Counselor's Notebook, September 2009

MASCA

MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION

VOL. 46, NO. 1

SEPTEMBER 2009

MASCA: Connecting Counselors for the Benefit of All Students

By CHRISTINE EVANS, MASCA President

CHRISTINE EVANS

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reetings and a warm welcome to the Massachusetts School Counselors Association 2009-2010.

As we begin a new year, our enthusiasm and optimism is typically at its best.

Hopefully, we are rested and have had time to reflect on the past year, how our students did as a whole and individually, and which programs worked and which areas need more development. We have also had time to think about what we accomplished as educational leaders and advocates for children and how to continue to work effectively with our administrators to effect changes that will have a positive impact on student success.

In our schools, communities, and professional association, this year promises to be one of challenges and opportunities.

The challenge of working harder to do more with fewer resources is one we all face, and we can choose to let it become an excuse, or we can choose to let it become an opportunity for growth. As we explore what needs to be done, we will have to stretch our imaginations and employ creative problem-solving strategies to accomplish our goals.

We may find that the old way of doing

things is simply not going to work anymore. This can be a great motivator, moving us to seek out new ways to get the job done. This is where our professional organization, MASCA, becomes an important resource for us. By connecting with each other, we realize that we are not facing the challenges alone and can look to our colleagues to share advice, resources, and support.

MASCA moves forward This summer the MASCA Governing Board has been hard at work, seeking ways to serve not only our membership but all counselors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Our redesigning of the MASCA website, updating the format of the Counselor’s Notebook to include an online version, outstanding programs for professional development, MA Model Implementation Institutes, upcoming fall and spring conferences, and excellent progress in advocacy and public policy/govern-

ment relations are all evidence of our commitment to “Move All School Counselors Ahead (M.A.S.C.A.).” This will result in accomplishing the mission we share of helping all students to achieve success, in school and in life.

Inside this issue of the Notebook, you will find a wealth of information including, but not limited to, professional development opportunities, the fall conference on October 6 in Boxborough, the MASCA Emerging Leaders Program, and the upcoming hearing at the State House that resulted from our activities at the Day on the Hill in February.

MASCA exists to support and advocate for all school counselors, so that we can do our best to advocate for all students. If you would like to join us and are interested in becoming more involved in MASCA, please contact me at cevans @ebps.net. I welcome your input and look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes for an exciting year of growth and opportunity! ■

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

MASCA

2009 – 2010 MASCA OFFICERS PRESIDENT CHRISTINE A. EVANS East Bridgewater High School 11 Plymouth Street, East Bridgewater, MA 02333 Tel. 508-378-5851 • Fax 508-378-8236 E-mail: cevans@ebps.net PRESIDENT-ELECT CAROLYN RICHARDS Somerville High School 81 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143 Tel. 617-625-6600 x 6120 • Fax 617-628-8413 E-mail: crichards@k12.somerville.ma.us PAST PRESIDENT KAREN M. D’AMOUR Manchester Essex Regional High School 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester, MA 01944 Tel. 978-526-7641 • Fax 978-526-2044 E-mail: damourk@mersd.org

September 2009

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VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARY TBA VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGH RICHARD WHITE Gateway Regional Middle School 12 Littleville Road, Huntington, MA 01050 E-mail: RWhite@GRSD.org VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARY JENNIFER LISK Medway High School, Medway, MA 02053 E-mail: lisk@medway.k12.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARY JAY LEIENDECKER Vice President Enrollment Services, Dean College Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726 E-mail: jleiendecker@dean.edu VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORS RUTH CARRIGAN Whitman-Hanson Regional High School 600 Franklin Street, Whitman, MA 02382 Tel. 781-618-7434 • Fax 781-618-7098 E-mail: carrigan.ruth@whrsd.org VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORS THERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D. Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA 02325 Tel. 508-531-2640 E-mail: theresa.coogan@bridgew.edu VICE PRESIDENT RETIREES RALPH SENNOTT P.O. Box 1391, Westford, MA 01886 Tel. 978-692-8244 E-mail: ralphsennott@hotmail.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DONNA M. BROWN Adjunct Professor, UMass Boston P.O. Box 366, 779 Center Street Bryantville, MA 02327 Tel. 781-293-2835 E-mail: dbrownmasca@gmail.com TREASURER TINA KARIDOYANES P.O. Box 1007, Monument Beach, MA 02553 Tel. 508-759-3986 E-mail: tkaridoyanes@gmail.com SECRETARY CARRIE KULICK-CLARK Braintree High School, Braintree, MA 02184 Tel. 781-848-4000 x 2273 E-mail: Jd02375@aol.com MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR DEBORAH CLEMENCE P.O. Box 805, East Dennis, MA 02641 E-mail: DeborahClemence@verizon.net COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK EDITOR SALLY ANN CONNOLLY 19 Bayberry Road, Danvers, MA 01923 Tel. 978-774-8158 • Fax 978-750-8154 E-mail: sallyconnolly@att.net

