1. National Leadership Cadre: Statewide School Counseling Reform through Partnership and Career Development
Jackie Melendez, Program Manager /School Counseling
Georgia Department of Education
Zelda Rogers, Program Director/Career Planning
Florida Department of Education
Kristi Enger, Guidance/Special Projects Coordinator
Idaho Division of Professional-Technical Education

2. National Cadre Position
Graduation and postsecondary placement rates will improve when administrators emphasize comprehensive school counseling programs and make better use of the school counselor.

3. National Cadre Position
School counselors can effectively demonstrate positive student outcomes when leadership-driven partnerships among government agencies, state counseling associations, and higher education work to advance the mission of school counseling and life career development education.

4. National Cadre Position
School administrators must understand the transformed and enhanced role of the school counselor. When administrators understand and support the school counselor’s role, counselors are better equipped to implement a comprehensive and developmental program.

5. National Cadre Position
The National Leadership Cadre can play a pivotal role in counseling reform by working with selected Cadre state guidance directors in developing innovative strategies to break down isolated program silos. Statewide collaboration with ALL stakeholders is essential.

6. Need to Focus on Building Strong State Partnerships
Partnerships are the key to rapid, irreversible change
Key partners: DOEs, DOLs, State Associations, Higher Education
Partnerships result in living, functional state school counseling models
Partnership building is a complex process

7. The Georgia Story: The “What”
Increase high school graduation rate, decrease high school dropout rate, and increase post-secondary enrollment rate.

8. The “What” Results Data-based advocacy
Infusion of career planning objectives in school counseling programs
Leadership in systematic change
Impact on high school graduation

9. The “How”
Creation of Year-long School Counselor Leadership Academy to build leadership capacity
Designed for certified school counselors that meet application criteria
Aligned with the ASCA Model

10. The “How”: SCALE Program
School
Counselor
Academy
Leadership
Excellence

11. The “How”: Rationale
An effort must be made by state leadership to develop and improve the necessary leadership skills to maximize educational impact of school counseling programs.
Aligning school counseling programs with reform initiatives can demonstrate leadership.

12. The “How”: Strategies
Creation of Statewide School Counseling Task Force
Collaboration with School Improvement and CATE
GACTE Summer Institute with an intensive counselor strand
Regular meetings with Counselor Directors and Counselor Educators
Development of School Counselor Leadership Guide for all counselors
Two leadership workshops conducted by Jay Carey and Carol Dahir
Regional counselor workshops for program updates
Application process that will start in July
Face-to-face meetings and webinars

13. SCALE Academy Topics
Leadership role development in school improvement and school completion
Advocacy and Social Justice (Equity)
Accountability/Management Systems
Data- Based Decision Making
Guidance Curriculum
Career Planning and Development
Work-Based Learning
Teaming and Collaboration

14. Our Partners State Counseling Association Higher Education CATE
School Improvement
Graduation Coaches
DTAE
Georgia Student Finance Commission
CRN

15. The Florida Story: A Focus on Career Development
Secondary School Reform
Middle School Requirements
High School Requirements
All Districts required to have a minimum of one academy

16. Issues Driving School Reform
Drop out rates
Employers report that students don’t have skills to be successful
Remediation/postsecondary education
Education and training requirements have changed in the workplace
Why do kids drop out of school
School Engagement
Poor academic performance
Poor attendance
Don’t see relevance of coursework
to future
Low educational expectations
Lack of effort
Bored
No extracurricular participation
*Source- National Dropout Prevention Center
Employers want workers to have a solid foundation of reading, writing, math but they also want them to have soft skills such as getting along with others, working in teams, communicating, solving problems and making decisions. Attitude is also very high on the list. They want their workers to have the ability to learn new ways of doing things as technology changes their jobs.
Education and training requirements have changed –While the good news is that there are plenty of job openings projected for high school graduates, more than twice the number of job openings for 4 year college graduates, however many of these job openings will be in occupations that require some training after high school. In fact, most high paying jobs almost always require training.

