Counselor's Notebook, January 2014

MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION JANUARY 2014VOL. 50, NO. 5

MASCA

Resolutions thatCarry Weight

By VERONICA KNIGHTMASCA VP Elementary

Solution Focused Techniques that WorkBy TINA KARIDOYANES

MASCA President-Elect

According to one U.S. government of -ficial website, the most popular New

Year’s resolutions set by its citizens include:drink less alcohol, eat healthy food, geta better education, get a better job, get fit,lose weight, manage debt, manage stress,quit smoking, reduce, reuse, and recycle,save money, take a trip, and volunteerto help others.

Coincidentally, Time magazine reportsthat the top ten commonly broken NewYear’s resolutions are: lose weight andget fit, quit smoking, learn somethingnew, eat healthier and diet, get out ofdebt and save money, spend more timewith family, travel to new places, be lessstressed, volunteer, and drink less. Nowonder so many people now declare thatthey don’t believe in resolutions. Whowants to feel like a failure year after year?

Explanations for why New Years’ res-olutions seldom survive beyond Febru-ary 1 are abundant. They are unrealistic,we set too many of them, our culture istoo cynical to support positive change,we hold a false belief that conqueringthe resolution will result in increasedhappiness….

I offer one more thought for consid-eration. Common New Year’s resolutionsseem punitive and restrictive. Many ofthem have the embedded message that we

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Update your MASCA PDPs

Submit your Certificates of Attendance/Evidence of Learning Forms as soon as possible.Search “PDP” on the MASCA website and follow

the instructions for MASCA PDP Protocol.

www.masca.org

B y January, counselors are in full swingand looking for ways to make things

more efficient in the office and help stu-dents problem solve. This past summerwhile attending the ASCA conference, Iparticipated in a workshop on the “Top10 Solution Focused Techniques” forhelping students. The workshop was pre-sented by Arond Schonberg and KeithFulthorp, who work as school counselorsin Southern California, where caseloadstopple 700 students per counselor. Theirguiding principles are:

• If what you are doing works, thenkeep doing it.

• If what you are doing does notwork, try something different.

• Small changes lead to larger changesover time.

• All students have the capacity tosolve their own problems.

• Not all problems happen 100% ofthe time.

Using these principles, there are tensteps to helping students learn how tofind solutions to their concerns. Eachstep helps students to clarify the problemand identify actions that they can taketo solve the problem. The first seven stepshelp identify the problem, and the final

three steps are based on the first sevenand guide students to different solutions.The steps are:

Identifying the Problem. Ask stu-dents open-ended questions about whythey have come to see you; have themdes cribe their view; ask “what wouldyou say is the biggest reason we are meet-ing today?” After the student has iden-tified the problem, ask clarifying questionsor any pertinent follow-up questions. Thisis an important step in helping studentssolve their own problem. By clearly iden-tifying the problem, students will takeownership and increase the awarenessof their actions and options. Ultimatelyit empowers them to move forward andcreate a solution.

Scaling. Have students tell you wherethey are on a scale of 0 to 10 and definethe scale (0 being nothing, 10 being theworst). It is important to follow this upwith descriptive questions about what itwould it look like if they were closer tozero? Or how would they know they weremoving up or down the scale? If theyare not at the top of the scale, reviewhow to prevent moving up the scale, sothat the problem does not escalate. By

2 COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

2013– 2014 OFFICERS

PRESIDENTTHERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D.Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater, MA 02325Tel. 508-531-2640E-mail: [email protected]

PAST PRESIDENTJENNIFER LISKMedway High School, Medway, MA 02053Tel. 508-533-3228 x5107 • Fax 508-533-3246E-mail: [email protected]

