SUPERMAN FOUND: SCHOOL
COUNSELORS IMPROVING POSTSECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES FOR
ALL STUDENTS
Bob Bardwell
Monson High School, MA
Laura Owen
San Diego State University, CA
Agenda
2
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First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative Overview
Connection To School Counselor Preparation Training
Sharing Best Practices And Sample Pledges
Next Steps
Questions & Conversation
White House College Opportunity Agenda
Strengthening the School Counseling Profession Through
First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative
The Journey to Reach Higher
In January 2014,
the White House sponsored
a Summit during which
President Barack Obama called for
“an ambitious new agenda aimed at improving
college value, removing barriers to innovation and
competition, and ensuring that student debt
remains affordable.”
The Journey to Reach Higher
Following this Summit,
First Lady Michelle Obama
continued the call for action through the
Reach Higher Initiative
which aims 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
The FLOTUS’s Priority!
#ReachHigher
The First Lady’s
Reach Higher Initiative
• The Reach Higher initiative will help make sure all students
understand what they need to complete their education,
including:
• Exposing students to college and career opportunities
• Understanding financial aid eligibility that can make college
affordability a reality
• Encouraging academic planning and summer learning
opportunities
• Supporting high school counselors who can help more kids
get into college
Listening and Learning
Conversation ~ May, 2014
Senior White House staff convened a
Listening and Learning Session
on School Counseling
with experts from the field, higher education,
and professional organizations.
This session examined the
challenges and opportunities
for school counselors to support
students’ college aspirations
The Miracle of Homero
“School counseling should not be an
extra or a luxury just for school
systems that can afford it. School
counseling is a necessity to ensure
that all our young people get the
education they need to succeed in
today’s economy”
- FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA
The Harvard White House Convening
On July 28, 2014 a special White House Convening
at Harvard University focused on maximizing
school counselors’ impact and influence on college enrollment.
Reach Higher Connecting Experience
Connecting:
 College Access Partners
 School Counselor Educators
 Funders
 Researchers
 Non Profits Agencies
 School Districts
 State Department
Attendees agreed to work collaboratively
for the benefit of all students.
8:45 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks, Askwith Hall
DEAN JIM RYAN, Harvard Graduate School of Education
JAMES KVAAL, Deputy Director, Domestic Policy Council, The White
House
9:20 a.m. Panel: Professional Development and Training, Askwith Hall
INTRODUCTION
MANDY SAVITZ-ROMER, Harvard Graduate School of Education
PANELISTS
BRANDY JOHNSON, Michigan College Access Network
MELISSA MILLER KINCART, Utah System of Higher Education
RACHELLE PERUSSE, University of Connecticut-Storrs
10:05 a.m. Breakout Discussion Groups, Various locations
11:25 a.m. Panel: Innovative Programming and Research, Askwith Hall
INTRODUCTION
PAT MARTIN, Education Consultant
PANELISTS
LAURA OWEN, San Diego State University
JOYCE BROWN, Center for College and Career Readiness
JUDY PETERSEN, Granite School District, Utah
12:10 p.m. Breakout Discussion Groups, Various locations
1:10 p.m. Lunch, Gutman Library Reading Area
FEATURED SPEAKERS
ERIC WALDO, Executive Director Reach Higher, Office of the First Lady
TRISH HATCH, San Diego State University
Representatives from College Board, College Possible, Complete College
America, Council for Opportunity and Education, iMentor, National College
Access Network, National College Advising Corps, and the Posse Foundation
2:40 p.m. Panel: College Counseling Tools, Askwith Hall
INTRODUCTION
CHERYL HOLCOMB MCCOY, Johns Hopkins University
PANELISTS
ALICE ANNE BAILEY, Go Alliance, Southern Regional Education Board
KEITH FROME, College Summit/King Center Charter Middle School
DREW SCHEBERLE, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
SYLVIA LOPEZ, Dallas Independent School District
3:35 p.m. Breakout Discussion Groups, Various locations
4:40 p.m. Call to Action and Closing, Askwith Hall
TED MITCHELL, Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Education
BRIDGET TERRY LONG, Harvard Graduate School of Education
5 p.m. Reception, Gutman Library Reading Area
Generously sponsored by the National Association for College Admission
Counseling (NACAC
White House Convening Reports
http://go.sdsu.edu/education/cescal/Default.aspx
San Diego State University White House
Convening - November 17-18, 2014
https://youtu.be/EWi-g12gh9M
Agenda
17
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First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative Overview
Connection To School Counselor Preparation Training
Sharing Best Practices And Sample Pledges
Next Steps
Questions & Conversation
OUR Challenge:
PREPARING SCHOOL COUNSELORS
18
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The proportion of students going on to postsecondary
education has steadily increased over the past 100
years and is likely to continue to increase.
