Counselor's Notebook, October 2011

MASCA

MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION

VOL. 48, NO. 2

OCTOBER 2011

Greetings from the President

MICHELLE BURKE MASCA President

T

he start of a school year is an exciting time for educators, students, and parents — a time filled with anticipation, energy, and goals. On behalf of the Governing Board of MASCA, I sincerely hope that the start of your school year was a rewarding and energizing experience for you and your students as well as for their families.

MASCA is focused and ready to help our members throughout the year as we continue to advocate for school counselors by providing leadership, collaboration, and professional development.

Last year we made excellent progress in many areas, and this year we look forward to continuing to move ahead as we embrace change and make our voices heard. We are passionate school counselors who are leaders in our schools, in our profession, and in the lives of the students we guide, support, and encourage every day.

MASCA’s theme this year is “It is Our Time to Shine — For Our Students, Our Stakeholders and Our Profession.” This theme will be carried out in all that we do throughout the year.

As we enter our 51st year as a state school counseling organization, we must reflect and be grateful for all of our past leaders, who have worked tirelessly to bring our association and profession to where it is today as a respected and rec-

ognized professional organization.

This past summer President-Elect Jennifer Lisk and I were able to represent MASCA at the National Assembly of American School Counselor Association delegates in Seattle, Washington and again at the ASCA Leadership Development Institute in Savannah, Georgia.

We were proud to represent MASCA and to report on the progress our organization has made over the past ten years. We were more advanced than most state organizations in many areas, including professional development, state conferences, our Counselor’s Notebook, political advocacy, the development of and continued implementation of the MA Model for Comprehensive School Counseling, our partnership with our state department of education (DESE), and our website.

Other state leaders were in awe of our many successful programs and resources for our state counselors. MASCA is respected as one of the more active and effective state counseling organizations in the nation.

Recognition must be given to Helen O’Donnell (Professional Development and Conferences), Sally Connolly (Counselor’s Notebook), Bob Bardwell (Advocacy and Lobbying), Katie Gray (MA Model and DESE liaison) and Ron Miller (website) for their tireless efforts and high quality work for our organization.

I hope to see all of you at our fall conference on October 25 at the Boxboro Holiday Inn. And I encourage you to join ASCA and consider voting for our own Bob Bardwell (Monson High School) for ASCA President-Elect. ■

MASCA is proud to present another professional development opportunity

MASCA Pre-Conference Workshop Holiday Inn, Boxboro Monday, October 24

MASCA Fall Conference Tuesday, October 25 See the agenda on page 12.

To register, go to www.masca.org

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

2011 – 2012 MASCA OFFICERS

MASCA

PRESIDENT MICHELLE BURKE Beverly High School 100 Sohier Road Beverly, MA 01915-2654 Tel. 978-921-6132 x 11107 E-mail: mburke@beverlyschools.org

October 2011

PAST PRESIDENT 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 PRESIDENT-ELECT JENNIFER LISK Medway High School, Medway, MA 02053 Tel. 508-533-3228 x 5107 • Fax 508-533-3246 E-mail: lisk@medway.k12.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARY JACQUELINE BROWN East Somerville Community School 42 Prescott Street, Somerville, MA 02143 Tel. 617-625-6600 x 6517 • Fax 617-591-7906 E-mail: jbrown@k12.somerville.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGH ALBERT MERCADO Stacy Middle School 66 School Street, Milford, MA 01757 Tel. 508-478-1181 • Fax 508-634-2370 E-mail: amercado@milfordma.com VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARY TBA 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

inside 4 6 8

Emerging Leaders Program Turns Five

By Bob Bardwell

Focus on Learning

Advocacy Committee Update

By Bob Bardwell

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: ruth.carrigan@whrsd.org

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MASCA Fall Conference Agenda

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

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MASCA Fall Conference Sessions

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 ASHLEY CARON 25 Belmont Ave., Stoughton, MA 02072 Tel. 508-212-0676 E-mail: ashcicero@hotmail.com SECRETARY JENNIFER JUST McGUIRE Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School 220 Sandwich Road, Bourne, MA 02532 Tel. 508-759-7711 x 247 • Fax 508-759-5455 E-mail: jmcguire@uppercapetech.org MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR DEBORAH CLEMENCE P.O. Box 805, East Dennis, MA 02641 E-mail: membership@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

OCTOBER 2011

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MASCA and Technology: An Update

By Joe Fitzgerald

In Memoriam

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

©2011 by the Massachusetts School Counselors Association.