SEPTEMBER 2009

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On Our Honor: Educating for Character

By Sally Ann Connolly Race to the Top: Make Connections

By Karen D’Amour Looking Back to the Future

By Donna Brown Graduate Student Poster Sessions: A Learning Opportunity

By Theresa A. Coogan, Ph.D., Ed.M.

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MASCA Emerging Leaders Program

12

MASCA Human Rights Award Nomination Form

14 15

MA Model Implementation: The Tipping Point

By Karma Tousignant MASCA Fall Conference Registration Form

Published by: Massachusetts School Counselors Association 10 issues per year, September through June. The yearly subscription rate is $30.00. Individual copies are $3.00.

Opinions expressed in the articles published herein represent the ideas and/or beliefs of those who write them and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. The acceptance of an advertisement for publication does not imply MASCA endorsement of the advertiser’s programs, services, or views expressed.

Questions concerning submission of articles, publication deadlines, advertising rates, etc., should be addressed to Sally Ann Connolly, Editor.

www.masca.org

©2009 by the Massachusetts School Counselors Association.

All rights reserved.

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On Our Honor: Educating for Character

By SALLY ANN CONNOLLY Counselor’s Notebook Editor

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ccording to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), certain values “affirm basic human worth and dignity and support healthy communities.” These include honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

They sound like the traits of the perfect Boy Scout, but they are precisely what keeps the wheels of society running smoothly. And they are what I look for in my doctor, my automotive technician, and even my landscaper.

Recently, when I engaged the services of a landscaper, I did so expecting him to be courteous. Clean and cheerful would have been great. But above all, I expected him to be trustworthy. I wanted him to show up when he was supposed to and perform the work we had agreed upon for the price we had negotiated. I was looking for someone I could turn to for help throughout the year.

I didn’t expect that the young man

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SALLY ANN CONNOLLY would call five hours after the appointed time to say that he wouldn’t be able to come. I didn’t expect that he would show up hours late the next time and that the price would increase substantially. Certainly I didn’t expect that he would fail to show up for our final appointment.

Needless to say, the work in my yard did not get done on time, and my hopes for finding a permanent landscaper were dashed.

How did he, like so many other

workers, miss learning the importance of reliability?

When I was working as a counselor in a vocational school, teachers and administrators repeatedly advised students that a worker’s most important trait is reliability. “You must show up for work,” they would say, “and you must show up on time. All the skill in the world is useless if you are not there to do your assigned job at the appointed time.”

The importance of dependability was reinforced daily in the students’ shops, out on the job sites, and in their academic classes. Deadlines had to be met.

Reliable workers possess what is basic to successful social interaction: empathy.

They can visualize the impact of their words and actions. And they care. My auto technician, for example, recognizes the importance of tightening the lug nuts on the wheels of my car and he follows through. I can depend upon him to accurately diagnose a problem, make the necessary repairs, and return to me a vehicle that is reliable to drive.

With a modicum of empathy, my landscaper would have imagined what it was like for me to rush home for our appointment and to wait, fruitlessly, hour after hour.

Character education plays an important role in our schools. Values may be taught as part of formal instructional units geared to age-specific groups or as part of discussions about what is important and worthwhile. The most significant teaching occurs, however, during everyday interactions. We teach by example.

Writing in Today’s School, educators and TV producers David H. Elkind and Freddy Sweet, say: “Whether you are a teacher, administrator, custodian, or school bus driver, you are helping to shape the character of the kids you come in contact with. It’s in the way you talk, the behaviors you model, the conduct you tolerate, the deeds you encourage, the expectations you transmit.”

In working with our students, let us strive to develop in them the traits promoted by ASCA. Let us work together to ensure that everyone grows up to be a Boy Scout. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

MCPHS Means Health Care At MCPHS

we’re all about health care.

From students and faculty in lab coats and scrubs,

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to the concentrated energy in our modern, high-tech

• School of Nursing

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• School of Radiologic Sciences

Everything we do reflects our commitment to educating the next generation of capable and compassionate health

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care professionals and researchers. We encourage students

• School of Pharmacy

to contact our admission office at 617.732.2850 to schedule

• School of Health Sciences

an individual visit through our Visit Concierge.

