Counselor's Notebook, November 2014

MASCA

MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION

VOL. 51, NO. 3

NOVEMBER 2014

College and Career Readiness: Helping our Students Reach Higher

By RUTH CARRIGAN MASCA President-Elect

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recently had the pleasure of accompanying one of my students from Whitman-Hanson Regional High School to the Harvard Club in Boston for the annual Book Prize Award Breakfast. It was a wonderful event. The dining room was filled with about 250 top students from area high schools, who were being recognized for their academic achievement and seemingly unlimited potential.

As their accomplishments were celebrated, it was clear that this group of talented high school seniors were college and career ready.

As school counselors, how do we make sure we are helping prepare ALL of our students to become college and career ready? To accomplish this, I believe that we must be committed to high expectations for all students. I also believe we need to deliver a comprehensive school counseling curriculum designed to help all students maximize their potential.

Commitment to high expectations We can play an important role in opening opportunities for our students by encouraging them to take academically rigorous courses. Rather than act as gatekeepers to keep students out of rigorous coursework, we should be challenging

rules and policies that limit access for our students.

Over the past several years at my school, our AP numbers have grown substantially. Yes, we added a few more AP courses, but through our partnership with MMSI / Mass Insight Education, we also actively encouraged students to challenge themselves.

In 2012, we administered 285 exams to 185 students. In 2014, we administered 494 exams to 281 students. Current projections for 2015 show us on track to administer about 550 exams.

My job as AP coordinator has become much more demanding than a few years ago, but I am thrilled that my students are rising to the challenge and taking and successfully completing AP coursework. We feel that exposing our students to college level courses is one great way to help them become college and career ready.

If you are hoping to expand AP participation at your schools, you might want to take advantage of a College Board tool called AP Potential. AP Potential allows you to predict a student’s success in an AP course by looking at his/her PSAT score. It is an easy program for the AP coordinator to administer. Each year at my school, I share this data with curriculum coordinators and school counseling staff as we embark upon course selection season. This tool helps us encourage students to take the highest level of courses they can handle.

In addition to having high expectations for students, a comprehensive school counseling curriculum can also help promote college and career readiness for all students. Systematic delivery of school coun(continued on page 7)

Scholarship Opportunities for Students

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he Side-Out Foundation is looking for passionate and enthusiastic students who believe in the mission and message of the Foundation and want to be part of the grassroots team.

Side-Out is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in 2004 to unite volleyball players and coaches and to have them work toward the common goal of making a significant and identifiable difference in the lives of breast cancer patients and their families. The organization's goal is to advance clinical trials, increase patient support services, and educate communities.

A Side-Out ambassador is: • a student who wants to make a difference in his/her local community (he/she does not have to be involved with the sport of volleyball).

• someone who is eager to spread the word about Side-Out’s mission.

Ambassadors who are juniors and seniors in high school are also eligible to apply for the Side-Out Ambassador Program scholarship awards. Ambassadors of any age who are also involved with the sport of volleyball are eligible for the Side-Out /American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Dig Pink Award.

To learn more, go to www.sideout.org. n

SAVE THE DATE MASCA Annual Spring Conference April 7, 2015

Retirees Discover Social Media

By JOE FITZGERALD, Ed.D. MASCA VP Retirees

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n her discussion about retirees and social media, Stephanie Dressler, Vice President of Digital & Brand Strategy, says: “According to research conducted by the Pew Research Center, seniors over 65 are the fastest growing age group on social media. In fact, the percentage of individuals over 65 who say they use social media has more than tripled to

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43% in 2013 from just 13% in 2009.”

Among baby boomers (50-60 years old), she points out, “60% are now using social networks to communicate.”

In the past, I would have been surprised at this, but in my second career of developing and teaching programs for seniors on how to use technology, I do see this trend. This fall, for example, one

our most popular courses is Facebook.

Many students are also interested in email, digital photography, and better use of the Internet.

During the past few years, I have struggled over how to connect retired counselors with one another and how to keep them involved with MASCA. As I mentioned in an earlier column, I had a bit of a “eureka” moment at a Governing Board meeting last spring. MASCA technology members had proposed a way to link counselors professionally through such social media as FaceTime and Twitter.

