Evaluating Your Evaluating Your School PartnershipSchool Partnership

Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D.Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D.Roeper School Roeper School

patrick.oconnor@roeper.org MCAN Conference, April 30 2012MCAN Conference, April 30 2012

Counselors are important allies Counselors are important allies in the college going culturein the college going culture

► They know the school’s curriculum.They know the school’s curriculum.► They know more about most students (and They know more about most students (and

their families) than you think.their families) than you think.► They’ll be the ones college call for follow-They’ll be the ones college call for follow-

up questions.up questions.► They are the ones who handle transcript They are the ones who handle transcript

disputes.disputes.► They are “uniquely poised in schools to They are “uniquely poised in schools to

make a difference” in the college decisions make a difference” in the college decisions of students (NACAC)of students (NACAC)

If they know so much, If they know so much, why aren’t they helping why aren’t they helping

more students go to more students go to college?college?

It’s a numbers gameIt’s a numbers game

►Michigan has 643 students for every Michigan has 643 students for every school counselor (US Dept of Ed)school counselor (US Dept of Ed)

►That’s 3 minutes and 22 seconds of That’s 3 minutes and 22 seconds of quality counseling time per week…quality counseling time per week…

►……to do personal counseling, career to do personal counseling, career advising, crisis counseling, graduation advising, crisis counseling, graduation reviews, AND college counseling…reviews, AND college counseling…

……not to mention the STDs of not to mention the STDs of counselingcounseling

►Scheduling– when academic advising Scheduling– when academic advising becomes logistics managementbecomes logistics management

►Testing– we can interpret tests; why Testing– we can interpret tests; why do we have to put pencils in groups of do we have to put pencils in groups of 20?20?

►Discipline– “You’ve just been Discipline– “You’ve just been suspended for three days. How do you suspended for three days. How do you feel about that?”feel about that?”

This creates barriers to This creates barriers to strong relationships with strong relationships with

students and with students and with community members.community members.

A strong LCAN-counselor A strong LCAN-counselor relationship combines relationship combines

the best of all resources.the best of all resources.

1. Write down the name 1. Write down the name of every school district of every school district

your LCAN coversyour LCAN covers

2. List every counselor 2. List every counselor that works in each of that works in each of

those buildings, and the those buildings, and the date you last visited date you last visited

them at school.them at school.

3. Create a needs assessment 3. Create a needs assessment that aligns schools and LCANs.that aligns schools and LCANs.

►What does one do that the other What does one do that the other doesn’t do?doesn’t do?

►What’s missing?What’s missing?► Is there overlap?Is there overlap?► Is that overlap important?Is that overlap important?

4. Create a strategic plan that 4. Create a strategic plan that combines school and LCAN combines school and LCAN

needs.needs.►Assess community needsAssess community needs►Assess school resourcesAssess school resources►Assess LCAN resourcesAssess LCAN resources►Determine seamless transitions Determine seamless transitions

between programsbetween programs►Develop benchmarks for program Develop benchmarks for program

evaluationevaluation

5. Review School Counseling 5. Review School Counseling Advisory CommitteeAdvisory Committee

►Mission is to support all facets of Mission is to support all facets of school counseling program (personal, school counseling program (personal, vocational, academic, college, etc.)vocational, academic, college, etc.)

►Different make-up than LCAN Different make-up than LCAN (teachers, athletic director, parents, (teachers, athletic director, parents, clergy, business community, clergy, business community, administrators)administrators)

Duties of CACDuties of CAC

►Create needs analysis for all entire Create needs analysis for all entire school counseling programschool counseling program

►Develop and implement strategic planDevelop and implement strategic plan►Provide resources for implementation Provide resources for implementation

of planof plan►Evaluate counseling servicesEvaluate counseling services

Sound familiar?Sound familiar?

►Similar to roles of the LCANSimilar to roles of the LCAN

►Overlaps with duties and membershipOverlaps with duties and membership

►LCAN representation on CAC is LCAN representation on CAC is beneficialbeneficial

6. Review counselor presence 6. Review counselor presence on LCANon LCAN

►Members of LCAN?Members of LCAN?►Represented by a counselor on LCAN?Represented by a counselor on LCAN?►Represented by a building principal on Represented by a building principal on

LCAN?LCAN?►Represented by a superintendent on Represented by a superintendent on

LCAN?LCAN?

Direct representation is Direct representation is preferredpreferred

► Provides a voice that has direct Provides a voice that has direct contact with studentscontact with students

►Provides a voice that has direct Provides a voice that has direct contact with collegescontact with colleges

►Brings institutional history of college Brings institutional history of college counseling effortscounseling efforts

►Brings cultural history of college Brings cultural history of college counseling effortscounseling efforts

Check your assumptionsCheck your assumptions

►Doesn’t have to be department chair Doesn’t have to be department chair or counseling coordinatoror counseling coordinator

►Doesn’t have to be high school Doesn’t have to be high school counselorcounselor

►Can contribute a strong voice to the Can contribute a strong voice to the success of the LCAN-school success of the LCAN-school partnershippartnership

7. LCAN visits each school in 7. LCAN visits each school in regionregion

►An opportunity to talk with counselors, An opportunity to talk with counselors, teachers and students about college teachers and students about college needsneeds

►An opportunity to determine where/how An opportunity to determine where/how LCAN can provide additional/overlap LCAN can provide additional/overlap servicesservices

►An opportunity to reinforce value of An opportunity to reinforce value of school counselors in the college school counselors in the college selection processselection process

8. Counselors visit LCAN 8. Counselors visit LCAN

►Site tour, program tour, board Site tour, program tour, board meeting, or any combinationmeeting, or any combination

► Increases counselor understanding of Increases counselor understanding of LCAN resourcesLCAN resources

►Helps counselors refine school services Helps counselors refine school services to dovetail with LCANto dovetail with LCAN

►Engages counselor as an advocate of Engages counselor as an advocate of LCAN servicesLCAN services

9. Joint community presence9. Joint community presence

►Links to each other’s Web pages?Links to each other’s Web pages?►Promotion of each other’s activities?Promotion of each other’s activities?► Joint applicants for grants?Joint applicants for grants?► Joint presenters at conferences?Joint presenters at conferences?►More?More?

10. Regular evaluation of 10. Regular evaluation of partnershippartnership

►Part of LCAN planPart of LCAN plan►Part of school counseling planPart of school counseling plan► Joint evaluation and analysisJoint evaluation and analysis►Results serves as basis of next set of Results serves as basis of next set of

goalsgoals