Student Success Plans Simsbury Public Schools Grades 6-12 Tor Fiske Director of Guidance Simsbury Public Schools

Overview Student Success Plan Core Components Student Success Plan Core Components At Simsbury……where weve been At Simsbury……where weve been …..Where we are …..Where we are …..Where were headed …..Where were headed Challenges Challenges Value added for students and families Value added for students and families Implementation suggestions Implementation suggestions

SSP Core Components SSP – individualized student driven plan that will be developed to address every students needs and interests, in order to help every student stay connected in school and to achieve postsecondary educational and career goals – www. Sde.ct.gov SSP – individualized student driven plan that will be developed to address every students needs and interests, in order to help every student stay connected in school and to achieve postsecondary educational and career goals – www. Sde.ct.gov

SSP Core Components I. Academic Development Selection of rigorous courses linked to interest, skills, and career pathways Selection of rigorous courses linked to interest, skills, and career pathways Selection of courses for the attainment of education and/or career goals Selection of courses for the attainment of education and/or career goals Progress toward successful completion of Portfolio/Capstone Project Progress toward successful completion of Portfolio/Capstone Project Ongoing support and assessment of progress with mentor/advisor Ongoing support and assessment of progress with mentor/advisor Provision of timely intervention Provision of timely intervention II. Career Development Interest and ability inventories Interest and ability inventories Career exploration activities and elective courses Career exploration activities and elective courses Postsecondary education and career pathway development Postsecondary education and career pathway development III. Social, Emotional, Physical Development Effective decision-making skills Effective decision-making skills Empathic interactions and community service Empathic interactions and community service Utilizing supportive resources Utilizing supportive resources Healthy and safe life skills/choices Healthy and safe life skills/choices Broadened awareness of self within a global context Broadened awareness of self within a global context *** Yellow text = currently in place in Simsbury Public Schools

SIMSBURY Background Historically aligned and vertically connected developmental guidance program grades 7-12 Historically aligned and vertically connected developmental guidance program grades 7-12 Strong individual counseling/planning component Strong individual counseling/planning component Grade appropriate goal setting and related activities across academic, career, and personal/social domains Grade appropriate goal setting and related activities across academic, career, and personal/social domains Paper tracking system of outcomes/inventories, Naviance usage for post-high school planning Paper tracking system of outcomes/inventories, Naviance usage for post-high school planning NEASC recommendations for more common experiences NEASC recommendations for more common experiences NEASC recommendations for Advisory Program creation NEASC recommendations for Advisory Program creation Elective program lacking depth and continuity Elective program lacking depth and continuity Referral system relying heavily on special education for students in need of support and intervention Referral system relying heavily on special education for students in need of support and intervention

…..Where we are now Evaluated/revised developmental guidance curriculum to maintain strength of individual counseling while providing common experiences for all students Evaluated/revised developmental guidance curriculum to maintain strength of individual counseling while providing common experiences for all students Common experiences in the form of grade level seminars in Fall semester, targeting select developmental activities Common experiences in the form of grade level seminars in Fall semester, targeting select developmental activities Counseling program transparency: program components and experiences outlined on department website by grade level Counseling program transparency: program components and experiences outlined on department website by grade level Developmental curriculum supported by Naviance, which effectively serves as an electronic filing cabinet or portfolio platform for student work, and program continuity Developmental curriculum supported by Naviance, which effectively serves as an electronic filing cabinet or portfolio platform for student work, and program continuity

…Where we are now continued Naviance upgrade to Succeed and Course Planner components Naviance upgrade to Succeed and Course Planner components Emerging Advisory Program Emerging Advisory Program Emerging SRBI system for proactive intervention and support Emerging SRBI system for proactive intervention and support Restructured elective program into Student Learning Clusters, complete with course mapping in conjunction with core classes _Student_Learning_Cluster_Booklet.pdf Restructured elective program into Student Learning Clusters, complete with course mapping in conjunction with core classes _Student_Learning_Cluster_Booklet.pdf _Student_Learning_Cluster_Booklet.pdf _Student_Learning_Cluster_Booklet.pdf

.....Where we are headed Implement new Success and Planner components Implement new Success and Planner components Provides sustained annual goal setting in SMART goal format across Academic, Personal/Social, Career domains Provides sustained annual goal setting in SMART goal format across Academic, Personal/Social, Career domains Allows for electronic replication of student elective cluster information, and detail of program sequence for colleges by degree of selectivity Allows for electronic replication of student elective cluster information, and detail of program sequence for colleges by degree of selectivity Create monthly lessons to be implemented by SHS Connect grades 9-11 around age/grade appropriate developmental topics Create monthly lessons to be implemented by SHS Connect grades 9-11 around age/grade appropriate developmental topics Advisory devotes one week per month to designated guidance lesson; providing continuity of service, greater degree of reflection Advisory devotes one week per month to designated guidance lesson; providing continuity of service, greater degree of reflection Increased marketing of Naviance to families grade 7 & 9: ease of access, purpose, greater one-stop-shopping for information Increased marketing of Naviance to families grade 7 & 9: ease of access, purpose, greater one-stop-shopping for information Career Cruising component to support greater degree of career exploration Career Cruising component to support greater degree of career exploration Core content areas post select artifacts to portfolio Core content areas post select artifacts to portfolio Emerging Capstone Experience artifacts Emerging Capstone Experience artifacts

SIMSBURY Challenges Cost Cost Grade 6-12 integration Grade 6-12 integration Raise awareness Raise awareness Balancing new initiative with competing initiatives Balancing new initiative with competing initiatives Coordinating input from stakeholders Coordinating input from stakeholders Coordinating development/implementation between schools Coordinating development/implementation between schools Measures of effectiveness Measures of effectiveness Effective implementation with limited resources, staffing Effective implementation with limited resources, staffing

SSP Value Added Synchronizes several initiatives: SSP, Advisory, Career Clusters, Capstone creation, student portfolio of work/exploration Synchronizes several initiatives: SSP, Advisory, Career Clusters, Capstone creation, student portfolio of work/exploration Evaluate/update programs in developmental guidance program Evaluate/update programs in developmental guidance program Promotes both whole school and home-school investment in student success Promotes both whole school and home-school investment in student success Promotes 21 st Century Skills Promotes 21 st Century Skills Increase opportunity for student reflection and ownership of progress towards personal goals Increase opportunity for student reflection and ownership of progress towards personal goals Ease of electronic access Ease of electronic access Added layer of communication with students and families Added layer of communication with students and families

Implementation Suggestions Dont reinvent the wheel Dont reinvent the wheel SSP should suit the needs and values of its community SSP should suit the needs and values of its community Build upon existing structures/initiatives Build upon existing structures/initiatives Be comfortable with, and strive for, transparency Be comfortable with, and strive for, transparency If cost of available technology platforms is too prohibitive, utilize in-house resources for design If cost of available technology platforms is too prohibitive, utilize in-house resources for design Keep initial implementation team small and grow as you go Keep initial implementation team small and grow as you go Understand that many of us are already performing many of the core SSP elements in our schools Understand that many of us are already performing many of the core SSP elements in our schools

Contact Information Tor Fiske Director of Guidance Simsbury Public Schools (860)