Student Success Centers: A Model for Funding and Training

SCHOOL COUNSELING TRANSFORMED

PRESENTERS

Amber Baughman, Sabri Dogan, & Dr. Felice Kassoy

The Ohio State University Counselor Education

WHY ARE YOU HERE?

Write down 1-2 questions that you hope to answer in this session.

What are the challenges to funding you experience?

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

TSCI – DEWITT-WALLACE FUNDS FOR A NEW VISION FOR SCHOOL COUNSELING -- 2002, Dr. Susan Sears

Ohio State University one of the six grantees Funds used to establish “Student Support Centers” in

high-needs high schools in under-resourced urban school district with low graduation rates

Concurrent services to K-12 students and training for professional school counselors

EVOLVED INTO FUNDING CYCLE

Grant funds (DeWitt-Wallace funds) School district funded Grant funds (AT&T funds, 2008-

2012) School district funded (current)

CENTERS DEFINED STUDENT SUPPORT CENTERS: Mental

health emphasis, data collection STUDENT SUCCESS CENTERS: Drop-

out prevention, holistic services Student Success Skills curriculum Counseling Data collection challenges

CURRENT MODEL: STUDENT SUCCESS CENTERS

Center is open 20 hours per week per school

Staffing: Doctoral supervisor and interns, practicum students

Currently in one district, 2 school buildings, 4 schools total Unique District model: Social worker is MH coordinator, School counselor is devoted to only College and Career efforts

SCHOOL A

COUNSELOR SOCIAL

College & Career WORKER

MH

OSU CENTER

COUNSELOR SOCIAL

College & Career WORKER

MH

SCHOOL B

ADVANTAGES

Independent funds for doctoral GA support (doc students supervise

Department picks up costs until district pays invoice

Field Training of new counselors congruent with classroom learning

Interns mentor practicum students

IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER: In this model, district is a “customer” purchasing services. Implications for relationship with school administration and fidelity to mission of school counseling (ASCA National Model)

DISADVANTAGES

Funds vary with fiscal climate of district (levies and state funding)

Districts do not always pay on time Field counselors not always thrilled

that district is bringing in a Center to “take all the fun stuff”

Very time and labor intensive!!!

TIME AND LABOR INVESTMENT

Faculty (and GA) coordinate the work of the Centers

Negotiate the Center contract with district/building

Work with building administration to define work of Center

Work to expand opportunities, develop new Centers

Work with the University to develop budget for center

TIME AND LABOR INVESTMENT

Supervision of supervisors provided for all doctoral supervisors

Monitor development and growth for interns and practicum students

All documents of the Center must be created: Manual Permissions Referral forms

TRAINING ISSUES ADVANTAGES:

Students see transformed school counseling at work

DISADVANTAGES: Students also see narrowed roles of school

counselors in building Students worry that they are not seeing the

“real” job of school counselor

INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES WITH CENTERS

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?