Build Relationships: Change Lives through LINKS Student advisement Program

Build Relationships: Change Livesthrough LINKS Student advisement Program

Barbara Ashcraft, MA, LPCSchool Counseling Coordinator

Personalizing the Learning Environment“High schools of the 21st century must be much

more student-centered and above all much more personalized in programs, support services and intellectual rigor.” This means every student should have a personal adult advocate and a Personal Plan of Progress.

NASSP. (2004). Breaking Ranks II: Strategies for Leading High School Reform

System of Support

Guidance: What is it?

Guidance The help all students

receive from parents, teachers, counselors, community members and others to assist with educational and career development

Counseling The help some

students receive from credentialed professionals to overcome personal and social problems that interfere with learning.

What is Advisement?1. A process to help each student improve his/her

chances for success in school, preparation for a variety of post-secondary options and long-term employment

2. A comprehensive plan to provide students with skills and background to make decisions about his/her education and career

3. A plan to aid students in developing self-awareness, option awareness, and decision-making skills

LINKS Student Advisement…21st century students need more than

reading, writing, and arithmetic; they must be able to solve problems, think critically, communicate effectively, and work in teams.

LINKS Student Advisement…The advisor/advisee curriculum will bridge

the gap between what is taught in the core curriculum and the skills necessary in the work place by addressing six major Skills Areas: Self-Knowledge, Life Skills, Educational Development, Work Ethics, and Career Planning.

21st century Reality“ In an ever-changing global environment

where interdependency abounds, the best and highest quality of education is a necessity no longer reserved for the few, but demanded for all. ”

~Breaking Ranks: Changing an American Institution

2007 Pawley’s Group Report

Recommendation 7 – Develop a state model for career counseling, student support and academic advising.

2007 Pawley’s Group Report

Accepting the status quo or making small, incremental changes will fall short of preparing West Virginia and its citizens to compete effectively in the global marketplace.

2007 Pawley’s Group ReportWest Virginia must move from “random acts

of progress” to a system based on the 4 Ss –

StrategicSynergisticSustainableScalable

Opportunity Gap

Access to home computer Knowledgeable parents to support student learning and career

exploration Participation in Support Services

Tutoring, Mentoring, ESL Classes

Participation in Extra / Co-curricular programs Test Prep Programs Dual Credit Programs Early enrollment in college courses

14

Are some students provided more opportunities than others?

Proven Results from Student Advisement ProgramsGrady High School: Atlanta Public School

System overcome the challenges of changing student demographics and falling test scores to regain its academic standing.

Course Completion RatesNinety percent of Grady students completed the

HSTW-recommended English curriculum in 2004, compared with 51 percent in 2000,

Proven Results from Student Advisement Programs

AP Enrollment PatternsBetween 1998 and 2005 the number of Grady

students taking at least one AP test more than tripled from 48 to 175 and the number of tests taken increased from 77 to 272, while the percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher increased slightly.

Proven Results from Student Advisement ProgramsGRADUATION RATES Grady’s high school graduation rate for all

students increased from 56 percent in 2001–2002 to 89 percent in 2004–2005. (See Table 19.)

This includes all subgroups —African-American, white and economically disadvantaged.

http://www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/publications/case_studies/05V74_Grady.pdf

Proven Results from Student Advisement ProgramsGarden City High School, Garden City, Kansas

   (2005)  

the dropout rate fell from 15 percent in 1993-1994 to 3.4 percent in 2003-2004

the attendance rose from 89 percent to 96 percent.

http://www.sreb.org/Programs/HSTW/publications/PubsDisplay.asp?SubSectionID=19

Expected Outcomes Greater student satisfaction with the high school

experience Improved school attendance Fewer behavior problems Increased achievement (measured by grades and test

scores) Lower drop-out rate Higher graduation rate More informed career decision making

Expected Outcomes for Students Better interpersonal skills More informed about the vast array of post-

secondary opportunities Better prepared to enter the work force Better prepared to enter relevant and

appropriate post secondary institutions More students completing post secondary

education programs 

Expected Outcomes for StaffA culture of continuous improvementA collaborative learning environmentA system of supportBetter behaved/ more engaged studentsMore knowledgeable about all aspects of

your schoolEnjoy coming to work

Other desired outcomes:Parents have a contact at the school that

they feel comfortable talking with.Every student has a postsecondary goal

and at least a 5 year plan towards achieving that goal.