PRESIDENT-ELECTTINA KARIDOYANESMansfield High School250 East Street, Mansfield, MA 02048Tel. 508-261-7540 x3122 • Fax 508-339-0259E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARYVERONICA KNIGHTLowell Elementary School175 Orchard Street, Watertown, MA 02472Tel. 617-926-2666E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGHMARISA CASTELLOE-mail: [email protected] SCOTTE-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARYJOHN S. STEEREWellesley High School50 Rice Street, Wellesley, MA 02481Tel. 781-446-6290 x4653 • Fax 781-446-6308E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORSTBA

VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARYJOHN MARCUSDean College99 Main Street, Franklin, MA 02038Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORSMEGAN KRELL, Ph.D.E-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT RETIREESJoseph D. FitzGerald, Ed.D.5 Progress Street, Weymouth, MA 02188Tel. 781-264-3426E-mail: [email protected]

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORDONNA M. BROWNAdjunct Professor, UMass BostonP.O. Box 366, 779 Center StreetBryantville, MA 02327Tel. 781-293-2835E-mail: [email protected]

TREASURERASHLEY CARON25 Belmont Ave., Stoughton, MA 02072Tel. 508-212-0676E-mail: [email protected]

SECRETARYASHLEY J. GUBA30 Brezner Lane, Centerville, MA 02632Tel. 508-367-7774E-mail: [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATORTBA

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK EDITORSALLY ANN CONNOLLY19 Bayberry Road, Danvers, MA 01923Tel. 978-774-8158 • Fax 978-750-8154E-mail: [email protected]

JANUARY 2014 3

KNIGHT (continued from page 1)are not doing something that we shouldbe doing or that we should stop doingsomething we like doing. These resolu-tions carry the sense that we should some -how beat ourselves into betterment.

My light bulb moment came at theend of a wonderful lecture about effec-tive trauma intervention in schools.Because there were many questions, thelecturer ran out of time for the last slide:“self-care.” As students packed up theirbags, she mentioned how important itwas to attend to self-care in our roles ashelpers. It dawned on me that at anotherrecent training we also rushed throughthe topic of self-care at the end of a longday of learning. I wondered, “Why do wealways put the topic of self-care at the endand never, or seldom, at the beginning?Do we not feel that we are worthy?”

Many of us love the book Have YouFilled a Bucket Today? by CarolMcCloud. In counseling parents andteachers I often refer to the series ofbooks about The 5 Love Languages byGary Chapman, which talks about fill-ing up our “love tanks” before trying toteach or correct behaviors. Conceptuallywe know that filling ourselves up withgood things is a prerequisite to asking

ourselves to do what we do every day. This past year of dabbling in yoga has

taught me a new concept: the idea that Ishould be kind and compassionate tomyself. When that hamstring refuses tostretch any more, I hear the instructor’svoice telling me to listen to my body andhonor where it is at. That is a good mes-sage to carry. Those extra few inchesaround the waist are there because thisbody thought it was under stress andabout to be starved. I can honor that age-old adaptive, anthropological responserather than criticizing or despising it.

As school counselors we are in this forthe long haul! So, as we dive into 2014,let’s not criticize or despise or condemnany part of our lives, but rather seek tofill our own buckets. Perhaps we canschedule a reminder into our calendarsto take twenty minutes and think aboutour favorite client moments. Or we canschedule a few blocks of time to fill ourbuckets through the tips of paintbrushes,the keys on the piano, a sun salutation,or a cup of tea with a special friend.

Those extra few inches around mywaist may decide that I no longer needthem and melt away all by themselves.Not that I am depending on that to behappy or feel successful in 2014. ■


KARIDOYANES (continued from page 1)

knowing where they are now, studentscan figure out where they want to go.Have them describe behaviors and feel-ings so that they make connections toknow what it will feel like to “get better.”

The Miracle Question. Have stu-dents visualize a time when they wereproblem free, with the belief that if theycan see it, then they can achieve it. Exam-ple of a miracle question, “If you had amagic wand and could fix what is both-ering you, what would that look like?”

Positive Goals. Help students dev -elop a goal based on their own actionsand not the actions of others. This helpsthem to know that they can impact theirown feelings without being dependenton another’s actions. By continuing tobuild awareness of the impact of theirown actions, they can begin to effectpositive change.

