Superman Found: School Counselors Improving Opportunities for All Students

1. Superman Found: School Counselors Improving Opportunities for All Students Missouri School Counselor Association November 4, 2012

2. Waiting For Superman • Insert video here

3. Who’s Here? • Elementary counselors • Middle/Jr High counselors • Secondary counselors • Multilevel counselors • School Couseling Directors • Counselor Educators • Graduate students • Other

4. Checking In • Previous conference attendees? • Who had to pay out of pocket? • What are you here for? • Professional development • Your school made you come • Nothing else to do

5. Whately MA Map

9. So Why Me? What Can I Offer You? • School Counselor and K-12 Director of School Counseling • 19 years in the profession • Leader – local, state, regional & national • Advocate for students, school counselors and our profession

10. Three Questions 1. What do we need from school counselors in 2013? 2. How do school counselors make a difference in schools today? 3. Who is your superhero?

11. Do you know these super heroes? Jaime Escalante Erin Gruwell Joe Clark

12. Advocacy • Who do we advocate with? • Colleagues • Administrators • School boards • Parents • Community members • Strangers • Elected officials/policy makers

13. Advocating for our profession • Talking about what school counselors do • Demonstrating with data our impact on student success and achievement • Sharing our program results with stakeholders • Going to meetings • Writing letters to the editor • Submitting press releases with photo ops • Invite internal and external policy makers to school counseling events • Make NOISE!

14. Advocating for your school counseling program • Who do you talk to about what your program is doing? • What data do you have that impacts student success and achievement? • Where do you share your program information, goals and successes? • Staff/school • School Board • Community newspaper, local cable station • Community groups – PTA, Rotary, Realtors

15. What is your 30 second elevator speech? School counselors ensure that all students achieve at their highest level possible. They collaborate with teachers, administrators, family members and service providers outside of the school to provide services and support necessary for student access and success. They advocate for every student to ensure their academic, career and persona/social needs are met. School counselors are leaders and systemic change agents in their schools, working with all stakeholders to ensure that they are using data and evidence based practices that inform decision making and produce results. They are the glue that holds a school together and are super heroes.

16. Collaboration • How do you collaborate to improve your school counseling program? • Build a team • Build partnerships • Educate • Utilize current resources • Communicate effectively • Shared responsibility & decision making

17. Leadership • What is a Leader? • Someone who • has a passion • has a vision • is willing to make a commitment of time, talent & treasures • wants to make a difference

18. Why be a School Counselor Leader • There are numerous opportunities at the local, state and national level • Change is in the air – the time is NOW • It helps your students and families and brings recognition to your school counseling program • If not you, then who? • Why Not?

19. 2012 Leadership Challenges • Limited time • Lack of interest among members • Too busy; too much work; not appealing • List of challenges is great • Lack of interest among members • Limited resources to do the job well

20. Systemic Change • Removing barriers • Create changes to improve student achievement & promote equity and access for all • Can be slow & tiring • Is ongoing

21. What do these 4 elements have in common? • Collaboration • Advocacy • Leadership • Systemic Change • ASCA National Model Elements

22. Another Question • What is one thing you can commit to right now to create change for our profession?

23. Next Steps • What can you contribute to taking school counseling in Missouri from Good to Great? • How does the profession move forward? • When do we do this? • Who else needs to be on the bus?

24. Next Steps (cont’d) • What questions do you have? • What challenges do you face as an Mover & Shaker? • What resources do you need? • Create your own action plan

25. For more info… Bob Bardwell School Counselor & Director of School Counseling 55 Margaret Street Monson, MA 01057 413.267.4589x1109 bardwellr@monsonschools.com www.bobbardwell.com

26. Leadership Resources Good to Great – Jim Collins Good to Great & the Social Sectors How the Mighty Fall – Jim Collins Fish: Remarkable Way to Boost Morale & Improve Results – Stephen Lundin The Disney Way – Bill Capodagli & Lynn Jackson

27. Data Resources • Evidence-Based School Counseling: Making a Difference With Data-Driven Practices • Dimmitt, Carey & Hatch • Making Data Work: An ASCA National Model Publication • Kaffenberger & Young • School Counseling to Close the Achievement Gap • Holcomb-McCcoy • Center for Excellence in School Counseling & Leadership • www.cescal.org • Center for School Counseling Outcome Research & Evaluation • www.cscor.org