Opening!

Gilbert Middle School has an opening for a middle school counselor. This is a great district and the middle school principal is an amazing guy who understands and supports school counseling! Spread the word!!

Go Alliance Academy Registration!!!

The summer registration for the first course in the Go Alliance series: Building a College-Going Culture for All Students is now open.  

Provided by Iowa College Aid in partnership with Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and AEA PD Online, the course is part of Iowa Go Alliance Academy, a college- and career-counseling training program centered around the topics that counselors want and need most. See best practices in action and gain knowledge and resources that can be incorporated in your work with students immediately!

Building a College-Going Culture for All Students will expand the understanding of school counselors’ roles in developing a college-going mission for all students as well as create approaches for working with low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students to remove barriers to college and career success. The course is offered for license renewal or graduate credit through Drake University, Morningside University and Viterbo University. 

The course begins June 5, so register soon! You can register through AEA PD Online, using the link below.  

https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/22036299991801INV&*

Registration for Counselor Academy 17-18

Registration is now open for Counselor Academy 17-18. Please go to the Heartland Professional Development catalog at: https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/YYYYYYYYYYYYYYSRCH and enter the following registration numbers:

For Counselors/Administrators (4 day)  CN010092111801
For Administrators (2 day) AD021792111801

Pass the word!!

Summer Camp

Our friends at Ask Resource Centers have assembled a summer camp list that has something for everyone. Please pass this along to your students' parents to ensure the kids have a fun-filled and educational summer. Here's the link: http://askresource.org/resources/camp-list/

Save the Date - Counselor Academy 2017-18

Ten years ago we offered the first Counselor Academy to help districts write their articulated, sequential school counseling program. The ASCA Model was relatively new at the time and the state legislature was just putting counselors back in the Iowa Code. The Administrative Rule was written to require districts to have a K-12 school counseling program. 

It's back!!!

A lot has happened since then. The ASCA Model is on its third edition, there are new ASCA standards and education in Iowa has evolved. Using the ASCA Model, the Iowa Framework for School Counseling Programs and the MTSS Framework, participants in the 2017-18 Counselor Academy will write, update, refine and implement an ASCA Model for their district/building school counseling program.

Because of the importance and interconnection of this work, an administrator is asked to accompany the counselors for, at a minimum, days 1 and 4. Of course, they are welcome to attend the entire academy.

Goals

Participants will…

·      Understand and embrace the ASCA Model

·      Uncover barriers and create a plan for overcoming barriers to implementation of ASCA Model

·      Make connections between the ASCA Model, the MTSS process, and College and Career Readiness

·      Increase collaboration with administrators and staff in implementing an ASCA Model

SAVE THE DATES!! October 20, December 15, February 28 and May 8

Registration information coming soon!!

Updates to Division II CTE

Good Morning!!

I am writing with some updates to the CTE Redesign legislation (HF2392). As you know, there are two parts to this legislation. Division 1 pertains to the District Plan and the Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP). We have had several meetings and guidance around Division 1. For notes about the District Plan workshop, please review the Google folder with information.

The more recent updates concern Division II pertaining to the Regional Planning Partnerships (RPP). Paula Vincent, the Heartland AEA Chief and Rob Denson, the President of DMACC, called together the RPP in January of this year to explore wishes and information while we waited for more guidance from the Iowa Department of Education (IDOE). That information has come and the by-laws of the RPP have been submitted to the IDOE for approval. Heartland has decided to have a structure a bit different from other AEA/CC partnerships in the state because of our size and varying enrollment in regions. We have an Executive Committee, and each region within Heartland has a “sub-committee.” That sub-committee will review funds allocated for the region and make decisions based on direction from the Executive Committee as well as carry out the approval process for programming. A letter was sent yesterday to your superintendent with lots of detail and if you are wondering about the impact to your district, please contact your superintendent for more information.

There have been lots of rumors circulating about how this is being structured, the financial implications, etc. Some of those we have answers to; some we do not. Here are some of the items of interest

·      The superintendent of each district will determine who will be on the sub-committee from that district. This sub-committee will make programming and financial decisions for the sub-committee.

·      There will be approximately $11 per secondary student allocated to those sub-committees for disbursement of funds prior to July 1, 2017. In coming years, the funding may be different.

·      There are specific uses of those funds. The funds will be on a reimbursement structure and must be spent on one or some of the following:

o   Professional development for CTE personnel

o   Professional development for Career Guidance

o   Program Implementation for CTE

o   Enhanced curriculum for current programs

o   Career Management Information System (Kuder, Naviance, etc)

If you have questions, your first contact should be your superintendent or curriculum director. However, I am always willing to help you find answers as well. I hope this helps with your understanding and advocacy.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance

Homeless Liaison Toolkit 2017

The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) is pleased to announce the availability of the 2017 edition of its Homeless Liaison Toolkit.

