Issuu

MASCA

MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION

VOL. 46, NO. 4

DECEMBER 2009

Happy Holidays from MASCA! It’s True: Love Is the Answer

CHRISTINE EVANS MASCA President

ave you ever thought about how many times we use expressions with the word “love”? If you were to jot down the first ten that come to mind, I bet it would be easy. We use the word to talk about the foods we eat, clothes we wear (and yes, that includes shoes!), songs we listen to, books we read, movies we have seen, places we have visited . . . all to indicate a genuine fondness for them. On another level, we use the word to express our deepest feelings. Whether we use it to describe our feelings for things or people, the word “love” has a similar meaning. But “loving” a fine piece of Swiss chocolate is not quite the same as “loving” a family member or friend. Love is a powerful concept, quite possibly the most powerful one on this earth. One way that we learn about the values of a culture or society is to study the art and popular music of the people. If someone were to study our popular music, the theme of love would be found to run through every genre. Think about how many song titles or lyrics have the word love in them: “I Will Always Love You,” “All My Loving,” “All You Need Is Love,” “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” “Shower the People You Love with Love” . . . There is plenty of evidence that love is a significant part of our culture and that in spite of the pain and suffering in the

world, there is hope and joy in the concept of love. I am confident that most of us love what we do for work. The daily work of a school counselor can be challenging, rewarding, and exhausting, and sometimes all three at once. There are situations we face during the day that are discouraging, frustrating, and, at times, even heartbreaking. One thing is for certain, we did not go into the field for the monetary rewards or for glory and honor. We went into the field out of love. We care deeply for our students, and we love to help them accomplish their goals, overcome obstacles, and plan for a future in which they will find work that they love. In any field, what separates the good worker from the great one is dedicated passion. In great workers, passion comes across in how they carry out their daily work. When you love what you do, you are not satisfied with just giving the minimum daily requirement. You constantly strive to improve, give your best effort, and assess and evaluate how to do it better next time. In our case, when we approach our work with this kind of love, our students succeed. We help them find happiness and satisfaction. The work of a school counselor is to love, to provide the one place in the school setting where a student will experience unconditional positive regard. It may not be easy work, but it is worthwhile work and work we can be proud of. It makes a difference in the lives of our students. My second point is that although we come into contact with negative forces every day, we do have a way to overcome them. Some of the forces are outside of school and outside of our control, yet we are left to deal with the aftermath. Sometimes the forces can be schoolbudget woes, conflicts with staff mem-

bers, misunderstandings, and instances of injustice. I have discovered that no matter what the difficulty, if we respond in the kindest, most loving, and caring way possible (even when we are angry or hurt), we do our part to improve the situation. I cannot think of one situation that was ever improved by an unloving or vindictive response. It sounds simple, but I think John Lennon was definitely onto something when he insisted: “Love is the answer.” As 2009 comes to an end and we head into 2010, I wish all of you love, peace, and all good things in the coming year. ■

In Memoriam

n November, MASCA lost another of its long-serving leaders. Mary Mullen Burke, a lifelong resident of Milton, died at the age of 90 after a brief illness. For many years Mary served MASCA as its secretary. She was a graduate of Milton High School and Regis College and earned a master’s degree at Boston University. At the beginning of World War II, Mary was one of the first women to enlist in the Navy Wave Program, and she was later commissioned as an officer. She worked as a guidance counselor at Archbishop Williams High School from 1963 until her retirement in 2001. Throughout the years Mary contributed her talents as an active alumna of Regis College. In Milton she was active in the Red Cross, at one point serving as chairperson. In a written tribute to Mary, a parent said that she was “a true guidance counselor.” MASCA is grateful for Mary’s many years of service and for being a model of dedication and grace. ■

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

MASCA

2009 – 2010 MASCA OFFICERS PRESIDENT CHRISTINE A. EVANS East Bridgewater High School 11 Plymouth Street, East Bridgewater, MA 02333 Tel. 508-378-5851 • Fax 508-378-8236 E-mail: cevans@ebps.net PRESIDENT-ELECT CAROLYN RICHARDS Somerville High School 81 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143 Tel. 617-625-6600 x 6120 • Fax 617-628-8413 E-mail: crichards@k12.somerville.ma.us PAST PRESIDENT KAREN M. D’AMOUR Manchester Essex Regional High School 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester, MA 01944 Tel. 978-526-7641 • Fax 978-526-2044 E-mail: damourk@mersd.org

