the role of the school counselor in improving student achievement

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