All rights reserved.

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Emerging Leaders Program Turns Five

By BOB BARDWELL MASCA Past President

A

s we begin a new academic year, it is time to introduce MASCA’s four new Emerging Leaders (ELs). They are: Marie Anderson, retired school counselor, Barnstable High School; Molly Cohen, Lynn English High School, Lynn; Nicole Luongo, Austin Prep High School, Reading; and Sara Runkle, Chestnut Accelerated Magnet School, Springfield. They join twelve previous ELs, including Jenn Lisk, who became MASCA’s PresidentElect on July 1.

The Emerging Leaders (EL) program — which was approved in 2007 by the MASCA Governing Board — seeks to identify potential leaders in the school counseling profession in Massachusetts and to get them involved with MASCA. Emerging leaders have to be a professional school counselor and MASCA member; they must have a desire to give back to our profession; and they cannot have previously served as an elected or appointed Governing Board member.

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BOB BARDWELL ELs are required to present at a MASCA sponsored conference, attend a Governing Board meeting and one of the affiliate meetings, join one of MASCA’s committees, write articles for the Counselor’s Notebook, and participate in EL trainings.

In return, they receive a free, one-year MASCA membership, reduced conference registration, and free leadership training.

Emerging Leaders 2011–2012 • Marie Anderson is entering a new phase of her career / retirement. A coun-

selor for 33 years, she served more than 20 years as school counselor and department chair at Barnstable High School.

While at Barnstable, Marie had a caseload of over 120 students in addition to organizing and supervising a staff of 810 members. She has participated in the MA Model Institute and Advanced Institute twice and created a MARC for her department. In 2003 she was recipient of the MASCA Administrative Award, and she has twice served as president of the Cape & Islands Guidance Association.

• Molly Cohen is beginning her third year as a school counselor at Lynn English High School. She completed her undergraduate degree in sociology at the University of Vermont and earned her school counseling credentials at Salem State University. She is involved with the MA Model Implementation Project at Lynn English as part of the RTTT grant. Molly is enrolled in the Merrimack Leadership Academy administration preparation pro-

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

gram and expects to finish in June 2012.

Prior to entering school counseling, Molly was an English Immersion Teacher at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute.

• Nicole Luongo has just finished her first year as a ninth grade school counselor at Austin Prep in Reading. She completed her school counseling graduate work at Salem State University and her undergraduate degree in biology at Westfield State University. Prior to working at Austin Prep, Nicole was a science teacher at Bedford High School, adjunct professor at Montserrat College of Art and Middlesex Community College, and Supervisor of Education for the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation. At Austin Prep, Nicole has been instrumental in implementing small group seminars, participating in Rachel’s Challenge, and using Naviance with all of her freshmen.

• Sara Runkle, a certified school counselor in Connecticut and Massachusetts, is entering her second year at Chestnut Accelerated Middle School in Springfield.

She earned an undergraduate degree at Minnesota State University Mankato in humanities before earning her school counseling degree at Springfield College.

Before arriving at Chestnut, Sara worked as a school counselor at Robbins Middle School in Farmington, Connecticut for four years. This past year Sara was Adjunct Professor at Springfield College, working with students in their practicum placements. Sara has a passionate interest in youth issues, including youth violence, social justice service learning, and youth leadership.

This year’s Emerging Leaders will provide energy and excitement for MASCA and should provide the next generation of leadership within our organization.

Welcome aboard.