December 2009

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VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARY TBA VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGH RICHARD WHITE Gateway Regional Middle School 12 Littleville Road, Huntington, MA 01050 E-mail: RWhite@GRSD.org VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARY JENNIFER LISK Medway High School, Medway, MA 02053 E-mail: lisk@medway.k12.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARY JAY LEIENDECKER Vice President Enrollment Services, Dean College Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726 E-mail: jleiendecker@dean.edu VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORS RUTH CARRIGAN Whitman-Hanson Regional High School 600 Franklin Street, Whitman, MA 02382 Tel. 781-618-7434 • Fax 781-618-7098 E-mail: carrigan.ruth@whrsd.org

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VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORS THERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D. Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA 02325 Tel. 508-531-2640 E-mail: theresa.coogan@bridgew.edu

VICE PRESIDENT RETIREES RALPH SENNOTT P.O. Box 1391, Westford, MA 01886 Tel. 978-692-8244 E-mail: ralphsennott@hotmail.com

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DONNA M. BROWN Adjunct Professor, UMass Boston P.O. Box 366, 779 Center Street Bryantville, MA 02327 Tel. 781-293-2835 E-mail: dbrownmasca@gmail.com TREASURER TINA KARIDOYANES P.O. Box 1007, Monument Beach, MA 02553 Tel. 508-759-3986 E-mail: tkaridoyanes@gmail.com SECRETARY CARRIE KULICK-CLARK Braintree High School, Braintree, MA 02184 Tel. 781-848-4000 x 2273 E-mail: Jd02375@aol.com MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR DEBORAH CLEMENCE P.O. Box 805, East Dennis, MA 02641 E-mail: DeborahClemence@verizon.net COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK EDITOR SALLY ANN CONNOLLY 19 Bayberry Road, Danvers, MA 01923 Tel. 978-774-8158 • Fax 978-750-8154 E-mail: sallyconnolly@att.net

DECEMBER 2009

Providing Support for the Obese Student By Yvonne Larrier

A Gift to Share: The College Essay Project By Ruth Carrigan

A Canadian Experience By Donna Brown

Progress on Legislative Bills By Bob Bardwell

MASCA Awards Nomination Information

Professional Development News By Helen O’Donnell

Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, Part 2 By Karen D’Amour

Published by: Massachusetts School Counselors Association 10 issues per year, September through June. The yearly subscription rate is $30.00. Individual copies are $3.00. Opinions expressed in the articles published herein represent the ideas and/or beliefs of those who write them and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. The acceptance of an advertisement for publication does not imply MASCA endorsement of the advertiser’s programs, services, or views expressed. Questions concerning submission of articles, publication deadlines, advertising rates, etc., should be addressed to Sally Ann Connolly, Editor.

www.masca.org

Providing Support for the Obese Student By YVONNE LARRIER, PhD, LPC, NCC, NCSC Assistant Professor of Counseling, Human Services and Educational Leadership Indiana University South Bend

ecently I have been involved in quite a few committee meetings with K-12 educators, higher education faculty, and other stakeholders interested in improving academic achievement and success for all students, but specifically for underrepresented populations. The discussions were quite interesting to say the least. What I found most interesting was that unless I, as a previous school counselor and presently a counselor educator, addressed social and emotional issues as barriers to learning, these did not get mentioned. When academic achievement and success are being discussed among educators, the discussion tends to mainly focus on pedagogy and content. As such, it is critical for school counselors to be in attendance and be prepared to add a different and necessary perspective to the discussion. Given their educational background, expertise, and understanding of human behavior and the educational setting, professional school counselors are well positioned to contribute significantly to these discussions. In addition to being leaders, advocates, collaborators, and change agents in educational settings, school counselors are also trained mental health professionals. Their training in mental health places them in a position of competence to discuss, among other topics, barriers to academic achievement and success and the social-emotional effects on students’ performance. One such barrier to learning is childhood obesity, which has now reached epi-

demic proportion in the U.S and is associated with many physical health risks as well as psychosocial issues, such as lowered self-esteem, depression, bullying, and poor academic performance. The school counselor is in a key position to provide preventive support and interventions.

