Engaging Washington Guidance and Counseling Programs in School Improvement Efforts Mike Hubert, Director Guidance & Counseling Secondary Education & School Improvement

Supt. Dorn’s 2012 Legislative Priorities Retain basic education funding Improve or remove ineffective teachers Write rules to address district financial insolvency Improve academic achievement for all students and reduce dropout rates Promote early learning opportunities

Let’s Talk About……. Accountability School Improvement – Federal & State Career & College Readiness Counselors as “Change Agents” Counselor Interface with SIP What can you do?

is driving the education agenda...

School Counselors as Accountability Leaders “….as a principal element of the leadership role, school counselors and school counselor educators must do more than merely acquiesce to the rising accountability tide; rather, they need to be genuinely committed to and engaged in improving student educational outcomes and the profession, rigorously testing and then jettisoning unproven practices and refining those that show positive results.” Source: Sink, C. “School Counselors as Accountability Leaders: Another Call for Action,” ASCA Professional Counselor, December 2009, p. 69

The accountability relationships we are discussing today are: “How does the school guidance and counseling program impact student achievement and career and college readiness”?

MEASURE: A Six-Step Accountability Framework Mission Elements Analyze Stakeholders-Unite Results Educate

Making DATA Work: A 4 Step Process Design – What is Your Question? Ask – How will you answer your question? Track – How will you make sense of this data? Announce – How will you use your findings?

Data Coaching Initiative Foundational conditions that support data informed actions that impact student outcomes: the quality of data, the capacity of stakeholders to use the data, and an organization–wide culture that supports and expects the use of data to inform decisions.

Guidance & Counseling: Impact on Middle School Student Achievement Schools with highly implemented comprehensive school counseling programs out performed non-CSCP schools on: Grade 6 ITBS Language, Math, Core Total Grade 7 ITBS Reading and Math Even more pronounced with students who remain in high implementing schools for multiple years Source: Sink, C. “An investigation of Comprehensive School Counseling Programs and Academic Achievement in Washington State Middle Schools,” ASCA Professional Counselor, October 2008, p. 43

Guidance & Counseling: Impact on Elementary School Student Achievement Schools with highly implemented comprehensive school counseling programs out performed non-CSCP schools over time on: Grade 3 ITBS Vocabulary, Comprehension, Reading, Mathematics Grade 4 WASL Listening, Reading, Writing and Mathematics Source: Sink, C. “Raising Achievement Test Scores in Early Elementary School Students Through Comprehensive School Counseling Programs,” ASCA Professional School Counseling, June, 2003, p. 350

3 Questions 3 Questions (turn to a colleague) 1.What are some of your specific guidance and counseling activities that currently impact student achievement and career and college readiness? 2.What evidence supports that these activities are making a difference? 3.What additional knowledge / support do you need to be able to provide evidence related to these activities?

Intro to School Improvement

No Child Left Behind (2001) (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) ESEA Goal 1 By , all students will reach high standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts and mathematics. ESEA Goal 2 All limited-English students will become proficient in English and reach high academic standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts and mathematics.

No Child Left Behind (2001) Elementary and Secondary Education Act ESEA Goal 4 All students will be educated in learning environments that are safe, drug free, and conducive to learning. ESEA Goal 5 All students will graduate from high school. ESEA Goal 3 By , all students will be taught by highly qualified teachers.

Connecting School Counselors to NCLB Integral to Goals 1, 2, 4, 5 Integral to School Improvement School Counselors – are here !

WA: No Child Left Behind Waiver Request Must establish and meet four principles: College and career-ready expectations for all students; State-developed differentiated recognition, accountability and support; Support for effective instruction and leadership; and Reducing duplication and unnecessary burden.

New Federal SIG Guidance New school level requirements SIG plans to address the academic and non-academic needs of their student should assess and address: Mental health needs and interventions in an integrated manner Access to school-based counseling services School-based teams to address student needs and support school climate Excerpted from US DOE FY 2012 Omnibus Appropriations bill language related to School Improvement Grants Is this about the work of the school counselors?

Where do you see guidance and counseling in this model?

Work Ready, College Ready, Same Preparation School counselors must become assertive advocates for: educational equity – closing the gap access to rigorous college and career- readiness curriculum academic success for all students The New Vision for School Counseling Education Trust, 2003

School Improvement CGCP alignment with the school’s mission and school improvement plan can actively demonstrate the impact on student achievement by: Raising student aspirations Helping students acquire resiliency and coping skills for school and life success Managing and accessing resources for student support

School Improvement (con’t.) Collaborating with faculty to share the responsibility for student progress Engaging students in educational and career planning that present students with a wide variety of quality postsecondary opportunities Working intentionally toward closing the gap in student performance Source: Dahir, C. & Stone, C., “Accountability: A Measure of the Impact School Counselors Have on Student Achievement”. Professional School Counseling, February, 2003, p.214

Rationale By aligning a comprehensive guidance and counseling program with the school’s mission and school improvement plan, professional school counselors: partner as leaders in systemic change ensure equity and access promote academic, career and personal/ social development for every student

Purposes of School Improvement: WIIN Accelerate and substantially improve the academic achievement of ALL students Close opportunity and achievement gaps Use Needs Assessments and Improvement Processes to prioritize needs and invest limited resources in several targeted goals Build effective systems to serve ALL students and sustain changes over time Satisfy requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 Do you see CGCP in this work?