• School of Arts and Sciences

www.mcphs.edu | 800.225.5506 SEPTEMBER 2009

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Race to the Top: Make Connections

By KAREN D’AMOUR, MASCA Past President

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ver the last two years I have written articles focusing on the various facets of MASCA and the merits of professional development and networking.

I have also encouraged our organization to reach out to collaborate with other organizations in order to strengthen the role of the school counselor as well as deepen our voice.

I have learned so much over the past year about how to facilitate educational change that if you and I were sitting on a park bench right now, I probably would launch enthusiastically into the subject.

Once school counselors, counselor educators, and admissions officers have a shared vision of what we want school counseling (K-14) to look like in Massachusetts, we will be one step closer to stepping into our role in the upcoming educational reform. Creating this vision requires an awareness of our state and national initiatives and how these initia-

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KAREN D’AMOUR tives may impact our state directives and eventually our profession.

In July, President Obama released his educational reform initiative, “Race to the Top.” If you are not already familiar with it, check out the Washington Post (July 24) article, “Education Reform’s Moon Shot,” by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Some of my peers ask me why I get so fired up about how state and federal money is spent on education in our state. Perhaps it is because I have worked through a number of educational reform initiatives.

Through the years I have experienced administrators trying to create enthusiasm for an initiative, the lackluster buy-in by key players, the struggle with implementation, and, then, what happens when the funds run out. The roller coaster ride of career initiatives alone has been dizzying. Have the benefits outweighed the cost?

In my opinion we need a voice in the shaping of reform initiatives. We need to see where school counselors fit in and how we are going to shape the reform that helps our students to stay in high school, believe in their future, get their education, graduate, and be productive members of society.

Perhaps if we all read the “Race to the Top” with an eye on where school counselors can play a role and then had some local fireside chats with other school counselors, counselor educators, and admissions officers, we could come together with one voice — a voice that could be heard by our school districts, our governor, and maybe Arne Duncan himself.

Inspiration from ASCA At the ASCA National Conference this summer, I recognized a Chicago counselor that I spent some quality time with at last year’s ASCA Leadership Development Institute in Tucson, Arizona. I was excited to learn that she and her two colleagues were going to have quite a presence at the conference, presenting their success stories as a part of their reform efforts. I couldn’t wait. These women have a “can do” attitude times ten.

One of their presentations centered on the process the Chicago school district went through to establish their nowfamous “Freshmen Connection.” It was a very exciting, informative, and inspiring hour.

Secretary of Education Duncan was the superintendent of schools when Chicago implemented this educational reform measure. Later he was asked what he regretted the most about his time as superintendent of schools in Chicago.

He replied, “I wish I had instituted the Freshmen Connection five years sooner.”

The Freshmen Connection is one example where counselors saw where they fit in and helped to shape how they were going to make a difference in graduation rates and college attendance.

I plan on writing more about this specific Chicago initiative in the months to come, but for now I recommend the following website: www.chooseyourfuture .org. Be inspired. We all need mentors and to be inspired. This is what the women in education in Chicago did for me, and and I hope they will do the same for you.

We are capable of the same passion and vision in Massachusetts. What are we going to do that will increase our graduation rates and inspire our students to go on for further education and training?

Let’s make a connection. Please pull up a virtual seat on the bench next to me and tell me your ideas, plans, and visions for school counseling in your school district.

E-mail me at damourk@mersd.org. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Looking Back to the Future

By DONNA BROWN, MASCA Executive Director

DONNA BROWN

Graduate College of Education’s on-line school counseling program.

I have lots of hobbies that often cut into what should be sleep time. The “Twitter” version is I like traveling, cooking, reading, genealogy, gardening (of those plants that thrive on benign neglect), and scrapbooking. On Twitter, I’m Donnadeebee and in Second Life, I’m DeeBee Braveheart. So, this is probably TMI, but now you know who I am.

Over the next few months I hope to share information and suggestions to enhance your job as a professional school counselor. I will do my best to answer your questions and point you in the right direction if you need more information.

In return, I hope you will feel comfortable sharing your suggestions, best practices, and opinions with me. I look forward to hearing from you. ■

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reetings and welcome back to an exciting year! I’m sure you’re looking at this picture and thinking, “Hmmm, I didn’t think Thom Hughart had that much hair.” Well, he doesn’t. Thom has left us for the beautiful Southwest, and the MASCA Executive Board has appointed me to fill the position of Executive Director. You can decide in June if this was a good move or not.

Many of you know me, but for those who don’t, let me give you a brief introduction.