The school counselor’s role As a collaborator, the school counselor can work with the school nurse, the P.E. teacher, and the cafeteria staff, among others, to provide guidance lessons in healthy lifestyle choices. As an advocate, the school counselor can make suggestions to administration and others for healthier foods as well as more recess and physical activity during the school day. In the role of mental health professional the school counselor can provide individual and small group counseling to obese students. He /she can be a consultant and provide parent education classes for parents of obese students, as well as be a resource to teachers and administrators. School is a child’s work; they spend a minimum of six hours per day at school. Many of their values, life skills, social and academic skills are learned and honed from their teachers, school counselors, administrators, and peers while at school. Much of their worldview is incubated and demonstrated in the school environment. An obese child’s day at school may conceivably be very challenging. For

Daily exercise improves children’s health “An ongoing study, which began four years ago in the German city of Leipzig, shows already that children assigned to daily exercise lessons reduced their overall prevalence of obesity, improved their exercise capacity, increased their levels of HDLcholesterol, and reduced their systolic blood pressure.” — ScienceDaily, 10 May 2009, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/ 05/090508045318.htm

example, he /she may take longer to get from one class to the next; and on the way to class they may have to endure stares, snickers, derogatory comments along with his/her self-deprecating internal dialogue. By the time the student gets to the other class, the desk may not be physically/ logistically accommodative; this can become a source of embarrassment for the student. Instructional time may have already begun, given that the student may have had numerous physical, social, and emotional barriers to overcome or negotiate on his/her way to class. Furthermore, when this student gets to class albeit late, he/she is unable to unobtrusively find a seat. Seats in the back are usually taken first, so the student may have to walk to the front of the class, creating additional anxiety. It is important to observe here that this student has not yet sat down for any instruction at this point, thus the academic performance may be impacted. In essence, the ASCA National Model was developed to assist school counselors to successfully meet the academic, career, and personal /social needs of all K-12 students. For this reason, it is compulsory for school counselors to be at the pith of creating a school culture and climate where all children can feel safe while learning academically and growing socially and emotionally. Consequently, school counselors must be knowledgeable, alert, and aware to students’ needs in their schools. For the students who may be struggling as they change classes due to issues related to obesity and other barrier-type stimuli; for the teachers and administrators who may feel ill-equipped to assist these students as they try to negotiate an environment that marginalizes them; and for the parents who have tried to encourage and support their child’s weak and wavering self-esteem—be knowledgeable, visible, available and responsive. ––––––––––––––––––––

To contact Professor Larrier, write to ylarrier@iusb.edu or call 574-520-4262. COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

DECEMBER 2009

A Gift to Share: The College Essay Project By RUTH CARRIGAN MASCA VP Guidance Administrators

hen this article reaches you, we will be in the midst of the holiday season. I don’t know about you, but this time of year always stresses me out as I prepare for the holidays and start thinking about perfect gifts for family and friends. One thing I really do enjoy about this season, though, is sharing with others. To that end, I hope to encourage all of you to think about sharing your best practices with professional colleagues. One of my favorite parts of our guidance curriculum at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School is The College Essay Project. This idea was planted in my head about eight years ago by Pam Heroux, a college admissions representative who at that time was working for Sacred Heart University. During a fall counselor visit, she told me about an interesting program that she was doing with Marshfield High School, where she would work with the guidance

staff, evaluate student college essays, and then visit the high school and meet with students to share feedback. Based on that conversation, I decided to implement The College Essay Project at Whitman-Hanson when I took over as director of guidance in 2004. Although it was time-consuming and required quite a bit of extra work on my part, I thought it was an important and worthy project that could benefit the students at my school. Now in our fifth year, the Project has been a wonderful way for the entire guidance staff to collaborate with our English teachers and a number of college admissions representatives on a project that encompasses every member of our senior class. Although we’ve tweaked things a bit over the years, we feel that we’ve put together a program that works well for us. During the second week of school, we invite one of our college admissions part-