1.A clear and shared focus 2.High standards and expectations for all students 3.Effective school leadership 4.High levels of collaboration and communication 5.Curriculum, instruction and assessments aligned with state standards Nine Characteristics of High-Performing Schools Second Edition, June 2007

6.Frequent monitoring of learning and teaching 7.Focused professional development 8.A supportive learning environment 9.High levels of family and community involvement Nine Characteristics (con’t.)

CGCP Relationships to the “9” Where can you deepen your engagement?

Poised to Lead Poised to Lead Steps to how school counselors can drive college and career readiness Revise school counselors job descriptions so that they are focused on equitable education and preparing all students for college and career. Center university training programs on the school counselor’s role in educational equity and college and career readiness. Align and tighten state credentialing requirements for school counselors. Provide strong professional development to help existing school counselors make the shift. Align school counselors’ professional evaluations to the academic outcomes of students. Poised to Lead: How school counselors can drive college and career readiness, The Education Trust, 2011 What do you think?

“New Vision” Mission for School Counselors “Our mission is to transform school counselors into powerful agents of change in schools to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement for low-income students and students of color.” The New Vision for School Counseling, The Education Trust, 2003

Why School Counselors as “Agents of Change” on Behalf of Students? They have the skills to:  Assess and interpret student needs  Recognize differences in cultures, languages, values, and backgrounds  Serve as liaisons between students and staff  Set high aspirations for all students  Develop supports to help them succeed  Assess barriers that impede learning, inclusion, and academic success  Coordinate school & community resources for students. Families and staff to improve achievement  Leadership for school officials to view data through an equity lens The New Vision for School Counseling, The Education Trust, 2003

What are ways you have been an agent of change in your school / district?

What Situations in Your School Are You Concerned About? Attendance Graduation Rate Promotion Rate Multiple Failure Rate Postsecondary Going Rate Standardized Test Scores Drop Outs

The racial achievement gap grows in magnitude as a child nears entry to the workforce. In Washington State, between grade 4 and grade 12, the gap grows: 41% for Latino students 22% for African American students The More Time in School, the Wider the Gap?

Dual Credit Participation & Ethnicity ProgramAmerican Indian 1 Asian 1 Black 1 Hispanic 1 White 1 Pacific Islander 1 Multi- Racial 1 Ethnicity Not Provided 1 Tech Prep2.2%7.8%6.5%14.9%65.2%<.01%2.2%.38% Advanced Placement1.2%13.7%4.0%8.9%69.2%0.05%2.1%.03% Running Start1.5%8.1%3.0%5.1%79.8%<.01%1.7%.06% College in the High School 1.0%10.9%1.9%7.7%76.2%.2%1.9%<.01% International Baccalaureate.86%25.12%2.5%6.2%62.6%0.05%2.7%.05% African – American = 4.7% Hispanic = 18.9% American Indian = 1.7% Pacific Islander = 8% Multi-Racial = 5.4% OSPI Dual Credit Report, November, 2011

Dual Credit Participation & Free/Reduced Lunch Eligibility 43.7% of WA Students are Free/Reduced Lunch Eligible

Did you know? The college enrollment gap between black and white students is wider than ever. Smart kids from low-income families earn degrees less often than kids from high-income homes who are low achievers. Colleges award more grant aid to wealthy students than to low-income students. Opportunity Adrift: Our Flagship Universities Are Straying From Their Public Mission." (Source: Baum, Sandy and Jennifer Ma. “Education Pays.” College Board, 2007.)

You Are About Every Kid The Professional School Counselor’s Role “Professional school counselors develop and implement a comprehensive school counseling program that promotes equity and access for all students.” The Professional School Counselor and Equity for All Students Position Statement, ASCA, Adopted 2006

So What Will You Do? & How Can We Support Each Other in This Work?

Homework  Talk to Your Principal  Meet with Your Colleagues and Present Your Plan  Find Your Data Wizard  Present Your Ideas to Your Faculty  Ask Colleagues to Collaborate and Team with You  Monitor Your School’s Data  Prepare Your MEASURE or DATA Draft  Demonstrate Measureable Success  Publicize and Share Your Efforts  CELEBRATE!

Homework (con’t.)  Register and participate in the WSCA Scene  Register and participate in OSPI’s CGCP Listserv

CGCP NEWSLETTERS

It’s Hard Work but deeply, deeply appreciated “Having worked in the schools for 34 years, there is no question that counselors have the ability and the mission to positively impact the lives of all students, from the most vulnerable to the most fortunate. I believe that all kids need to be supported in becoming, college, career and life-ready. School counselors are central to that work in our schools.” Dan Newell, Assistant Superintendent, Secondary Education & School Improvement

OSPI Contacts Mike Hubert, Director Guidance & Counseling Secondary Education & School Improvement & Danise Ackelson, Supervisor Navigation 101 & Guidance and Counseling Secondary Education & School Improvement