Increasing College & Career Readiness by

Supporting STEM CoursesOlivia Michalak

An Action Research Presentation

Spring 2014

IntroductionThe best school counselors advocate for the proposition that every student is capable of graduating from high school ready to succeed in college and a career -The Education Trust, New Vision for School Counseling (2009)Symonds (2012)

• One million students drop out of high school every year• By age 27, only 40% of Americans have earned a bachelor’s or associate’s

degree• Since 2000, the unemployment rate among adults age 16-24 has doubled

Supporting Research

Ramsey and Baethe, 2013• In 2012, the World Economic Forum ranked the United States

globally as 27th in math and science education • In 2008, 31 percent of U.S. bachelor’s degrees were awarded in

science and engineering fields, compared to 61 percent in Japan and 51 percent in China

National Math and Science Initiative, 2014• Of the 2013 U.S. high school graduates…

• 56% were not ready for college-level math • 64% were not ready for college-level science

• In 2008 59% of all jobs in the U.S. economy required post-secondary education

• By 2018 63% of all jobs in the U.S. economy will require post-secondary education• Predicting a shortage of 3 million highly skilled workers

Achieve, 2008• The level of math a student reaches is the most accurate predictor

of whether that student will earn a bachelor’s degree• Nine and ten percent of Hispanic and Black students, respectively,

take advanced Algebra or calculus, while 22 percent of Whites and 43 percent of Asians do so

• When comparing students who complete Calculus versus vocational math, seventy-three percent of students who took calculus go on to earn a bachelor’s degree versus 3 percent of vocational math students

• In 2008, 59 percent of all jobs in the U.S. economy required post-secondary education

The Algebra 2 DebateRobelen, 2013

• Educators in Florida voted against adding Algebra II as a graduation requirement fearing that their Algebra II course is about to be tougher as they align with common core

• “If students do not take Algebra II in high school, they will be out of the running for a host of careers, from engineering to health care” –STEM teacher & advocate

Achieve, 2008• Requiring students to take challenging math courses does not

increase drop-out rates, as long as these students are given the support and quality instruction needed to be successful

Why a School Counselor?The American School Counseling Association calls for all students to be provided with the skills, attitudes, and knowledge to make a successful transition from school to career Bryan, 2005

• positive effects of mentorship and tutoring successful in fostering academic achievement and resilience in children

• necessary to increasing students’ chances for success by removing stressors and systemic barriers to academic success

Bodenhorn, Wolfe and Airen, 2010• By developing goals, preparing programs, and being proactive about serving

one’s community, school counselors can be powerful agents of change in closing the achievement gap and increasing students’ readiness for college and/or career

Mountain View High School

9% 1%11%3%14%

56%

6%

Ethnicity(Oct. 2013)

Asian Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Is-lander

Asian/Pacific Is-lander

Black / African American

Hispanic / Latino of any race(s)

White

Two or More Races

Population2,100

Male 51.40%

Female 48.60%

Free & Reduced Lunch35.30%Special Education 13.30%Bilingual

3.90%

Graduation rate (2012)87.5%

Possible Solution:Interlake High School as an example

F & R:23%

Special Ed:

12.7%ELL:7.2%

F & R:35%

Special Ed:

12.2%ELL:7.5%

Washington State Reports Card, 2013

Possible Solution:Interlake High School as an exampleLowest achieving school to above benchmarks for state and AP testing.1. Making high-level math courses available to every student

-over 16 honors, AP, IB courses available

2. Encouraging students to take more challenging courses-requires 4 years of math (through Pre-Calculus)

3. Providing supports to help students succeed-free tutoring and support classes available everyday in every subject

Huebner & Corbett, 2008

Math LabFree peer-tutoring during tutorial Monday-Thursday

Duties• Recruit advanced math students (Pre-Calculus or above)

• Exchange for service learning hours (15 needed to graduate)

• Reserve computer lab• Supervise lab

• Expectations of lab attendees & tutors• Track tutor hours• Track lab attendees grades

Advisory Committee

My Action Research Advisory Committee consisted of:

• Counseling intern• Student Support Specialist• Freshmen Counselor• Senior Counselor (mentor)• Principal• Math Department Chair

For future implications, the ideal advisory committee would consist

of:• Counseling Intern• Student Support Specialist• Counseling team • Administration• Math Department Chair• Math teachers

Data Collection

Who failed math?