ners to spend the day at our school, meeting with all of our seniors and our senior English teachers, for a College Essay Workshop. In this workshop, our students learn what admissions counselors are looking for, and not looking for, in a college essay. After this, our students spend the next few weeks drafting, editing, and revising their essays with their English teachers. On deadline day, all essays are turned in to English teachers and then to the Guidance Office. Several days after that, essays leave the guidance office and are sent by priority mail to our college admissions partners. This year, we worked with ten college admissions representatives from colleges across New England. Each college professional typically agrees to work with one or two of our senior English classes. After the essays are read and critiqued, the admissions representative comes to Whitman-Hanson, visits the English classes with which they have partnered, returns the essays and shares insightful feedback with our students. Although students don’t always like what they hear, we feel it is important that they get a chance to see, prior to their actual college application, exactly what an admissions rep thinks of their essays. We feel that the College Essay Project is a very good use of our time and is truly beneficial to our students as it addresses the domains of academic achievement and college /career readiness. Collaborating with English teachers and building a network of college admissions partners has been a wonderful way to build professional collegiality for the guidance staff. It has also been good to know that other professional school counselors, including our own MASCA President Chris Evans, is replicating the Project at her school. In this season of sharing, please think about sharing your best practices with your colleagues around the state. If you are doing something interesting and innovative that is helping your school and your students, please get in touch with me at Ruth.Carrigan@whrsd.org, so that we can spread the word about programs and services that can make a difference in the lives of our students. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

MCPHS Means Health Care At MCPHS

we’re all about health care.

From students and faculty in lab coats and scrubs,

Schools at a Glance:

to the concentrated energy in our modern, high-tech

• School of Nursing

laboratories, to the hustle and bustle within our soaring

• Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene

glass-and-steel atrium, our campus mirrors our mission.

• School of Radiologic Sciences

Everything we do reflects our commitment to educating the next generation of capable and compassionate health

• School of Physician Assistant Studies

care professionals and researchers. We encourage students

• School of Pharmacy

to contact our admission office at 617.732.2850 to schedule

• School of Health Sciences

an individual visit through our Visit Concierge.

• School of Arts and Sciences

www.mcphs.edu | 800.225.5506 DECEMBER 2009

A Canadian Experience By DONNA BROWN, MASCA Executive Director

n October, I had several opportunities to represent MASCA at a variety of events. What a trip! From the Canadian College Fair to our Fall Conference to the STEM summit to the hearing at the State House, the month was a potpourri of knowledge and information. Much was learned and needs to be shared. I’m sure there will be lots of coverage of our conference (wonderful), the STEM summit (mind blowing) and our State House visit (impressive), but I’m not sure anyone else covered the Canadian College Fair. With representatives from as far west as the University of British Columbia and as far east as the University of Cape Breton, the fair offered a glimpse at an alternative to the expensive private schools here in Massachusetts. By way of a disclosure, please allow me a minute to share a story. When our daughter Meghan went to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia for college, we were thrilled. The university had a great reputation for marine biology, and she would have the

opportunity to interact as an international student. My husband’s dad and my grandmother both had been born in Nova Scotia, so there was a solid familial connection. This was all positive, but from the standpoint of tuition-paying parents, the best was the price tag. For less than a year’s cost of attendance at UMass, Meghan attended Dalhousie, a research university consistently ranked in the top ten of Canadian schools. Basically, she got an Ivy League education for a fraction of the cost at one of our Ivies (or even a public Ivy). As parents, we were very satisfied customers. Thus, when I attended the Canadian College Fair in October, I was pleased to discover that our friends to the north are still offering high quality education for a very reasonable price — and they are still very interested in U.S. students. This is a win-win situation. At a time when we are trying to help parents and students find appropriate, affordable higher education, we need to suggest as many op-

