MISSOURI COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING INDIVIDUAL PLANNING School Counselor’s Guide to the K-12 Individual Student Planning Process Developed by Missouri School Counselors and Counselor Educators Supported by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Missouri Center for Career Education 2015 Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Individual Student PlanningK-12 Page 2 of 31 A School Counselor’s Guide to the K-12 Individual Student Planning Process (College and Career Readiness) TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 3 K/12 COORDINATION/FOCUS AT EACH LEVEL 4 Elementary Individual Student Planning Middle School Individual Student Planning High School Individual Student Planning INDIVIDUAL STUDENT PLANNING PROGRAM EVALUATION 8 APPENDIX 1: 9 Individual Student Planning Rubric: Elementary Level APPENDIX 2: 10 Elementary School Individual Student Planning Starter Kit Checklist/Parent Letter APPENDIX 3: 12 Individual Student Planning Rubric: Middle School Level APPENDIX 4: 13 Middle School Individual Student Planning Resource File Checklist APPENDIX 5: 14 Individual Student Planning Rubric: High School APPENDIX 6: 15 High School Individual Student Planning Personal Plan of Study Checklist APPENDIX 7: 15 Preparation for High School Orientation Night APPENDIX 8: 17 Individual Student Planning Handbook (Sample) APPENDIX 9: 25 Individual Student Planning Resources APPENDIX 10: 28 Individual Student Planning Vocabulary APPENDIX 11 29 District Student Transition Process Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Individual Student PlanningK-12 Page 3 of 31 School Counselor Individual Student Planning Guide INTRODUCTION The Individual Student Planning component of the Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program (MCSCP) emphasizes the importance of planning as students prepare for the future. Learning how to plan is a critical aspect of preparation. Individual Student Planning is a process that formally begins when a child enters school. The process includes acquiring personal knowledge, skills, and understanding in the content area strands of the MCSCP Curriculum: Emotional/Social, Academic, and Career Development. These content area strands include essential school and life competencies and form the framework for the MCSCP. Classroom school counseling lessons, aligned with grade level expectations, in each of these content areas are introduced at the elementary level and continue through middle and high school, providing the foundation for Individual Student Planning. Individual student planning activities help all students to plan, monitor, and manage their academic, career, and Emotional/Social development. Within this component, activities are designed to help students evaluate their educational, career, and personal goals and to develop personal plans of study no later than the eighth grade in collaboration with parents/guardians. Individual Student Planning provides direct services to all students K-12 in a variety of settings such as: individual meetings, small groups, classroom lessons, student/parent conferences, assemblies, and workshops. K-12 COORDINATION All components of a school district’s comprehensive school counseling program must be coordinated K- 12 for students to receive the maximum benefits of the program. Students must participate in educational and career planning, transition activities, and appraisal for decision making at all levels in order to optimize the success of their Individual Student Planning process. The Individual Student Planning section of the MCSCP Internal Improvement Review (IIR) gives guidelines for utilizing the district wide process. The Individual Student Planning Rubrics presented in this guide were developed to assist counselors in organizing the process in their schools. The K-12 coordination of educational/career planning activities, transition activities, and appraisal activities is vital to student success. Educational/Career Planning- School Counselors (SCs facilitate the process in which students develop planning skills and apply the skills to their individual academic plans. Students begin acquiring the needed skills to develop a Personal Plan of Study in elementary school where the emphasis is on career awareness. The process continues into middle school as the focus shifts to career exploration for their personal interests and strengths. The process culminates with career planning and the development of a relevant Personal Plan of Study for high school and post-secondary education/training. The Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program K-12 Curriculum provides sample units and lessons. Transition Activities: School Counselors (SCs) understand the importance that personal-social competencies, academic skills, and career and labor market information play as students develop and manage their Personal Plans of Study. The SC’s responsibility is to facilitate this effort when working with the students they serve. Through the Individual Student Planning Component of a District’s Comprehensive School Counseling Program, SCs assist students with the transitions from grade to grade, school to school, and/or school to work. It takes the involvement of parents/guardians and other school staff, along with the SC and student, to develop Personal Plans of Study that meet the individual needs of the students. Transition activities are presented in APPENDIX 11. Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Individual Student PlanningK-12 Page 4 of 31 Appraisal for Decision Making: SCs coordinate work with students to analyze and evaluate their abilities, interests, skills, and achievements. Assessment data including results from formal testing as well as informal evaluation information form a basis for developing short-term and long-term plans with students and parents/guardians. FOCUS AT EACH LEVEL Elementary Individual Student Planning The Individual Student Planning Process Rubric: Elementary Level has been created to assist the SC in developing, improving, and maintaining the schools’ Individual Student Planning process. This document can be utilized to assess the needs a school might have for improving the individual student planning for students to reach college and career readiness by the time they graduate high school. At the elementary school level, students develop career awareness through classroom lessons and group activities and become aware of career paths. The Elementary Career Development Lessons are sample lessons that address the Grade Level Expectations of the MCSCP. The emphases in elementary school are two-fold: 1. to help students learn more about themselves, their interests, abilities and aptitudes along with academic knowledge and skills; and 2. to help students understand the value of all work and what people do when they go to work. This awareness and general knowledge is then expanded in middle school. Having a transition plan at the elementary level is necessary for students and parents to feel at ease as they progress through school. At this level students transition into kindergarten, grade to grade, and to the middle school. SCs are encouraged to work collaboratively with other building personnel or committees to develop appropriate transition activities. A list of potential activities can be found in APPENDIX 11. The appraisal process starts in kindergarten. The SCs responsibility is to help families start gathering and discussing materials that represent the whole child over time. A sample list of items for inclusion in an Individual Student Planning Starter Kit may be found in APPENDIX 2. The SC and teacher help students and parents/guardians identify documentation that they will add to their ISP Starter Kit each year. This archive will be helpful to the student and family when making important decisions regarding the student’s Individual Student Planning Resource File begun in middle school (see APPENDIX 4) and then the Personal Plan of Study begun no later than the end of the eighth grade year (see APPENDIX 6). The ISP Starter Kit is especially helpful when the student is transitioning to another grade, building or school. Reflecting on the ISP materials, parents/guardians can help their children capitalize on their strengths by choosing opportunities outside of school that will enhance career awareness. Elementary Materials:  Individual Student Planning Process Rubric: Elementary Level APPENDIX 1  Individual Student Planning Starter Kit Checklist APPENDIX 2 o Begins with Kindergarten; o Material added and reviewed each year for parents/guardians to save to aid in transitioning; o Includes such documents as academic records, work samples, service projects, areas of special interest  Individual Student Planning Vocabulary APPENDIX 10 Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Individual Student PlanningK-12 Page 5 of 31 Middle School Individual Student Planning The Individual Student Planning Process Rubric: Middle School Level has been created to assist the SC in developing, improving, and maintaining the schools Individual Student Planning process. This document can be utilized to assess the needs a school might have for improving the individual student planning for students to reach college and career readiness by the time they graduate high school. During middle school, students have career exploration opportunities for more in-depth investigations of the career paths that reflect their emerging preferences in such things as school and community activities and subject areas, as well as personal strengths and limitations. Middle School Individual Student Planning includes gathering information about specific careers within the career paths of greatest interest to individual students. As students prepare for the transition from middle school to high school, they are required to develop a Personal Plan of Study. The Middle School Career Development Lessons are sample lessons that address all of the MCSCP Grade Level Expectations. In middle school, the student’s elementary school Individual Student Planning (ISP) Starter Kit provides the foundation for the middle school Individual Student Planning (ISP) Resource File. Middle school continues to be a time of transition. As students adjust to the changing expectations of each grade level, the SC and the school staff address these transitions. The following links have sample units regarding transition to Middle School and progression to High School. To help students transition from elementary to middle school, the middle school SC coordinates activities with the elementary SC to provide orientation for students. An orientation allows students to become acquainted with their new school and teachers, easing anxieties and concerns. Another orientation for middle school students entering high school will be held, either at the end of the eighth grade year or the beginning of ninth grade. See APPENDIX 7 for information regarding preparation for an orientation meeting. The SC is encouraged to have a plan in place in order to reach those parents/guardians and/or students who are unable to attend, including the use of various forms of media and communication tools. An Individual Student Planning Resource File is compiled as middle school students continue through each grade level. Students’ Middle School Resource Files may come in various forms with shared responsibility between the student, the home and the school. These materials will aid in the development of a Personal Plan of Study. Some schools may do this electronically on Missouri Connections. All students and their parents/guardians need to understand the role assessments play in course selection and preparation for high school assessments. SCs must be aware of and able to interpret the tests used to assess all students. SCs should coordinate efforts with teachers and administrators in order to interpret test results for parents/guardians and students.  