48/450 freshmen(10.7%)

TimelineSemester 1: Before school starts-September• Identify incoming freshmen who would benefit from

math tutoring and assign math lab for tutorial• Recruit tutors from upper level math classes and assign

them a day to tutor• Meet with advisory committee• Send out invitations from D & F math list from previous

semester• Advertise: hang posters, daily announcements & email

staff• Inform parents through newsletter and social mediums September-January (ongoing duties)• Quick classroom presentations about the lab• Supervise lab • Track tutor hours & track grades of lab attendees

Semester 2: At start of 2nd semester-End of January• Meet with advisory committee to review data from

S1 and re-evaluate for S2• Send out invitations from D & F math list from

previous semester • Recruit tutors from upper level math classes and

assign them a dayFebruary-June (ongoing duties)• Quick classroom presentations about the lab• Supervise lab • Track tutor hours & track grades of lab attendees End of year-June• Meet with advisory committee to review data from

S2 and re-evaluate for next year• Identify students needing extra support next year

Budget

• Tutors…………………………………….Free (student volunteers)

• Lab Supervisor…………………………....Free (counseling intern)

• Location……………………….…………Free (available classroom)

• Advertisement Posters………………..…..$5.00 (counseling budget)

Benefits• Increased high school graduation rates• Increased college graduation rates• Smoother transitions to post-high school• More likely to be employed • Higher wages• Better working conditions• Health benefits• Overall improved quality of life• Supports the United States economy & helps us stay globally competitive

ReferencesAchieve. (2008). The building blocks of success: Higher-level math for all students. Retrieved

from: http://www.achieve.org/files/BuildingBlocksofSuccess.pdfAmerican School Counselor Association. (2012). ASCA national model: A framework for school

counseling programs (3rd Ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author. Bodenhorn, N., Wolfe, E. W., & Airen, O. E. (2010). School Counselor Program Choice and Self-Efficacy: Relationship to Achievement Gap and Equity. Professional School

Counseling, 13(3), 165-174.Bryan, J. (2005). Fostering Educational Resilience and Achievement in Urban Schools Through

School-Family-Community Partnerships. Professional School Counseling, 8(3), 219-227.Else-Quest, N., Mineo, C., & Higgins, A. (2013). Math and Science Attitudes and Achievement at

the Intersection

Huebner, T. A., & Corbett, G. A. (2008). Rethinking high school: Supporting all students to be college-ready in math. Retrieved from: http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/GF-08-01.pdf

National Math and Science Initiative. (2014). Stem education and workforce. Retrieved from: https://nms.org/Education/TheSTEMCrisis.aspx

Parikh, S. B. (2013). Urban High School Students' Experiences in an Afterschool College Readiness Program. Urban Review: Issues and Ideas in Public Education, 45(2),

220-231.Ramsey, K., & Baethe, B. (2013). The Keys to Future STEM Careers: Basic Skills, Critical Thinking,

and Ethics. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 80(1), 26-33.Robelen, E. W. (2013). Questions Arise About Algebra 2 For All Students. Education

Week, 32(35), 1-30Symonds, W. (2012). Pathways to Prosperity. Educational Leadership, 69(7), 35-39.The Education Trust. (2009). Transforming School Counseling. Retrieved from: http://www.edtrust.org/dc/tsc. Washington State Report Card. (2013). Office of superintendent of public instruction. Retrieved

from : http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/

Questions?