Getting more students ready for college means
succeeding with an increasingly challenging student
population, but one that needs the opportunity.
National, state, and local education policy emphasize
college and career readiness.
Today’s young people will need to be better
educated and prepared as the US continues to move
to a knowledge/information economic model.
School Counselor Training
Who cares?
 Why is this important?
 What impact does this have on my school
counselor preparation program?

Reach Higher = Opportunity

Focus on
 School
counseling
 Pre-service training and preparation
coursework and
 Career and College readiness
 Systemic change in schools and communities
Agenda
21
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First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative Overview
Connection To School Counselor Preparation Training
Sharing Sample Pledges, Best Practices and Research
Next Steps
Questions & Conversation
Sample pledges/best practices to encourage K-12
students to seek post-secondary education/training
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Provide dedicated pre-service graduate coursework
which teach college admission counseling topics and
require specific CCR competencies be met
Integrate CCR topics and standards in all courses
Expose school counseling graduates to
family/cultural issues/expectations around higher
education
Sample pledges (continued)
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Ensure graduates understand how to create and
maintain partnerships with K-12, higher education and
community resources in relation to CCR
Ensure that aspiring school counselors understand how
school policies are created and how some policies may
create barriers to access higher education for some
students
Teach school counseling students the necessary college
and career readiness leadership and advocacy skills to
impact change
Sample pledges (continued)
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Ensure K-12 school counseling students have
fieldwork experiences that expose them to
 Creating
a college going culture within the school and
extended communities
 Organizing career/college programs and activities
within the school
 Implementing classroom lessons targeting career and
college readiness
 Financing higher education and the financial aid
application process
Sample pledges (continued)
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Expose students to theory and significance of early
career and college exploration, awareness and
investigation activities
Ensure students have an understanding and exposure
to financing higher education and the financial aid
application process
Convene leaders from K-12, higher education, state
agencies, the local community, non-profits, research
and public policy organizations on your campus to
engage in discussion and dialogue about CCR
26
Study Background
Objective: Identify information to shape educational and
advising strategies that facilitate college success for
underserved students
Data: ~ 6,800 ACT-tested high school seniors who took
the ACT Fall 2012 completed online questionnaire that
asked about
•
•
•
•
Academic engagement
Parental involvement in college planning
College planning activities and intentions
College expectations and concerns
(Radunzel, 2014)
Underserved Groups Studied
• Survey respondents included:
• 21% first-generation students
• 32% racial/ethnic minority students
• 30% lower-income students
• Majority of underserved students
• (> 90%) in the sample indicated:
• Having aspirations of earning a college degree
• Being committed to completing a college degree
• Having the knowledge and skills needed for their post-HS plans
(Radunzel, 2014)
Academic Preparation and College
Readiness
• Compared to their peers, underserved students less
likely to:
•
•
•
•
•
Meet the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks
Earn a HSGPA of 3.0 or higher
Take higher-level HS math and science coursework
Participate in dual-credit courses
Earn college credit while in high school
• Discrepancy exists between students’ perceived
and actual levels of college readiness
(Radunzel, 2014)
Parental Involvement
• Underserved students somewhat less likely to
indicate parents involved in their post-HS plans
Example shown by parents’ education level and ACT score
100
First-generation
90
80
92
84
92
91
78
70
Percent
Non-first-generation
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 to 18
19 to 23
24 to 36
ACT Composite score range
(Radunzel, 2014)
College Planning Activities
• Underserved students less likely to participate early
in college educational planning activities
(Radunzel, 2014)
College Planning Activities (cont.)
