in All Decisions
Affecting Their Education
Children benefit when parents help to set policy about school staffing, resource allocation, and curriculum. Along with genuine parent participation come improved student attendance, academic achievement, and more positive attitudes toward schooling
Safe and Supportive AdultsNot all students can find these people at
homeMost students do NOT know the
characteristics of safe and healthy adultsStudents need to learn how to identify and
connect with these safe adults.
See handouts from High School’s Not Forever
Handout #2
College Application Rates
67.5
30.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70 % of Non- 1stGenerationWho ApplyFor College
% of 1stGeneration Students WhoApply ForCollege
Suburban HS in NY (data 2003-04)
Trail Markers
And
Trail Blazers
Finding One’s Way
The More Who Have Walked the Path in the Past, the easier it is for those
who Follow
Immediate or extended family Ethnic group Gender Native language Immigration status
The Trail Blazers 1st Generation College
Students Underrepresented
populations New Immigrants Teen Parents Adult and Returning
Students
The Trail Markers Mentors from the
Community Current College
Students Teachers School Counselors College Bridge and
Talent Search Programs
Different Ways Students Move Along the Path to College
Directed by others Research, Research, Research!Path of least resistanceThe safe and familiar
Directed by others
Friends Family Teacher Counselor Advertising
Research, Research, Research College Visits Consult with family,
teachers and School Counselor
The Internet College Guide Books College Fairs
Path of least resistance
Easy Application No SAT or ACT No Deadlines No Essay No minimum GPA No specific high school
courses required for admission
The safe and familiar
Live at Home Not ready to leave friends Frightened by the
unknown Different rate of
maturation
What if NOTHING felt safe or familiar?
Remembering Our Path…
can reacquaint us with some of the issues facing our students
can reconnect us with the feelings involved
can remind us to value each student’s individuality
Handout #3
As our colleagues focus on school improvement, the question we might be
asked is:
“How do school counselors impact student success?
Every School CounselorCommitted to Helping
Every Student Achieve and Succeed
is driving the education agenda…………..
It’s part of the ASCA National Model
Counting tasks?
Reporting numbers?
Accounting for time?
Needs assessments?
Activity Log?
What do you think?
Is School Counselor Accountability……
Why Do We Too Need to Be Accountable?
School Counselors can: show that we intentionally and purposely
act to “close the gap” focus activities on student achievement get involved in school improvement use our leadership and facilitation skills to
impact the system
MEASURE A Six-step Accountability Framework
Mission, Elements, Analyze, Stakeholders-Unite, Results, and Educate
Working with an Example
MEASURE is ………an accountability process for school counselors to identify and positively impact the critical data elements that are the important barometers of student success.
Mission - Connect to the Mission Of School
When school counselors focus their efforts on the mission of school improvement they widen educational opportunities for every student and can positively impact student achievement
Your school's success is measured by results, which are those critical data elements that are important to the internal and external stakeholders.
Elements - Identify Critical Data Elements
Is the Situation in Your School to Improve:
Access to AP
Attendance
Graduation Rate
Promotion Rate
Post Secondary Going Rate
Standardized Test Scores
Analyze: Critical Data Elements Which critical data elements need to be carefully discussed and disaggregated?
AN EXAMPLE: Data ElementAN EXAMPLE: Data Element
Seniors and Post Seniors and Post Secondary Enrollment Secondary Enrollment Disaggregated by Disaggregated by EthnicityEthnicity
Ethnic Breakdown of Senior Class59
20 18
3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Percent of Total SeniorClass
White
AfricanAmerican
Hispanic
Other
Seniors and Post Secondary Enrollment by Ethnicity
75
146 5
01020304050607080
Percent going on to P/SOptions
White
African American
Hispanic
Other
What Does the Data Tell Us?
59
20 18
3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Percent of Total SeniorClass
White
AfricanAmerican
Hispanic
Other
75
146 5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percent going on to P/SOptions
White
African American
Hispanic
Other
What Needs to Change to Move the Data?
Attitudes
(Which ones and whose?)
Behaviors
(Which ones and whose?)
Teaming
(New or revisited collaborations?)
Stakeholders-Unite To Take Action
How do we work together to move this data and improve student achievement?
Everyone Contributes - Let’s Fill in The BlanksSchool Counselor (s) Conduct Early Awareness College
Visits (get kids on campus!)
Administrators
Teachers
Students
Parents
Higher Education Members
Business Partners
Community Members
Results, Reflect, and ReviseRethinking…….refining……..
refocusing….reflecting
Are More 1st Generation Students Applying For College this Year As opposed To Last Year?
Educate Others As To The Results
School counselors can show the positive impact the school counseling program has on student achievement and on the goals of your school’s improvement plan.
What do ALL Students Deserve?
Developmentally appropriate and culturally supportive curriculum and teaching
strategies offered in languages they can
understand
Full access to a common body of knowledge along
with the opportunity to learn higher-order skills,
i.e. AP Courses.
Support services that address individual needs.
Within a standards based, developmental school counseling program, school counselors help teachers to design classroom activities that strengthen
students' academic, social, personal, and career skills. When school counselors
establish strong links with the community, they can connect students and families with services not available at school. Counseling staff should be culturally and linguistically
knowledgeable about their school's
population.
Schools that are safe, attractive, and free from
prejudice
A school should pride itself on being an inclusive democratic community
of children and adults. The administration should model respectful treatment
of adults and children, and expect all members of the school community
to be respectful of each other. Disrespectful treatment by adults
or students should not be tolerated. There should be clear consequences,
whether perpetrated by students or staff.
Instruction by teachers who hold high expectations for ALL students and who are fully prepared to meet the
challenges of diverse classrooms
Breaking down the Barriers
Lac k o fInfo rmatio n
P arentC o unselo r S tud ent
M e e t with a Financ ial AidC o unse lo r
O rganize a C o lle ge N ight
B a rr ie rs o n T h e P a th to C o lleg e
Vis it a C o lle ge
Cognitive Barriers
Emotional Barriers
P arentC o unselo r S tud ent
B a rr ie rs o n T h e P a th to C o lleg e
Handout #4
Taking Action!
Assess the current climate Remember the emotional
aspects (yours & theirs) Help kids learn to connect with
safe adults Prioritize your goals Set obtainable benchmarks Utilize data Collaborate!
References
High School’s Not Forever (Deerfield Beach: HCI, 2005) by Jane Bluestein and Eric D. Katz