SCs should introduce high school coursework to all eighth students and connect how their choices influence post-secondary plans. Students may be unsure of their future career plans, but most should have an understanding of the Career Path or Cluster associated with their interests and abilities. Students will need assistance from the SC to become aware of the level of post-secondary education for which they plan to prepare. No later than the end of the eighth grade year, all students must create an initial Personal Plan of Study which encompasses high school planning, coursework, and post- secondary plans. A sample lesson plan is available at My Four to Six Year Plan (My Personal Plan of Study) (Lesson 3). Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Individual Student PlanningK-12 Page 6 of 31 See APPENDIX 6 for a Personal Plan of Study Checklist to use when developing materials for Individual Student Planning Personal Plans of Study. A model Personal Plan of Study is provided in the sample Individual Student Planning Handbook (APPENDIX 8). Middle School:  Individual Student Planning Process Rubric: Middle School Level APPENDIX 3  Individual Student Planning Resource File Checklist APPENDIX 4 o Begins with Middle School; o Builds on/adds to elementary school archives; o Includes personal reflections, e. g., interests/strengths/limitations/dreams  Personal Plan of Study Checklist (PPS)—Initiated no later than 8th grade APPENDIX 6 o Initiated no later than 8th grade – Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) requirement; o Builds on and utilizes archives in students’ middle school individual resource files; o Uses working documents revisited/reviewed/revised systematically throughout high school; o Helps students use resources in to evaluate personal choices; o Assists students in developing personal goals; o Requires parental involvement as a key element (required by MSIP); o Promotes concept of life-long planning for success (high school and beyond)  Individual Student Planning Vocabulary APPENDIX 10 High School Individual Student Planning The Individual Student Planning Process Rubric: High School Level has been created to assist the SC in developing, improving, and maintaining the schools Individual Student Planning process. This document can be utilized to assess the needs a school might have for improving the individual student planning for students to reach college and career readiness by the time they graduate high school. Career Paths explored during middle school diverge into Career Clusters in late middle school and high school. Through individual career planning, high school students will apply what they have learned about themselves and career paths to understanding occupations within a primary Career Cluster. This focus will help them continue their explorations in a deliberate manner. Students are encouraged to gain work experience within their Career Clusters of interest. As they progress through high school, they will review and modify their Personal Plans of Study based on new knowledge about themselves and the world of work. K-12 Individual Student Planning skills will enable students to adapt to life changes. (See Missouri Connections http://missouriconnections.org for information about Career Paths and Career Clusters). High School Career Development Lessons are sample lessons that address all of the MCSCP Grade Level Expectations. To help students and their parents/guardians make the transition from middle school to high school, SCs coordinate transition activities with teachers and administrators. Orientation for middle school students entering high school is needed either at the end of the eighth grade or prior to school starting in the fall of ninth grade or both. (See APPENDIX 7 for suggested agenda for HS Orientation) High school is a time of transition, concluding with entry into post-secondary education or the workforce. As students adjust to the changing expectations of each grade level, the SC and the school staff address these transitions. The Personal Plan of Study needs to be reviewed and updated at least annually to ensure that it continues to provide direction toward the student’s academic and career goals. The sample Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Individual Student PlanningK-12 Page 7 of 31 classroom activity for this review is called Revisiting the Personal Plan of Study and Post HS Requirements (Lesson 1) (This is a 9th grade lesson that can be used each year.) All students and their parents/guardians should understand the role assessments play in post-secondary choices. SCs must be aware of, and be able to interpret the tests used. SCs should coordinate efforts with teachers and administrators in order to interpret test results for parents/guardians and students, especially when assisting them with post-secondary planning. During high school, Individual Student Planning involves building on previous information contained in the resource file. This process helps student make wise choices when developing and revising their Personal Plans of Study. Common Individual Student Planning Activities of High School SCs:  Continue to build upon what the elementary and middle school SCs have done with the Career Awareness and Career Exploration.  