I live in the metropolis of Bryantville on the South Shore with my husband Ken and a bunch of cats. We have an adult daughter, Meghan, who teaches botany at Weymouth High School (and has even more cats.)

I’m an alumna of Bridgewater State College and serve as the Class of 1968 rep. In 2006 I retired from Silver Lake Regional High School after thirty-six plus years, first as a teacher of English and then as a guidance counselor and eventually, head counselor. (Yes, I spent my whole career there.)

During my twenty-four years as a counselor, I became involved with MASCA, serving as everything from high school/ college liaison to president in 2000. I’ve also been active in South Shore Guidance and ASCA. This year I am also completing my term of office as president of Plymouth County Education Association.

For Delta Kappa Gamma I develop leadership seminars for the state organization and participate at all levels of the organization, having been both state president and Northeast Regional Director (commonly called the NERD).

In 2003, thanks to former MASCA president and executive director Jan Tkaczyk, I began teaching for UMass Boston, moving in 2006 to the UMB SEPTEMBER 2009

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Graduate Student Poster Sessions: A Learning Opportunity

By THERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D., Ed.M. MASCA VP Counselor Educators

THERESA COOGAN

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et me paint a picture. You are a graduate student completing your master’s degree in School Counseling. You are enthusiastic, excited, and energetic about the prospect of entering the field and working with the students, parents, and other personnel in the schools. You are filled with ideas about getting parents more involved in their child’s academic lives; about setting up a collaborative

effort with a team of teachers; about being involved with students throughout the school via clubs or extracurricular activities. You are determined to contribute to changing the antiquated image held by many, the image of a counselor stuck in an office behind a desk piled high with paperwork. You are ready for the challenges the 21st Century has opened to students.

The professional training to become a school counselor is a wonderful rollercoaster experience with many opportunities along the way. A common challenge for graduate students is maintaining a sense of balance in their lives between completing their degree programs and engaging in the plethora of professional growth and development opportunities.

MASCA conference opportunities A manageable and valuable opportunity I can recommend for Massachusetts graduate students is active involvement in MASCA’s fall and spring conferences. Professional conferences can be a very helpful learning tool during the training process.

I have noticed a common concern among many graduate students related to participating in professional conferences.

“Professional conferences are a gathering of practitioners and experts in the field.

What could I bring to the conference as a graduate student?” Valid question, I say.

The simple answer: You bring your interests, original ideas, and personality to the table. Conferences provide the forum through which practitioners, educators, and trainees alike can collaboratively share ideas and knowledge about a field.

Graduate Student Poster Sessions The Graduate Student Poster Sessions provide an excellent forum for students to showcase an original research project or a major paper from class. Another option is to focus on an area of practical application (e.g., technique, approach, skills, exercises, etc.) for school counselors. Poster topics can cover a wide

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range of areas related to the field of school counseling, allowing you to take a topic you are passionate and knowledgeable about and share the information with other students and professionals in the field. In addition, this is a great forum to practice public speaking, networking, and earn a credential to list on your resumes!

In addition to gaining invaluable experience through participating in the Poster Sessions, students can also benefit from other aspects of the MASCA conference.

For example, students can learn more about actual vs. ideal roles of school counselors, practice interviewing skills and interpersonal communication with other professionals in the field, meet other graduate students from different institutions, learn about opportunities for involvement in MASCA as a graduate student, attend presentations and discussions about current issues in the field, and, most importantly, learn about yourself as you are developing your professional identity as a school counselor.

An invitation to attend I invite all school counseling graduate students to consider attending the upcoming MASCA conferences. The fall conference will be held October 6, and the spring conference will run April 1113. I strongly encourage all students to consider becoming actively involved by completing an application proposal for the Poster Sessions as a way to actively engage in the conference.

Students interested in learning more can access the MASCA website for detailed information. Please note the deadline for graduate student poster proposals for the fall conference is September 9.

Graduate training is not just about attending classes and reading textbooks.

It is also about obtaining that hands-on experience in preparation for entering the professional field of school counseling.

Active participation in MASCA conferences via the Graduate Student Poster Sessions is one manageable way for students to achieve this goal. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

SEPTEMBER 2009

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MASCA Emerging Leaders Program enters third year

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s we begin a new academic year, MASCA is proud to introduce its three new Emerging Leaders (EL’s): Carolynn Laurenza, Susan MacDonald, and John Steele.

The Emerging Leaders (EL) program was approved in early 2007 by the MASCA Governing Board. Its goal is to identify potential leaders in the school counseling profession in Massachusetts and get them involved with MASCA. An Emerging Leader has to be a professional school counselor and a MASCA member, who desires to give back to our profession and has not been an

elected or appointed Governing Board member.