Seeking Exceptions. Ask students toidentify and describe times when the prob -lem occurs less often. This helps them toknow that there are times when theimpact of the problem is not as great.What was different then? What werethey able to make happen? Help them

to see that there are times when they areproblem free and that their choices andactions can help to control the situation.

Cheerleading. Celebrate the positivesuccesses, no matter how small. Showhow the student is building momentumand making progress towards his goal.These conversations must be authentic andgenuine. Work together to formulate aplan to continue building on the success.

Flagging the Minefield. Help in -crease awareness of obstacles. By know-ing where the minefields are, studentscan work to avoid those scenarios ordevelop a plan for how to react whenthey encounter a landmine.

What Else and Instead Questions.Ask questions that elicit ideas, thoughts,and insights and record them. Show stu-dents what they have come up with, andlet them know that they do have solu-tions available that they can implement.

What’s Different or Better Ques-tions. After a little time has passed, fol-low up to inquire how things are goingand what is different or better since thelast time you met. Help the student iden-tify what worked or did not work. De -pending upon the response, revisit theappropriate pre vious step to help regroupand work on a different solution.

A Note and Compliment, Summa-rizing Strengths. Follow up with ahand written note to praise the student’sgrowth. Compliment the student’s im -ple mentation of a problem-solving ap -proach and/or the resulting positivechange. By summarizing the student’sactions, you help to reinforce growthand empower the student to solve prob-lems moving forward. I know that thisstep can be daunting. I was amazed thatthe presenters with caseloads at 700didn’t skip this step; they stated, how-ever, that this reinforces the lessons youare teaching the student and that youneed to write only a couple of sentences.The impact is great.

This year I started this process with acouple of students, and I am hopeful thatsome of the solutions that they are try-ing will help them as they move forward.One student was very appreciative ofthe follow-up note and has continued tokeep me updated on her progress.

For more in depth details and exampleson using these techniques go to https:sites.google.com/site/schoolcounselingsolutionsand look for the presentation materials forthe 2013 ASCA conference. ■

Ed Bryantsays “Thanks”

Greetings,I wish to say “thank you” to all

those counselors and schools inNew England that notified theirstudents regarding my 23rd Acad-emy/ROTC Night on No vem ber 6at the Danvers port Yacht Club.We had over 300 parents and stu-dents participating in an informa-tive career education program.

Best wishes to MASCA. I justturned 85 years of age and cannotdrive to meetings at night. Missthose many meetings. Happy Holi -days to you all!

Ed Bryant, NCCMASCA Past President

MASCA Past Executive DirectorMASCA Life Trustee

JANUARY 2014 5

Highlights of Fall Professional DevelopmentBy HELEN O’DONNELL, Ed.D., MASCA Coordinator of Professional Development

With the Fall 2013 RTTT Summitopen to all colleagues coupled with

the Fall Conference, attendees had theopportunity to experience a diverse pro-gram with outstanding speakers andwork shop presenters.

Chaired by Katie Gray, MASCA’s liai-son to DESE, the 2013 RTTT Fall Sum-mit kicked off with two speakers: DESE’sKeith Westrich, who warmly welcomedattendees and discussed College and CareerReadiness initiatives and the value of data,and Dr. Mary Czajkowski, Barnstable Pub-lic Schools Superintendent, who in formedattendees via SKYPE about “What super-intendents want from School Counselors.”Collegial presentations by RTTT schoolsshowcased promising projects being im -plemented at all grade levels. Afternoonhighlights included EDWIN 102. After thepresentation, EDWIN was presented anhonorary MASCA member ship. KatieGray closed with a discussion aboutschool counselor evaluation and DDMs.

