By Andrea Sperberg

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Post-High SchoolWhat to do!?

• By Andrea Sperberg
• Western Washington University

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Objectives

• Provide knowledge on a variety of post-high
  school options
• Explore ways to implement post-high school
  curriculum at all levels of education
• Including ways to incorporate parents and ways to
  engage more diverse populations
• Increase knowledge on ways to pay for
  post-secondary education (especially low SES)
• Increase knowledge on what goes into a
  counselors recommendation letter for a majority
  of post-high school options

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Subject Minimum State Requirements Requirements OHSD (2016) Minimum Requirements 4yr public Univ Recommended for highly selective Univ
English 3 credits 4 credits 4 years 4 (Honors/AP)
Math 2 (3 for 2013) 3 (Al 1, Geo, Al2) 3 years 3-4 (AP) years
Science (one lab) 2 2 2 years 3-4 years
Social Studies 3 (World, US, American, MWP) 2.5 3 years 3-4 years
World Language 0 0 2 years 3-4 years
Visual/Performing Arts 1 1 1 year 2-3years
CTE (occupational) 1 1 Varies varies
Health/Fitness 2 2 (.5 health, 1.5 fitness) Varies Varies
Electives 5.5 7.5 (7.0 2016) Varies Varies
Total 19 (20, 2013) 23 ( 0.5 PNW)
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Other High School Graduation Requirements

• Must pass series of WA State Standardized Tests
• EOC Al1, EOC Geo, HSPE Reading and Writing, EOC
  Bio
• OR approved alternatives
• Complete a HS and Beyond Plan
• Complete a Culminating Project

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Post-High School Options

• Work (career) on the job training
• Apprenticeship on the job training classroom
  instruction
• Job Corps Federally funded residential
  schooling program
• Military military service academy, ROTC, direct
  enlist, or reserve unit
• Technical College Training for workplace skills
  which require a certificate or associate degree
• Community College Provides either a certificate
  or degree in a specific applied area, or a
  transfer associate degree for a 4-year university
• 4-year College/University Bachelor Degree,
  Masters Degree, or Professional Doctoral Degree
  in a specific area of study.

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How to Educate on Post-High School Options for
all Ages

• Elementary School
• Career Day- Mix it up!!!
• Compass 2 Campus
• Class Discussions (Ex. Of teacher w/ brochures)
• Guidance Lessons (Ex. Bizzy Bees)
• Field Trips to businesses/Museums
• Career Themed Dress Up Day

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• Middle School
• Development of effective study skills
• Development of habits promoting academic
  excellence
• Including increasing self-awareness, individual
  abilities, interests, potential, values, and
  personal attitudes
• Promoting caring relationships between students
  and staff
• Planning secondary school curriculum
• Involving parents in developing an understanding
  of techniques and strategies in exploring the
  college admission process (including cost)
• Help students understand the process of
  standardized testing and the education
  opportunities available
• Develop career awareness and life-planning
  skills, including the routes to each
• College Bound or other similar programs

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• High School
• Will vary from 9th to 12th grade
• Advisory lessons on post-high school options
• Provide Career Interest Surveys
• Arrange for college reps and other career reps to
  visit school site
• Student and Family information nights on credits,
  graduation, options (including college, FASFA,
  RS, AP, career options, etc.)

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What the Student should do

• 9th Grade
• Begin to prepare a schedule that reflects your
  interests for after high school
• Begin to focus on class work
• Participate in any field trips, sports, clubs or
  other activities that may be relevant to your
  interests
• WOIS- or some sort of career interest inventory
• Set Academic Goals with a teacher or counselor

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• 10th Grade
• Take a PSAT or PLAN test
• Begin to think about taking challenging courses
  (honors/AP)
• Take the HSPE and EOC
• Continue to participate in clubs, sports,
  volunteer work, etc.
• Take part in summer enrichment programs, camps,
  volunteer, classes
• Try to take a class that will earn you a college
  credit

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• 11th Grade
• Take the PSAT/PLAN again, take the SAT or ACT
• Participate in another career interest inventory-
  anything changed?
• Attend College Rep visits and college/career
  fairs
• Begin the application process/register if you are
  thinking of going to a military academy or
  continuing on into the NCAA
• Attend campus visits if you are considering
  college
• Begin to prepare a draft of a resume
• Apply for a summer job or internship/volunteer
  work relevant to your interests
• Continue to take challenging courses Take the
  AP exams
• Begin to work on college admission
  applications/career applications and essays in
  late spring.