tions as possible. Community colleges, public colleges, and commuting are all on the table. I would allow that another very reasonable option is looking to Canada for school. While the cost of attending a Canadian school has increased (UMass is a little cheaper these days), there are advantages to heading north. Obviously, the tuition and fees are huge factors. Canadian universities are heavily subsidized by their federal government which means that even after paying an international fee (usually $6000-$8000) to attend, tuition, fees, room and board are under $25,000 in Canadian dollars. The U.S. federal government allows students to take much of their financial aid with them. (Pell Grants are the big exception.) U.S. students are eligible for scholarships (academic and athletic) at most Canadian universities, and a fairly recent change allows them to work after they have been in Canada for six months. This means that off-campus employment is now an option. There are many other reasons to attend college in Canada. It is an adventure being an international student. As a member of your school’s international student union, you will get to know people from all over the world. Residents of Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, especially those in the Caribbean, often choose Canada. The system of education is also a little bit different, melding British and U.S. components. Students who really want to focus on a particular area will find that they may not have as many general education requirements as they might have at home. For New England students, attending school in Maritime Canada has a very familiar feel. The food, basic language, and even weather are almost like home. The students we met were friendly and interesting, and the professors were bright and engaging. The academic programs are competitive and prepare students well for their chosen professions or graduate school either at home or in Canada. For some students, this is a great option and one that I encourage you to share with your counselees and their families. For more information, check out the website, www.studyincanada.com. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Progress on Legislative Bills By BOB BARDWELL MASCA Government Relations Committee Liaison will be heard on the floor of the House of Representatives and the Senate. If we want these bills to get out of committee, it is critical for MASCA members to contact the seventeen members of the committee and let them know how important these bills are to our students. For specific details about the bills, how

to communicate with legislators, and to hear the testimony from the hearing, go to http://www.masca.org/index.php/ government-relations-news. If you have any questions or want to become more involved with MASCA’s advocacy efforts, contact me at bardwellr@ monsonschools.com. ■

BOB BARDWELL

n October 27, more than twenty school counselors and their supporters attended the Joint Committee on Education hearings to hear testimony on HB 470 and 471 at the State House. Nine of the seventeen members of the Committee were present to hear the testimony from • Katie Gray, former director of guidance at Blackstone Valley Vocational Technical High School • Alyssa Hennessy, student at Blackstone Valley Vocational Technical High School • Beth Hennessy, parent • Mary Czajkowski, superintendent of Agawam Public Schools • Linda Noonan, managing director of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education • Tim Poynton, assistant professor and director of the School Counseling Program at Suffolk University • David Hautanen, Jr., associate dean and director of admission at Northeastern University • Mike Bartini, vice president of the New England Regional Office of the College Board Panelists spoke about the important role that school counselors play in the lives of students and why career plans have a benefit for students, colleges, and society as a whole. The speakers were well prepared and deliberate in their remarks. The next step in the legislative process is for the members of the Joint Committee on Education to vote on whether the bills DECEMBER 2009

MASCA Awards 2009-2010 T he MASCA Awards and Publicity Committee encourages you to nominate a deserving colleague for a MASCA Award. Complete the nomination form and send it to Celeste Cianfrani, Chair. The committee will then contact your nominee to submit a nomination packet, which should contain two letters of recommendation and one additional piece of supporting information. All nomination forms must be submitted by February 1, 2010.

MASCA Counselor of the Year: A current MASCA member and a licensed counselor serving during the current school year in an elementary, secondary, or postsecondary school or in a local or regional school system and who has made outstanding contributions to his/her school. The recipient will have

excellent rapport with pupils, parents, and school personnel and is a highly respected counselor of students.

MASCA Administrator of the Year: An administrator, who has made an outstanding and significant contribution to the guidance and counseling move-

ment, developed and/or implemented an innovative program or initiated improvements of school counseling services in his/her area of responsibility.

MASCA Leadership Award: A current MASCA member and licensed counselor serving during the current school year in an elementary, secondary, or postsecondary school or in a local or regional school system and who demonstrates able leadership in the counseling profession at the local, state, or national level. MASCA Special Award: An individual who has made a contribution of unusual significance that substantially affects the guidance and counseling profession. The contribution directly affects counselors, students, or a school program and the individual is not eligible for any other MASCA Awards.

The Rising Star Award: An individual who has entered the school counseling profession within the last five years. The award winner is a model for new counselors, demonstrating the highest standards of professional competence, outstanding contributions to the school community and/or profession, and excellent rapport with students, parents, and school personnel.

The Retiring Counselor Award: A counselor who is retiring in the current year or has retired within the last five years. This counselor has served as a model for new counselors, demonstrating highest standards of professional competence and excellent rapport with students, parents, and school personnel and has made outstanding contributions to the school community and/or profession.

