Guidance Services

Discusses and sets goals for delivering school guidance services that place an increased emphasis on college and career planning and engage guidance professionals in leading school change and reform. Collaboration with the Mitchell Institute.

Committee Membership:

Initiatives:
1.  Providing professional development opportunities to area counselors.
2.  Begin a web-based comparison of best practices.

Current Minutes:

Prep meeting 1-12-2009

Attending:  Deta Pearce, Carolee Mountcastle, Hope High, Linda Fuller, Troy Wagstaff, Vicki Wilcox, Kim Ketch, Colleen Fitzgerald, Leeann Marin, Jennie Todd, Tracey O'Connell

Calendar update

March 9 meeting:
RTI- Vicki W. Troy W. and Kim K will present what their schools are doing regarding Behavior RTI plans
IDEA: Work group: sharing practices on data use in schools,
Hampden uses gold slips making sure all kids are recognized.  How do we recognize students in our schools?
April 27:
Discussion-
Work group- bring comprehensive plan touch ups for Elena to go over
            PLP information

June 1:  Tracey O’Connell
Discussion:  WIT presentation [failure rates, data collection, consistency, grading)
Work group

May ? possibly the 3rd week (Troy is arranging):  Shelly Reed discussing state mandates. 

Comprehensive Health File and Data management discussion brought up to align files with current practice.  Is there currently any training available regarding record keeping?

Discussion led by Deta Peirce about college readiness

(Orono has a parent program scheduled for May geared toward parents of younger students.)

Readiness:  What is it?  Understanding college process, financial aid

Definition of readiness:  level of preparation a student needs to enter and “succeed” in a post secondary school without remediation. (30% in 2 and 4 yr colleges require remediation)

We have done a good job of early access to college and students report: my school prepares me, keeps me on track, I know what is required

Academic readiness is what is missing.

Mitchell report:  aspirations have increased but matriculation has not.  Explores social, cultural and financial barriers,

Financial needs for Maine article:  low-income participation is dropping.  Unmet need is growing and is worse because college costs represent a huge percentage of family income.

Best practices and recommendations.

Indicators article:  breaks down impact level regionally and has 21 indicators of high ed requirements in Maine

Students need to be well prepared before high school in order to be successful in college.

NEA journal was provocative with ideas about the hierarchy in education:
Fundamental concepts in learning are the most critical to teach and are taught early on.  
US colleges have dictated what students should know.  So there needs to be more collaboration K-16.   K-16 needs to be rethought.

General discussion about the 8 concepts:

1. Continue to broaden the notion of college:  more education about general post secondary training.
1. College as an access to the career of your choice
2. What might prompt you to keep learning after high school [interests]
3. If you can build on your interests:  interest fair, college map of teachers in our school, trivia questions about guessing who worked where:  ex: who was a travel agent? 
4. Job scavenger hunt on the OOH
5. It is a balancing act to keep aspirations up but not squelch dreams

Look at data from Mitchell report

6. 57% will enroll in college
7. only 36% will complete a college degree over several years
8. Gold collar workers presentation - talked about the future of the workforce, learning on the job and taking a class. Tech prep and vocation education
9. Parents are the key:  need to have more access and how to get more information to parents. And in high school more distribution of information where, how, when…
10. Ellsworth HS has a “course credit, community service, making school personally useful” check list sheet that is helpful to keep track of their LIFE. They do this through small group meetings and rely heavily on First Class to contact and work

with students.

2. Expose families and students to college ideas and planning early
3. Start financial saving and planning early.
1. EFC
2. NYT 12/3/08   College may become too expensive for most US families. Overall it was found published tuitions and fees increased 400%.  Since 1987.   28% is how much is financed by a median family income.
3. Career Pathways-Nokomis 2 credit course, taught by specials, required to graduate.  Career Prep people have been trained.  Students give it mixed reviews. 

Diploma requirements:  for the PLP

Meeting wrap up. 

Teacher Standards