1. State of Middle and High School Counseling Superintendent’s Advisory Council on Instruction December 12, 2013 Rebekah Schlatter, Supervisor of Secondary Counseling and Student Support Services

2. Learning Targets Participants will: Understand how students investigate career pathways at the high school level Understand the state of the Career Counselor position in PWCS Learn about student to counselor ratio and it’s impact on services 2

3. Career Investigations in High School School Counseling Core Curriculum delivered to all middle and high school students Naviance program used in all high schools to help students navigate career and life planning Academic and Career Plan created in 7 th grade and updated during high school 3

4. Career Investigations in High School School Counseling Core Curriculum Sample Objectives: 9 th Grade - Understand how the changing global economy affects career choices 10 th Grade - Demonstrate successful work habits and behaviors necessary in any work role 11 th Grade - Demonstrate competency in accurately completing letters of inquiry, college essays, resumes, job/college/financial aid applications, follow-up letters, and preparation for job/college interviews 12 th Grade - Utilize and evaluate the decision-making/problem-solving process in a variety of career-related decisions 4

5. Academic and Career Plan Created in 7 th grade starting in 13-14 school year Updated at each grade level in high school Includes information about career clusters and pathways School counselors guide students through a process in which they determine a career path and the courses that one must take related to this path 5

6. Academic and Career Plan 6 Students learn about and select a career cluster, career pathway, and career goal

7. Academic and Career Plan 7

8. Naviance/Family Connection Program 8

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10. Career Counseling in High School Current state Two high schools, Gar-field and Stonewall Jackson, have a full time career counselor with no assigned student caseload. Other counselors within the department have higher caseloads as follows: –Gar-field = 412 –Stonewall Jackson = 387 10

11. Career Counseling in High School Growth Areas Work with high school principals to increase the number of shared Career Counselors Create lesson plans for Career Counselors to present at each grade level that expose students to career pathways throughout high school 11

12. 12 Student to Counselor Ratio High School 2013-2014 70.7 Counselors Director of School Counseling at each school that does not carry a caseload of students PWCS average student to counselor ratio is 1:370 Caseload sizes at high schools vary from 330 to 404 Virginia Standards of Quality require a 1:350 student to counselor ratio American School Counseling Association recommends a 1:250 student to counselor ratio

13. High School Comparison School DivisionStudent to Counselor Ratio Prince William1:370 Loudon1:295 Fairfax1:290 Alexandria1:180 Arlington1:250 13

14. 14 Student to Counselor Ratio Middle School 2013-2014 49.5 Counselors Director of School Counseling at each school does carry a caseload of students with the exception of Marstellar and Gainesville Middle Schools PWCS average student to counselor ratio is 1:415 Counselor caseload sizes at middle schools vary from 333 to 581 Virginia Standards of Quality require a 1:400 student to counselor ratio American School Counseling Association recommends a 1:250 student to counselor ratio

15. Middle School Comparison 15 School DivisionStudent to Counselor Ratio Prince William1:415 Loudon1:345 Fairfax1:320 Arlington1:250 Alexandria1:230

16. Does student to counselor ratio matter? You decide! 16

17. Does student to counselor ratio matter? Lower counselor ratios were significantly associated with higher graduation rates and lower disciplinary incidents. As the percentage of students receiving free and reduced lunch increased across schools, lower student to counselor ratios became an important ingredient for promoting student success “Missouri Professional School Counselors: Ratios Matter, Especially in High Poverty Schools”. Lapan, R. T., Gysbers, N. C., & Stanley, B. (2011). 17

18. Does student to counselor ratio matter? Both the number of school counselors in a school and students contact with the school counselor for college information appear to have an effect on college application rates. Number of school counselors had statistically significant positive effects on students applying to two or more colleges. “School Counselors as Social Capital -The Effects of High School College Counseling on College Application Rates” (2010). Bryan, J., & et al (2011). Journal of Counseling & Development, 89 18