The George Thompson Memorial Scholarship Award: A $1,000 scholarship award named in honor of George Thompson, a longtime friend and contributor to MASCA. This award winner is a school counseling graduate student who demonstrates exceptional promise for leadership and contribution to our profession. Nominations from Counselor Educators are encouraged. â–

COUNSELORâ€™S NOTEBOOK

MASCA Awards Nomination Form 2009-2010 Nominator Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ School/Organization: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________________________ E-mail: _____________________________________________________ Nominee: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ School/Organization: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________________________ E-mail: _____________________________________________________ MASCA Award: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Brief statement about why your nominee deserves to be selected for this MASCA Award: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Submit nominations to Celeste Cianfrani, Awards & Publicity Committee Chair. Nominations can be e-mailed to cianfrani14@gmail.com, faxed to 413-667-0259, or mailed to Celeste Cianfrani, 12 Littleville Road, Huntington, MA 01050.

The deadline for submitting nominations is February 1, 2010.

DECEMBER 2009

ED’S VIEWS By ED BRYANT, NCC MASCA Life Trustee

ED BRYANT

n keeping with Oscar Krichmar’s request for 50th Birthday history items, here are some recollections. During my term as executive director, Charles Brovelli served as the Directory editor. We were faced with the problem of binding the Directory, and Ted MacDonald — then president of Bay State Bindery and best man at my wedding to Mary Lou — suggested that MASCA try a wiro binding for the 1994 edition. Ted

said that this kind of binding would allow this popular publication to stay flat on the desk when in use. He was right. That year we were sorry to receive the resignation of MSCA Treasurer Kathy Marmorek of Natick High School. We thanked this loyal member for her many years of outstanding service to MSCA. Also during that time, we attempted a job placement service, with some success. The Boston Sunday Globe (February 13, 1994) quoted me as saying (among other things): “In many schools, there is not too much parent involvement.” What about now? Is there more? In the last issue of CN we mentioned the 375th birthday of Ipswich. A portion of that issue was buried in the Time Capsule, which will be opened in fifty years. High school counselors, do you find that because of the economy fewer students are applying to out-of-state private colleges? My grandson from Connecticut will be applying to private colleges in Massachusetts. Recently, a young woman said during an interview for the USN Academy that she wanted to be a Nuclear Power Officer on a submarine. Because of her outstanding prep school record, as the BGO (USNAIO) I gave her my recommendation. Until now, women have not been approved by Congress to serve on submarines. Because MASCA and its affiliates have many members who are retirees, we should continue to express their concerns. For example, as a retiree, are you concerned about your weight? An easy answer is to use more calories than you take in. Now that you are in happy retirement, take a look at how much physical activity you engage in. I recommend reading Dr. Wayne Dyer’s Excuses Begone! How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Think Habits. Another thought. If you spend much time at the TV or computer, do you have an increased eye dryness? Retirees, stay active. We need your support and keep in touch. For all of us, keeping in touch with friends is good for both mental and physical health. Happy holidays to all. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

Professional Development News By HELEN O’DONNELL, Ed.D. MASCA Professional Development Committee Chair

arly in October, MASCA colleagues gathered in Boxboro for a day of professional development, collegial networking, and consulting with college representatives and exhibitors. ASCA President Pat Nailor discussed data, stressed professional accountability, and advocated for the profession of school counseling. Extended afternoon sessions included Dr. Carey Dimmitt’s (UMass Amherst) presentation on “Solution-Focused Counseling,” and the MEFA team updated us on financial aid. Check the MASCA website for their PPT presentations. At the conference twenty-nine exhibitors promoted services, materials and training opportunities. A diversity of concurrent workshops included panel presentations highlighting technical education opportunities and an update on college admissions, accelerated learning, writing letters of recommendation, communication, violence prevention and managing bully behavior, updates on child abuse and working with the DA’s office, and many other topics. Thank you to all presenters for your time and commitment to school counseling colleagues.

materials and updated information about workshops and keynoters. While there, check out MASCA’s virtual sponsorship and exhibitor listings. Information about the conference site can be found at http://www.ichotels group.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hotel/bosns. See you in Danvers! ■

A PDP Reminder Complete your Certificates of Attendance/Evidence of Learning Forms, gather a minimum of 10 hours of professional development, and submit them for your PDP certificates.

