The Massachusetts Miracle: Moving School Counselors to the Front of the Bus Bob Bardwell Evidence Based School Counseling Conference January 13, 2014

Who is here? & Why Who is here?  School Counselors  District level administrators  Counselor Educators  State policy makers  Other Why are you here?  Professional Development  To impact change  Nothing else to do

Goals of this session Look at what elements supported the Massachusetts Miracle Discuss need for school counselor advocacy Examine Race to the Top, educator evaluation, School-to-Career programs and data initiatives Hear what you can do in your state/region to impact change Create an action plan Participate in conversation and discussion

Why Massachusetts? Perfect storm  Massachusetts School Counselors Association  Higher Education – UMASS Amherst, Suffolk  State Department of Education – Karen DeCoster & Keith Westrich Legislative priorities Outstanding leadership Competitive nature

Advocacy Function: noun 1 : the profession or work of an advocate 2 : the action of advocating, pleading for, or supporting a cause or proposal Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc Advocacy is the application of messages and influence on the people and institutions that have the power to give you what you want. (Lori Fresina)

Why is Advocacy Important Without ADVOCACY to change the perceptions of school counselors among policy makers, administrators, school staff, students, families and community members and duties of what we do, there is likely to be little or no improvement regarding the role of the school counselor. There has to be energy and enthusiasm to build a coalition and belief that things can change You need to find the right people and leaders to implement change

Race to the Top (RTTT) MA application earned the highest possible score in second round of grant awards, earning 471 points out of a possible 500 Called for five bold initiatives  Increased educator effectiveness  Improved curriculum and instruction  Focus on School turnaround  College and Career Readiness  Data systems & infrastructure AND School Counselor improvement

Race to the Top (RTTT) continued DESES’s Seven Strategic Initiatives to increase Career & College Readiness 1.Academic Support Grants 2.Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS) 3.High School Graduation Initiative 4.High School Turnaround 5.Mass Core Implementation 6.School to Career Connecting Activities 7.MA Model for School Counseling Project 4C

Race to the Top (RTTT) continued 37 districts signed on for this optional portion of the grant – 19 in year one and 18 in year two Primary goals for SC’s were to improve the 5 year graduation and MassCore completion rates MA DESE and MASCA partnered to provide special professional development programs for SC’s including MA Model and data literacy training. Strategic plans were created to help districts meet their targets within 4 years Unfortunately funding will run out at the end of this year. Future is uncertain.

Examples of Project 4C activities Career Plan implementation Greater access to AP classes Creation of guidance/advisory curriculum for all students Improved 8 th -9 th grade transition programs New graduation requirements Target data projects & implementation

Project 4C preliminary data Graduation rates – all Project 4C schools

Project 4C preliminary data Graduation rates – RTTT schools vs. state

Educator Evaluation State legislators and state Board of Education voted in 2011 to mandate common evaluation measures for all licensed educators in MA – teachers, counselors, nurses, librarians, PT/OT, psychologists (part of RTTT pledge) State DESE created rubrics for educators- included 4 standards,16 indicators & 34 elements  Curriculum  Instruction  Family Engagement  Professional Culture MASCA lobbied DESE to create special rubric for school counselors. Task force created.

Standard I: Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment Standard II: Teaching All Students Standard III: Family and Community Engagement Standard IV: Professional Culture A. Curriculum and Planning Indicator 1. Professional Knowledge 2. Child and Adolescent Development 3. Plan Development 4. Well-Structured Lessons A. Instruction Indicator 1. Quality of Effort and Work 2. Student Engagement 3. Meeting Diverse Needs A. Engagement Indicator 1. Parent/Family Engagement A. Reflection Indicator 1. Reflective Practice 2. Goal Setting B. Assessment Indicator 1. Variety of Assessment Methods 2. Adjustments to Practice B. Learning Environment Indicator 1. Safe Learning Environment 2. Collaborative Learning Environment 3. Student Motivation B. Collaboration Indicator 1. Learning Expectations 2. Student Support B. Professional Growth Indicator 1. Professional Learning and Growth C. Analysis Indicator 1. Analysis and Conclusions 2. Sharing Conclusions With Colleagues 3. Sharing Conclusions With Students and Families C. Cultural Proficiency Indicator 1. Respects Differences 2. Maintains Respectful Environment C. Communication Indicator 1. Two-Way Communication 2. Culturally Proficient Communication C. Collaboration Indicator 1. Professional Collaboration 2. Consultation D. Expectations Indicator 1. Clear Expectations 2. High Expectations 3. Access to Knowledge D. Decision-Making Indicator 1. Decision-making E. Shared Responsibility Indicator 1. Shared Responsibility F. Professional Responsibilities Indicator 1. Judgment 2. Reliability and Responsibility

Educator Evaluation (continued) Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP) was approved by Board. Individual districts could adopt or create their own. Two indicators specific to school counselors only were added - Systemic Planning and Delivery & Student Services State DESE provides training however inconsistently implemented in districts Implementation was staggered depending on district willingness and RTTT status A student achievement measure and student and parent input will be tied to evaluation in the near future

School-to-Career Programs This is school counselor “turf” We know better than anyone else how to help prepare all students to be Career & College Ready (CCR) The time is NOW to take advantage of this opportunity due to the national focus on CCR and Common Core implementation.

MA School-to-Career Programs RTTT funding provided financial support at DESE to focus on School-to-Career programs Dedicated staff & initiatives Board of Education created Task Force on Integrating Career & College Readiness – 06BESEReport.pdf#search=%22ICCR% BESEReport.pdf#search=%22ICCR%22 Staff have created various resources to support CCR initiatives  Task force will continue to work towards implementation of recommendations

Data Initiatives in Massachusetts Focus on current data that impacts student success & achievement Implementation of Edwin, the new Massachusetts teaching and learning platform that gives educators more comprehensive information that will help improve teaching, learning, school readiness and outcomes The District Analysis and Review Tools (DARTs) offer snapshots of district and school performance, allowing users to easily track select data elements over time, and make sound, meaningful comparisons to the state or to "comparable" organizations.

Data Initiatives in Your School Incorporate data as part of evaluation evidence which requires school counselor participation Complete data projects  Results report  Closing the gap analysis Present data to stakeholder groups Create data sharing protocols  Monthly/quarterly staff meetings  Faculty meetings Show off your successes  Accountability report card  Bulletin boards, newsletters, websites, etc.

Action Planning Gather in small groups by state or region Activity  Identify strengths and current activities in your state or region  What are next BIG steps to make a difference for students and school counselors  What will you commit to do TODAY (or tomorrow) to move your state/region forward

For more information or to continue the discussion Bob Bardwell School Counselor & Director of School Counseling & Student Support Services Monson High School 55 Margaret Street Monson, MA x (fax)