• Results hold even among higher-scoring students
Example shown for percent visiting one or more colleges
100
Lower-income
90
Higher-income
80
81
Percent
70
70
60
50
56
70
68
58
40
30
20
10
0
1 to 18
19 to 23
24 to 36
ACT Composite score range
(Radunzel, 2014)
College Concerns
• Underserved students more likely to indicate they
have college concerns
(Radunzel, 2014)
College Intentions
• Underserved students have somewhat different
college intentions
(Radunzel, 2014)
College Enrollment and Persistence
• Underserved students less likely to immediately
enroll in college and persist to the second year
(Radunzel, 2014)
College Enrollment and Persistence
• College readiness helps reduce these gaps
Example shown for college enrollment by family income and ACT score
(Radunzel, 2014)
Activity
37
How is educational disparity being
discussed in your program?
Is this viewed as a social justice issue?
How are you preparing your students to
address inequity and opportunity gaps?
Cutting Edge Innovation and Research
Must Drive Practitioners Work
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We need research that will identify best practices and contribute
to the development of effective equity driven school counseling
models focused on increasing postsecondary opportunities for
all students
It’s time to look beyond stereotypical responses which maintain
the status quo
We must challenge current policies and practices which impede
school counselor efforts to increase college opportunity for our
most disadvantaged students
Collaborative research must be relevant to both school district
and university partners
Developing Robust Research Partnerships
with School Counselor Practitioners
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Collaborate with school counseling district and school
level leadership
Establish strong working relationships with district
research departments
Write joint proposals and prepare presentations for
potential funders with school counselors and school
counselor leaders
Recognize and honor the value of working with
practitioners who bring a wealth of experience and a
much needed voice for the students, school, and
community you intend to work with.
Share research findings with the appropriate stakeholders
FAFSA Completion Project
Logo Branding
Media Coverage
Community Partnerships
Counselor Training
Summit
Trusted
Centers
Student
Involvement
New Mexico
Educational Assistance
Foundation
Harvard/Stanford/Johns Hopkins University –
School District Research Collaboration
Year to Year Overall FAFSA Results (2010 vs. 2011)
Outcome
FAFSA
Completion
FAFSA
Initiation
College
Enrollment
Treatment Effect
.103***
(.01)
.067***
(.01)
.117***
(.01)
2010 rate
.402
(.01)
.567
(.01)
.576
(.01)
N
8655
8655
8655
*** p<.001
Comparison to *H&R Block Study
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
Percent completing
the FAFSA
51%
40%
Percent enrolling
69% in college
57%
56%
41%
40%
30%
30%
Not offered
help with
FAFSA
20%
10%
0%
Pilot
H&R Block
study
Pilot
H&R Block
study
*H&R Block Study – (Bettinger, Long, Oreopoulos & Sanbonmatsu, 2012)
The Concept of Summer Melt
Summer melt is a term that has been traditionally used
by college admissions officers to describe the
phenomenon that students pay a deposit to attend a
particular college but do not matriculate at that college
the following fall.
Here, summer melt describes the phenomenon that
college-intending students fail to enroll in college at all
in the fall following high school graduation.
High School to College Transition
Percentages indicate the
share of college-intending
students that do not enroll
anywhere in the fall following
high school graduation
Boston, MA
21%
Denver, CO
31%
Providence, RI
33%
Albuquerque, NM
29%
Philadelphia, PA
32%
Fort Worth, TX
44%
Austin, TX
31%
Baltimore, MD
50%
Dallas, TX
28%
Fulton County
22%
Why do
students
melt?