EL’s must present at a MASCA sponsored conference, attend a Governing Board meeting and one of the affiliate meetings, join one of MASCA committees, write articles for the Counselor’s Notebook, and participate in EL trainings. In return, EL’s receive a free one-year membership in MASCA, reduced conference registration, and free leadership training.

This year the EL’s will join the MASCA Government Relations Committee to continue the school counselor advocacy work that was started last year. All three have

already begun their involvement by participating on the Massachusetts Coalition for School Counseling, currently made up of members of MASCA, NEACAC, and the College Board New England Regional Office.

Carolynn, Susan, and John will provide energy and excitement for both the Government Relations Committee and the Coalition. Welcome aboard.

If you have any questions about the Emerging Leaders Program, please contact Bob Bardwell at bardwellr@ monsonschools.com or at 413-267-4589 Ext. 1107. ■

Carolynn is going into her third year as a counselor at Gateway Regional High School in Huntington. A graduate of the psychology program at Swarthmore College and the school counseling program at the University of Massachusetts, Carolynn was an assistant at the Center for School Counseling Outcome Research. There she was involved in the creation of the MA Model Implementation Guide.

Carolynn has also been an active member of the MASCA Conference Committee for the past two years, serving on the Program Committee, and she has presented at several conferences. In her free time Carolynn plays and coaches Ultimate Frisbee.

Carolynn Laurenza

Also beginning her third year as a school counselor is Susan MacDonald. Susan works at East Bridgewater High School. Before that she was a math teacher and counselor at Monsignor Ryan Memorial High School in Dorchester. She majored in communications at Stonehill College and attended Lesley University, where she earned her school counseling credentials.

Susan has participated in the MA Model Summer Institute, and she was recognized by the South Shore Guidance Association as a Rising Star.

In the summer Susan enjoys teaching eighth and ninth grade students in the Project Contemporary Competitiveness Advanced Studies Program at Bridgewater State College.

Susan MacDonald

Entering his fourth year as a school counselor, John works at Wellesley High School.

He completed his undergraduate degree in sociology at Washington College and his school counseling graduate work at Boston College. John has also completed coursework for certification as a director/supervisor.

Prior to working at Wellesley, John worked one year as a school counselor at Littleton High School. He was a standout soccer goalie in college and has been a soccer and lacrosse coach.

John Steele

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

SEPTEMBER 2009

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2009 - 2010 MASCA Human Rights Award We are seeking nominations for our MASCA Human Rights Award. MASCA would like to recognize an individual who has been involved in the sponsoring or delivery of outstanding human rights projects or activities.

Our preference is a school counselor, but other nominees will be considered. The candidate should be someone who not only embraces the tenets within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also leads by example and actively engages in activities that promote human rights for all.

Perhaps you know someone who has sponsored outstanding human rights projects or activities, which may include, but are not limited to, the following: • Organized a club or focus group • Led a workshop or community event • Developed lessons advocating human rights • Planned activities that encourage interaction between racial and ethnic groups • Provided tolerance education program around stereotyping or discrimination with regards to sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, economics

MASCA Human Rights Advocate of the Year 2009 - 2010 Nominee Form County ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Name of Nominee ___________________________________________________________________________________________ School/Agency _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please describe the extraordinary human rights contribution(s) made by the above nominee. Be specific! Provide us with names, dates, places, description of program, testimonials, etc. Describe his/her personal characteristics. Attach your essay to this form and return your nomination by June 1 to: Rachel Kerrigan, Upper Cape Regional Technical School, 220 Sandwich Road, Bourne, MA 02532 Or copy and paste the nominee form and attach your essay and email me at rkerrigan@uppercapetech.org Your name_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Title ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ School/Agency _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Signature ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone number _____________________________________________________________________________________________ E-mail _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

MA Model Institutes move forward

By HELEN O’DONNELL, Ed.D. MASCA Professional Development Chair

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n July, Dean College hosted the third annual MA Model Institute.

Institute trainers — Katie Gray, Jan Tkacazk, and I — welcomed twenty-two participants from Bourne, East Bridgewater, Malden, Maynard, Nantucket, Newton, Samoset, Scituate, South Hadley, Southboro, Dighton-Rehobeth Regional High School, Granville Village School, and Hampshire Regional High School.

Participants included elementary, middle school, and high school professional school counselors as well as school counseling administrators.

The first two training days focused on strategies and best practices to assist with implementing the four components of the Model: Foundation, Management, Delivery, and Accountability.