17. The LAW… Middle School Requirements
Effective for students entering 6th grade in , promotion from a middle school requires
3 year-long courses in English
3 year-long courses in Mathematics
3 year-long courses in Science
3 year-long courses Social Studies
1 semester course in career and education planning to be completed in 7th or 8th grade
All this leads us back to the A++ legislation

18. Goal of A++ Legislation
Ensure all students are informed & prepared for their future careers regardless of whether they plan to go:
directly to work
technical or community college
university
military
Many schools are establishing academies, strengthening Tech Prep Programs, Magnet programs, etc. with a career focus so that students in many cases can even exit high school with skills that can land them in a good paying job.

19. Solutions….. Middle School Career Course
Career goals can motivate students to stay in school
Gives students a focus on the future
Understand importance of planning and consequences if they don’t
Drop out rate, postsecondary going rate, and college completion are issues that can be addressed by the middle school course. The career development process can begin here with students assessing their interests, exploring careers, and making some initial plans about careers they may want to pursue in the future. Research has shown that students that have gone through the process of career awareness, exploration, and planning are more likely to stay in school, academic achievement increases.

20. Course Requirements
Career exploration using CHOICES (or similar program)
Educational planning using FACTS.org.
Results in a career and education plan
Plan signed by student, school counselor or academic advisor, and parent
Parents informed of course and activities

21. MS Career & Education Planning Course
Process of academic and career awareness, exploration, and planning
Students will make more informed decisions on course selection and career
Prepares them for a successful transition to high school
Raises aspirations for career and education options

22. What is
Florida’s central web resource for student advising
Helps students plan and track educational progress (high school & college)
Planning (electronic Personal Education Planner [ePEP])
Tracking (High School Academic Evaluations)
FACTS.org is a one-stop advising web site to help students and parents plan and track students’ progress through high school and college.

23. Career and Education Planning Course
Stand-alone or integrated course
48 course options
30 competencies
Modules
Understanding the Workplace
Self Awareness
Exploring Careers
Goal Setting & Decision Making
Workplace Skills
Career & Education Planning
Job Search
The competencies are based on National Career Development Guidelines, state framework for guidance, and ASCA national school counseling program model. We started the process of course approval with the stand-alone and several exploratory electives. Once these were presented to districts requests were made for additional courses to have the competencies added. The majority of the courses were requested from districts to give additional flexibility in scheduling students. After some discussion social studies courses were added upon request in addition to courses such as PE and Band. Some districts have decided to use one course that all students will be scheduled in while others are using a variety of courses to meet the needs of the students.

24. Middle School Where’s Career & Your Network? Education Planning
All these partner in the development and delivery of the career course.

25. Counselor’s Role
Assist with the career exploration and development of the ePEP
Support the teacher with interpretation of assessment results and other advisement strategies
Help with development of curriculum
High school counselors can also help with informing students of high school options
Classroom support
The same competencies that are included in the course are also included in the state guidance framework. These competencies are from the National Career Development guidelines and ASCA guidance model.

26. Resources

27. Educator’s Toolkit: Career & Education Planning

28. MODULES

29. Self Awareness

30. Self Awareness continued

31. High School Requirements
16 core credit requirements
4 credits in an area of specialization (Major Area of Interest)
4 credits in electives, a minor or another major
24 Total Credits

32. High School Requirements 4-year, 24-credit Standard Program
= 24
Core Classes
MAI
Other Electives
Total

33. Major Area of Interest (MAI)
Four (4) credits selected by the student in an area of interest. For example, courses may be in:
a career and technical program
fine and performing arts, or
an academic content area

34. Legislative Charge for Guidance & Counseling
Recommendations for improvement in guidance, counseling & advising
District guidance report
Every district mandated to have a guidance program implemented at all schools
The following are the issues presented to the Career Education Task Force
This is not final, but you can see that the focus is on Career Guidance
The second point deals with all students being informed of their options, whether that involve moving straight into the workforce, pursuing post-secondary education through career and technical, community college, or college/university pathways
Considering best practices deals with school A, for example that doesn’t have time for incorporating a guidance and counseling (overall student development program) due to FCAT accountability, etc. versus school B that is held to those same requirements, yet has produced and implemented a successful guidance and counseling program regardless. The issue is why does it work for some? What are the factors that contribute to the program’s success?
Critical need career areas include: Information Technology, Education, Health Care; and Engineering
The website listed will take you to a draft copy of the guidance report.