When I looked at the MASCA website, I saw counselors exchanging professional information that also had the potential of being shared with all counselors. I was a little surprised that I had not thought of technology as a way to achieve this. For a long time, I have held out from getting too involved in any type of social media. For me, social media had been only a way to connect with family through e-mail and, more lately, text messaging and FaceTime.

Any definition of social media holds out the promise that it will allow you to connect with other people of similar interests and background. The most popular of these media seems to be Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Other good networks include Google, Yahoo, and Instagram, the photo sharing program.

In future columns, I will look at the sharing on our own website. I know counselors are connecting with other counselors to pass on professional information, and I would like to engage retired counselors as well. For me, this will be a good reason to use my Facebook and LinkedIn accounts much more than I do presently.

In my next article, I plan to put together a list of electronics books that can be downloaded. Because technology has been changing so quickly, I have started using these e-books. I like that they are up-todate and relatively inexpensive. For example, I recently found an e-book on Facebook that is approximately 80 pages and costs only $1.99! That’s a great buy for a good, basic introduction.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact me at jdfitz02188@ comcast.net. n COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

2014 – 2015 OFFICERS PRESIDENT TINA KARIDOYANES Mansfield High School 250 East Street, Mansfield, MA 02048 E-mail: president@masca.org PAST PRESIDENT THERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D. Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA 02325 Tel. 508-531-2640 E-mail: theresa.coogan@bridgew.edu PRESIDENT-ELECT RUTH CARRIGAN Whitman-Hanson Regional High School 600 Franklin Street, Whitman, MA 02382 Tel. 781-618-7434 • Fax 781-618-7098 E-mail: Ruth.Carrigan@whrsd.org VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARY VERONICA KNIGHT Lowell Elementary School 175 Orchard Street, Watertown, MA 02472 Tel. 617-926-2666 E-mail: veronica.knight@watertown.k12.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGH KATHLEEN SCOTT E-mail: scottk@amesburyma.gov VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARY JOHN S. STEERE Wellesley High School 50 Rice Street, Wellesley, MA 02481 Tel. 781-446-6290 x4653 • Fax 781-446-6308 E-mail: john_steere@wellesley.k12.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORS TBA

A Free Workshop for Guidance Counselors and Educational Consultants

Helping Students with Learning Disabilities Navigate the College Search Friday, January 30, 2015 10:00 – 11:45 a.m.

Help students prepare for the college search process by exploring issues that face students with learning disabilities.

• Receive practical, hands-on suggestions you can share with parents and students.

• Learn about documentation expectations, legal requirements, and the range of admissions processes that confront students.

• Develop your repertoire of skills in understanding learning disabilities to help your students find the “right fit” for their postsecondary experience.

For more information, go to http://www.curry.edu/Navigate

SPACE IS LIMITED • ADVANCED REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED RSVP ONLINE TODAY! Mail form to: PAL, Curry College, 1071 Blue Hill Avenue, Milton, MA 02186, Fax to 617-333-2018, or go online to register at http://www.curry.edu/Navigate/

VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARY JOHN MARCUS Dean College 99 Main Street, Franklin, MA 02038 Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726 E-mail: jmarcus@dean.edu VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORS MEGAN KRELL, Ph.D.; AMY L. COOK, Ph.D. E-mail: vpcounselored@masca.org VICE PRESIDENT RETIREES Joseph D. FitzGerald, Ed.D. 5 Progress Street, Weymouth, MA 02188 Tel. 781-264-3426 E-mail: jdfitz1831@gmail.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: executivedirector@masca.org TREASURER ASHLEY CARON 25 Belmont Ave., Stoughton, MA 02072 Tel. 508-212-0676 E-mail: ashcicero@hotmail.com SECRETARY KATIE KOZAK E-mail: secretary@masca.org MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR DONNA BROWN E-mail: membership@masca.org WEBMASTER / TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR ROSS WOLFSON E-mail: webmaster@masca.org; info@masca.org COORDINATOR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HELEN O’DONNELL, Ed.D. E-mail: pdchair@masca.org 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

NOVEMBER 2014

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November is National Child Safety and Protection Month Legalization of marijuana blurs the message “Drug prevention experts say the ‘Just Say No’ approach of the 1980s does not work. The goal of parents should not be to prevent their kids from ever trying marijuana. Instead, the focus should be on practical reasons to delay use of any mind-altering substance, including alcohol, until they are older.

