Counselors: Cure for the Common Core

1. Counselors: Cure for the Common Core Tools for Success: Common Core, College and Career Conference, March 13, 2014

2. ANCHORED IN COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS Key Advances of Common Core 2

3. Common Core State Standards Design • Focused, coherent, rigorous • Internationally benchmarked • Evidence and research based • Linked to College and Career readiness * * Ready for first-year, credit bearing, postsecondary coursework

4. Common Core State Standards Challenge ...to here? How do we get from here... All studentsleave high school college and career ready Common Core State Standards specify K-12 expectations for college and career readiness ...and what can Counselors do to help?

5. Common Core Standards : Backward Design Model • Started with the End Goal • Driving force: Low US college-going rates • Economic pressure • Race to the Top pushed states to make the choice

6. Common Core Standards Require Counselors to • Think across grade levels • Develop comprehensive programs • Provide academic supports to students • Create standards-based college and career focused lessons

7. Local Control Budget Overlaps CC • SB 1458 passed in 2012 -Senator Steinberg • Test results will constitute no more than 60% of the value of a secondary school • Measures graduation rates and college-going rates • From API – EQI – Equity Quality Index

8. Counselors as Experts for the Cure • Curriculum • Assessment • College and Career Readiness • Data-Driven Practice

9. Counselors and Common Core Curriculum • Focus on academic preparation without remediation • Quality and level of high school coursework is a key level of curricular reform • Counselors experts in transcript evaluation – most important factor in college admission process

10. Counselors as Assessment Experts • Formative Assessments allow for Interventions and regular check-ups • Checks on student progress and design and provide intervention programs • Identify classes/courses/teachers where students are not successful

11. Counselors in College and Career Readiness • http://www.trbimg.com/img-520be020/turbine/la-me-cal-freshmen-pictures-20130816-008/980 • Prepare students for college and career • Identify interests linked to major selection • Schedule college prep coursework • Aspiration building, especially for first-generation students

12. Counselors in College and Career Readiness • Provide financial aid information • Promote Career Technical Education • Assist students through complex application process • Facilitate access to college

13. Counselors Demonstrate Data-Driven Practices • Analyze and Gather Data on: • UC/CSU A-G Completion • PSAT, SAT, AP, IB • ACT Exams

14. Counselors Demonstrate Data-Driven Practices • Analyze Data regarding: • Students not on track for college prep Math • Students repeating Math courses • Review School Policy regarding course selection, offerings, and sequencing

15. Counselors are Collaboration Experts • Work with administrators to ensure equity of school-wide policies • Schedule and Placement in rigorous classes • Remedial Support &Tutoring • Identify performance barriers

16. Key Shift – from High School Completion to College Graduation

17. To College and Career Ready! • “Closing the gap between high school completion requirements and college entrance expectations is arguably the single most important thing to fix, if we are to address our college completion problem. • I feel strongly that higher education must step forward and exercise leadership at this moment in time. • A lot is at stake for our nation and well-being of future generations.” • -Mike Kirst, President, California State Board of Education

18. Common Core and Higher Education • Create a seamless transition between sectors • Focus on skills students need to enter college • Major issue: Disconnect between K-12 and Higher Ed. • AP Program provides curricular coherence

19. Counselors as Leaders and Managers • Solution-focused, data driven • Counselor a champion and architect of the college-going culture • Communicate expectations and requirements • Provide strategies for working with students and their families

20. Our Membership has a Role to Play • Joint efforts = Strength • Identify common issues • Increased communication and cross-pollination • Focus on Data analysis and training

21. Counselor Accountability Tool Model Baseline Data: Goal Statement: Year-end Data/PPT 1 2 3 4 Results/Outcome Statement: 5 Adapted from The College Board’s National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (2010)

22. Identify a Critical Data Point Number of Latino students enrolled in Algebra1 Baseline Data: 1 Adapted from The College Board’s National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (2010)

23. Goal Statement Components Increase enrollment in the Latino students in Algebra I by 50% at the end of registration/ beginning next fall. Goal Statement: (5 parts): • GOAL COMPONENTS 2 • Increase/decrease • Group that is targeted • Target category (e.g. time/class) • Degree of change (# or %) • End date (month/year) Adapted from The College Board’s National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (2010)

24. Provide Interventions to Ensure Impact 3 Adapted from The College Board’s National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (2010)

25. Analyze Intervention Results Results/Outcome Statement: • Collected data indicates the goal of 50% was not met. • However, several levels of intervention indicate movement toward 50%. • Institutionalization of the successful levels will begin to foster systemic policies/practices. • Revisiting the non-movement levels will occur within 30 days. 4 Adapted from The College Board’s National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (2010)

26. Sharing Outcomes is Key 5 Year-end Strategic Tool Sharing Adapted from The College Board’s National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (2010)

27. Identify Effectiveness and Impact Highlight what’s useful (and what’s not)

28. Develop an Action Plan for Change • Troubling Data/Baseline data/Special Issue • Link with Common Core and Local Accountability Plan– Principal’s Goals • Form a Team • Action steps – with a timeline • Results • Next steps • Result Shared with and Lessons Learned

29. First Steps in Developing the Plan • Involve Administration • Develop Collaborative Teams - Inside - Outside • Deal with Resistance - Anticipate - Who would benefit

30. Assemble Your Team • Practitioners • Leaders • Faculty • Community members • Parents • School Board members

31. Maintain Your Momentum: Strategies • Developing Strategies - Team meetings - Shared responsibilities - Goal setting • Evaluating Progress - Use the data - Consider short and long-term approaches • Celebrating and Sustaining - Presentations

32. Sustainability: Essential Questions - How can we collaborate with colleagues? - Do we have the Will to Change? - Who sets the Priorities? - Who Keeps us on Track? - When do we “check in”? - How do we communicate our success?

33. Be Bold in Sharing Your Work • Faculty Meetings • Administrator Meetings • School Board Meetings • PTSA Meetings • District Headquarters

34. Presentation Outline • Demographics background • Data overview • Troubling data • Align troubling data with Common Core and Local Accountability Plan • Intervention summary • Post-intervention results • Pre-Post comparison • Lessons learned and Next Steps

35. Keep in Mind for your Common Core Plan • Every school has existing resources • Build partnerships! • You are not alone! • Intentionally link to Common Core and LCFF • Think BIG, but remember the details.