Atty. Regina Tate’s Legal and EthicalWorkshop was a dynamic, informative,three-hour discussion of issues, challenges,and new initiatives impacting schools. Heradvice, suggestions, and legal clarificationsare outstanding guidelines to assist schoolcounseling practice. Her handout is avail-able with the Fall Conference materials atwww.masca.org. She has given MASCApermission to link to her Client Lettersvia the website.

The Fredrickson Center for SchoolCounseling Outcome Research andEvaluation (CSCORE) was recognized byMASCA at an afternoon reception andcelebration dinner for its ten years pro-moting and advocating for school coun-selors and the renaming of the Center inhonor of Dr. Ronald Fredrickson, Pro-fessor Emeritus of UMass Amherst. Dr.Fredrickson flew in from Kansas to jointhe festivities, and he thanked Massa-chusetts school counselors for their ded-ication and commitment to promotingcollege and career readiness for ALL stu-dents. Special thanks to the 2011 MASCA50th Birthday committee, co-chaired byMary Westcott and Oscar Krichmar, forhosting this event.

The Tuesday Fall Conference had manyhighlights including Dr. Jeffrey Arnett,keynote speaker; MARC Jr. RecognitionAwards; and outstanding morning work-

shop sessions. The two afternoon pro-grams—School Counselor Evaluationswith DESE’s Claire Abbott and Execu-tive Functioning by Gail Okerman andChandler Creedon—were well attendedand highly praised. Thank you, presenters!

The MASCA raffle tables and booksales were again a success with profitsfunding two MASCA Help-A-Kid Awards.Special appreciation to Maria Paoletti,

Marie Anderson, Donna Brown, BobBard well, Keith Poulin, and FHGA foryour support promoting the raffles.

Thanks also to: sponsors and exhi -bitors for your support and presence, adedicated conference planning team,NEIT (conference bags), Fitchburg StateUniversity (folders), and the Holiday Inn,Boxborough for making this event sucha quality professional experience. ■


Focus on Health, Safety, and Behavior

Green space promotes healthScientists in Australia report that “ex -periments demonstrate that exposure toparks and other ‘green spaces’ promotefavourable psychological and physiolog-ical outcomes.” Their study—reportedin BMJ Open (August 2013)—showed alower risk of short sleep among those wholive in greener neighborhoods. The authorsconclude: “Green space planning poli-cies may have wider public health bene-fits than previously recognized.”

— “Does access to neighbourhood green spacepromote a healthy duration of sleep? Novel findingsfrom a cross-sectional study of 259 319 Austral -ians,” Thomas Astell-Burt, BMJ Open 2013;3:e003094.

Violence exposure affectshealth“More than 15 million U.S. children livein families affected by intimate partnerviolence; about 7 million witness severeviolence, such as the assault of one parentby another. Exposure to such violence hasbeen linked to higher rates of physicalhealth problems.”

— Megan Bair-Merritt, M.D., et al., New Eng -land Journal of Medicine, October 31, 2013.

Concussions in youth sportsincrease“Concussions in youth sports overallspiked 66 percent from 2001 to 2009—with young women especially at risk —and the only way to stop the damage isto break through a ‘culture of resistance’from parents, coaches and young players,a comprehensive new study suggests….Football helmets fail to protect againstconcussions, the report found, althoughthe committee, a group of pediatricians,educators, psychiatrists and engineers,recommended protective gear to preventother injuries.”

• High school and college level sportswith highest reported concussion ratesamong males include: football, ice hockey,la crosse, wrestling, and soccer.

• Females have higher concussionrates in soccer and basketball.

— Linda Carroll, “Girl athletes at risk forconcussions as ‘culture of resistance’ keeps rateshigh,” www.nbc.news.com, October 20, 2013.

Concussion reports inMassachusetts increase“Students across Massachusetts sufferedmore than 4,400 concussions or otherhead injuries while playing school sportsduring the last school year, according tosurveys submitted to the state by about360 public and private schools.

The most head injuries were reportedby large schools with robust sports pro-grams. Boston College High School, anall-boys private school in Dorchester forgrades 7 through 12, cited 63 head in -juries, followed by Needham High with58 and Andover High with 55….