Activities allowed reflection and assessment of their current practice to allow implementation action planning. Participants were encouraged to be change agents and leaders in their schools to advocate for all students and have a presence as part of their school leadership team.

A small pilot Advanced Institute cohort worked together for two days discussing the impact of their MA Model implementation initiatives. They critiqued materials being considered for website posting, discussed curriculum design, and brainstormed next-steps action plans for their district and schools. Implementation successes and roadblocks were shared. Some cohort members will be upgrading and expanding website materials and helping

to identify some best practices and visitation sites.

MASCA Fall Conference We welcome you to attend the MASCA Fall Conference to: • Visit MA Model Showcase poster sessions and discuss implementation initiatives with your colleagues.

• Attend the luncheon keynote and extended afternoon workshop session by ASCA President Pat Nailor. Pat has been an active leader in Rhode Island’s effort to implement the ASCA Model, and she participated in the development of the RI Toolkit.

See you October 6 at the Holiday Inn in Boxboro. ■

MASCA 2009-2010 Moving All School Counselors Ahead

Art Biology Business Management Chemistry Communication Computer Information Systems Computer Science Criminal Justice Economics Education/Special Education English Environmental Science General Science History Liberal Studies Mathematics Movement Science Music Political Science Psychology Regional Planning Social Work Sociology Theatre Arts

SEPTEMBER 2009

For more information, please write or call: Westfield State College Admission and Financial Aid Post Office Box 1630 · Westfield, MA 01086 (413) 572-5218 · Toll-free in MA: (800) 322-8401

wsc.ma.edu 13

MA Model Implementation: The Tipping Point

By KARMA TOUSIGNANT School Counseling Department Liaison, Lunenburg High School

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uring the summer of 2007, my high school principal and I were attendees at the first MA Model Implementation Institute. We went with our sights set high and with a very ambitious but (so we thought) attainable goal: to be fully implementing the MA Model within one year.

By the end of the Institute, we were energized with ideas but learned that we were not ready to return in the fall with

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this new Model as our guide.

We spent the following school year (2007-08) in what we called a pre-year of implementation. We dedicated some of our professional development time and department meeting time to learning the Model and developing a mission, action plan, and a master calendar—all skills taught at the Implementation Institute.

With the rest of the time, we identified

and examined current practices of our office that stood as roadblocks to implementing the Model. Our school counseling staff was following the 90/10 rule to a tee: each counselor spending 90% of the time with 10% of the student body population.

As a result of identifying these roadblocks, we began to slowly implement policies and procedures regarding the guidance office and ways to see a counselor, etc.

At the end of the year, we felt that we had made huge progress in laying the foundation for Model implementation.

With the goal of servicing all students, we would need classroom teacher support.

We spent time cross-walking the MA Model with the MA Curriculum Frameworks and began to approach teachers to gain permission to “teach.”

Initially, the idea of us being in the classroom was not taken so well. Teachers worried about decreased time with students, MCAS, and meeting their own standards. Thanks to the MA Model, however, we were able to show them that by working together, we could both meet our standards.

In The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell, I found what happened next.

Within a few months, teachers passing by in the hall would say things like: “That was a great lesson! When can we do this again?” or “One of my students really needs to talk to you. When is your next appointment?”

When these things started happening, I felt we had reached “the tipping point.”

No longer seen as just counselors, we were also seen as teachers with valuable curriculum. No longer was the guidance office a place where teachers, students, and parents could drop in and expect to be seen immediately. The change we had been planning for had happened.

The Tipping Point describes the “Law of a Few” as the heavy involvement of people with a particular and rare set of social gifts as being largely responsible for the success of any kind of social epidemic. To school counselors in Massachusetts, Katie Gray, Jan Tkaczyk, and Helen O’Donnell are the few that are responsible for teaching school counselors how to implement the Model. Thank you, Katie, Jan, and Helen.

If we can do it in Lunenburg, so can you. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Massachusetts School Counselors Association

Connecting Counselors in the 21st Century October 6, 2009

•

Holiday Inn, Boxboro, MA

www.masca.org

Conference Registration Form • E-mail registration: Request from Ron Miller, webmaster@masca.org. All registrations will receive e-mail confirmation only.

• Paper registration: Print clearly, one registration form per person. Mailed form must be accompanied by check or PO. • Payment options: (1) Online with credit card (MC or Visa, no debit) (2) Offline with check or purchase order.

• To qualify for member registration rates: MASCA membership must be current (PAID by credit card or check)) by September 20. POs in process will NOT be considered paid. To check membership status, see your Counselor’s Notebook address label or go to www.masca.org or membership@masca.org.