Parents and students are on the same page regarding their student’s program of study and future goals.

Clearly articulate what LINKS is. Standards-based Fluid (can be adapted to fit needs of school) Systematic and sequential Framework and curriculum Web-based “Linked” to every educational component of the school A system’s change that prepares all students for the

Global 21 community Relational and Self-directional

Relationships If students know you care you can push even

moreWe can identify and support those who are

most vulnerable?

Build Relationships – Change Lives

“The more we increase the active participation and partnership with young people, the better we serve them. … And the more comprehensively we work with them as service partners, the more we increase our public value to the entire community.”

- Carmen Martinez

Engage Students: Change Lives "The secret message communicated to most young

people today by the society around them is that they are not needed, that the society will run itself quite nicely until they - at some distant point in the future - will take over the reigns. Yet the fact is that the society is not running itself nicely... because the rest of us need all the energy, brains, imagination and talent that young people can bring to bear down on our difficulties. For society to attempt to solve its desperate problems without the full participation of even very young people is imbecile.“

- Alvin Toffler

Two Variables to Successful Schools Culture

Sense of inclusiveness Shared responsibilities…It’s everyone’s job to help students

succeed Understanding individual backgrounds

Assessing attitudes Willingness to take advice Desire to learn

Measuring motivation

Leadership Institutional Mission The belief that all students can succeed

Freedman Hrabowski, III

How will we get buy in?Leadership is key

School principal must… Be chief promoter of LINKS Actively monitor program Hold everyone accountable Be solution-focused… not problem focused

Don’t get caught up admiring the problem Provide ongoing professional development

See Do’s and Don’ts

LEADING CHANGE VISION

COMMITMENTTRANSITION

LEADERSHIPTeam

American Student Achievement Institute

VISION

A lofty, bold statement of the wayour school will be if all of our dreams for

kids come true.

American Student Achievement Institute

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

What are the desired outcomes of the advisement program that you wish to implement/improve at

your school?

VISIONING EXERCISE

How will our school be different as a result of LINKS?

How will our students be different?

How will our staff be different?

How will our connection withParents be different?

American Student Achievement Institute

THE VALUE OF VISIONING

Without a common vision, the school is a

“collection of cottage industries operating in isolationunder the same roof.”

Source: Jerry Bamburg, North Central Regional Educational Laboratory

American Student Achievement Institute

Changing Attitudes FROM: This too shall pass

TO: This is here to stay FROM: Too much to do

TO: A lot to do now, but the payoff is well worth it

More time to teachFewer behavior problems

Changing AttitudesFROM: Losing Instructional Time TO: Every minute is a learning opportunity

This IS instructional timeFROM: This won’t work here. TO: What can I do to make this work?

ANDIf we were getting the results we want we

wouldn’t need to change

Changing AttitudesFROM: Kids won’t take it seriously TO: LINKS can be offered for credit FROM: Kids don’t care about this stuff TO: Kids need to know how much YOU care FROM: This is not my job TO: Helping students succeed is everyone’s

job. It is what we are all about.