This was the second year that the sur -veys were collected under the state’s 2010concussion law, and about 150 moreschools submitted data this time around.The total number of reported head in -juries rose by about 1,000 over the pre-vious year.”

— Evan Allen, “Mass. schools report 4,400sports-related head injuries,” The Boston Globe,November 25, 2013.

Tanning increasesskin cancer riskThe Melanoma Foundation of New Eng -land reports that:

• “People who use tanning beds oncea month before the age of 35 increasetheir melanoma risk by 75%.

• It is not safe to tan in the sun or ina tanning booth.

• The more you tan and the youngeryou start tanning, the more likely it isthat you will get melanoma.

• Using a tanning bed for 20 minutesis equivalent to spending one to threehours a day at the beach with no sunprotection at all.

• Tanning beds put out three to sixtimes the amount of radiation given offby the sun.

• For most people, 5-10 minutes ofun protected sun 2-3 times a week isenough to help your skin make Vitamin D,which is essential for your health. Gettingmore sun won’t increase your Vitamin Dlevel, but it will increase your risk of skincancer. Vitamin D also comes from orangejuice, milk, fish, and supplements.”

— http://mfne.org/learn-about-melanoma/tanning-and-melanoma-facts, Accessed on Aug -ust 9, 2013.

Soda consumption increasesbehavior problemsA study published in The Journal ofPediatrics (August 2013) reported thataggression, attention problems, and with -drawal behavior are associated with softdrink consumption in young children. Inthe study, mothers reported the soda con-sumption of their children, indicatingthat 43% of the children drank at leastone serving per day. Those children whowere reported as drinking more than fourper day were more than twice as likely todestroy things belonging to others, get intofights, and physically attack people. Theyalso demonstrated greater attention prob -lems and withdrawal behavior.

— http://www.jpeds.com/content/JPEDSSuglia,Accessed on August 19, 2013.

Researchers recommendremoval of sedentaryelectronic games“Removal of sedentary electronic gamesfrom the child’s home and replacing thesewith active electronic games both resultedin small, objectively measured improve-ments in after-school activity and sedentarytime. Parents can be advised that re placingsedentary electronic games with activeelectronic games is likely to have the sameeffect as removing all electronic games.”

— Leon M. Straker, et al., “To remove or toreplace traditional electronic games? A crossoverrandomised controlled trial on the impact ofremoving or replacing home access to electronicgames on physical activity and sedentary behaviourin children aged 10–12 years,” BMJ Open 2013,http://www.bmjopen.bmj.com/content/3/6/e002629, Accessed on July 6, 2013.

Reading literary fictionenhances skill level“Two researchers from The New Schoolfor Social Research have published a paperin Science demonstrating that readingliterary fiction enhances a set of skillsand thought processes fundamental tocomplex social relationships—and func-tional societies.”

As opposed to popular fiction and non-fiction works, literary fiction “requiresin tellectual engagement and creativethought from their readers.”

— “Reading literary fiction improves ‘mind-reading’ skills,” http://esciencenews.com/articles/2013/10/04/reading.literary.fiction.improves.mind.reading.skills, October 4, 2013.

JANUARY 2014 7

Networking in the Role of School CounselingBy NANCY A. LeBLANC

Post-Master’s Student in School Counseling, Bridgewater State University

A s we embark upon our journey asgraduate students in the field of

school counseling, it is important to keepin mind the role that networking playsin the activities we perform while helpingstudents with their goals. School coun-selors work with multiple stakeholders,and that connection begins with our prac -ticum work.

Working with students provides nu -merous opportunities for networking.Our positive relationships with educatorsallow for school counseling core cur-riculum to be infused into the classroomsetting. We work in partnership witheducators when students are having class -room difficulties and during IEP and504 meetings. We strive to bridge conver-sations in schools with parents regardingbest practices for optimal learning fortheir child in the classroom. With highschool students, especially, we constantlymodel effective networking practices,providing mock interviews to prepare foran upcoming job or college interview,assisting students with college and careerresumes, and even coaching a student togo after school and meet with teacherswhen there is a need for extra help. Goingafter school and asking for help is a pos-itive way to self-advocate and networkas well as an integral life skill.