• Registrations received after October 4 will be charged an additional $20 fee.

• Refund policy: Send requests in writing by October 1 to pdchair@masca.org. A $20 processing fee will be charged.

NO refunds after October 1. Payment is expected for registrant non-attendance.

• Registrant name and work mailing address will be shared with select sponsors. To opt out, e-mail pdchair@masca.org.

• Hotel room reservations: Ask for MASCA rooms, 978-263-8701. For AV rentals, call 978-263-8701.

FIRST NAME __________________________ LAST NAME ____________________________________________ E-mail address (required for automated online or registrar confirmations______________________________________________ Preferred mailing address School/Work (Include school name) Home Check here if NEW address School___________________________________________________________________________________ Street address____________________________________________________________________________ City/town__________________________State______ ZIP____________ Phone______________________ Position/Title _______ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ _________ ___________ _____________ _______ Elementary

Middle School

High School

Administrator

Retired

Grad Student

Counselor Educator

Choose your extended afternoon session (to plan for materials and order afternoon refreshments): Pat Nailor, ASCA President, “Focusing on Accountability = Success for All Students” Carey Dimmitt, Ph.D., “Solu ution-Focused Counseling” MEFA School Counselor Training, Part 1 (grades 7-12) Early College Planning -- College Admissions Process -- Web Portal I will not be able to stay for the extended afternoon training session.

Registration type (check category and options)

MASCA Member

(Registration includes breakfast, snack, luncheon buffet, keynote, workshops, exhibits.)

Early Bird Rate (ends 9/20)

Non-MASCA member

Retiree Presenter Graduate Student

To qualify, must be current MASCA member and have registration postmarked or completed online by 9/20.

$ 115

$170

$ 60

Registration (after 9/20)

$ 125 $ 25 $ 10 $ 20

$180 $ 25 $ 10 $ 20

$ 70 $ 25 $ 10 $ 20

2009-2010 MASCA 10 PDP fee Purchase order processing fee (if applicable) Late registration fee: Add $20 after 10/4

Total Amount Due: TOTAL PAYMENT ENCLOSED $____________

$_____________

CHECK No. __________

$___________

$____________

PURCHASE ORDER No.*____________

*For POs, you will be sent electronically an invoice for YOU to submit for payment via your school/business protocol.

Make check payable to MASCA. List registrant names on PO. Mail to: Joe Fitzgerald, Registrar, 5 Progress Street, Weymouth, MA 02188 (registrar@masca.org) SEPTEMBER 2009

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Workshops for School Counselors for 2009-2010 Best Practices for the School Counselor

The Prevention of Depression in School-Aged Children: The Penn Resiliency Program

John R.Z. Abela, Ph.D. Rutgers University

Please call 508-767-7430 or e-mail schoolcounseling@assumption.edu or cadesantis@assumption.edu.

Assumption College is located at 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609.

Consult our website for directions and information: www.assumption.edu (go to Institute/Centers).

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

ED’S VIEWS

By ED BRYANT, NCC MASCA Life Trustee

ED BRYANT

H

ope your summer was rewarding and relaxing. For me it was a little of both. Vacation: Solomons, Maryland and Poconos, Pennsylvania. Health problems (still on Prednisone). Serving as Marshall of two parades (including the Ipswich 375th Birthday Parade). Interviews for U.S. Naval Academy (Phillips Academy and Ipswich High School only).

Here is a reminder. The 20th Service Academies /ROTC Night will be held on Wednesday, November 4 at the Danvers-

port Yacht Club in Danvers for parents and students in grades 9-12. Some counselors attend, and we average three hundred attendees. Directions: Take Exit 22 North off Route 128.

Another reminder. Those juniors interested in a week at the Academies, should check the Internet in January or February for the summer sessions.

Did you see the list of “party colleges”?

Penn State led the list. I know it well because three relatives earned degrees there. A great university!

Oscar Krichmar has been very good about writing up MASCA memories.

During my terms as president and executive director, Bob Kates and I visited NEASC to discuss their unfair method of evaluating guidance departments.

Serving on a school evaluation team was interesting. Once a school counselor told me that he saw hardly any counselees during the second semester. He was doing the principal’s job of scheduling for

his large high school. Do you think that this counselor is now an administrator or retired on a principal’s pension?

Oscar, you were an excellent editor of the Counselor’s Notebook, but there was a time that you had an associate editor to assist you. It was always a good topic for the Governing Board. The CN continues to remain an important tie with our members and a valuable PR publication for other readers.

