When the White House organized the nation\u2019s first-ever summit focused on improving school counseling and college advising last year, experts from UConn\u2019s Neag School of Education were among those invited to speak and share ideas as recognized leaders.<\/p>\n
Headed by Neag Counseling Program Associate Professor Rachelle P\u00e9russe, the Connecticut team of seven \u2013 including partners from the Connecticut College Access and Success Program and national ECMC Foundation \u2013 presented strategies currently being used in Connecticut to increase the overall number of students attending postsecondary schools, with a particular focus on students of color who would be the first in their families to earn a college degree.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNo data is bad data, and whatever we discover about our efforts will only serve to improve school counseling services, which we are thrilled to have finally come into the spotlight.\u201d\u00a0\u2014Associate Professor Rachelle P\u00e9russe<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
These tactics include adding additional equity-based college and career readiness education to the Neag School\u2019s master\u2019s-level school counseling curriculum; providing Neag counseling students and working school counselors with the proven college-awareness and preparation training evaluated by educators at the University of California at Berkeley; and establishing a data-driven system to measure the process, content, and outcome of these efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo data is bad data, and whatever we discover about our efforts will only serve to improve school counseling services, which we are thrilled to have finally come into the spotlight,\u201d P\u00e9russe says. \u201cThe invitation to the summit led to us putting together this team, and creating partnerships, which is exciting. Without the team, all of us involved would be working passionately on our own to improve school counseling and college readiness,\u201d she continues. \u201cBut as a team, our power and vision is so much larger, and our resources so much stronger. Together, we\u2019ll be able to better connect the dots to reach all those involved in getting kids ready for college or a career, which includes not just the student, but parents, teachers, extended family members, and community members.\u201d<\/p>\n
Support for School Counselors<\/strong><\/p>\n
Held in partnership with the White House\u2019s College Opportunity Agenda and the First Lady\u2019s Reach Higher Initiative, the November summit was designed to be the first of a series of discussions leading to new national and state policies about school counseling. First lady Michelle Obama attended via videoconference, stating that \u201cif we truly want to help young people reach their college dreams, we need to support our school counselors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those words delighted UConn team member and graduated Neag doctoral student Jennifer Parzych, who said the importance of school counselors is often overlooked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat many don\u2019t realize is that postsecondary readiness \u2013 meaning the student is prepared after high school to attend a four-year college, community college, or technical school \u2013 really begins in kindergarten, because it\u2019s not just about a young person getting good grades,\u201d says Parzych, who also serves as president of the Connecticut School Counselor Association. \u201c<\/em>It\u2019s about a young person believing he or she is capable to go to college, that they have needed resources, that their parents are involved and encouraging their child to continue their education, and that all are aware of available options.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connecticut Department of Education consultant Kimberly Traverso, also a member of the team, says she\u2019s excited about UConn\u2019s plans to expand a three-credit, equity-based college and career readiness course for school counselors: \u201cI think the talent acquisition of our Connecticut task force is very diverse, which is a critical ingredient for maximizing system efficiency and leadership. Strengthening partnerships between universities and school districts will build a sustainable infrastructure that includes collaboration across internal and external boundaries. More than ever, school counselors have the opportunity to impact student outcomes, reduce barriers, and create equitable options.\u201d<\/p>\n
How Counselors Can Help<\/strong><\/p>\n
While the recommended national average is one counselor for every 250 students, the ratio in some Connecticut elementary schools is one counselor for every 1,000 students.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe good news is that Connecticut high schools are pretty much aligned to the national ratio,\u201d Traverso says. \u201cIn some districts, counselors are at the forefront. But in others, where counselors\u2019 significance hasn\u2019t yet been recognized, students may not maximize their potential.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the goals of our team is to educate districts about how counselors can improve attendance, behavior, and achievement, starting as young as elementary school. When this occurs, everyone is not trying to play catch-up in high school.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a great deal of information to share with districts, P\u00e9russe says, including the White House-backed Reach Higher Initiative that, like the focus on school counselors, is geared to inspire students to continue their education past high school.<\/p>\n
Other Connecticut team partners working toward this end include Mark Danaher, president of the National Career Development Association; Holly Franquet, director of The College Place in Connecticut; March Kessler, executive director of the ECMC Foundation; Erik Hines, assistant professor in school counseling at the Neag School; and Neag alum Vanessa Montorsi \u201904 MA, school counseling department head at Cheshire (Conn.) High School, and a semifinalist in the first-ever School Counselor of the Year Award, presented in January by Mrs. Obama.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of us involved are committed to making a difference for children, particularly for those who face obstacles related to poverty, ethnicity, and first-generation students,\u201d says P\u00e9russe. \u201cWhen I teach, I tell my graduate students: \u2018As a school counselor, you must be passionate about school counseling and being a force for equity and change.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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