The reason is that young brains continue to develop until the early 20s, and those who start using alcohol or marijuana in their teens are far more vulnerable to long-term substance-abuse problems, among other difficulties.”

— Tara Parker-Pope, “Legalization blurs message to teens about marijuana,” New York Times, The Boston Globe, August 19, 2014.

Tougher rules sought for e-cigarettes GENEVA – Governments should have tougher rules for electronic cigarettes – banning their use indoors and putting them off limits for minors – until more

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evidence can be gathered about their risks, the United Nations health agency said….The popular nicotine-vapor products, particularly the fruit, candy, and alcohol-drink flavors, could serve as gateway addictions for children and adolescents.

— John Hellprin, AP, “UN seeks tougher rules to control e-cigarettes,” The Boston Globe, B8, August 27, 2014.

Firearm access linked to mortality risk “Firearm access in the U.S. is associated with increased risk for death, both by suicide and homicide.

In a new meta-analysis, researchers analyzed the results of 15 observational studies that looked at firearm ownership or availability in the home. People with access to firearms had an increased risk for suicide (pooled odds ratio, 3.24), compared with people without access. Firearm access was also associated with being the victim of a homicide (pooled OR, 1.94), and for women, the risk was even

higher (OR, 2.84).

An editorialist says that the metaanalysis likely underestimates mortality from firearm access because the authors did not include population-level studies.”

— Kelly Young, Physician's First Watch reviewing Anglemyer A. et al., Annals of Internal Medicine, Jan. 21, 2014, NEJM Journal Watch, February 10, 2014.

Firearm-related fatalities increase in Massachusetts According to a study reported in the British Medical Journal, Massachusetts is one of the states with an increasing rate of firearm-related fatality rates (FRF).

Driving the rise was an increase among Caucasians and non-Hispanics. Overall, the study found a wide variation in time trends among states, with the FRF rate twice as high in African-Americans than Caucasians.

— Bindu Kalesan et al., “State-specific, racial and ethnic heterogeneity in trends of firearmrelated fatality rates in the USA from 2000 to 2010,” BMJ Open, Vol. 4, Issue 9, August 2014. ■

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

FREE Reach Higher workshop offered for counselors Western Massachusetts Counselors Association (WMCA), in conjunction with the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC), will present a full-day professional development workshop, Reaching Higher to Ensure School Counselors Have the Tools to Make All K-12 Students Career & College Ready, on Friday, November 14, at Springfield Technical Community College. The time frame is 8:00 a.m. – 2:35 p.m.

The program will include a keynote address, a panel presentation entitled “Trends in College Admission & Financial Aid: Looking Beyond 2014,” a college application review exercise, and two breakout sessions: “What High School Counselors Need to Know: Recommendations, Transcripts, & Essays” and “The Power of the Partnership: Developing an Early College Awareness Program.”

Confirmed speakers include:

Did you know…

• Most Massachusetts jobs require postsecondary education. “A recent study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce estimated that nearly 75 percent of the jobs in Massachusetts will require education beyond a high school diploma.

Many of the jobs are expected to require STEM training, but nationally, only about 14 percent of college undergraduates major in science-related fields. Many switch to a non-STEM major before graduating.”

— Matt Rocheleau, “A call for help boosting college graduation rates,” The Boston Globe, October 1, 2014.

• Federal funds have been awarded for STEM advancement. Fifteen community colleges statewide will share in $20 million to promote programs and train prospective workers in science, technology, engineering and math. ■

• Jon Westover, UMass Amherst and NEACAC President-Elect, • Louisa Davis-Freeman, Springfield Technical Community College, • Amy Cembor, Providence College and NEACAC Past President, • Jeff Gallant, Boston College and NEACAC Professional Development Chair, • Kate Shea, Westfield State University, • Dru Tomlin, Ph.D., Director of Middle Level Services, Association for Middle Level Education, Westerville, Ohio.