Here is some advice from an old trustee. Membership development is not just about numbers. Do new members get involved? Maybe we should ask ourselves, “What does MASCA mean to me?” It is important professionally, you meet people you like, and there are many opportunities to volunteer.

Ralph Waldo Emerson stated: “For the resolute and determined there is time and opportunity.” Have a strong desire for a successful, happy, new academic year. ■

Dean College hosts NECA

AFFILIATE NEWS NECA plans year Northeast Counselors Association is setting up its calendar for 2009-2010. Already in place are the following dates.

• Thursday, September 24: The NECA Executive Board will meet at Cascia Hall on the Merrimack College campus.

• Thursday, October 8: The first general membership meeting will also be held at Merrimack College. After a 4:00 pm Executive Board meeting, a presentation and dinner will follow.

In November, Northern Essex Community College will host the MASCA affiliate at its campus in Haverhill. ■ SEPTEMBER 2009

Dean College sponsored the end-of-year meeting for Northeast Counselors Association in May at the Danversport Yacht Club. Shown here with Jay Leiendecker, the college’s VP for Enrollment Management, are NECA outgoing president, Michelle Burke (left), and the current NECA president, Kathleen Scott.

17

Government Relations Committee: Full Speed Ahead

By BOB BARDWELL MASCA Past President MASCA Interim Government Relations Chair

T

he Government Relations Committee has been hard at work during the summer to continue the momentum started last year with our state level advocacy initiatives. I have been asked to assume the chair of this committee on a temporary basis until a new chair is identified and can assume this position.

MASCA members along with others from the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC) and the New England Regional Office of the College Board have come together to form the Massachusetts Coalition for School Counseling.

Members of the other fourteen associations that supported our efforts last year will also be invited to join.

The coalition will be instrumental in planning the March 2010 Day on the Hill, which will allow those interested in school

18

BOB BARDWELL counseling to attend a briefing on Beacon Hill as well as to visit their state senators and representatives. The coalition currently is meeting via teleconference on the second Friday of the month from 8:00-9:00 AM. I am also pleased to report that we have been notified that the two pieces of legislation filed last year on MASCA’s be-

half by State Representative Alice Peisch will be heard by the Joint Committee on Education on Tuesday, October 27. The time and location will be announced later.

Coalition members are currently planning the testimony for these hearings.

In the fall all MASCA members will be asked to contact their state legislators to inform them of the upcoming hearings and ask for their support. We will also ask members to come to the State House on October 27 to lend support during the hearings. A packed hearing room will go a long way to help move these bills out of Committee. To see the text version of each bill, go to http://www.masca.org/ masca/government_ relations.htm.

We encourage MASCA members to submit editorials to their local newspapers in support of the legislation.

Additionally, I am reaching out to all MASCA members to help create a liaison in each of the legislative districts in the Commonwealth. The goal is to have a list of members who, when notified about an important legislative event concerning school counseling, will contact the legislators in their home district.

If the Government Relations Committee has quick and easy access to a list of volunteers, all 200 legislators will receive legislative updates in a swift and efficient manner. This is truly a grassroots effort in order to connect with our state legislators and let them know just how important school counselors are to our students.

If you would like to serve in this capacity, please contact me at bardwellr@ monsonschools.com or at 413-267-4589 x 1107 and give me your home address and the name of your state senator and representative.

If you would like to join the Government Relations Committee or the Massachusetts School Counseling Coalition or if you have any questions, please let me know. All are welcome. Look for additional Government Relations updates in the Counselor’s Notebook, online at the MASCA website, or through e-mail alerts to the membership. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

SEPTEMBER 2009

19

Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK Sally Ann Connolly, Editor

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

CHANGE OF ADDRESS:

NEWBURYPORT, MA PERMIT NO. 96

..........................................

NAME

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ADDRESS

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Send this form to: Deborah Clemence P.O. Box 805 East Dennis, MA 02641

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.

Massachusetts School Counselors Association

Connecting Counselors in the 21st Century October 6, 2009

•

Holiday Inn, Boxboro, MA

www.masca.org

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

“MEFA School Counselor Training, Part 1 (grades 7-12)”

PAT NAILOR, ASCA President

CAREY DIMMITT, Ph.D.

“Focusing on Accountability = Success for All Students”

“Solution-Focused Counseling”

Early College Planning, College Admissions Process, Web Portal

_____________ Register by mail using the registration form included in this issue of CN or register online by contacting Ron Miller at webmaster@masca.org.

Make checks payable to MASCA and mail to: Joe Fitzgerald, Registrar, 5 Progress Street, Weymouth, MA 02188 ___________________________________________________ (registrar@masca.org)