Louisiana Department of Education

1. Louisiana Department of Education The Role of Graduation Coaches and Career Coaches Presented: Tiffanie Lewis

2. Graduation Coach Mission To assist schools and communities throughout Louisiana in implementing a locally-defined, comprehensive stay-in-school program which results in a substantial increase in the number of students who continue their education at least through high school graduation and prepare for post secondary schools where they are able to take their place in the work force and in their communities as contributing citizens.

3. Role of Graduation Coaches • Coach, facilitate, and lead • Identify and support at-risk students • Assist in developing school-wide support and interventions • Develop and support a graduation team in the building • Provide direct service and case management support for students • Assist in developing and supporting transition and advisement programs • Develop relationships with all stakeholders • Market the role of the graduation coach to all stakeholders • Complete assessment and reporting documentation (local and state—Work Management System) • Form a working relationship with the principal and service providers • Facilitate mentoring programs (mentors who have not had a background check, must have one) • Support credit recovery plans and programs

4. Career Coach Mission To empower high school students in making informed decisions about their career and educational plans by defining their career aspirations and assist in recognizing community college and other postsecondary programs, including apprenticeships and workforce training, that can help students achieve their educational and financial goals. Which in turn increases Louisiana’s percentage of high school graduates who enter postsecondary education or training ready for success.

5. Role of Career Coaches • Assist students in creating, reviewing and revising written academic and career plans to serve as the basis for further career exploration activities and for planning high school and post-secondary career development opportunities. • Coordinate activities which give student the opportunity to learn more about specific career clusters (speakers, job shadowing, intern opportunities, career fairs, etc.). • Provide career exploration services through on-line assessments, group activities and/or individual coaching. • Assist students in post-secondary education planning process including: searching for an appropriate program/college depending upon the student’s field of interest; the completion of the application and financial aid process; and, other activities which increase the student’s readiness for participation in a post-secondary education experience. • Connect students to early college programs such as College and Career Transitions and Dual-Enrollment as well as technical schools, community colleges, and universities that might assist them in making and evaluating a series of career decisions.

6. Role of Career Coaches • Follow-up with students to assess the effectiveness of actions taken and the need to make new decision and/or to revise career plans. • Build relationships with key stakeholders, such as school personnel, local business and community representatives, community colleges, and universities to create an environment supportive of career coaching.

7. LCTCS Career Coach Initiative • Purpose • To provide funding for career coaching services to high school students in order to support successful secondary to postsecondary transitions. This is a collaborative effort between LDE and LCTCS as well as the secondary schools and postsecondary institutions.

8. LCTCS Career Coach Initiative • Award • A $15,000 grant from LCTCS Colleges that must be matched by a $15,000 contribution • Colleges may apply to LCTCS for more than one grant award but must not exceed three

9. LCTCS Career Coach Initiative • Fundable Activities • Salary & Benefits • Travel • Professional Development • Career Coaching Resources/Materials (i.e. Virginia Career Coaching Model, Career Compass, etc.) • Equipment

10. LCTCS Career Coach Initiative • Career Coaching Program Measures of Success • Number of student receiving individual or small group coaching services • Number of students receiving assistance with their individual Graduation Plan • Number of students administered Career Assessments • Number of students receiving assistance with enrollment into a dual enrollment course and a Career Pathway • Number of students receiving transitional services including college admissions, financial aid scholarship and college placement testing • Number of students receiving assistance with employer services such as job shadowing and job site visits • Number of Senior students applying to higher education colleges • Career and college information provided through parent workshops

11. Expectations of GCs & CCs • Successfully analyze data to: • Identify at-risk students (focus on grades 8-12) • Quantify the number of at-risk students by category • Identify trends, patterns and groupings (sub-groups on testing and/or AYP data) • Identify opportunities to provide individual and target group services • Assist at-risk students in connecting pathways for completion • Limited to 80-100 students per school • Organize student documentation in file folders

12. Expectations of GCs &CCs • Recommend programs to the principal and Graduation Team • Focus efforts on whole school interventions (advisement, transition, career, incentives, and celebrations) • Plan and complete classroom guidance for students (career topics only) with consultation of school counselor • Plan, assist, and monitor transition and advisement programs, particularly 8th to 9th • Have positive results against specified strategies and goals for each grade • Form a team of advocates within the school that is focused on improving the graduation rate (Graduation Team) with data continually being analyzed

13. Graduation and Career Coaches do not………… • Replace the duties and responsibilities of the “counselor of record” for identified students. Counselor of record does: • Scheduling • Registration • Transcript History Evaluation and Input (HS) • Transcript Audit Check sheets (HS) • Classroom Guidance for Academic and Personal/Social Topics • Provide counseling duties as listed above, however, will provide support in academic, career, and personal/social/emotional life domains.

14. Graduation and Career Coaches do not………… • Coordinate or maintain the TAA (Teachers as Advisors) Program in the local school. May have a group of at-risk students that they meet with daily, weekly, bimonthly, etc. May serve on a committee that plans lessons and provides support for the local school program. • Have extra-duty assignments unless the assignment provides interaction with students, especially students on their case load (reality check: many coaches have expressed the positive side of having hall duty because it provides visibility to students and staff) • Provide direct academic instruction (i.e., credit recovery, tutorial, remediation, etc.) • Create, schedule, and/or facilitate curriculum for Credit Recovery, Grade Recovery, etc.

15. Whole School Approach • It takes a village to raise a kid. • Everybody participates • Whole school strategies: • 8-9 Transition and Advisement • 9th, 10, and 11th Advisement for Students and Parents • 8th – 11th Registration • Senior Seminars and Letters • Career & College Fairs • Targeted Classroom Guidance Topics for all Students

16. Curriculum (Planned Delivery) • Classroom guidance, transition and advisement projects, small target groups, parent workshops, mentors groups, incentives • Individual Student Planning • Test talks, grade talks, attendance talks, behavior talks, graduation planning talks • Re-evaluating a transcript audit (with school counselor)….what can be creatively done for student to move to next grade or graduate School Counseling Domains

17. Responsive Services • Things that are not planned, i.e. conflict resolution, abuse, home issues which might include death or serious illness of caregiver, financial concerns, job issues, etc. • System Support • Professional learning and training • Online credit and credit recovery spreadsheet • Meetings which include graduation team and leadership or school improvement team meetings • Disaggregation of data • Monthly Meetings • Testing (Note shaded areas of concern)

18. More Graduates = Increase in AYP!

19. WE ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. ~Leo Buscaglia