NCHE's Homeless Liaison Toolkit is a comprehensive resource that will assist both new and veteran local liaisons in carrying out their responsibilities. Updated to reflect the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the 2017 edition of the Homeless Liaison Toolkit includes requirements of the law, good practices, sample forms, and links to resources. Sixteen chapters on topics essential to implementing the McKinney-Vento Act synthesize in an easy-to-read format the essentials that local liaisons must know in order to carry out their responsibilities.

The 2017 edition of the NCHE Homeless Liaison Toolkit is available for downloading at https://nche.ed.gov/pr/liaison_toolkit.php.

Middle School Career Exploration

I received this email and was impressed with some of the resources - Middle School Counselors - check it out!

Have you seen the Association for Career & Technical Education’s newly released white paper on Middle School Career Exploration? It gives lots of good reasons why career development is an essential part of your job. At Bright Futures Press, we agree 100% and have recently created a collection of 35 interactive career exploration titles to make your job a little easier and more effective. Our books engage middle grade students and help prepare them to take full advantage of high school college and career readiness opportunities.

See the attached brochure and white paper! and check us out at www.brightfuturespress.com. Be sure to download the free classroom activity guides!

Here’s to helping all of your students find bright futures!

Diane

-- 

Diane Lindsey Reeves

Bright Futures Press

www.brightfuturespress.com
919-637-0194

ISSA Video Contest

For more information, click here

Future Plans - Approved Provider

Future Plans is now an approved provider for the Dept of Education

Future Plans® was created by the Pinellas Education Foundation and is a self-administered, self-awareness and career exploration program designed to help students discover and understand their talents, interests, and preferences. The program also helps students align their skills with educational pathways to in-demand and globally competitive careers.  Comprehensively, Future Plans® has four major objectives: 

•    Students choose postsecondary educational pathways that match aptitudes, values, and interests for in-demand sectors;
•    Students leave high school with an informed and individualized educational plan;
•    School counselors use information from the individualized career plan to better assist students and parents on high school course requirements and career planning;
•    Parents/guardians become more involved and informed about educational and career pathways for their children.

We are having an Informational Webinar on May 11^th, 2pm-2:30pm Eastern (1pm-1:30pm Central) with a live Q & A.  If you would like to learn more information about Future Plans, please click here to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/3466493360176978433

In addition, if you would like a complimentary login to take the complete assessment, we will be happy to provide one for you.  Also, if you are interested in piloting the program, we are offering 25 complimentary student logins to a limited number of districts.  

You can access our demo site for an overview, as well as our introductory video, by clicking on the links below. 

5 Minute Introduction Video Link:

https://youtu.be/2hlSo6gwFXg

Demo Account Link:

https://preview.futureplans.org/

Valerie Reading

Appointment Setter
Future Plans® USA
10125 Ulmerton Road
Largo, FL 33771
Phone: 727.221.4322
Email: vreading@futureplansusa.com

Future Plans®  is a self-administered, Online, College and Career Readiness Planning Tool, aimed at helping students discover their aptitudes, interests, and values, so they can choose the educational pathway that will lead them to their best in-demand career choices.
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5 Minute Introduction Video Link:
https://youtu.be/2hlSo6gwFXg

Using 13 Reasons Why to Initiate a Helpful Conversation about Suicide Prevention & Mental Health

Just received this email from Linda Linn at Prairie Lakes -
Just finished watching the above webinar - sponsored by ASCA (American School Counselor Assoc.), NASP ( National Assoc. of School Psychologists), and American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

It was recorded and should be uploaded to all three of the websites above  

http://afsp.org/mentalhealth OR https://www.nasponline.org/ OR https://www.schoolcounselor.org/

Please consider viewing it with your building's/district's mental health team - counselor, school nurse, health teacher, school psychologist, school social worker etc.

Great information and resources as well as some great questions from the live viewers.

I've attached some fact sheets.

I have heard rumors that this Netflix production may be planning a 'sequel' related to an active shooter by a student.  

PD Opportunity!!

7th Annual Psychological Trauma & Juvenile Justice: Impact on Mind, Body, Behavior and Community - Current Research and Practice Trends

Date:  June 6, 7, 2017

Time: 7:30 am to 4:00 pm

Location:  Holiday Inn Airport, 6111 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA  50321

To Register: CLICK

Registration Deadline 5/22/17

See Brochure Additional Information: Brochure