Component #1 System Support Goal

This local program called Success for the Future has been developed to improve the current drop- out rate for high school students which is 30%. 

The A.S.C.A. National Standards for Students states: “Professional school counselors everywhere proudly share the same vision – to prepare today’s students to become tomorrow’s adults.”

The mission of Success for the Future is to encourage students to not only stay in school, but to continue their education, to enhance their future. 

Component #1 cont’dThe goals of this program are to

encourage students to stay in school and think about their future by helping the students with assessments for their personal talents and abilities.

Student involvement will be enhanced by peer facilitators and coaches to assist the student in school and with transitioning to a post-secondary career.  

Component #2 Program Objectives

Objective #1Students that receive free or reduced lunch and the

student’s parents will attend an initial assembly that will address credits needed to graduate, coursework that provides smoother transition from high school to community college (e.g. advanced math, English, and science courses), financial support, and remedial programs that will still allow students to attend college. Students who are underperforming in high school are often

not told about additional options available to attend college. Sometimes students give up because they feel like they have no options and simply continue in poor academic behavior. However, having students attend a special interest meeting such as the one above provides hope for underachieving students.

Component#2 cont’dObjective #2 The student will demonstrate their

knowledge of leadership and collaboration by successfully mediating seven out of ten peer mediation sessions. Successful is defined by fostering positive peer

relationships, fostering positive teacher-student relationships, positive attitude regarding school climate and environment, etc.

Component#2 cont’dObjective #3Students will demonstrate their ability to navigate around

the college campus by going to the Admissions office, Financial Aid office, and the Student Affairs Office. Students will turn in completed admissions application, financial aid application, and an I.D. card application. Having the student navigate around the college campus

prepares the student for attending classes and allows the student to experience a small facet of college life. Students get a sense of what their new life will be while attending college and it creates buy-in for the student. (For example, car salesman want you to drive the car so that you take ownership of it and creates a greater chance of you purchasing the vehicle)

Component #2 cont’dObjective #4The student will identify the correct

degree program by selecting the program that closely aligns with their career goals.

The students career portfolio will contain a personal career plan, career assessment information, and job outlook.

Component #3Research Supported –

Curriculum and Standards Our program will engage our at-risk students to

make them more academically resilient hence less likely to drop out of school (Nowicki,et al, 2004). To do this we will work to change our student’s internal locus of control, their nonverbal processing in the direction of reduced errors in identifying emotion, and their interpersonal styles of behavior toward becoming more friendly and less dominant (Nowicki,et al, 2004).

Component #3 cont’dTo enhance student involvement we will

engage them in the cross age mentoring program in which they will mentor younger students. This context-based, strengths-promoting intervention is designed to help school counselors foster high school students' leadership and collaboration skills while promoting student involvement (Karcher, 2008).

Component #3 cont’dTransitioning from secondary to post secondary school can be

daunting. Therefore, students need to develop personal and interpersonal coping strategies (Dickinson, Coggan and Bennett, 2003). We will implement an early intervention program which includes staff professional development relating to mental health and mental health promotion, involvement of young people in planning and implementing mental health promotion initiatives; and the provision of accessible guidance and counseling. There will also be clear and open communication with parents/caregivers through weekly newsletters, parent evenings, cultural events, and an open invitation for parents to contact the school as required (Dickinson, Coggan and Bennett, 2003).

Component #3 cont’dAdditionally, we will provide students

with the resources they need to be successful at CVCC. They will go to scheduled workshops for filling out FASFA, school applications, and budgeting, take the Work Keys Test to help determine a career path if unknown and attend college orientation.

Component#3 cont’dInformation on peer mediation groups available

during school (Karcher, 2008)Tutoring availability during school and after-school

(Somers & Piliawsky, 2004). Packets will be created that include information on

local community colleges. This would include: Admissions counselor contact

information; programs of study; remedial courses available (placement tests to determine which courses to start with); scholarship information; financial aid information grants/loans; state grant information

Component#3 cont’d Information on school activities to get

involved in personal/social development to decrease drop out rate:

yearbook; sports; various clubs (Bailey et. al., 2009)

Students are then able to find activities they are interested in and with other people who have mutual interests. Social relationships can help keep students interested in school.

Component#3 cont’dParental involvement:

encourage student to go to collegetake them to campusesencourage them to be involved in high school

and any activities that interest themcome to counselors with any questionsmake tutoring available after school if they

need it. encourage peer mediation groups to build

personal/social, academic, and career development.

Component#3 cont’dInformation for scholarships will be given to

help lower income families with tuition ratesInformation on what the FAFSA is and what

students would be applying for: grants and loans. Emphasize that grants do not have to be paid back. Many parents and students do not realize that they could be eligible for grants.

Talk about state grants also such as the VTAG that the student might be eligible for (http://www.schev.edu/forms/TAG%20App.pdf)

Component#3 cont’d• Research conducted focused on at-risk groups and minorities.

• Peer mediating groups allow students to interact with students in similar situations, building social/personal, academic, and career development

Component#4 – Program Evaluation

Objective #1Credits needed to graduate, coursework that provides

smoother transition from high school to community college (e.g. advanced math, English, and science courses)

Formative Assessment: Individual Student Planning (achievement data)

Time Line: Initial Assessment of Academic Goals will occur at the beginning of the school year to assess what courses the student still needs to successfully complete the requirements for Junior College Admission.

Data will be analyzed by evaluation of completed ISPPercentages of 12th grade graduates meeting UC/CSU

entrance requirements will be represented by: Bar Graph to Communicate Program Results

Component#4 cont’dObjective 2 • The student will identify the correct degree program

by selecting the program that closely aligns with their career goals.

• Informal Assessment: Observation, evidence is the career portfolio which supports degree program selection. (results data)

• Time Line: The Informal Assessment will be evaluated for completion three months prior to graduation.

• Percentages of 12th grade graduates meeting completion requirements will be represented by bar graph to communicate program results

Component#4 cont’dObjective#3 • Students will turn in completed admissions,

financial aide, and ID card applications. • Summative Assessment: Measure completion rates

on admission, financial, and ID card applications. (results data)

• Time Line: Summative Assessments will be evaluated for completion six months prior to graduation.

• Percentages of 12th grade graduates meeting UC/CSU entrance requirements will be represented by bar graph to communicate Program Results

Component#4 cont’dObjective 4

• The student will identify the correct degree program by selecting the program that closely aligns with their career goals.

• Informal Assessment: Observation, evidence is the career portfolio which supports degree program selection. (results data)

• Time Line: The Informal Assessment will be evaluated for completion three months prior to graduation.

• Percentages of 12th grade graduates meeting completion requirements will be represented by bar graph to communicate program Results

References American School Counselor Association (2004). ASCA National Standards for

Students. High School Systems Support Program Components Dickinson, P., Coggan, C., and Bennett, S. (2003). Travellers: a school-based

early intervention programme helping young people manage and process change, loss and transition. pilot phase findings. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. (37) 3.

Federal student Aid. (2012, April 15). Retrieved June 23, 2012, from Free Application for Federal Student Aid: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ - Financial aid services, federal grants and loans

Karcher, M. (2008). The cross-age mentoring program: A developmental intervention for promoting students' connectedness across grade levels. Professional School Counseling, (12) 2.

Nowicki, S. et al. (2004). Reducing the drop-out rates of at-risk high school students: The effective learning program (ELP). Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 130(3), 225–239

Somers, C. L., & Piliawsky, M. (2004). Drop-Out Prevention Among Urban, African American Adolescents: Program Evaluation and Practical Implications. Preventing School Failure, 48(3), 17-22.