High School & Beyond: The H. S. Counselor’s Role in Increasing Graduation Rates

The ASCA Model in the Everett Public Schools

Sarah Williams, HM Jackson HS

Paul Turner, HM Jackson HS

Becky Ballbach, District Lead Counselor

School counselors have a direct effect on graduation rates by focusing on student academics, behavior and

attendance.  Learn how one district applied interventions based on ASCA National Model and

dropout prevention best practices to increase promotion and graduation rates.  Participants will learn techniques to work with greater intention and will walk

away with ideas to improve their own practice. 

ASCA National Model

27 schools27 schools

19,164 students19,164 students

SuburbanSuburban

63.5% White63.5% White

Middle classMiddle class– Some pockets of povertySome pockets of poverty

– Some pockets of affluenceSome pockets of affluence

Who Are We?

SAT SAT – WA highest ranked state of those WA highest ranked state of those

with more than 50% of students with more than 50% of students taking the SATtaking the SAT

– Everett above the state averageEverett above the state average

– 65% of JHS students take the 65% of JHS students take the SATSAT

Who Are We?

Graduation Rate Data

Annual Annual Dropout rate Dropout rate

Graduation Graduation

rate rate

2003/04

11.7%

61.0%

2010/11

2%

80.3% OTG85.4% Extended

Other Information

Disparity of performance among Disparity of performance among schoolsschools

Economic disparity among schoolsEconomic disparity among schools

Academic preparation for post high Academic preparation for post high schoolschool

Extended Graduation Rate for Everett School District by Ethnicity and Special

Population

1130 10 186 47 99 777 30 73 295

2010-11 data is estimated and not available until OSPI posts in January / March 2012Source: OSPI Report Card http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/summary

OTG Rates 2004-11 2.21.12

Extended Graduation Rate for Everett School Districtby Ethnicity and Special Populations

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

All Students Amer. Indian Asian/Pacif ic Black Hispanic White Limited Eng. Sp. Ed. Low Income

Ext

end

ed O

n-T

ime

Gra

duat

ion

Rat

e (%

)

2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11

Figuring out how to help by gatheringstudent input

-African American

-Hispanic

-Native American

Wash

ing

ton

Sta

te A

ch

ievem

en

t In

dex

Opportunity

OTG Action

Each student in an ethnic or special population who is not on track to graduate will meet with an adult to discuss their progress and challenges with addressing the components of their graduation plans.

Everett Public Schools Guidance Curriculum

Elementary– Transition to

Middle School

Middle School– Career and

Education Planning

– 8th grade HS Transitions

High School– Freshman Focus

– Sophomore Summit

– Junior Post-High School Planning

– Senior Group Interviews

M. S. Master Calendar

Middle School Counselor’s provide help to increase the

graduation rate

6th grade Orientation

HS 101: Blueprint for HS Success (H.S. Transition booklet)

Alignment of curriculum

Middle School Teacher’s provide help

to increase the graduation rateStudy Support:

Math Lunch Club, Organizational Lunch Club, after school study clubs (MASH – Math After School Club)

Leaning Strategies: Pre-AP strategies, reading support (Read 180),

M.S. to H.S. Transition Activities

H.S. Student Panel – Winter, gd. 8

H.S. Kick-Off Assembly – March, gd. 8

8th grade H.S. Transition conferences – March, gd. 8

8th Grade Family Night and Curriculum Fair – late March, gd. 8

RSVP Letter – Verification of classes/enrollment – May, gd. 8

8th Grade High School

Transition Conferences

Handout pg. 1

District Focus

Create a ‘Success Coordinator’ position to help track High School Students

Create a Summer Transition program for grades 8 to 9

Create a Summer Credit Recovery program for grades 9 - 12

OTG Interventions (long term)

Summer School Credit Retrieval Intervention

Counselors identified students who would be good candidates for credit retrieval summer school: Satisfactory attendance, failed core classes, desire to get back on track

Success coordinator enrolled recommended students for program and tracked progress

Students went to class daily for 3-6 weeks during the summer (depending on how much credit they needed)

Results of interventionStudents recovered credit in 44 total classes

35 students signed up for 61 total classes

Of those 35, only 4 did not receive credit in any classes

Of those 35, 5 passed one class but not the other

The H.S. Curriculum

Post – Secondary Planning

H.S. & Beyond Family Night

PSAT – ALL juniors!

Comprehensive College & Career Readiness Guidance Curriculum

K – 12 Community

Event

Postcard ~ Handout pg. 2

School Wide Promotion ~ staff wear “college gear,” powerpoint shown during lunches, signs hung around building, etc.

Special invites to IEP, 504, AVID, College Bound Scholar, families needing translation services, etc.

H.S. “Closing the Gap” Activities

Available on the Counseling webpage

Transcript Evaluations

Does your school use an

electronic transcript evaluation

system? Is it accurate?

Run failure lists by school, class and teacher and share with staff

Identify courses with a high failure rate and plan interventions

Establish a 2nd semester credit-recovery option for students who failed classes during 1st semester

OTG Interventions

H.S. “Closing the Gap” Activities

Student Led Intervention Conferences

District – Red, Yellow, Green Lists

Pyramid of Intervention (POI)

Credit Retrieval for HSPE/EOC

Evening Appointments

Handout pg. 3

InterventionAfter 1After 1stst quarter identified students who quarter identified students who were failing 1 or more classeswere failing 1 or more classes

Got flex time from admin to conduct late Got flex time from admin to conduct late night conferences between night conferences between parent/counselor/studentparent/counselor/student

Specific interventions depended on Specific interventions depended on meeting, mostly simple things including: meeting, mostly simple things including: meet with teacher, e-mail teacher, refer for afterschool help, set up contracts at home, plan a study time at home on a consistent basis, etc.

Resources for Families

Handout pg. 4

Student Led Intervention Conference Results

Total number of “F” grades comparison (1st quarter/1st semester):

Intervention group: decreased 183%

Control group: increased 17%

GPA Comparison (1st quarter/1st semester):Intervention Group: +.35 GPA

Control Group: -.17 GPA

Closing the Gap Interventions – The Importance of

Communication

JHS Pyramid

of Intervention

OTG Interventions

Working as a Whole School –

Club Involvement

Some things are obvious…

…but with so much to track, it helps to have a

calendar!Handout pg. 5

Sr. Year OTG Interventions

Develop a graduation trajectory profile for all seniors

– Identify Sr’s who could access credit recovery & graduate in June

– Identify Sr’s who could access summer intervention & graduate in August

11th to 12th grade Transition Activites

1. June = Summer Credit Letter

2. August & Sept = Compare senior classes to credit needs. Meet with families of “off track seniors”

College Bound Scholar

Our plan = to make sure CBS students: (1) still qualify & (2) complete their FAFSA.

Counselors will…– check GPA’s & F/R lunch status– Special invitation to FAFSA Family Night in January– Personal calls home:

FAFSA Night invite

check in regarding completion of the FAFSA

review College Goal Sunday opportunities providing free FAFSA assistance

– Check-in’s with CBS Sr’s through graduation

Finding creative ways to assist with Post-Secondary Transitions

Community College Admission Rep visits

Military Rep visits

Application assistance

Finding the right program for each student to earn a HS

diploma

Communication with

Administration

5th, 6th, 7th Year Seniors

The BIG Picture

Counselors are an integral part of the district’s mission and focus on on-time graduation

Counselors at the core of the

School Improvement Plan– Increasing graduation rates– Meeting AYP goals of NCLB