1. Topics: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
                                                                            
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Coordinator
Training
Welcome to the Coordinator training for the LINKS student advising program. This training:
Describes your role and responsibilities for implementing the LINKS and for supporting advisors to make the program a success at your school
Points out resources that will support preparation, implementation, first-year wrap-up, and evaluation of the program
Prior to watching this component of your training, you should watch the LINKS Introduction and Over Power Point. If you have done this…
Let’s get started!
Topics:   A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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2. LINKS Coordinators are crucial to the success of the program
LINKS Coordinators are crucial to the success of the program. They provide important practical support to advisors and oversee the advising process. This includes helping with the dissemination of materials such as lesson plans, etc., coordinating student portfolio storage and maintenance, general trouble-shooting, ensuring ongoing professional development. As the title implies the coordinator coordinates with all stakeholders to plan and fully implement a success school advisory program. This diagram illustrates the interconnectedness of staff, parents and the community in supporting students. 2

3. Here are some things you need to do prior to implementing LINKS.
Complete this training and any other district or state provided LINKS trainings
Review the Web site in order to fully understand the program and be aware of available resources
Doing these 2 things will help you stay abreast of policies, procedures, and changes relevant to the LINKS program.
You will need to work with counselors to prepare student portfolios and make sure advisors and have them for their LINKS advising groups before the groups meet. Be sure to encourage advisors to store these securely as they contain confidential information.
Make sure the advisors and other school staff complete their training and that you have helped clarify any questions or concerns they may have about the program
Distribute and collect parent consent forms—students may only participate in the evaluation if their parents agree.
Advisors and students participating in the evaluation need to complete pre-implementation surveys online.
Once you starts you will need to…
Work with your principal to disseminate information about the LINKS program to parents and within your community. This might include the use of: flyers, the Parent and Staff brochures (provided on LINKS website), updated notices on the school Web site, newsletter articles and public service announcements.
Provide advisors the copies of plans and handouts for advising lessons
Encourage the use of the student feedback forms and advisor logs—use of these ongoing evaluation tools during the pilot phase will provide valuable feedback for program improvement
Make sure you and others participate in monthly follow-up training sessions
At the end of the school year it’s important that you….
Make sure the advisors, students and parents complete the end-of-year evaluations
Finally, collect, update and securely store student portfolios

4. Coordinator Training
Watch this video and make careful notes to support your roles as the school leader of the LINKS program
Visit and maintain contact with coordinators from successful LINKS implementation sites
Attend state level trainings provided by WVDE
Sign-up and contribute to LINKS WebTop Community.
You are responsible for attending all trainings provided by WVDE, creating connections with other successful school leaders, exploring the LINKS website and becoming the expert on LINKS in your school.

5. LINKS WebTop Community
Communicate and share files with other LINKS implementation sites. Go to…
Global 21
Tools
WebTop
WebTop Communities
Contact Barbara Ashcraft if you need help
Communicate and share files with other LINKS implementation sites. Share school schedules, lesson plans and professional development ideas. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Join the LINKS Student Advisement WebTop Community by going to the WVDE website, then tools, then WebTop, then WebTop Communities. Contact Ms. Ashcraft if you need help signing up or signing in.

6. Advisor Training
This training needs to occur during the week prior to students’ first day.
Use the PowerPoint designed for advisors available on the LINKS Web site
You are responsible for collaborating with the principal, counselors and grade level coordinators (when available) to provide initial and ongoing training for all advisors at your school. Well trained and enthusiastic advisors are important to program success as they are the ones who interact with the students in the lessons. Enthusiasm is contagious, as is pessimism. If advisors are not properly supported through ongoing training in grade level learning communities, advisors will experience frustration and are less likely to be successful advisors.
Advisors may complete their initial training through the online advisor training or you may wish to provide live training or both. The next training phase is walking the advisors through the first month’s lesson through grade level advisor learning teams. Both these trainings must occur before the students’ first day of classes as the first LINKS lessons begins with the opening of school and orientation. Training materials are available in the Resource tab on the LINKS website and should take no more than one hour.

7. Ongoing Professional Development
Professional learning communities
Grade level teams …lesson plan delivery
Teams by Topic
portfolios
senior projects
ISTP
Parent activities
Book Clubs
It is not enough to have a single training to introduce advisors to LINKS. Advisors must have ongoing opportunities to get together in professional learning communities. As the coordinator, you need to work with your principal and counselor to make this happen. Look at the school schedule. How can advisors get together on an ongoing basis? The school counselor and grade level coordinators are good resources to help lead training and brainstorming sessions to familiar advisors with new less and to brainstorm on new and engaging ways to engage students. Ongoing professional development is a must is LINKS is to succeed for EVERY advisor and EVERY student. Weak or reluctant advisors will especially need extra support.