MASCA Spring Conference Before school budgets are frozen, submit your request to attend MASCA’s annual spring conference to be held at the Crown Plaza in Danvers on April 11-13, 2010. The conference will include three days of professional development, keynote addresses, workshops, networking, and exhibits. Registration rates will be the same as those for last year’s conference: • Single and multiple day registration packages. • Best value: Early Bird registration! • MASCA members are eligible for reduced rates. The Call for Workshop Programs is now posted on MASCA’s website. And we encourage submission for the MA Model Implementation and Graduate Student Poster Session programs. Watch the website for registration DECEMBER 2009

Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, Part 2 By KAREN D’AMOUR MASCA Past President

n my November article I wrote about the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (MBAE) and their efforts to define the basic employer needs required from our high school and college graduates. These are outlined in the publication, Preparing for the Future: Employer Perspectives on Work Readiness Skills. This month I would like to update you on the work of the MBAE and their latest publication, Educating a 21st Century Workforce. The recommendations that were put forth in this follow-up document are the result of a collaborative effort on the part of educators and business leaders within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Positive notes for Massachusetts: • In 2007, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) announced that 80% of the students who entered ninth grade in 2002 graduated four years later; a rate that is 10% higher than the national average. • Massachusetts students outscored

students from other states on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). These are both great accomplishments. However, we cannot lose sight of the students who do not graduate, score below the national average on standardized testing, and do not have the necessary skills to earn entry level jobs. According to the MBAE’s follow-up document, our urban students (with only a 64% graduation rate) are falling behind students in suburban areas. There are even 50 schools in Massachusetts that reported graduation rates below 60 percent, a crisis for all of us! We need to do something differently, and we need to do it soon. The MBAE is actively pursuing what they believe is needed reform to our educational systems in Massachusetts. Our charge must be to work with the MBAE in defining the necessary reform required to educate a 21st Century Workforce. I offer to use this article as a forum for your ideas and suggestions on the nec-

essary reform. In a future article I will summarize your input and share your ideas with our friends at the MBAE. I can be contacted at damourk@mersd.org. As school counselors, we may want to steal time from our busy lives to attend meetings on reform topics, participate in the process, offer suggestions, and make sure we have a hand in defining what our role as counselors will be in the Race to the Top. For more information on MBAE, check their website: www.mbae.org.

MBAE Strategies Strategy 1: Reform the Fundamental High School Model • More career counseling and guidance support early and throughout a student’s educational experience (Counselors, it sounds like they are counting on us) • Increased instructional time and flexible alternatives to a four year schedule • Increased access to dual enrollment programs Strategy 2: Align Curriculum with the Demands of College and Career • Implement the MassCore course of study statewide as the minimum requirement for a diploma (This topic has received much concern, and many of you may have questions and concerns. I recommend that you write to the CN and let your opinions be heard.) • Include skills that are essential in the 21st Century across the curriculum • Provide opportunities for workbased or service learning activities Strategy 3: Ensure Assessments Measure Relevant Skills and Content Mastery • Exit assessments that measure college and career readiness • A statewide end of course assessment system Strategy 4: Create a System of Partnerships to Support and Sustain Reforms • Formalize regional school-to-business partnership programs • Establish long-term and meaningful partnerships between schools and businesses at the local level ■

COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK

DECEMBER 2009

Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK Sally Ann Connolly, Editor

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

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NEWBURYPORT, MA PERMIT NO. 96

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Send this form to: Deborah Clemence P.O. Box 805 East Dennis, MA 02641

YOUR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL DATE IS INDICATED BY YEAR AND MONTH ON YOUR ADDRESS LABEL ABOVE. To renew your membership, go to MASCA’s website, www.masca.org.

SAVE THE DATE! Massachusetts Coalition for School Counseling Advocacy Day March 10, 2010 • State House, Boston Advocate for our students, our schools, and our profession MASCA, NEACAC, and The College Board have joined together to sponsor the 2010 Advocacy Day on Beacon Hill. School counselors and others who believe in quality school counseling programs in our schools will spend a day at the State House advocating for issues that are important to school counselors and the young people we serve. Participants will receive training on legislative issues and advocacy and will talk in person with our elected legislators and other policymakers to inform them about who we are and what we do, and about the importance of quality school counseling in our students’ education and lives.

YOUR PARTICIPATION IS CRUCIAL FOR THIS TO WORK! All of our voices are needed for this effort to be effective.

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Please mark your calendars now. More details are forthcoming. Questions? Please contact Bob Bardwell at BardwellR@monsonschools.com.