If you have any questions about the Emerging Leaders Program, please contact me at bardwellr@monsonschools.com or at 413-267-4589 x1107. ■

Mission of MASCA The mission of MASCA is to advocate for school counselors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by providing leadership, collaboration, and professional development.

Renew your MASCA membership at www.masca.org

OCTOBER 2011

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Tweets of Note Cell phone guide for tweens www.nclnet.org/technology What high school juniors should do to prepare for college http://bit.ly/kKhNNt#education Join us on Twitter Donna Brown www.twitter.com/MASCAExDr Sally Ann Connolly www.twitter.com/sallyconnolly1

FOCUS ON LEARNING This or that? Choosing to learn Results of a research report make a strong case for freedom of choice. “In an experiment, high school students who were allowed to choose their homework assignments (covering the same material) reported more interest, enjoyment, and competence regarding their homework, and they scored higher on a subsequent test of this material.”

— Kevin Lewis, “Uncommon Knowledge: Surprising Insights from the Social Sciences,” Boston Sunday Globe, October 24, 2010, K4.

The key to learning “We now know that it is possible to teach every kid, even poor kids with wretched home lives, to read, write and do math and science at respectable levels….what matters more than anything else in the school is the teacher, the one person in the building whose job has changed the least in the past half-century.”

— Amanda Ripley, “A Call to Action for Public Schools,” Time, September 20, 2010, 32.

Video learning aids Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, recommends the educational videos sponsored by the Khan Academy. The Academy’s mission is to provide “a worldclass education to anyone, anywhere.”

To access their resources, go to www.

Khanacademy.org.

— Paul Tough, “What I’ve Learned About Great Teachers,” Parade magazine, October 24, 2010, 8.

Gateway to a career According to the Pathways to Prosperity Project, a two-year study conducted by Harvard University Graduate School of Education, “only one-third of the jobs created in the coming years are expected to need a bachelor’s degree. Roughly the same amount will need an associate’s degree or an occupational credential.”

— Christine Amario, “Study urges greater focus on occupational instruction,” The Boston Globe, February 3, 2011, A4.

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

One Year Out: Survey Results • College Is Definitely Worth It: One year out of high school graduation, an overwhelming majority (86%) feel that a college degree is worth the time and money— including a large majority not currently enrolled in college (76%).

• High School Is Not Enough: An overwhelming majority (90%) agree with the statement: “In today’s world, high school is not enough, and nearly everybody needs to complete some kind of education or training after high school.”

Massachusetts Senate Bill 204, “An Act Relative to Financial Literacy in Schools” Sponsored by State Senator Jamie Eldridge, this bill would require all schools in the Commonwealth to teach personal financial literacy.

“By teaching children the financial education basics in school, we will help them make educated financial decisions in the future, preventing future bankruptcies, foreclosures, and unmanageable debt. The investment we make in teaching our children financial literacy now will pay substantial future dividends.” (State Senator Eldridge)

• College Is Essential for Career Success: Even in the current economy, 66% say they are very (22%) or somewhat (44%) optimistic that people in their generation will have good opportunities for jobs and careers, while 33% say they are worried about this. Seven in 10 members of the class of 2010 say that a college degree will help them a lot in fulfilling their career aspirations, and another 18% say a degree will help somewhat.

• Cost Is a Barrier: Cost was the biggest challenge faced in transition to college.

Five in 9 students who attended college say that affording it was very or pretty challenging. Of those who did not attend college, 56% said affordability was a key factor.

• College More Challenging Than Expected: A majority (54%) report that their college courses were more difficult than expected. And 24% say they were required to take noncredit remedial or developmental courses by their college, including 37% of those who went to a two-year college; 16% report they did not complete the full year of their college program.

• Rigorous Course Work — More Math, Science, Writing: Students wish they had taken more math, science, and writingintensive course work in high school.

• Life Skills Are Also Important: Students wish their high schools had given more practical career readiness and more basic preparation for how to engage in a college environment — including how to manage personal finances.