Lack of
access to
help during
the
summer
A financial aid process
stacked against lowincome students
Hard-working HS grads
who’ve done everything
they’re supposed to fail
to matriculate in college
Unique nudge-free
time in students’
education
Confusion
about
paperwork/
bureaucracy
Lack of Access to Support
Low-income, 1st generation
college going
Middle-income, collegeeducated family
Summer Hurdles
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Understanding financial aid award letters
FAFSA verification
Financial aid gap
Family and friends not supportive
Forms, fees, deadlines
Housing
Orientation
Health insurance, vaccinations
Haven’t started
Strategies To Reduce Summer Melt
Counselor Outreach:
Counselors reached out to
students to offer help
with financial aid, required
paperwork, and socialemotional issues
Peer mentor outreach:
Peers in college reached
out to offer advice and
help navigating summer
barriers
Text messages:
Personalized texts
reminding students of
of tasks to complete
at their intended
college
Urban School districts around the country
over five years
Approximately 100,000 students
Participating across interventions
Summer counselor outreach:
Improved enrollment & persistence
100%
Percent
80%
Impact of HS counselor outreach
on enrollment and persistence
83% ~
78%
81% *
74%
72% **
64%
60%
40%
Treatment
20%
0%
•
Impacts largest
among students
from the lowestincome
backgrounds
Control
Fall enrollment
1st yr persistence
Levels of statistical significance: ~ p <0.10 * p<0.05 ** p<0.01
2nd yr persistence
Text & peer mentor outreach: Increased enrollment
among students with little college planning support
Impact of text and peer mentor outreach
on initial enrollment
Percent
80%
69%
74%
70%
70%* 67%
60%
69%
63%
*
100%
65%
40%
Impacts largest
among students in
the middle of the
academic
distribution
Text message
Peer mentor
20%
Control
0%
•
Boston
Lawrence / Springfield
Levels of statistical significance: ~ p <0.10 * p<0.05 ** p<0.01
Dallas FRL
IES National Study
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National Sample of Students
Large Urban School Districts
Graduate Students Participating in Qualitative
Analysis of Focus Groups
Text Messages
Support
 National
Call Center
 Counselor Support
Student Challenges
 Lack Of Information And Support With The
Process
 Financial Challenges And Concerns
 Confusion Navigating The College Admissions
Process
 Discouragement Leading To Giving Up
 Transportation Issues
 Lack Of Motivation
 Accountability
Counselor Challenges
 Inconsistences Across And Within Colleges
 Lack Of Communication Across College
Departments
 Research Issues
 Concern Over Randomization Design
 Lack Of Time/Interest To Document
Individual Student Support
 Lack of Resources To Address All Student
Needs
 Language Barriers
Leadership Skills Needed
 Confidence In College Knowledge And
Abilities
 Motivation and Passion
 Able To Form Collaborative Relationships
 Bilingual Skills
 Personal GRIT
 Resourceful Problem Solving Skills
 Ability To Think Proactively
 Taking Initiative
BRIDGIT
Adaptive Online Platform to Increase
Counselor’s Capacity to Mitigate
Summer Melt
Bridgit2college.com
Bridgit
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Students complete brief survey on their progress
toward matriculation
Guides Counselor Outreach
Provides student with prioritized task list and online
resources
Platform for text messaging
Bridgit2college.com
Graduate Student Participation
57
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Three graduate students traveled to Memphis, TN,
St. Louis, MO, and Kansas City, MO to interview
principals, school counselors and college advisors on
their experience using Bridgit.
They transcribed the interviews and participated in
all aspects of the coding and analysis
San Diego Summer College Center
58
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Graduate Students volunteered 10 hours each
Student are now placed in High School Fieldwork
Assignments and recognize the tasks that students
need help with earlier in the year
Agenda
59
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First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative Overview
Connection To School Counselor Preparation Training
Sharing Best Practices And Sample Pledges
Next Steps
Questions & Conversation
WWW.NCSCPS.ORG
National Consortium for School Counseling and
Postsecondary Success (NCSCPS)
Conceptual Framework
NCSCPS Goals

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
Creating a system where the relationships and
outcomes between and among five critical areas for
school counselors and college access professionals will
be aligned and collaboratively implemented
Establishing a common set of student postsecondary
outcome metrics success that intentionally address
issues of unconscious bias and embedded inequitable
practice
Driven and maintained through school counselor
leadership with engaged strategic partnerships in
order to reach equity in postsecondary results for all
students
NCSCPS and University of North Florida
White House Convening
November 2-4, 2015
Jacksonville, Florida
RESOURCES
http://acesccrworkshop.weebly.com/
Agenda
66





First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative Overview
Connection To School Counselor Preparation Training
Sharing Best Practices And Sample Pledges
Next Steps
Questions & Conversation
Questions
67
Contact Information
68

Bob Bardwell
 [email protected]

Laura Owen
 [email protected]