As a graduate student with BSU, therewere many opportunities to create andpresent a poster of school counseling corecurriculum at MASCA conferences. Dur-ing one event I had the opportunity tomeet a guidance director from a localschool. A year later while assisting mypracticum site toward the journey of aMARC Jr., this individual’s name cameup as a key player in the process. Againwe were in conversation—this time in acollaborative effort on the work front. Ihave learned to “never underestimate thepower of a contact,” and I am continuallyreminded of these words throughout myprofessional journey.

These opportunities occur in schoolsevery day. As we network with adminis-tration, educators, principals, communitypartners, parents, and students, we areconstantly reminded of how we are con-nected and that relationships matter. Evenwith NEASC coming and reviewing theCORE values of my practicum site (Rigor,

Relevance, Responsibility, Relationshipsand Respect), it became apparent that net -working is a component in every corevalue. It is also important to note thatstudents who feel part of the networkand fabric of the school are more likelyto be successful and graduate on time.

From the moment we begin our pro-fessional journey, networking is a key to

our success, so it is not a surprise thatthese elements also help our studentstoward their personal successes. Asschool counseling professionals we utilizemultiple stakeholders in a collaborativeeffort in our roles. As a result of theseefforts, our students benefit in theirjourneys toward academic, career, andpersonal / social success. ■


Opportunities Abound at MASCABy THERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D.

MASCA President

S everal MASCA committees handlemany important tasks of the associ-

ation. The MASCA ByLaws describes allcommittees in more detail. The follow-ing committees have current openings.All positions require active status andgood standing as a MASCA member forthe duration of the position.

Awards & Publicity CommitteeThis committee meets annually to selectthe various awards sponsored by MASCA,which include the Counseling, Leadership,Administrative, and Special Awards. Thecommittee also assists the Human RightsChair with the Human Service Award.Committee selections are presented atthe Annual Conference.

Publicity is an ongoing part of theCommittee’s work. This includes takingphotographs and highlighting the manyactivities of school counselors in the statethrough press releases, proclamations,and public service announcements. Pub-licity includes, but is not limited to,publicizing awards, accomplishments ofmembers and officers, and programs andactivities of the organization. Availablenow through June 2014.

Conferences CommitteeThe Conferences Committee plans theannual spring and fall conferences. Com-mittee work is usually completed usingtechnology (phone, e-mail, and Web Exconferencing) and occasional subcommit-tee meetings. New members always wel-come. Current need includes assistingexisting teams in areas of exhibits/spon -sor ships/ads, registration, programs, andevents and hospitality. Committee mem-bers are expected to attend the conferencesand assist as needed while at the confer-ences. Available now through June 2014.

Government RelationsCommitteeThe Government Relations Committeeworks to advocate for school counselorsamong all facets of the state and nationalgovernment. The Committee worksclosely with legislators and educationalleaders, proposing, monitoring, and pro-moting legislation that will impact ourwork. Committee members also help toplan state-level advocacy events. Currentneeds include Chair and committee mem-bers. The Chair must have served onMASCA leadership previously or havecommensurate experience for this role.Available now through June 2014.

Human Rights CommitteeThe Human Rights Committee developsprograms that foster and ensure a sup-portive environment that establishes theworth and dignity of all persons, espe-cially those from traditionally underrep-resented areas. The Committee strives tobe the social conscience of MASCA bypromoting awareness, sensitivity, andappreciation of human differences. Avail-able now through June 2014.

Strategic Planning CommitteeThis Committee is charged with lookingat the long-term goals of the organiza-tion, looking beyond immediate concernsand proposing actions that will strengthenthe association and provide additionalservices to its members. This committeewill be formed in Spring 2014 and willcommence July 1, 2014.