Help students gather personal choice information through interest/skills/values surveys. (See www.missouriconnections.org .)  Develop Individual Student Planning materials for students to use: Personal Plan of Study (APPENDIX 6), Individual Student Planning Handbook ( APPENDIX 8), Career Paths/Clusters relationships to academic courses and activities (Sample in the Individual Student Planning Handbook), and labor outlook information available on www.careerclusters.org . APPENDIX 7 for a Resource Chart with links to information to take into consideration when developing these materials.  Organize a parent night for incoming students explaining the Personal Plan of Study process.  Conduct individual and/or group meetings with students to interpret test results to help develop and maintain Personal Plans of Study: test data (i.e. PreACT, PSAT, ACT, SAT etc.), career surveys, educational achievements, and post-secondary requirement information  Review and revise Personal Plans of Study with students individually, in small groups or in a classroom school counseling activity at least annually (Revisiting the Personal Plan of Study and Post HS Requirements (Lesson 1). This may be done online through: http://missouriconnections.org/.  Help students with course advisement and selection using the Individual Student Planning Handbook  Revise student schedule based on identified needs  Confer annually with students and parents/guardians regarding Personal Plans of Study  Help student transition to post-secondary options (individually, in small groups or in classroom school counseling activities, financial aid program, college/career fairs, parent workshops, etc…)  Assist students with tracking graduation and post-secondary requirements (transcript reviews, credit studies, standardized test scores, NCAA requirements http://web1.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.jsp, college admissions requirements, etc.) High School Materials:  Individual Student Planning Process Rubric: High School APPENDIX 5  Personal Plan of Study Checklist (PPS)—Review and update annually APPENDIX 6  Sample Agenda for High School Orientation APPENDIX 7  Individual Student Planning Student Handbook APPENDIX 8  Individual Student Planning Resources APPENDIX 9  Individual Student Planning Vocabulary APPENDIX 10 Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program Individual Student PlanningK-12 Page 8 of 31 INDIVIDUAL STUDENT PLANNING PROGRAM EVALUATION Evaluation: Program + Personnel = Results: This information is provided for the School Counselor (SC) to consider when conducting evaluation – such as an Internal Improvement Review – of the Individual Student Planning component of the MCSCP. PowerPoint presentations videos, sample templates, and summaries of results based projects conducted by practicing school counselors are available to assist with an evaluation plan as required by MSIP. http://dese.mo.gov/college-career-readiness/guidance-counseling/evaluation *The Individual Student Planning Rubrics will assist the SC with identifying strengths and weaknesses of the program but are not meant as program evaluation. Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: Linking School Success with Life Success Individual Student Planning Process Rubric: Elementary Level Directions: Circle the box that represents your school/district’s current counseling practice for each Performance Element Performance 1 2 3 4 Element Emerging Developing Meets Standard Advanced Students participate in Students participate in Students are participating in lessons about Students are actively engaged in lessons classroom school lessons about career career awareness and transition activities at about career awareness and transition counseling lessons about awareness, informally all levels, can formally show they have activities at all levels, can show they have Student career awareness at all show they have attained attained the MCSCP GLEs and can apply the attained the MCSCP GLEs through Engagement levels. the MCSCP Grade Level attainment to life choices. formative/summative assessments and can Expectations (GLEs), and apply to life choices showing an evolution of are involved in transition career awareness maturity at all levels. activities at all levels. Plans and activities have A process has started to The career awareness activities and program The career awareness activities and program been developed for one develop sequential are developmental, sequential, and are evaluated, improved and maintained as Missouri of the following: All K-5 career awareness integrated into the instructional program. part of the CSCP, integrated into the Comprehensive MCSCP GLEs; Transition activities. The program The annually evaluated program addresses all instructional program and insure all of the Guidance and activities at all grade addresses two of the of the following: All K-5 MCSCP GLEs; following are of high quality: All K-5 MCSCP Counseling levels; Adequate following: All K-5 MCSCP Transition activities at all grade levels; Grade GLEs; Transition activities at all grade Program interpretation of test GLEs Transition activities Adequate interpretation of test results for levels; Adequate interpretation of