8. Counselor/Principal Training
This training needs to occur well in advance of school-wide implementation.
Use the PowerPoints designed for counselors and principals available on the LINKS Web site
You are also responsible for helping the counselor and principal understand their roles and ensuring they have completed their on-line training to become familiar with their roles and responsibilities with LINKS.

9. You will need… An LCD projector Computer AV screen Internet access
Copies of the Curriculum Delivery Schedule
A sample lesson plan with appropriate handouts
If you choose to conduct advisor training as a group, you will need an LCD projector linked to a computer with internet access, a projection screen, copies of the matrix of lesson topics arranged by grade level called the Curriculum Delivery Schedule, and copies of a sample lesson plan with the supporting handouts. Once again, these are found on the LINKS website.

10. When does LINKS start? Staff training must occur prior to opening day.
Advising classes begin with the school-year orientation.
Remember that the advisor’s training must occur prior to opening day as
advising classes begin with the opening school-year orientation sessions.

11. Student Evaluation Advisor Evaluation STAFF End of Year Evaluation
 It is your responsibility to assure that evaluations are completed by participants at your school in a timely manner.
Over the year, several mechanisms will be used to gather information from students and other relevant stakeholders that will be used to improve the LINKS program and to monitor program impact. WVDE has created several evaluation tools; all of which can be found under the Evaluation Tab on the LINKS website.
Students and advisors are asked to complete pre- and post- online surveys at the beginning and end of each school year to help WVDE determine if LINKS is achieving desired results and to help us make needed changes.
Also, as the school LINKS coordinator you will want to establish a schedule to periodically get feedback on the lessons. Ask your advisors to have students complete the simple 4-question feedback form at scheduled or periodic intervals.
Also, ask your advisors to complete the Advisor’s Log following lessons to suggest improvement or let us know what is working well. This optional tool is important as it will allow you to make appropriate changes to school-specific lessons and provide WVDE to revise online lessons.
At the end of each year we also ask you to complete the online coordinator survey and coordinate the completion of surveys by other stakeholders. These include: parents, counselors, principals and the school coordinator. 11

12. Implementation Steps Advisor training Student surveys
Student portfolios
Lesson plans and handouts
Public relations
To review….here are the important jobs that must be completed to begin the year and maintain the program over time.
First, conduct advisor training.
Second, prepare and distribute student portfolios to the assigned advisors.
Third, duplicate lesson plans and handouts and distribute them to advisors so they’re ready to start advising classes.
Next, arrange for all advisors and students to complete online surveys.
Lastly, work with your principal to begin sharing information about LINKS to parents and the community through a public relations effort.

13. Web site Toolbar Provides Easy Access
Advisor
Counselor
Student
Coordinator
Principal/ Steering Committee
Framework
Resources
Evaluation
Remember the LINKS website is your source for materials and information for all aspects of the LINKS program.
The Web site is divided into seven key sections for easy access to relevant information without having to navigate the entire site.
For example, as you prepare for LINKS, go to the Coordinator tab—this section describes your roles and responsibilities, contains flow charts, and this power point training.

14. Training Assistance
A cadre of trainers are available to assist you with training in your school.
For a list of qualified trainers
Don’t be afraid to ask for help with training in your schools. For a list of trainers contact Barbara Ashcraft at WVDE.

15. Save this as a favorite site for easy access.
Tools
The following tools are available through the LINKS Web site at
Save this as a favorite site for easy access.
Other tools and resources on the LINKS Web site include….
Supporting documents on the designated project Web site such as a LINKS Advisory Guide
Access to lesson plans and videos for other state’s advising programs,
Curriculum map, lesson plans and handouts to guide advising sessions
Online trainings for all involved staff
State policy with content standards,
Forms and templates to customize LINKS for your school, and
Materials for promoting the LINKS program including LINKS informational brochures to share with parents and others.

16. For more information… http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/links/
Barbara Ashcraft at
Your questions or concerns may be handled online at the Web site or feel free to contact Barbara Ashcraft at the West Virginia Dept. of Ed.
With your help, this program will be a wonderful success for your students and your school!