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• 12th Grade
• Take the SAT/ACT if have not done so
• Review Transcript with counselor
• Work on admissions essays for college / cover
  letters for careers
• Gather recommendation letters
• Submit applications as early as possible, dont
  wait until the day of the deadline
• Apply for scholarships as early as possible if
  considering college and apply to FASFA
• Complete Resume

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How to Educate Families on their Childs Options

• Parent Information Nights and Conferences
• Building School Capacity
• Informational Emails/Newsletters
• One-on-One Helping them find a Balanced Parental
  Role
• First find where they are in the process
• Help Develop a career goal
• Respond to failure-to-graduate-syndrome. But
• Help balance any tension if differing opinions
• Provide a few counseling sessions that provide
  family time
• Home Visits
• District Level Strategies

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5 Best Practices to Ensure Family Engagement

• Shared Vision of Family Engagement
• Purposeful Connections to Learning
• Investments in high quality programming and staff
• Robust Communication Systems
• Evaluation for accountability and continuous
  learning

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Working with Diverse Populations

• Diverse Populations include (but not limited to)
  ethnic minorities, gender minorities, GLBT, and
  low SES
• Use LEADERSHIP to communicate with multicultural
  students!
• LE Listen Empathically
• AD Affirm Diversity
• ER Empower through Reflection
• SH Show Heroism/Humility
• IP Inculcating Partnerships

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Working with Diverse Populations

• Other Suggestions to working with diverse
  populations
• Learn about the cultures present at your school
• Educate parents
• Provide college workshops (as early as possible)
• Families mentor Families
• Expect the best, and provide the best
• Provide Testing Assistance
• Walk Students through the admission/career
  process
• Provide information on minority student
  weekends
• If college has been decided help the student
  with a variety of local resources! (Discuss)
• REPEAT

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Working with Students with LDs

• Transitions in place before the student is 16
• Help student develop appropriate goals
• Use age-appropriate transition assessments
• Help student develop a class schedule based on
  those goals
• Summary of Performance
• Academic Achievements and how they performed
• Help Student learn to be able to articulate
  difficulties and advocate for himself/herself
• Ex. Rights are different in college than in HS
• Provide Testing Accommodations
• Keep parents in the loop
• Must have parent and student consent to release
  information

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Preparing Athletes

• First Step Help the student receive initial
  clearance from NCAAs Initial Eligibility
  Clearing House
• Sliding Scale- composite of SAT/ACT and GPA
• Core Courses and GPA
• It is a 4-year record!!!
• Second Step Continue Progress
• Third Step Letter-of-Intent Commitment
• To Get Recruited Best ally is your coach! Create
  an athletic biography, includes contacts, film,
  and resume
• Discuss with Counselor your admissibility
• Make sure school is a good fit academically as
  well

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Know the Application Process

• Common Application
• Know the deadlines (the students and yours)
• If a student asks you for a Recommendation
  letter, keep letters to one page
• Make sure you have current, up to date
  information on the student and the school
• Do not be afraid to call the admission offices if
  there is something you do not feel comfortable
  writing or are unsure of in the application

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Purpose of the Counselor Letter?

• Presenting the whole person
• Highlighting and providing context for
  significant achievements
• Explaining unusual circumstances
• Making the paper student come alive!
• But I work in a LARGE high school
• Ask for a senior packet
• Resume
• Interview
• Get questionnaires completed by teachers and/or
  the students parent(s)/guardian

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What goes into the letter?

• Develop an image of the student as a whole
• Include overview of the students academic work,
  extracurricular and volunteer activities
• Include anecdotes, examples and references
• Provide an example of how that student has stood
  out in some way
• Provide an explanation on why the student is a
  good candidate
• Explain any personal circumstances
• End with a paragraph that expresses the strength
  of your support for that student and also thank
  the admissions for their time

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Post-High School Options and Educating Students
on how to Finance Them

• Financial Aid
• Needs-Based and Merit-based
• Needs-Based Priority Deadlines
• Grants, a type of gift-aid, do not need to be
  repaid. Based on familys EFC
• Loans, must be repaid. Apply for FASFA asap. Four
  types.
• Work-Study, part-time job through school
• Counselor should also help student apply for as
  many relevant local and national scholarships as
  possible!!!
• Deadlines are scattered throughout the whole year

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Resources

• NACAC (2008). Fundamentals of college admission
  counseling A textbook for graduate students and
  practicing counselors (2nd ed.).Dubuque, IA
  Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
• http//professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/app
  lications/counselor-tips
• Planning for High School and Beyond A Family
  Resource Guide for Whatcom County High Schools
• http//www.nd.gov/cte/crn/docs/ElementaryCareerCur
  riculum.pdf
• http//www.k12.wa.us/GraduationRequirements/Requir
  ement-Credits.aspx
• Preparing Educators to engage families Case
  studies using an ecological systems framework