The program will be part of the pledge from NEACAC and WMCA to support the White House Reach Higher Initiative, whose goal is to give more students access to postsecondary educational opportunities. In order to provide high-quality professional development to school counselors— which in turn helps their students reach higher — the program is FREE. However, there will be a $20 charge for registrants who do not show up.

Go to www.masca.org for registration information. Direct questions to Bob Bardwell at bardwellr@monsonschools.com. ■ NOVEMBER 2014

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DESE Monthly Webinars Content-based and thematic webinars will be offered from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. on the following dates. The webinars are open to all interested parties (schools /districts, community organizations, higher education institutions, workforce development organizations).

Month

Webinar Title

10/14/14

Building a Positive School Culture in the Context of the new Discipline Bill – Chapter 222

12/09/14

Integration of College and Career Readiness: The Personal/Social Domain

2/10/15

Graduation and Dropout Rate Data

3/10/15

Career Development Education: Career Awareness, Exploration and Immersion

4/14/15

Summer Transition Programs

5/12/15

Individual Learning Plans

6/09/15

MA Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs

DESE Regional Workshops Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is offering a professional development series for schools, districts, and community partners for school year 2014-15 that supports college and career readiness (CCR) for all students. Monthly webinars and regional face-to-face meetings are open to all districts and community partners in the state.

The goals are to: • Increase the five-year graduation rate • Increase MassCore completion rate • Increase the number of students enrolling in postsecondary education • Reduce the number of students who enroll in developmental (remedial) coursework during their postsecondary educational experience • Increase the number of students, schools, districts and programs participating in career development education (including career awareness, exploration, and immersion activities) Regional sessions will promote sharing across teams, individual team time, and participation in role-alike sessions. Teams will leave the day with a CCR action plan that emphasizes coherence across CCR initiatives as well as connections to other key education initiatives.

The sessions will focus on content/ topics that tend to run across many programs and initiatives focusing on college and career readiness.

November 20, 2014 Southeastern MA Regional Convening, Holiday Inn, Taunton December 2, 2014 Central MA Regional Convening, Devens Common Center, Devens January 15, 2015 Northeastern MA Regional Convening, Westford Regency, Westford January 22, 2015 Western MA Regional Convening, Delaney House, Holyoke n

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

CARRIGAN (continued from page 1) seling programming on self-assessment, career development, goal setting, early college planning, the college essay, college financing, FAFSA completion, and more can help all of your students and families realize that college or some type of postsecondary education is possible and important.

One of the favorite components of our school counseling curriculum is our annual College Day. Held every year during March Madness when our school counselors are presenting classroom lessons on college planning, teachers and staff wear college t-shirts and sweatshirts representing their alma maters. It has become a great school-wide event with faculty, staff, administration, and students wearing college gear and talking about postsecondary opportunities. Although this event may not make our students college ready, it is a fun way to promote a college going culture at our school.

This idea originated with a counselor from Brockton High School, and we remain very thankful that she shared it with us. If you have great programming at your school, I hope that you, too, will share your best practices with colleagues across the Commonwealth.

As you continue to plan your 20142015 school year, I hope you will think about what you and members of your school counseling department can do to promote college and career readiness.

First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative An effort to inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university.

www.ReachHigher.gov Twitter@ReachHigher

Reach Higher Campaign As you may know, First Lady Michelle Obama recently launched the Reach Higher campaign. The goal of this program is to help inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year institution.

This movement has gained momentum since the First Lady addressed school counselors at ASCA in July. A White House Convening was held at Harvard in July, and a second White House Convening will be held in San Diego in November.

I am happy to report that representatives from MASCA are poised to help lead the way here in Massachusetts. We will keep you posted with updates, and I thank you for the work you do every day to promote college and career readiness and to encourage all of your students to reach higher. n NOVEMBER 2014

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

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25th Annual Service Academies & ROTC Night Danversport Yacht Club • Danvers Wednesday, November 5, 2014 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.

This event typically attracts around 300 students and parents.

For more information, contact the coordinator, Ed Bryant, captecb29@aol.com.