The RISCA Toolkits Approach to Implementing Comprehensive School Counseling Programs

1. The RISCAToolkits Approachto Implementing Comprehensive School Counseling Programs ASCA 2006 Annual Conference Chicago, Illinois June 2006

2. Presenters • Belinda Wilkerson, Rhode Island Counselor- in-Residence • Dr. Patricia Nailor, Director of Counseling, Providence (RI) Public Schools (Retired) • Jean Greco, Program Supervisor of K-12 Guidance, Cranston (RI) Public Schools • Dr. Karl Squier, Counselor Advocate, Toolkits Designer • Diane West, School Counselor, Hope High School, Providence Public Schools • Marianne Davidson, Counseling Department Head, Hope High School, Providence Public Schools

3. Our Primary Goal Implement Comprehensive School Counseling Programs — Based on the ASCA National Model, and — Aligned with the Rhode Island Framework for Comprehensive K-12 School Counseling in all Rhode Island Public Schools

4. What We Will Do Today • Overview of the Eight RISCA Toolkits • Focus on Toolkit #2—Essential Counseling Program • Focus on Toolkit #3—School Counseling Data Management • Focus on Toolkit #8—Individual Learning Plans • Focus on Managing a State-wide or District-wide Professional Development Initiative based on Toolkits • Practice Using Some Key Tools

5. Why Use the Toolkits Approach? • Answers the question: What do I do tomorrow to implement a comprehensive school counseling program based on the ASCA National Model? • Provides structured processes, clearly defined protocols and easy to use tools to capture and organize the results of your work • Produces quality documentation that can be used to promote the value of school counseling to student success and the health of the school community

6. 1—Strategic & Annual Planning 2—Essential Counseling Program 3—School Counseling Data Management 4—Professional Development Program 5—Family & Community Engagement 6—Program Implementation Management 7—Individual Counselors Planning for Results 8—Individual Student Learning Plans Eight Toolkits

7. 1—Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plans 2—Framework for School Counseling 3—Data Reports on the Impact of Your Counseling Program and SPARCs 4—Professional Development Program, Modules and PD Calendar 5—Plan for Engaging Families and Community, and Building Partnerships 6—Counseling Department Administrative Handbook 7—Individual Counselor Plans for the School Year 8—Individual Learning Plan Program for Students All Toolkits Produce Products

8. All Toolkits Consistof a Series of Steps • Each step is designed to help you reflect on your practice and dialog with your colleagues regarding the topic of the Toolkit • Each step contributes to the final products produced by the Toolkit

9. Step 1 in Each Toolkit is a Visitto the “Toolkit Welcome Center” • At each Welcome Center you complete four tasks: • Assemble a Work Group • Gain knowledge about the focus of the Toolkit (e.g., gain knowledge about what constitutes an Essential Counseling Program) • Assess the strengths and weaknesses of your current approach to the focus of the Toolkit • Develop a plan for using the Toolkit in your school and district

10. What You Will Do in Each Toolkit • The following slides identify the steps involved in each Toolkit • Each step can involve one or more tools • Step 1 (Welcome Center) is assumed—the slides begin with Step 2 • Completing all Toolkits will help you establish the infrastructure for implementing comprehensive school counseling programs in your school and district

11. #1—Strategic & Annual Planning • Examine the Major Forces Impacting Your School Counseling Program • Learn How to Implement a Complete Planning Cycle • Produce a Strategic Plan • Produce Annual Implementation Plans • Implement Your Plan and Monitor Progress • Produce Accountability Reports Based on Your Strategic and Annual Plans

12. #2—Essential Counseling Program • Define Your Essential Counseling Program (based on four components of Delivery System in ASCA National Model) • Develop a Scope & Sequence for Your Counseling Curriculum • Define Expected Results for Curriculum Activities and Align Them with Standards • Document Your Essential Counseling Curriculum • Produce a Framework for School Counseling for Your District

