MASCA
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
Planning Student Transitions
VOL. 50, NO. 9
MAY 2014
NECA counselors get STEM update
By VERONICA KNIGHT MASCA VP Elementary
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eturning to school from April vacation marks the beginning of that last stretch of our school year. If March is Heartbreak Hill, then May is the long run down Beacon Street. Many of us are planning for the incoming kindergarteners, the exiting third, fifth or eighth graders, and the placement and transition of all the grades in between. Here are a few practices and ideas we have gleaned from others (maybe from you) through the years. I hope something may prove useful. The world is my oyster. Sometimes it is difficult to answer the same incoming kindergarten question over and over again. Yes, they will need to be able to go to the bathroom independently. No, we will not be able to sit with them and ensure they eat all the food you packed (but they can finish it as a snack right after school). In those moments, remember that an assured parent will be more likely to drop off a calm child in September. So yes, I will answer every question as if it were the first time because what we are being handed in the fall are little ones who are precious to the giver. Playground politics. By October, we start recommending Stanley Greenspan’s Playground Politics. In the book, Greenspan explains the shift from parents being their children’s oyster to school and peers being their oyster. It’s a great read and helpful for parents to conceptualize that developmental milestone. Work buddies. Parents and students alike may be concerned about having friends in their classes the following year. Beyond having their basic needs met and having a sense of safety, students need a sense of belonging. Instead of waiting for letters requesting placement with friends, we have students engage in an activity
In March, members of Northeast Counselors Association were updated on STEM developments by Jerry Ellner (second from right), national director of high school development for UTI and a member of President Obama’s STEM Education Coalition Leadership Council. Also shown (from left) are: Bob Quist, NECA president; David Larson, UTI admission representative; and Dr. Erik Champy, Triton Regional High School counselor.
in which they identify three “work buddies,” peers with whom they learn best. Often these are not the friends they play with at recess. The goal is to place them with at least one of these buddies. This is an empowering activity for students and a great way to begin learning the life-long skill of building positive working relationships. Three in a row. The University of Tennessee’s Value-Added Research and Assessment Center presented findings regarding the significant impact on student achievement when students are placed with low-performing teachers three years in a row. While the term “low-performing teacher” makes many uncomfortable, we know that students can end up in classrooms that are not good matches, and those difficulties can impede learning. Therefore, when placing students, it is important to consider their placement history and avoid poor matches twice in a row. Hit the ground running. Sometimes, schools lose four-six weeks of impacting
instruction after school opens while teachers get to know their students. Don’t wait until opening time to figure out reading groups and tier 2, skill-based groups. If possible, use mid-year and end-of-year benchmark data to construct manageable classes (ideally with no more than four reading levels) and use other assessment data to configure groups before leaving for the summer. Start the year with meaningful instruction and tweak the groups as more information becomes available. Preserve precious time on learning in the fall by planning ahead. Preventative wheel oiling. Speaking of data, most of us have limited slots for groups throughout the year. Often the wheels that squeak the loudest via staff referral or parent request get the slots. At the end of the year, conduct a roster review. Which students had the most disciplinary incidents? Who had frequent, non-health-related visits to the nurse? Who required the highest level of (continued on page 3)