35. Annual District Guidance Report
Student access to guidance counselors
Status of implementation of K-12 guidance program
Information and training for counselors on careers
Best practices for advisement
Alternative strategies for delivering
guidance
Actions taken for STW transition
(s )
Guidance plan
The legislature has identified the following to be included in the Guidance Report. Let me note that this year’s report will be used for baseline data only. In reference to next year’s report, expect to see more data requirements (i.e. specific trainings received, program data collected, etc.)
Data, Data, Data! When compiling your competencies for the Guidance Plan, remember it will be important to be able to measure how you achieved them (i.e. Pre-test/Posttest).
Go over slide…
Let me note that the training is not limited to counselors, but it includes teachers as well. Training may involve CIDS such as CHOICES and specific labor market information.
Alternative strategies may include a Teachers as Advisors program. Instead of being too busy to deliver guidance services at all, alternative delivery strategies could be addressed. Many times, these counseling duties are being performed in non-traditional ways but not documented.
I’ll pass these out now and we’ll look through it page by page. Please remember this report is in draft form. It has yet to be formatted so you may find a few mistakes.

36. Idaho and the Career Development Process
New to the Cadre in December Much younger in tenure than Florida and Georgia!

37. Idaho’s Educational Structure
State Board of Education
Idaho Division of Professional-Technical Ed
State Department of Education
Idaho Division of PTE
Career and Technical Programs
My Division!—Career Guidance (support all other programs and functions)
State Department of Education
Academic Programs
Special Populations
Title One
Special Education
ELL
etc.

38. Idaho PTE FY2007 Goals Increase college PTE capacity
Support articulation
Maintain high placement rates
Support high school reform
As a part of the Division of Professional-Technical Education, my role is to support the overall mission and goals of the Division as a whole.
Currently, four goals.
First--to increase the capacity of the postsecondary technical college system. BENCHMARK--the enrollments will increase.
Significant demand for professional-technical education in Idaho. In hearings around the state on community colleges, business people testified again and again on the need for more technically trained employees. Needs for program expansion exist in every area of the state. Institutions have identified demands for expanded programs in Nursing, allied health, welding, diesel, animal science, residential construction, Radiation safety, bio-medical technician, medical assistant, radiological tech, veterinarian assistant, Fire Service EMS, auto and graphics arts/web development.
Second—support articulation between secondary and postsecondary education. BENCHMARK: tech prep enrollments will increase.
Even more significantly while Idaho’s go to college rate is around 44%, 60% of PTE completers go on to college and 60% of Professional-Technical school completers go on to college. Last year the rate for PTE completers was 57%.
Third--Maintain high postsecondary placement rates. Overall placement
Target – 90%
Actual – 93%
Training relation plus education
Target – 80%
Actual – 88%
Retention increased from 90% in 2003 to 97% in 2006
Fourth--Improve the capacity of professional-technical education to support high school reform. BENCHMARK: increase the percent of teachers trained in academic integration.