BUILDING COMMITMENT

TrustPassion / Excitement

Clear Communications High Expectations Low Ego / High Results Toughness

American Student Achievement Institute

MANAGING TRANSITION

Systemic ChangeRate of Change

Value All People Embrace the Resistance Don’t Need the Credit Don’t Take It Personally TRUST THE PROCESS

American Student Achievement Institute

THE BALANCE OF TENSION

E VISION DATA

CURRENTDATAF

American Student Achievement Institute

School data to consider:Completion rateRetention rate by grade level Increase in number of students taking higher

level coursesDisciplinary referrals (% of ISS, OSS)Attendance RateNumber of students participating in extra help

Continuous Improvement

Fundamental change will occur in an environment supportive of change

Collaborative discussion, dialog, critique, and research Everyone is a learner and a leader Commitment to core convictions

Source: Hilliard, A. (1991). Do we have the will to educate all children?, Educational Leadership, 49(1), 31-36. American Student Achievement Institute

System of Support

Professional Learning CommunitiesTime in School ScheduleFitting into existing system Involvement = buy in

LINKS Teams Steering Committee (also decides on logistics) Public Relations LINKS Curriculum Team Professional Development Portfolio Development Evaluation Parental Involvement Senior projects Culminating Activity (Annual) Community Service Extra-Curricular

Collegiality VS Congeniality

Norm of CollegialitySpirit of inquiryTalk about practiceObserve each otherWork on curriculumTeach one another

Norm of CongenialityAvoid conflictIsolation

Little team learning American Student

Achievement Institute

STAGES OF CHANGESTAGE QUESTION FOCUS ACTIVITIES

AWARENESS What is this? Answer questionsAddress fears

PresentationsSite VisitsTalk to / again

INTEREST Why should I support this?

RationalePersonalize

PresentationsTalk to / again

PREPARATION How do I do this?

Provide knowledge, skill building, encouragement

WorkshopsSeminars

EARLY USE How am I doing? Feedback

Support groupPeer coachingMentor

ROUTINE USE Am I making a difference? Research Data analysis

American Student Achievement Institute

Moving toward change…

Calabrese, R. L. (2002). The leadership assignment: Creating change. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

Interaction of Relationships

Pressure from Principals

Calabrese, R. L. (2002). The leadership assignment: Creating change. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

RESISTANCEis the

outward expression of the fearof losing something

American Student Achievement Institute

The Unconscious Gap…

We may associate potential constructive change with a personal attack on cherished values and beliefs exposes personal weakness or deficiencies.

Calabrese, R. L. (2002). The leadership assignment: Creating change. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

Until we become aware of the existing gap between our current performance and our potential performance, we remain satisfied; we believe that we are already achieving their maximum performance.

Reach for the stars…

RESISTANCE What FEAR might be

triggering the resistance? “Fear of losing _____.” How can we help someone

who has this fear?

American Student Achievement Institute

Relieve fears by…Keeping positiveRemember your vision… or BHAG

Big, Hairy, Audacious GoalA lofty, bold

statement of the wayour school will be if all of our dreams for

kids come true.

Book Studies

A Whole New Mind – Daniel PinkRight and left brain

Good to Great – Jim Collins

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done -Larry Bossidy

Relieve fears by…

Helping teachers create a vision for their classroom

Teachers must be involved in the process

Relieve fears by…Helping teachers understand their role of

advisor “go to” person for a few students ‘facilitator’ not traditional teacher Lessons are prepared for them Will have everything they need Can ‘team’ teach Will have ‘ongoing’ support (coordinator/learning teams)

RESISTANCE TIPS

Triggered by fearDon’t take it personallyListen to the message

Struggle = Engagement

American Student Achievement Institute

RESISTANCE TIPS Web Top Communityhttp://wvde.k12.wv.us Facilitators’ log…opportunity to vent … and

get results LINKS websites Trainers

Steering Team Speaks with…

One Vision…One Voice

Questions???

Barbara Brady AshcraftSchool Counseling CoordinatorWV Department of EducationBldg. 6, Room 2211900 Kanawha Blvd. EastCharleston, WV 25305-0330Phone: 304-558-2348Fax: 304-558-3946bashcraft@access.k12.wv.us