Working with the Struggling Student/Late Bloomer

1. Working with the Struggling Student/Late Bloomer WACAC, Share, Learn, Connect 2013

2. Supporting 9th and 10 graders • What causes students to struggle? • Learning issues • Lack of motivation or interest • First generation students • Lack of knowledge of future options • Lack of self confidence • Few role models • Other factors

3. Key Areas for 9th and 10th graders • Motivation to do well in high school • Increasing knowledge • What college has to offer • Wide range of careers • College admission requirements • Availability of financial aid • Learning strategies

4. Building Motivation • Group activities • Hold in classes or advisories if possible • Follow up with: • Individual or group meetings • Encourage students to ask questions about the activity • Debrief • Help them apply what they learned to their own situation

5. Building Motivation • Career fair • Invite adults from a variety of professions • Set up as small panels of adults who rotate through several classrooms or advisories • Use resources such as service clubs (Kiwanis, Mason, etc), places of worship, business associations, unions, etc. • Follow-up with lunchtime presentations by several adults from the same career area – e.g. health, technology, etc.

6. Building Motivation • Career assessments • Use as part of building for the fair or on their own • Online assessments available at www.cacareerzone.org, Naviance and other resources. • Students can continue career research throughout the year, make class presentations on what they learned and make displays

7. Building Motivation • Alumni panels • Invite alumni from your high school to speak to groups of students on their college experience • Prep alums on areas to discuss – academics, social life, how to prepare, support programs, dorm life, financial aid, study abroad, difficulties they overcame to get to college and succeed there • Set up several panels that can rotate through classrooms or advisories so students can hear from a variety of alums. • Prep high school students by brainstorming questions to ask.

8. Building Motivation • Club for First Generation College Students • Start in 10th grade • Students share their concerns, get support from each other • Guest speakers from admissions offices, regional reps, parents, high school alumni • Fill out Common Application to build understanding of what colleges are looking for • Review financial aid award letters

9. Building Motivation • Mentors • Difficulty of providing individual support with large counseling case loads • Ask adults outside the high school or non-teaching staff if they would mentor one student. • Career fair speakers • Alumni • Parents • Provide training and place for them to meet

10. Building College Knowledge • College Tours • Group tours and info sessions at local colleges • Contact EOP at CSU campuses for support • Connect with alumni from your high school • Give students a graphic organizer to fill out on the trip • Students keep notebook of all of their visits • Class debrief after the tour

11. Building College Knowledge • CSU Mentor Planner • Start at beginning of 10th grade • Students fill out their classes and grades at the beginning of each semester for the previous semester • Students keep track of their progress • Calculate GPA • Students meet with counselor or mentor to debrief and plan any needed follow-up • Pair with workshop on CSU and UC eligibility indexes

12. Building College Knowledge • SAT/ACT Prep • All 10th graders take PSAT and/or PLAN • Review their answers when scores are returned • Do the SAT question of the day at the beginning of a class. Rotate responsibility among the students to lead that section. • School-wide SAT word of the week – students make drawings, skits, etc. to learn the words. Post drawings around the school. Best skits at school-wide assemblies.

13. Building College Knowledge • College of the Week • Students rotate researching and presenting information on one college • Post a College of the Week board in a public place • Students from each classroom can take notes on the board and present information to their class, rotating responsibility.

14. Building College Knowledge • College of the Week Board

15. Building College Knowledge • Invite 10th graders to attend a few college representative visits in the fall • Learn about the wide variety of college options • Financial Aid • Show students sample financial aid packages • Explain the numerous sources of aid

16. Academic Support • Importance of early identification of students • 9th grade study skills class • Teachers offer after school support • Evaluate students for IEP or 504 plans • Adaptive math program • After school tutoring center

17. Counseling Support • Early interaction with 1st generation students and others who will need support • Counseling groups for targeted populations • Regular short check-ins with students in danger of failing classes to develop strategies • Mentors – older students and adults • Facilitate make-up work for D&F grades before 12th grade • Find the positive in each student

18. College Admissions for 11th & 12th Graders • Importance of active outreach • Reasons that these students may struggle academically &/or with the admissions process: • 1st in their family to go to college • Working to their potential, earning “B’s” & “C’s” • Students with identified learning differences or disabilities • Late bloomers—capable of more than demonstrated