Member Services CommitteeThe Member Services Committee acceptsresponsibility for promotion of member -ship, new and renewal. It seeks programsand ideas that will strengthen the mem-

bership base and provide incentive formembership. The Committee will workclosely with the Membership Coor dinatorand Member Services Chair to organizeactivities and outreach efforts. Availablenow through June 2014.

Professional DevelopmentCommitteeThe Professional Development Commit-tee develops, presents, and promotes pro-fessional development workshops andactivities. It coordinates with otherMASCA committees, affiliates, and theConference Program Committee to ensuremultiple opportunities for professionaldevelopment education designed forschool counselors. The committee pro-vides PDPs according to DESE guide-lines. In addition, it cultivates membershipthrough such initiatives. The Committeewill work closely with the ProfessionalDevelopment Coordinator and Profes-sional Development Committee Chair toorganize activities and outreach efforts.Available now through June 2014.

Technology CommitteeThis Committee is charged with keepingMASCA on the cutting edge of technol-ogy and ensuring that the organizationand its members are using technology toits fullest. This is accomplished throughprogramming opportunities, awarenessactivities, and information dissemination.Members also promote the ethical use oftechnology in the profession. This com-mittee will work closely with the Web-master and Technology Committee Chair.Available now through June 2014. ■

Calling all School Counselors, Counselor Educators, Graduate Studentsand Retirees! There are several exciting opportunities available now toget in volved with MASCA. Consider joining one of the committees.Join MASCA or renew your membership today. Details for eligibility aswell as descriptions of the committees are provided below.

THERESA COOGAN

JANUARY 2014 9

ArtAthletic Training

BiologyBusiness Management

ChemistryCommunication

Computer Information SystemsCompute Science

Criminal JusticeEconomicsEducation

EnglishEnvironmental Science

Ethnic and Gender Studies General Science

HistoryLiberal Studies

MathematicsMovement Science

MusicNursing

Political SciencePsychology

Regional PlanningSocial Work

SociologySpanish

Theatre Arts (413) 572-5218 ·

Discover more by visiting us online at westfield.ma.edu.

MASCA Committee Sign Up Form

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How to Get Money Back for CollegeBy HOWARD FREEDMAN

Senior Counselor, www.financialaidconsulting.com

O ne of the best financial rewards forattending college is the tax break

the IRS provides for students attendingqualified educational institutions. Un for -tunately many families may overlookthese programs because important taxinformation is normally sent to the stu-dent and not the parent who claims themas a dependent on their tax.

This is a common oversight that can beavoided when you understand what to dowhen you receive Form 1098-T: TuitionStatement. It is the information returnthat certain postsecondary educational in -stitutions are required to issue for a stu-dent’s eligibility for the American Oppor -tunity and Lifetime Learning credits.These and other education credits areexplained in the IRS Publication 970,Tax Benefits for Education, availableonline at www.irs.gov.

Most accredited public, nonprofit, andprivate postsecondary institutions such ascolleges, universities, and vocationalschools are required to file Form 1098-Tfor qualified tuition and related expenses.Expenses can either be reported as theamount received or the amount billedfor qualified tuition and related educa-tional expenses from any source duringthe calendar year.

The 1098-T is mailed or electronicallydelivered to each student as well as re -ported to the IRS. This form reports qual-

ified expenses and other informationwhen determining if a taxpayer qualifiesfor these tax credits. IRS Form 8863 Edu-cation Credits is then used to enter thisinformation to calculate the amount ofthe tax credit that a taxpayer is allowed.

Students should be sensitive to theimportance of form 1098-T as much asthey are for receiving their W-2. Theyshould contact their financial aid officeto find out how to get a duplicate copyif they have not received one by the endof January. Delivery problems can occurif the student’s address or e-mail accountsare not up-to-date.