13. #3—School Counseling Data Management • Develop a School Counseling Data Management Program for: • Assessing Student Progress towards Standards • Assessing the Impact of Implementing Your School Counseling Program • Explore the CSCOR Website • Download and Learn How to use EZAnalyze • Produce a SPARC for Your School and District • Using SALT Data to Demonstrate Impact of School Counseling on Student Success • Rhode Island Commissioner of Education’s Review Process

14. #4—Professional Development Program • Develop a Professional Development (PD) Program for School Counselors • Publish a School Counseling PD Calendar • Document PD Modules • Prepare a New Hire Counselor PD Program

15. #5—Family & Community Engagement • Develop Plan for Engaging Families and Community • Develop Plan for Developing/ Enhancing Partnerships (e.g., Government Agencies, Higher Education, Business Community) • Publish a Handbook for Family, Community and Partnerships

16. #6—Program Implementation Management • Define and Document School Counselor Roles and Responsibilities • Define and Document Policies and Protocols Related to School Counseling • Standardized Processes and Forms, Where Appropriate • Maintain Logs of Implementation Activities • Produce an Administrative Handbook for School Counseling

17. #7—Individual Counselors Planning for Results • Produce Individual Counselor Plans for the School Year • Compile Points to Discuss with Your Department Head and/or Principal • Identify Barriers to Achieving Results and Strategies for Overcoming Them

18. #8—Individual Learning Plans • Develop an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) Program for you School and/or District • Develop Materials to Use with the ILP

19. Focus on Toolkit #2 • Brain Dump & Sorting Tool • Scope and Sequence for Curriculum • Expected Results for Curriculum Activities • Alignment with Standards • Documenting Essential Counseling Activities • Publishing a Framework for School Counseling • Toolkit #2 Activity

20. Focus on Toolkit #3 • Toolkit Usage Survey • Professional Development Initiative Activity Log • SPARC • SALT Data • Toolkit #3 Activity

21. Question 2—I have been directly involved in developing strategic and annual plans for counseling in my school

22. Focus on Toolkit #8Individual Learning Plans A Program to Personalize Student Learning& Contribute to Their Academic, Career & Personal/Social Success

23. Why Plan? • Planning is a lifelong skill that is a requirement for personal growth and success • If planning is so important to our success in the world of work, we should be helping students become better planners by helping them focus on their own futures

24. Individual Learning Plans—A Definition • All schools will support each student’s creation of an Individual Learning Plan: • primarily authored by students themselves • with guidance from their school advisors, counselors, parents • created/revisited frequently (in advisories) • focused on goals • connected to using the time in high school to accomplish personal objectives, in conjunction with completing graduation requirements. (Rhode Island High School Diploma System, 2005, p. 4)

25. The ILP & Student Success • Students are more likely to succeed in school, work and life when they know how to plan for their future • The ILP: • is a structured process that enables students to plan for their future in three developmental domains: academic, career and personal/social • allows counselors and teachers to observe student progress along the learning continuum • is results-based with specific learner outcomes and functions as a pathway to personalization

26. ILP: A Results-Based Program • As a result of participating in the ILP Program, students can expect to: • Have meaningful interactions with school counselors who help them plan for their academic, career, and personal/social development • Describe the planning process and how they apply it in their lives (set goals, develop action plans, monitor one’s progress, reflect on one’s experience, use results of reflection to update plans) • Become skilled in identifying and addressing barriers to their learning and developing strategies to overcome them • Always know how they are progressing toward graduation

27. Student Outcomes • The ILP provides a structured process to help students plan for their futures through the: • acquisition of knowledge • development of skills • adoption of appropriate behaviors/attitudes • In order for students to demonstrate progress and be assessed as proficient, the ILP Program must first deliver opportunities for students to learn relevant content and practice applying what they are learning to real-world contexts • This content is called the “ILP Curriculum” and consists of learning opportunities already in use in other areas of the curriculum and new activities designed specifically for the ILP Program

28. Knowledge We Want Students to Acquire • Essential information students will learn through the ILP: • Importance of planning for their future • Steps in a complete planning process • Standards which affect their future • Roles and accountability