test results results for students and at all grade levels; students and parents. for students and parents. (MCGCP) parents. Adequate interpretation Requirements of test results for students and parents. Counselor presents K-5 Counselor collaborates Counselor provides leadership by Counselor provides leadership by career awareness lessons with administrators, collaborating with administrators, district collaborating with all stake holders to and works with district district counselors and counselors and teachers to present, evaluate, evaluate, improve and maintain the CSCP, counselors to begin a teachers to present and and maintain developmental and sequential integrating it into the instructional program plan that addresses all maintain developmental school counseling activities for: All K-5 and insuring all of the following are of high Counselor MCSCP G GLEs. and sequential Individual MCSCP GLEs; Transition activities at all grade quality: All K-5 MCSCP GLEs; Transition Engagement & Student Planning levels; Adequate interpretation of test results activities at all grade levels; Adequate Leadership activities (career for students and parents. The counselor interpretation of test results for students and awareness lessons, advocates for students through the CSCP. parents. The counselor advocates for assemblies, whole school students through the CSCP. celebrations, etc.) and transitioning activities for grades K-5. Counselor Counselor collaborates Administrator provides support for counselor Administrator provide leadership, communication is with administrators and and staff by advocating for the expectations, and support for counselor and Administrators focused on developing staff to integrate career implementation of career awareness lessons, staff to implement, review, enhance and & Staff mutually supportive roles awareness activities into across curriculum, and transition activities for maintain career awareness and transition Engagement for administrators and the instructional and all students. activities as an integral part of the MCSCP staff in the career school program. and school curriculum. awareness process. Individual Student Planning Process Rubric: Elementary Level Directions: Circle the box that represents your school/district’s current counseling practice for each Performance Element Performance 1 2 3 4 Element Emerging Developing Meets Standard Advanced Career awareness and Career awareness and Parents/guardians are given the opportunity A significant number of parents/guardians transitioning information transitioning information to participate in career awareness activities. participate in career awareness activities, is sent home to that includes suggestions Career awareness, transitioning information, complete a needs assessment, and/or parents/guardians for parental engagement and test results are shared and discussed participate on the comprehensive school Parental/ and/or posted on the is sent home to with parents/guardians on a regular basis via counseling advisory committee. Career Guardian website. parents/guardians webinars, podcasts, email, newsletter, group awareness, transitioning information, and Engagement and/or posted on the meetings, and parent conferences. test results are shared and discussed with website. parents/guardians on a regular basis via webinars, podcasts, email, newsletter, group meeting, and parent conferences. School career awareness A school wide career Community partnerships (sponsoring Community partnerships (sponsoring information and awareness activity programs, mentoring, guest speakers, programs, mentoring, guest speakers, Community community resources are engaging community providing resources, or participation on the providing resources, or participation on the Engagement identified and posted on guest speakers and advisory committee and/or career/college advisory committee and/or career/college the school website resources is planned and fairs) are formed and functioning. fairs) are functioning as an integral part of and/or newsletter. implemented. the MCSCP. A school plan for grade A district-wide plan for Transitioning plans including grade to grade, Transitioning plans includes grade to grade, to grade and building to grade to grade and building to building, and post-secondary building to building, and post-secondary building transitions is building to building linkage activities have been established and linkage activities are implemented, evaluated Transitioning & being developed in transitions is being are evaluated annually by counselors, annually by all stake holders, and are Postsecondary collaboration with developed in administrators and staff. maintained and improved. Linkage administrators, collaboration with counselors, and staff. administrators, district counselors, and staff. Counselor annually Counselor annually The career awareness program is evaluated The career awareness program is evaluated, reviews career collects feedback from annually using the Individual Student improved and maintained annually using the awareness activities. staff and students and Planning Section of the Internal Improvement Individual Student Planning Section of the Program reviews all career Review (IIR) and feedback. Counselors Internal Improvement Review (IIR), at least Evaluation awareness activities with collaborate with the advisory committee, one Action Research project, and needs administrators. staff, parents/guardians and students to assessment data in collaboration with all evaluate career awareness and transitioning stake holders. activities. 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