Form 1098-T reports qualified tuitionand related expenses regardless of whetherthey were paid for in cash, loans, etc. Inother words, these were the amounts thatthe student was billed or paid for the qual-ified education expenses. Explanations ofthese and other information are on theback of this form.

You may ask: If this is so simple howcan there be any problems? Althoughthe rules are well explained, beware ofthe following trouble spots.

Parents that claim the credit for them-selves, a spouse, or the student they claimas a dependent, can claim the tax credit,even if the student did not contribute totheir education.

• A student can claim the tax creditif they take the tax exemption and are not

taken as a dependent on their parents’tax return.

• Families should determine the eco-nomic tax advantages. Consult with atax professional when determining whoshould take the tax exemption.

• Parents cannot take the credit if theirfiling status is married filing separately.

• Taxpayers can file amended tax re -turns to recapture these credits in yearsthat they could have been taken.

The American Opportunity CreditAct allows up to a $2500 tax credit pereligible student to reduce the amount ofincome tax paid. This credit reducestaxes, unlike a deduction that reduces theamount of income subject to this tax.The tax credit is available for only fourtax years per eligible student pursuingan undergraduate degree or other recog-nized educational credential. The stu-dent must be enrolled at least half-timefor at least one academic period thatbegins during the tax year. Qualifiedexpenses are tuition and fees requiredfor enrollment. Course-related books,supplies, and equipment do not need tobe purchased from the institution toqualify. There can be no felony or drugconvictions on a student’s record. Thisdeduction is subject to income limitsdescribed in Publication 970.

The Lifetime Learning Credit allowsup to a $2500 tax credit per tax returnto reduce the amount of income taxpaid. The tax credit is available for anunlimited number of years. The studentdoes not need to be pursuing a degree orother recognized education credential andmay take one or more courses. Course-related books, supplies, and equipmentpaid to the institution qualify. Studentswith felony drug convictions are eligible.This deduction is subject to income limitsdescribed in IRS Publication 970.

Although students may not be in volvedin preparing tax returns, they should beon the lookout for form 1098-T. Reduc-ing a parent’s tax liability frees up addi-tional dollars that can be used to reducethe need for borrowing more for college.The process for determining eligibility foreither program is relatively painless. Thereare also many other educational creditsand deductions for loans, tuition and fees,etc. described in IRS publication 970 forwhich the student may qualify. ■

Herter Memorial Scholarship 2014Each year, the Christian A. Herter Memorial Scholarship program receivesnominations/applications of high school sophomores and juniors who haveencountered difficult circumstances in their lives, but have managed to be -come successful students and leaders in both their school and home com-munities. The Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA)already has completed mailing of the application to all Massachusetts highschool principals and guidance offices as well as many community agencies.

The application is also available online, and it can be downloaded at http://www.osfa.mass.edu/pdfs/Herter_Application-2014.pdf. The deadline forreceipt of completed applications is February 3.

For additional information, contact:Robert Brun

Associate CommissionerMassachusetts Department of Higher Education

Office of Student Financial Assistance

JANUARY 2014 11

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDNEWBURYPORT, MA

PERMIT NO. 96

Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc.COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Sally Ann Connolly, Editor

IN CASE OF NON-DELIVERY, RETURN TO:Donna M. BrownP.O. Box 366Bryantville, MA 02327

Conference Newsfor

Graduate Studentsand

Counselor Educators

MASCA will sponsor severalgraduate student opportunitiesfor the upcoming Spring 2014Conference on Tuesday, April 8,2014, in Leominster. Opportuni-ties include:

• An evening networkingreception on Monday, April 7.

• A panel Q&A conferencesession for graduate studentsto ask pertinent questionsabout getting a job and whatthose first years in the fieldreally entail.

• Graduate student postersessions.

• $75 Graduate studentscholarships.

Please see the MASCA websitefor more information.

Send your inquiries to [email protected].

Your membership renewal date is indicated by year and month on your address label above.To renew your membership, go to MASCA’s website, www.masca.org.

Documents

Counselor's Notebook, January 2014