A Vision of Excellence:

Summit Public Schools

Fall 2012

Guidance and Support for Every Student in the 21st

Century

Tonight’s Take-Away

How we address BOE Focus AreasEnhance each

child’s social and emotional development

Eliminate the achievement gap/ raise achievement for all

Tonight’s Take-Away…

Examples of the excellent programs and services currently in place

Vision to meet the ever-changing needs of the 21st Century student and family

Outcome

As a result of our vision we will support every student pre-K through grade 12 in order to:

Help each student develop to full potential

Help each student gain complete 21st Century skills for the workplace

Help each student gain the competencies to be selected by the top colleges and universities throughout the country.

Tonight we will present that vision and begin the Board and community discussion of how to move forward in addressing these goals.

Step One

Create an environment where the social, emotional development of each child is enhanced

Eliminate the achievement gap and raise academic achievement for all

BOE Focus Areas

Taking a Stand and enhanced empathy building curriculum, grades pre-K through 5.

Middle School Advisory Program to enhance character development, decision-making skills and positive relationships.

Comprehensive college planning support with multiple programs, grade level groups, and utilization of emerging technologies.

Sample of Programs in Place

**Please see handout with comprehensive program listing.

Emerging Needs

Need for high level of visibility for all district programs from counseling to academic to co-curricular to social/emotional programming which is directed at multiple constituencies: parents, community members, community leaders, organizations, and colleges

Increased need for skilled group and individual counseling, as well as community outreach

Expanded and creative use of technology to enhance all programs and greater access to programs

Primary Centers

Focus on helping all students develop healthy social skills

Support for families through parent education and enhanced home-school connections

Specialized assistance in collaboration with Special Services for those students with additional needs

Outreach services which build relationships with all facets of our communities including Spanish-speaking parents

Elementary Schools

Focus on helping all students develop healthy social skills and creating healthy, bullying-free environment

Support for families through parent education and enhanced home-school connections

Specialized assistance for students experiencing achievement issues, especially when related to social or emotional challenges

Support for students entering from other school districts in their adjustment to demanding academic programs

Middle School

Focus on helping all students develop the decision-making skills needed to navigate the transition to adolescence and creating healthy, bullying-free environment

Support for families through parent education and enhanced home-school connections embodied in counselor-led Family and Student Advocacy/Advisory program (SEF grant possibility)

Individual counseling and motivational programming for students experiencing achievement issues, especially when related to social or emotional challenges (SEF grant possibility)

Programs to raise the college awareness for those students in families who are less likely to connect school success with long-term success in the 21st century (SEF grant possibility)

High School

Focus on helping all students develop the self-management skills and resilience to succeed in rapidly changing world

Development of a college specialist position which will enhance our ability to support all students in pursuing quality opportunities (SEF grant possibility)

Individual counseling and motivational programming for students experiencing achievement issues, especially when related to social or emotional challenges

Programs which support students interested in specialized postsecondary opportunities (HBCU institutions, performing arts, athletics, other specific areas, as well as expanded college visitations for counselors) (SEF grant possibility)

Priorities

To complement program innovation and expansion there will be a need for:

Counseling staff for primary centers.

Counseling staff for middle school level (over 5 years enrollments have increased caseloads at the Middle School from 210 to 265).

Counseling staff for elementary schools ( caseloads have been stable but both the number of students with special needs as well as the depth of students needs have increased significantly).

Additional priority areas…

To complement program innovation and expansion there will be a need for:

Redefinition of high school counselor roles with the development of Family and Student Advocacy.

College specialist position will support counselors in their college advisement as well as create opportunity for school counselors to spend more time on social and emotional needs of students.

Creation of the college specialist position will also support the leadership and supervision function by making the Director of Guidance more available to programs outside the high school.

Maintaining the high level of service in terms of smaller caseloads will lead to need for an additional school counselor position by 2015 or 2016.

Next Steps

Naviance showcase including overview of comprehensive college support programs already in place and ways this program can be expanded to assist Middle School students. (November 1st meeting, possibly)

Skilled counselors, Naviance, and the full complement of planning programs have enabled Summit High to place the highest percentage ever of students into colleges identified as most competitive.

Next Steps

Proposals from both the Middle School and the High School on Counselor-led Family Advocacy programs to increase “touch points” for each and every student 6 through 12

Report on newly emerging support programs founded in collaboration with local alumni who want to support our students in various phases of the college process

Conclusion

Hopefully this presentation has helped provide a vision which will promote discussion of all the ways Summit can:

Guide and support every student pre-K through 12 to develop their full potential and have complete 21st Century skills for the workplace and to be positioned for entrance to the top colleges and universities in the country