NEO Goes to College – NOW! November 4, 2011 Cleveland State University

Operating on a Shoestring: Technology-Based Student and Parent Outreach Donna Czeck, M. Ed., LSC

Communication Avenues: Getting the Word Out How do you communicate with your students? Their parents/guardians? What methods do you use to get to know your “audience”? NEO Goes to College NOW! 3

BI-LINGUAL OR MULTI-LINGUAL Know your audience! Language barriers Literacy barriers SES barriers NEO Goes to College NOW! 4

Conventional Communication Avenues Newsletters ▫District ▫Building ▫Departmental Distributing your Newsletters ▫Snail mail ▫ NEO Goes to College NOW! 5

Conventional Communication Avenues Bulletin boards Postings in classrooms and common areas: cafeteria, auditorium, gymnasium, hallways, and areas frequented by parents Word of mouth NEO Goes to College NOW! 6

Conventional Communication Avenues Parent meetings/seminars/workshops ▫ Don’t intimidate your audience with the title NEO Goes to College NOW! 7

Newer Communication Avenues ▫ Collecting addresses ▫ Organizing is the KEY  Microsoft Outlook  Parent distribution lists (by grade or building)  Students (by grade) NEO Goes to College NOW! 8

Newer Communication Avenues District and/or School Website ▫ Work with your IT and webmaster ▫ Practice makes perfect  How do you decide “what works” and “what doesn’t work”? NEO Goes to College NOW! 9 LHS TCESC

Newer Communication Avenues Automated Phone Calling Systems ▫ Most families have phones ▫ Quick, efficient methods of getting news out to parents/families  Financial Aid Night presentation  First Generation College workshops NEO Goes to College NOW! 10

Not So Conventional Communication Avenues Facebook Twitter NEO Goes to College NOW! 11

Facebook Pages Morris Area School District K-12 Counselor Trumbull Career & Technical Center Mahoning County Career and Technical Center Cleveland Metropolitan School District Murrieta Valley Unified School District Albuquerque Public Schools American School Counselor Association Ohio School Counselor Association Hudson City Schools, Ohio***** NEO Goes to College NOW! 12

Educating Your Students AND Their Parents... Appropriate addresses Values of post-secondary education AND protecting your image online ▫ Employers AND colleges are now “Googling” you! NEO Goes to College NOW! 13

Ethics and Technology NEO Goes to College NOW! 14 School faculty and the Internet ▫ OEA 2009 Update: Members should not post, do, say, or write anything on a social network that they would not want to see on the front page of the local newspaper or would not say or do in front of students, parents, or the board of education. ▫ Protect your reputation (and that of your school/district) in your electronic communications

Social Networking Positions NEO Goes to College NOW! 15

ASCA Standards for School Counselors A.3. Academic, Career/College/Post-Secondary Access and Personal/Social Counseling Plans Professional school counselors: a. Provide students with a comprehensive school counseling program that parallels the ASCA National Model with emphasis on working jointly with all students to develop personal/social, academic and career goals. b. Ensure equitable academic, career, post-secondary access and personal/social opportunities for all students through the use of data to help close achievement gaps and opportunity gaps. c. Provide and advocate for individual students’ career awareness, exploration and post-secondary plans supporting the students’ right to choose from the wide array of options when they leave secondary education. NEO Goes to College NOW! 16

ASCA Standards for School Counselors A.10. Technology Professional school counselors: a. Promote the benefits of and clarify the limitations of various appropriate technological applications. Professional school counselors promote technological applications (1) that are appropriate for students’ individual needs, (2) that students understand how to use and (3) for which follow-up counseling assistance is provided. b. Advocate for equal access to technology for all students, especially those historically underserved. c. Take appropriate and reasonable measures for maintaining confidentiality of student information and educational records stored or transmitted through the use of computers, facsimile machines, telephones, voic , answering machines and other electronic or computer technology. d. Understand the intent of FERPA and its impact on sharing electronic student records. e. Consider the extent to which cyberbullying is interfering with students’ educational process and base guidance curriculum and intervention programming for this pervasive and potentially dangerous problem on research-based and best practices. NEO Goes to College NOW! 17

ASCA Standards for School Counselors B.1. Parent Rights and Responsibilities Professional school counselors: a. Respect the rights and responsibilities of parents/guardians for their children and endeavor to establish, as appropriate, a collaborative relationship with parents/guardians to facilitate students’ maximum development. b. Adhere to laws, local guidelines and ethical standards of practice when assisting parents/guardians experiencing family difficulties interfering with the student’s effectiveness and welfare. c. Are sensitive to diversity among families and recognize that all parents/guardians, custodial and noncustodial, are vested with certain rights and responsibilities for their children’s welfare by virtue of their role and according to law. d. Inform parents of the nature of counseling services provided in the school setting. e. Adhere to the FERPA act regarding disclosure of student information. f. Work to establish, as appropriate, collaborative relationships with parents/guardians to best serve student. NEO Goes to College NOW! 18

What Not to Do... NEVER use your personal cell phone or land line to call parents/students. NEVER “friend” your students or their parents if you have a personal social network account. NEVER post photos of yourself in compromising situations (drinking alcohol, posing seductively, etc). NEVER use your school computer inappropriately. NEO Goes to College NOW! 19

ACLU Investigates Suspension of PA Teacher Over Facebook Photo of Her with Mail Stripper ▫ Source: Liz Zemba, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 27, 2010 Former teacher Sues Georgia School District Claiming She was Forced to Resign Over Content Posted on Her Facebook Page ▫ Source: Joe Vanhoos, Athens Banner-Herald, November 10, 2009 NC Teachers Face Consequences for Facebook Posts About Students ▫ Source: Ann Doss Helms, Raleigh News & Observer, November 12, 2008 Board May Terminate Teacher’s Contract for Offensive Language and Jokes Oleske v. Hilliard City School District Board of Education (2001), 146 Ohio App.3d 57 NEO Goes to College NOW! 20

Unclear Policy Prevented Board from Terminating an Administrator for Improper s ▫ Bertolini v. Whitehall City School District Board of education (2000), 139 Ohio App. 3d 595 Employee Suspended After ing Violates School’s “Acceptable Use” Policy ▫ Doll v. Stark County Board of MRDD (Dec. 28, 2001), Stark Cty. App. No 01-CA NEO Goes to College NOW! 21

NEO Goes to College NOW! 22 National Association Of Student Financial Aid Administrators Federal Student Aid Information for Counselors

Questions - Comments - Discussion NEO Goes to College NOW! 23

Links k (OEA video) k Technology0409.pdfhttp:// Technology0409.pdf NEO Goes to College NOW! 24