Kenwood Academy Counseling Department Created by Serena Hill

Kenwood Academy Counseling Department Created by Serena Hill, Counselor

Mission Statement The mission of the Kenwood Academy comprehensive counseling department is to empower each student to use education as the catalyst for success. Every effort will be made to collaborate with all stakeholders – students, parents, teachers, and community representatives to provide resources that will foster life long learning strategies that fulfill the academic, personal/social, and career needs of every student. Specifically, each counselor will conduct guidance lessons, small groups sessions, and individual communication to increase freshmen academic and emotional success rates; sophomore career exploration via What’s Next Illinois software; college readiness for juniors through ACT preparation; and personalize post secondary strategies with seniors through evaluative conferences. Our mission is aligned with the mission of Kenwood Academy in preparing and empowering every student for postsecondary opportunities.

Reference While Studer and Sommers (2000) identified three kinds of accountability for counselors-personnel, program, and results--the focus here is largely on the latter two which involve program effectiveness for improvement and accountability and results evaluation against student achievement or other critical improvement targets. The latter conforms to the outcomes measures upon which other educators are being judged. There is much controversy about accountability measures used in most states (Davis & Williams, 1997; Wolf & White, 2000). These are typically singular one-dimensional standardized tests given to students once per year or at key points in their school career. However, they tend not to measure growth in students over time or many of the key indicators of student growth, maturity, and development that are typically the areas with which counselors have greatest comfort. As well, there are many factors that might affect student achievement including student mobility, management skills, or individual learning styles that are not tracked or measured (Johnson, 1997). Furthermore, since parents might be able to choose schools based on singular tests or measures of achievement, a true picture of student growth, achievement, and educator effectiveness might never emerge. Many of the key outcomes dependent upon school counseling curricula are not measured including social skills, citizenship and productive employment as these tend to be more longitudinal or individual growth and goal oriented. Data-Driven Decision Making: The Engine of Accountability. By: Isaacs, Madelyn L. . Professional School Counseling, Apr 2003, Vol. 6 Issue 4, p 288, 8 p; (AN 9974405)

American School Counselor Association (ASCA) l Delivery System Based on the core beliefs, philosophies and missions identified in the foundation, the delivery system describes the activities, interactions and methods necessary to deliver the program. l Guidance Curriculum: The guidance curriculum consists of structured developmental lessons designed to assist students in achieving the desired competencies and to provide all students with the knowledge and skills appropriate for their developmental level. The guidance curriculum is infused throughout the school’s overall curriculum and is presented systematically through K-12 classroom and group activities. l Individual Student Planning: School counselors coordinate ongoing systematic activities designed to assist students individually in establishing personal goals and developing future plans. l Responsive Services: Responsive services, which are the traditional duties of a school counselor, consist of activities meeting individual students’ immediate needs, usually necessitated by life events or situations and conditions in the students’ lives. These needs require counseling, consultation, referral, peer mediation or information. l Systems Support: Like any organized activity, a school counseling program requires administration and management to establish, maintain and enhance the total counseling program.

Services offered (Academic domain) l l l l Freshman on Track Academic intervention meetings Sophomore on Track Academic intervention meetings (Sophomore Success Plans) Junior Conferences Senior Conferences Individual Learning Plan (ILP) School wide Academic Programming Counseling Lessons Credit Recovery AVID 5 TH day workshops Individual Parent conferences Small Group Parent/student conferences IEP collaboration & student referral Faculty/Staff consultation & collaboration Ongoing Transcript Evaluation Enrollments Student Needs Assessment

Events/Activities (Academic Domain) • • Kenwood to College Night College Bazaar College Tours Informational Meetings – Gallery 37 – LPN program – AVID – AP Parent Information Night – Senior Parent meeting – Freshman Pre-curriculum orientation meeting – Feeder School student/parent outreach Freshman Orientation Freshman Honor Roll Award Breakfast Grade Level Award Ceremony

Services Offered (College/Career domain) l l l l l College application processing Scholarship application processing Senior conferences Junior conferences Individual Learning Plan (ILP) College Tours AVID 5 th day workshop Kenwood to College Fair College Bazaar Career fair Work permit disbursement & orientation University of Chicago magnet program College Bridge Financial Aid awareness (FAFSA, Scholarships) Transcript evaluation Collaboration with outside post secondary organizations (Chicago Scholars, KAPPA League, & Target Hope) Secondary enrichment opportunities (POSSE, Quest bridge, Chicago Scholars) Student Needs Assessment

Events/Activities (College & Career domain) l l Career fair College Bazaar Kenwood to College night Citywide college fairs (Siemens, ACM, 100 Black Men, NACAC, Illinois College Exposition (ICE), & Chicago Football Classic HBCU ) Financial Aid Night College Fair l

Services Offered (Personal/Social domain) l l Individual counseling Small group counseling CODE GREEN Off campus student/parent/family referrals – – l l l Mandated Reporter (DCFS) Sass referrals Crisis intervention Individual parent meetings Conflict mediation/resolution Collaboration with outside social agencies Student Needs Assessment Counseling Lessons

Events/Activities (Personal/Social Domain) l l l l Service Learning Opportunities Junior/Senior Mentors The Social Network New Trier high school exchange North Chicago high school exchange Code Green Mini Small Focus Groups

Professional Development l l l l ASCA (National Conference) Illinois School Counseling Association (State Conference) NACAC (National Conference) College Board AP Conference (National Conference) North Chicago Counselor collaboration New Trier high school exchange What’s Next Illinois training Financial Aid certification training Area Master Counselor AVID Illinois State Articulation CPS Counselor SWAP CPS Quarterly Counselor/Coach Collaborative meetings

Evidence Based Practices and Counseling Strategies l 83% Freshman On Track (as of the December 10, 2011) – – – l 84% Sophomore On Track (as of December 10, 2011) – – – l Individual Learning Plans Freshman Success Plans Targeting at-risk Freshman to develop interventions Parent meetings Faculty and staff collaboration Referrals (tutoring, outside agencies, social work, specialized services, school psychologist, community resources) Individual Learning Plans Sophomore Success Plans Targeting at-risk Freshman to develop interventions Parent meetings Faculty and staff collaboration Referrals (tutoring, outside agencies, social work, specialized services, school psychologist, community resources) EPAS scores – – – – – What’s Next Illinois training and education (Interest Profiler, Career Exploration, College Search) 4 year course planning Counseling lessons (increase understanding of GPA and introducing and encouraging rigor) Individual Learning Plans Junior Conferences Success Plans Parent meetings Faculty and staff collaboration Referrals (tutoring, outside agencies, social work, specialized services, school psychologist, community resources)

Evidence Based Practices and Counseling Strategies l Increase college enrollment – – – – l Senior conferences Individual meeting Parent meetings Kenwood to College night College Bazaar College Match Posse/Quest bridge nominations Enrichment opportunities Decrease misconducts & the one year drop-out rate – – – – Individual meetings Counseling lessons Small groups Parent conferences Transition counseling Academic planning Referrals

Life of a “Kenwood” Counselor l l l l l l Transfer student enrollments - Academic referrals/consultation Personal/social referrals Letters of recommendation Transcript Evaluation Progress Report Review Individual parent meetings Individual student meetings Hall monitor Process College Applications Process Scholarship Applications Clerical duties (file) Transition counseling Student intervention Stakeholder collaboration School wide event organizer Club Sponsor Enter Attendance Homebound Instructors Coordinate off-campus programs Service Learning Coordinator Just to name a few…

Office Demographics l l l Student Population – 1854 students 6 Counselors & 1 part-time counselor assistant Each Counselor has a caseload of 309 students