19. First generation college students • Facilitate visits to college campuses • Local + possible college sponsored programs • Encourage families to visit as well • Awareness of options available • Admissions (CSU index, accessible colleges) • Financial back-ups • Location alternatives • Making up D or F grades—options/financial help? • Individual attention throughout application process—follow up! • Focus on Financial Aid—availability & process

20. Students working at potential • Evaluate—do they have support at home to complete admissions process? • Realistic options—reality check + reassurance • Interests and aptitudes • 4 year college options & aspirations • Community college/transfer • Career/technical • Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

21. Students with identified learning differences/disabilities • Evaluate—do they have support at home to complete admissions process? • Realistic options—reality check + reassurance • What types of learning/living/social environments will support their success? • Facilitate their exploration of programs to meet their needs • Advise re: disclosure of their learning needs to colleges

22. Late Bloomers • Evaluate—do they have support at home to complete admissions process? • Realistic options—reassurance especially important • Explore reasons for lack of performance or engagement • Hands-on learners? • Adolescent immaturity/rebellion? • Lack of structure/support/educational focus at home? • Lack of knowledge about importance of college?

23. Late Bloomers, cont. • Approaches to consider: • Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years? • Reality of career path w/o education after high school • Importance of demonstrating ability (achievement vs. potential) • “What you do now matters.” • Make up D & F grades in core subjects • Never too late to turn around a GPA • Keeping options open vs. making a commitment • Different paths to success

24. How to engage students who do not take initiative in process • Individual meetings if possible—making contact junior year is essential. • Use of other resources to reach out individually to students: • Teacher mentors • Resource specialists • Other staff • Alumni • Community programs

25. Engaging students, cont. • Oversee application process • Provide essential information on process • Provide structure & opportunity to work on applications • Provide timeline & reminders • Mandatory group meetings if possible—use subject area classes or advisory periods • breakdown application process • peer to peer assistance • provide incentives

26. Engaging students, cont. • Other ways to reach students • Before & after school & lunchtime sessions—encouraging attendance • Use of alumni— • role models • Assistance • Messengers: “If I knew then what I know now.” • Use of other resources to facilitate group meetings (teachers/staff/community, etc.)

27. Encouragement!!! • What are student’s strengths • Recognize • Validate • Use for advisement • Identify and break down goals • Where do you want to go? • What do you need to do now to make progress? • Follow up/Check-in • Career exploration as encouragement

28. College: The New You • We believe in their potential • We believe they are capable • They can “reinvent” themselves if they choose to

29. Which Students Succeed in College? • Those who have developed academic independence • Those who have developed personal independence • Those who have developed their own voice and can advocate for themselves

30. Students Who …. • Those who are resourceful-can figure ways to get around a problem • Those who are resilient-know how to recover from failure • Those who take advantage of resources on campus

31. Resources for All Students • Tutoring or Learning Centers • Career Counseling Centers • Health Centers • Writing Centers • Math Labs • Peer Mentoring programs • Academic advising

32. Accessible colleges • Colleges with good support, good sense of community (a sampling…) • Cal Lutheran • Curry College • Notre Dame De Namur • Whittier • St. Martin’s (WA) • Southern Oregon • Western Oregon • Boise State • U Montana • Hofstra University

33. More Colleges • Montana State (Bozeman) • Lynn University • U of Arizona • Carroll College (MT) • Regis U (CO) • Lasalle U (PA) • Roger Williams U • Fairleigh Dickinson U • Seton Hall • Eckerd College • Linfield College • U Redlands

34. A Few More • U Tampa (Fla) • Drew University • Salve Regina • Mitchell College (CT) • Colorado Mesa U • Western State Colorado U • Marshall U (W. VA)

35. What if a 4-Year College is Not Realistic Now? • Community Colleges: www.cccco.edu • “Find a Community College” • Search by Area • Search by Address • Search by Program

36. Transition/Independent Living Options • Berkshire Center, Lee, MA www.berkshirecenter.org • College Internship Program (specifically for students with Asperger Syndrome & Nonverbal Learning Disabilities) www.collegeinternshipprogram.com • College Living Experience, Monterey, CA www.CLEinc.net CollegeExcel, Bend, Oregon www.Collegeexcel.com

37. Thank you for listening • And Now Questions