— http://press.collegeboard.org/releases/2011, Accessed on September 5, 2011. ■

OCTOBER 2011

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Advocacy Committee Update

By BOB BARDWELL MASCA Advocacy Committee Chair

T

he Advocacy Committee is gearing up for its November 1 hearing at 10:00 a.m. at the State House. We will be testifying before the Joint Education Committee for House Bill 1941 “An Act Establishing a School Counseling Leadership Pilot Project to Accelerate College and Career Readiness in Massachusetts Public Schools” and House Bill 1945 “An Act to Assure College and Career Readiness through Six-Year Career Plans for all Massachusetts Public School Students.”

There is great interest in HB1945, which passed in the House during the last session. If you are interested in testifying or assisting with this hearing, please let me know.

Please also keep in mind that House Bill 1068 — which would mandate certified school counselors in all elementary schools — is still very much alive, but we need your help to influence your legislators to support that bill.

Here is what you can do to help: 1. Contact members of the Joint Committee on Education (http://www.ma legislature.gov/Committees/Joint/J14) to advocate for this bill, particularly if you are a constituent of one of these 17 members. Not sure who your legislators are?

Go to www.wheredoivotema.com and you can locate your legislators.

2. Contact your state senator and representative and encourage them to support HB1068.

3. Ask everyone in your network to do the same.

The bullying legislation passed last year with overwhelming support because there was a public outcry. Why can’t this be true for the mandating of elementary school counselors as well? Even if you have already called or written your state senator or representative, we ask that you do it again.

We are also planning an advocacy

training workshop sometime this fall.

Details will be e-mailed to all MASCA members and will also be available on the Advocacy page of MASCA’s website.

Stay tuned.

Additionally, we want to work on strengthening the list of liaisons for 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, would contact their legislators in their home district. If the Advocacy Committee has quick and easy access to a list of volunteers, we can be assured that all 200 legislators will receive legislative updates swiftly and efficiently. We started last year but did not get very far.

The MASCA Advocacy Committee is always looking for more members and those willing to help. Visit the MASCA Advocacy Committee webpage or contact me at bardwellr@monsonschools.com for more information. ■

Talking Points to support House Bills House Bill 1068: An act relative to the Mandating of Elementary School Counselors • In 2009-10, an estimated 70% of elementary schools in Massachusetts had no school guidance counselor and 41% had no student support professional (school counselor, adjustment counselor or social worker).

• At least one in five young children “have mental disorders with at least mild functional impairment” (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 1999), and some researchers estimate that 80 percent of children needing mental health services fail to receive these services (Kataoka, Zhang, & Wells, 2002).

• Disruptive students harm the behavior and learning of their classmates (Figlio, 2007; Aizer, 2008; Carrell & Hoekstra, 2010; Fletcher, 2009, 2010).

• Carrell and Carrell (2006) found that

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

a smaller counselor–student ratio leads to both fewer disciplinary incidents and a lower rate of recidivism for students who already committed a disciplinary offense.

• States’ adoption of a counselor subsidy or minimum counselor–student ratio reduces the fraction of teachers reporting that their instruction suffers due to student misbehavior and reduces the fractions reporting problems with students physically fighting each other, cutting class, stealing, or using drugs.

• Greater availability of counselors is also correlated with improvements in student learning and in students’ mental health, as measured by third-grade students’ test score gains and their responses to a battery of questions concerning externalized and internalized problem behaviors.

• Schools in states with more aggressive elementary counseling policies are doing something better for their elementary students—better than similar schools in other states, better than they were previously doing before the policies were adopted, and with more immediate elementary-level improvements than secondary-level improvements.

• These findings imply that there may be substantial public and private benefits derived from providing additional elementary school counselors. When states require a minimum level of counseling services, teachers are far more satisfied with school climate.

responsible for ensuring that all students have an updated career plan and meet with each student multiple times a year either individually or in small group settings to update goals and future plans.