29. Skills We Want Students to Develop • Tasks & skills that are essential for students to do in terms of individual student planning: • Envision the future • Identify developmental needs • Develop an action plan • Implement their plan & monitor their progress • Evaluate their progress & document their conclusions • Develop new plan • Provide evidence of progress toward results

30. Behaviors We WantStudents to Adopt • One’s behavior and attitude are critical to success in school, work and life • The ILP highlights behaviors/ attitudes required for success by business and educational communities

31. Hope High School’s ILPProvidence, Rhode Island ALP Academic Learning Plan • Credit Audit of courses, grades & credits earned • Academic road map to graduation • One ALP for all 4 years that is updated annually I-PASS Individual Physical Academic Social Success Plan • Designed to promote a balanced individual~ • Mind (academics) • Body (physical) • Relationships (family & Friends) • Spiritual is a personal goal that is not addressed with the I-PASS

32. Academic Learning Plan (ALP) • Students are accountable for understanding and tracking courses, grades and credits with help from advisors and counselors • ALP is updated annually by students and retained with advisors in individual folders • Road map of core courses required, small learning or theme choices, and elective options • Course of Study is enclosed with student’s file for detailed course description

33. How We Deliver the ILP to Students Introduce the ILP through Advisories Beginning of Year ALP Packet (4-Year Plan, Transcript) I-PASS Packet (I-PASS Goal Setting Activity,I-PASS Template, Examples) ILP Folder Checklist During the Year Quarterly Academic Review by Students Parent-Teacher Conference at End of 2nd Quarter (Student, Parent, and Counselor Sign the ALP) 1-on-1 Assistance End of Year Written Reflection on I-PASS Activity Review ILP Folder using Checklist and Rubrics Student and Teacher Surveys on Impact of Using ILP Quarterly Academic Review with Students Start of Year ALP Packet 4-Year Plan Transcript ILP Folder Checklist

37. Preliminary Data • Did the Advisory Curriculum Help Students with: • Setting Goals (I-PASS) • Teachers (Yes = 79%) • Students Average All Grades (Yes=81%) • Using Their Academic Learning Plan (ALP) • Teachers (Yes = 83%) • Students Average All Grades (Yes=77%) • Toolkit #8 Activity

38. Focus on Managing State & District-wide PDI’s • Central Coordinating Function is Required • On-site Visits to Schools are Effective for Professional Development • Professional Development Must be Ongoing and Reinforce Common Themes • Districts Need Realistic and Manageable Targets to Achieve During the School Year

39. Coaches Program • Goal Is To Have At Least One Counselor In Every District Trained In the Use of the Toolkits • Coaches Are a Primary Link between RISCA (a Statewide Organization) and Counselors in the Schools • Coaches Provide On-site Technical Assistance in How to Implement Comprehensive School Counseling Programs

40. How Did/Will We Fund This? • School-to-Career and Perkins Grants • Fees for Professional Development Events • A Whole Lot of In-Kind Contributions • Toolkits and EZAnalyze are Free • RISCA is Submitting Grant Proposals • You Will Find a Donation Box at the Back Door

41. What We Have Learned • These Are Essential: • A Community of Dialogue and Self-Reflection • Leadership and Ownership • Front-end Planning • A Facilitated Process • Both Short and Long-Term Goals • Starting with Toolkit #2 is Recommended

42. RISCA Toolkits Are Free • The RISCA Toolkits are available for free download from the Rhode Island School Counselor Association’s website: www.rischoolcounselor.org • Tools are continuously developed, piloted and revised. Check our website periodically to obtain the latest version

43. Contact Information • Belinda Wilkerson bwilkers@providence.edu • Dr. Patricia Nailor pnailor@cox.net • Jean Greco jgreco@cpsed.net • Dr. Karl Squier karlsquier@cox.net

44. Contact Information • Diane West diane.west@ppsd.org • Marianne Davidson marianne.davidson@ppsd.org • Rhode Island School Counselor Association (RISCA) www.rischoolcounselor.org • Center for School Counseling Outcome Research www.cscor.org