39. Career Guidance Goals
Align Idaho Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Model with new ASCA model
Infusion of career planning objectives in school counseling programs
Leadership through communication, technical assistance, site visits
Promote collaboration with instructors, advisory committees, associations, etc.
Beginning of previous week—PTE Summer Conference—embedded counselor summer institute on one day!
In process of re-working, revising Idaho’ Comprehensive School Counseling Program Model
Emphasizing need for data-based advocacy
Feedback from summer institute will guide revision of statewide model
Training will be through PTE Summer Conference, webinars, Fall Career Development Tour
Career Planning & Development
Career development—traditionally back burner approach—if we have time…
Actively advocating for career development to be the umbrella for all counseling
Counselor certificated primarily by SDE—actively advocating role in PTE
Tight collaboration with Career Information System
Fall Career Development state tour
Simultaneous development of resources
Leadership from state level has been hit and miss, so to change that…
Weekly Counselor Connection
Guidance program visitations, followed up with written commendations/recommendations
Quality Initiative Handout
Technical assistance in understanding program forms and strategies for contributions
Continually advocate for important communication and assistance between instructors, administrators, and counselors
Advocate for separation of District Testing Coordinator duties
Revised Idaho Comprehensive School Counseling Model will hopefully drive support for separation of non-counseling duties
Quality Initiative mandates guidance advisory committee

40. Our Partners Idaho School Counselor Association
Idaho Career Guidance Association
7-16/Postsecondary Education
Counselor Educators
State Board of Education
State Department of Education
Career Information Systems
Commerce and Labor
Vocational Rehabilitation
Idaho Dept of Corrections

41. Strategies to Improve Career Development Efforts
Individual Graduation Plans/ Programs of Study coupled with Career Planning
Infusion of Career Clusters into Idaho resources
Implementation of advisor/advisee programs in line with HSTW
Reaffirmed with Cadre partners the need to couple Individual Graduation Plans with additional steps to ensure that career development is comprehensive and grounded in process
Big push since I was hired—Career Clusters
Super Clusters—explain—brochure in packet
Individual Graduation Plan/Program of Study
Perkins reauthorization
Sequence of Courses—seamless transition between middle to high to postsecondary
Collaboration with SDE to add rigor to PTE courses to provide options for applied math, science, health, economics, etc.
Recently established graphics to accompany
Next focus on more comprehensive cluster guides
As another part of my position, I serve as the HSTW PTE liaison. I advocate the use of advisor/advisee programs as a strategy for the total school counseling program.

42. Student Learning Plans
Administrative Code –Thoroughness
Other required instruction for all students and other required offerings of the school are: (4-1-97) … 02. Middle Schools/Junior High Schools. ( ) a. No later than the end of Grade eight (8) each students shall develop parent-approved student learning plans for their high school and post-high school options. The learning plan shall be developed by students with the assistance of parents or guardians, and with advice and recommendation from school personnel. It shall be reviewed annually and may be revised at any time. The purpose of a parent-approved student learning plan is to outline a course of study and learning activities for students to become contributing members of society.

43. Sample POS (Part of SLP)

44. POS Example (Page 2) The Postsecondary Connection

45. Cluster Resources Brochures Summary Flyer
Speakers Kit to assist counselors
Registration Guide Pages
Graphics

46. Continuing and Next Steps
Finalize revised Idaho School Counseling Program Model
Develop revised Career Guidance Blueprint/Cluster Activity manuals
Establish statewide universal student planner
Continue communication through focused and varied efforts
Provide leadership in fostering program collaboration
Career Cluster resources
Greater infusion of HSTW key practices
Finalize revised Idaho School Counseling Program Model
Collaboration of Partners
Webinar training
Career Guidance Blueprint/Cluster Activity manuals
Universal Student Planner
PTE, CIS, SBOE, SDE, Commerce and Labor, Schools, Voc Rehab, etc.
Communication
Counselor Connection
Trainings
Site Visitations
Promoting Quality Initiative
RECOMMENDING v. requiring
Foster program collaboration
In-house education to promote program manager knowledge
Counselor training regarding programs and possibilities

47. Giving Direction… Vision without action is merely a dream.
Action without vision just passes the time.
Vision with action can change the world.
- Joel Barker

48. Does This Fit For Us? Would this work in my state?
Would I want to do it?
What would it take to be successful?
What resources are available?
Who are the people to make things happen?
Will I have administrative support?
What are my goals and objectives?
How do I develop effective partnerships?