• A 2009 study explored the role of school counselors in promoting students’ academic achievement, college readiness, and transition from 8th grade into high school in the Chicago Public Schools. The authors found that high school counselors play an important role in promoting student academic achievement; significantly impact how students plan for, prepare for, search, apply to, and enroll in college; and play a vital role in helping 8th grade students successfully transition into high school.

• The number one reason students drop out of school is lack of career focus (therefore, if they have worked with their school counselor to determine their interests and abilities and have created a career plan, they are more likely to stay in college and graduate —which is what we really need to see, not just an increase in college-going, but in number of kids

actually graduating).

• Numerous studies have shown a link between career development programs and academic achievement and student engagement. Students who work with a high school counselor to develop fouryear educational plans had higher scores in science, math and reading assessments, and were more likely to take and succeed in AP math and science courses.

• Students find greater success in school if they have the best schedule for their abilities and needs, they can identify their interests and abilities, they have a plan for school and beyond, they can set goals, and their parents are involved in the process.

• Career planning helps students to internalize the connection between school and career. It helps them to link their educational goals with their career goals, thereby making school and their classes seem more relevant. In other words, they come to understand the value of academic subjects to their future career choices and their motivation for mastering what was otherwise an uninteresting subject may increase. ■

House Bill 1941: An Act establishing a school counseling leadership pilot project to accelerate college and career readiness in Massachusetts public schools and House Bill 1945: An Act to assure college and career readiness through six-year career plans for all Massachusetts public school students • Career plans are currently required for all students enrolled in career and vocational technical education schools, but they are not mandated in comprehensive schools.

• Certified school counselors are OCTOBER 2011

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

OCTOBER 2011

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MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION

2011 Fall Conference October 25 • Holiday Inn, Boxboro, MA

Own the Turf: Career & College Readiness AGENDA (as of 9/6/11) 7:15 a.m.

Registration Opens

Promenade

7:15 – 8:15 a.m.

Exhibit Hall Activities Visit Exhibitors ~ MA Model Poster Sessions ~ Affiliate Membership Drive

Parade Room

8:25 – 8:30 a.m.

Greetings: Michelle Burke, MASCA President

Parade Room

8:30 – 9:45 a.m.

Dr. Vivian Lee, Senior Director, Counselor Advocacy College Board National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA) Own the Turf: Using Data to Promote College & Career Readiness K-12

9:45 – 10:40 a.m.

Exhibit Hall Activities Visit Exhibitors ~ MA Model Poster Sessions ~ Affiliate Membership Drive

Parade Room

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Presenter

1. District Analysis & Review Tools (DART)

Jenny Klein-Sosa & Peg Harrington MA DESE

2. Career Plans: Good, Bad, or Ugly?

Bob Bardwell, Marie DeMego, Jenn McGuire

3. TAB: Training Active Bystanders

Sue Wallace, Sharon Tracy, Keeley Malone (Quabbin Mediation)

4. A Reality-Based Approach to Ending School Violence and Empowering Success

Andre Norman National Gang Council

5. Session TBA 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Luncheon Buffet MARC Recognition Awards presented by David Elsner

Parade Room

David Cedrone, Associate Commissioner Economic & Workforce Development – MA Department of Higher Education Executive Director of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council A Foundation for the Future: MA Plan for Excellence in STEM Education 1:00 – 1:30 p.m.

Raffles – Exhibit Hall Activities

Parade Room

1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Dr. Karla Baer,

Parade Room

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Associate Commissioner MA Dept. Elementary & Secondary Education The Educator Evaluation Framework & Guidance Counselors: Linking the MA Model and the New Regulations

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

MASCA Fall Conference Sessions

22nd Service Academies Night

Presenter: Dr. Vivian Lee

for students in grades 9-12

Monday, October 24

Danversport Yacht Club • Danvers

School Counselors for College and Career Readiness in Massachusetts Race to the Top

Wednesday, November 2 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Massachusetts school counselors have a unique leadership opportunity to impact the implementation of Race to the Top in their schools. Alignment of school counseling work to Race to the Top initiatives through data-driven goals and interventions help school counselors link the results of their work to student outcomes to increase college and career readiness.

