Mr.Combs

1. GLENDALE HIGH SCHOOL INTENTIONAL GUIDANCE PROGRAM FALL 2008 Mr.Combs Ms. Sheridan Ms. David Ms.Tabor Ms.Evans Ms.Turdjian Mr. Niemeyer Ms. Hovannesian

2. GHS INTENTIONAL GUIDANCE PROGRAM • Target group: Seniors who are struggling academically • Selection criteria: Seniors with D/F’s at five week progress report, October 2008

3. WHY FOCUS ON THESE SENIORS? • Too many seniors have D’s and F’s • We want to teach seniors the attitudes skills, and knowledge they need to pass their classes and graduate. • We want continued improvement of our graduation and “a-g” eligibility rates.

4. RESEARCH • Research indicates that students who attend school perform better than those who do not. (Easton & Engelhard, 1982) • Attendance is a stronger predictor of student achievement than poverty. (USA Today, 2000) • Those with just a high school education have a 3.5 percent rate of unemployment. Getting a college education cuts one’s chances of being unemployed roughly in half. (www.bls.gov)

5. ASCA NATIONAL COUNSELING STANDARDS & COMPETENCIES • Academic Standard A: Students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will contribute to effective learning in school and across the lifespan. A:A1.4 Accept mistakes as essential to the learning process. A:A2.3 Use communications skills to know when and how to ask for help when needed. A:A3.1 Take responsibility for their actions. • Career Standard C:Students will understand the relationship between personal qualities, education, training, and the world of work. C:C1.1 Understand the relationship between educational achievement and career success. • Personal/Social Standard A:Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others. PS:A1.1 Develop positive attitudes toward self as a unique and worthy person.

6. WHAT WE DID: OUR PROCESS • Developed and administered a needs assessment survey to seniors with D/F’s at first quarter progress reports in October. • Analyzed survey results and developed intentional guidance lessons for 350 D/F students in jeopardy of not graduating and/or not being “a-g” eligible. • Invited the 350 target group seniors to two lunchtime small group intervention sessions, led by their own counselors. • Administered post needs assessment survey. • Evaluated survey data in conjunction with semester grades.

7. Meet graduation requirements. Access tutoring and homework lab schedule. Organize and manage time effectively. Create a support network of friends, family, counselor, teachers. Connect school attendance to school success. Problem solve reasons for being tardy or absent. Be accountable for being at school everyday until graduation. Calculate how much time is needed to get up and to school on time in the morning. Get back on track to earn A,B,C grades for “a-g” eligibility. THE LESSON CONTENT INCLUDED: How to…

8. What do students believe? • Coming to school everyday is important. • Taking personal responsibility for my education is important.

9. Algebra and Geometry are required courses for graduation What did students learn?

10. Foreign language is not a graduation requirement 220 credits are required to graduate from high school. What did students learn?

11. What skills did students learn? • 89% of the D/F seniors successfully identified what grades and courses are required for “a-g” eligibility when viewing a transcript requiring interpretation. This was a 6% increase from the pre-test.

12. ACHIEVEMENT RELATED DATA • A 13% decrease in the number of absent seniors from the beginning of the intervention sessions in December 2008, to the end of the semester, January 30, 2009. • A 42% decrease in • senior absences from January of 2008 • compared to • January 2009

13. ACHIEVEMENT RELATED DATA • A 14% decrease in the number of tardy seniors from the beginning of the intervention sessions in December 2008, to the end of the semester January 30, 2009. A 28% decrease in the number of tardy seniors January 2008 compared to January 2009.

14. OUR ACHIEVEMENT DATA • Our target group of senior D/F’s decreased from 350 to 279 after our Intentional Guidance Program. This represents a 20% reduction in the number of D/F seniors at semester grades.

15. GHS CURRENT OVERALL STUDENT GRADUATION AND “A-G” DATA “A-G” Eligible Grads * Data not yet available

16. In Summary… • Our D/F seniors believe school is important and understand that they are responsible for their academic success (a good thing!) • Senior post-test data showed significant improvement. • D/F seniors have a greater understanding of their accountability for attendance and it’s relationship to graduation and university eligibility. • Intentional guidance program increased dialogue between the target group and their counselors.

17. Limitations / Areas of Growth • Increase use of technology. • Increase long range planning for increased counseling team investment. • Create pre and post tests which ensure we are measuring knowledge, attitudes, and skills. • Develop lesson plans which are more succinct. • Increase number of intervention sessions.

18. OUR NEXT STEPS • Monitor senior attendance and grades for remainder of spring semester. • Continue 1802 conferences as needed. • Extend intentional and guidance curriculum opportunities to include grades 9-11. • Evaluate graduation and “a-g” eligibility data at completion of semester. • Maximize summer Counseling team planning sessions.

19. THE IMPORTANCE OF T.E.A.M. • Together Everyone Achieves More! • The GHS Counseling Team extends special thanks and recognition to: Dr. Deb Rinder, Principal Dr. Monica Makiewicz, Associate Principal All GHS Faculty and Staff