School counselors will learn how to identify data elements and inequities in data, develop metric goals, link interventions to goals and how to implement interventions systemically. As a result, counselors will be able to assess the needs of the students in their school and develop a strategy to incorporate college and career counseling into their school counseling program to increase college and career readiness as part of Race to the Top initiatives.

For information, contact Ed Bryant, captecb29@aol.com

Tuesday, October 25 Massachusetts Race to the Top and School Counseling: Increasing College and Career Readiness for All Students School counselors in Massachusetts are poised to be national leaders in college and career readiness counseling, contributing to the goals of Race to the Top. As our nation’s standing in educational attainment and college completion declines compared to other countries, the need for more students graduating high school college and career ready is critical to our country’s future.

This call to action requires school counselors to strategically align their work to national initiatives using data-driven programs that serve all students, especially those traditionally underserved. School counselors must be leaders and advocates dedicated to closing gaps, building aspirations and helping students fulfill their dreams through college and career readiness. ■ OCTOBER 2011

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In Memoriam

MASCA and Technology: An Update

By JOE FITZGERALD, Ed.D. MASCA Technology Committee Chair

M CHARLES BROVELLI

C

harles Brovelli, a long-serving member of MASCA, died suddenly in early September. For many years Charlie was editor of the MASCA Directory. For even longer he served as treasurer of MASCA’s affiliate, the Northeast Counselors Association. He was also a leader in the Massachusetts Career Development Association.

Charlie was a U.S. Army veteran and member of the American Legion. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Boston University, master’s degree in Business Administra-

tion from Suffolk University, and M.Ed. in guidance and counseling from the University of Massachusetts. He worked at the Massachusetts Department of Education as an Education Specialist.

He leaves his wife, Loretta, a daughter, and three grandchildren.

Kathy Scott, president of NECA, expressed the feelings of many on his passing. Charlie, she said, was “a tremendously respectful and considerate gentleman and [we] will miss his kindness, wisdom and counsel.” ■

uch of what has been done on the MASCA website was completed this summer. With the ability to handle its own membership MASCA took a big step forward.

You may ask as a MASCA member how this affects you as a school counselor.

As a member/user of masca.org, you have access to new features that are available to you alone. The website has two sides: a Members Only side and a Public side.

One of our goals is to make more content available on the members’ side.

Though affiliate information on the website is not new, more direct affiliate involvement is something that we successfully began last year. Affiliate secretaries have been asked to update their own section of the site. This provides members with timely information about professional opportunities in their area. At this point, we are seeking affiliates who would like to edit and update their own page. If interested, contact the Technology Coordinator at webmaster@masca.org.

The final phase of the new website will be to affect more management capabilities (like standardized formatting terms of use and customized reporting) and to enhance current capabilities (add more media features, improve member profiles, add best practices guide). The site is becoming less technical and more organic. In other words, it is growing and not static. If you have comments and /or suggestions, send an e-mail to webmaster@masca.org.

Much more to this phase of the continued development of our website will come into more focus during this year.

Meanwhile, please log in to www. masca.org; update your profile and look around. ■

Stay current. Visit MASCA’s website regularly. www.masca.org

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COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

OCTOBER 2011

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

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE

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CHANGE OF ADDRESS:

NEWBURYPORT, MA PERMIT NO. 96

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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.

RTTT Pre-Conference Workshop Holiday Inn, Boxboro Monday, October 24 Dr. Vivian Lee, “Using Data to Advocate for Systemic Change” (Dr. Lee will be available throughout the day to support teams.)

_____________

MASCA Fall Conference Tuesday, October 25 Morning keynoter: Dr. Vivian Lee “Own the Turf: Using Data to Promote College and Career Readiness K-12” MARC and MARC Jr. Recognition Awards

Register for the MASCA Fall Conference at www.masca.org