October+5,+2011

** HS 7:30 – 11:30, MS 9:30 – 1:00 ** ** AGENDA **
 * October 5, 2011 **

** NOTE: Please consider bringing an unwrapped toy to December meeting for Toys for Tots donation. **
__** 7:30 Senior advisory and college applications **__ Northbrook – Government & Economic classes bring students to library to apply online; U of H-D has said that they will come and help Memorial – all the classes come in August to auditorium and attend a presentation; they keep a record of what they are doing; they have them apply no matter what Spring Woods – Tech teachers were not assigned advisories so that students could go in there on Fridays starting at the end of October Stratford – registrar has a database of where students have applied. They will use the Go Van in the spring to round up those that have not applied in the spring WAIS – Essays and applications through senior English classes; senior meetings are held in the classroom and at night with parents

It was easier to work with doing FAFSA during advisory, however, the undocumented students felt uncomfortable. This was also done during Government/Economic classes.

Hortencia is going to send us a document about undocumented students and the steps that they need to take to apply for HCC and Apply Texas.

Each campus needs to come up with a plan to make sure that every child is applying to college campus. Put a timeline on it. We need to able to report it to the board.

Hortencia would like to have a night or a late start day from each campus where they would come and work on applications with her.

__** 8:00 HS Defining statement **__ (see word cloud of HS words and statements of belief below)

__**8:30 GT/AP Course Codes**__ - [|HS GT Course Codes.docx]

New course codes – GT students need be in course sections for next semester

__**8:45 Looking into the crystal ball**__ (EOCs, schedules, graduation) (Keith Haffey) EOC must count in the student’s grade – 15%

9th graders have a new testing scheme with EOC that is in Algebra 1, English1, World Geography, and Biography. If they fail some of those tests, they will have baggage pulling them back where they will eventually have to pass these exams. Reading and Writing test will take two days. Have there been any questions? EOC will count for the students even though it does not count for the district. How do we put in place the “what if’s”? There will be one policy that we will all follow. Should a student that passed the EOC, but fails the class, be able to pass the class? What happens when the child when passes the class, but does pass the test? They will get remediation for the test. We will be looking at the unintended consequences of the testing.

__**9:30 What’s new with STAAR?**__ (Keith Haffey) - STAAR released questions and answers STAAR: Timed Test, More Rigor (more reading, vocabulary at a higher level, more steps to problem solve), End of course Tests, Multi-Day tests, 3rd graders will have answer documents, No accommodate test version, no accommodation manual, no SSI this year, un-bundled dyslexia bundle, standardized direction (i.e., 6th, 7th, 8th will have the same directions for the test)

They now have 12 exit exams that they will have to take to graduate from high school.

Accommodations: It appears that fewer accommodations will be allowed in the future for testing. However, we will have to stay in touch with Keith.
 * Are changes to instructional materials, procedures, or techniques that allow a student with disabilities to participate in grade-level or course instruction and testing
 * Must be individualized for each student
 * Used routinely in the classroom

TEA website has a STAAR portion that has released questions for each future EOC test including grade level tests. (see link above)

__** 10:00 Bullying **__ How much proof is needed of bullying? When a student retaliates, they get the same punishment? However, the law says they should not. This law says it is possible to move the bully. In the past, it was possible only to move the victim. Difference between harassment and bullying is that one is on-going. Things that happen outside the school day will often come to school. This brings it into the area of school where we have to deal with it. This law will deal with next school year. Counselors need training on how to help those that have been bullied.
 * Resources
 * Teen Health & Wellness (database of information on a wide variety of topics) - @http://teenhealthandwellness.com/
 * NetSmartz (focus on cyberbullying; free resources for parents, educators, and teens from National Center for Missing & Exploited Children) -@http://www.netsmartz.org/Educators
 * Bullying Academy (4th-8th grade program) - @http://www.bullyingacademy.org/
 * HB 1942 - [|HB 1942 text.pdf]
 * SBISD FFI (Bullying) - [|FFI Local.pdf]
 * SBISD FFH (Harrassment) - [|FFH Local.pdf]

__**10:30 Community Resources**__ (D’Ann Franklin) D’Ann Franklin – listed on wiki If we find new articles or books, we can either add them to the wiki ourselves or send them to Hortencia or Lynette, and they will put them on the wiki.

__** 11:00 DAEP and PEIMS (Cynthia Chai) **__ At DAEP, we must now show the teacher on the student’s record when they are on DAEP. When they show up for intake, they will change the teacher for the four core teachers. Those four teachers are responsible for attendance at DAEP. The electives will stay on the home campus. DAEP will also put the grades in Skyward. The student will receive a grade per week and will put it in the gradebook. Counselor will put them in core classes when they come back to home campus. This policy starts 10/17/11 because of Snapshot.

__** 11:45 MS Defining statement **__ (see MS word cloud and statement of belief below) MS Counselors listed what they value in their role as a counselor. What key word(s) would you state in a conversation with a state legislator? Describe your job or role using single words or descriptions.

Groups work with [|http://willyou.typewith.me] with the words listed from the activity above to create the heart of MS counselors. Used the website [|http://www.tagxedo.com] to make the heart. Are MS counselors valued? Do administrators appreciate what we do? What is the temperature of adminsitrators? Do we really value the counseling of students? Counselors are vehicles for focusing the academic success of students. Lynette has not had any discussions that counselors are not valued. The 504/STAT conversations did not go as thought but we are researching/rethinking how they are handled. We cannot continue to work at the level of stress and there will be further discussions of how things will work.

__** 12:15 Duke TIP **__ Counselors need to call help desk to have FileMaker Pro placed back on their computers. Contact Lynette if you need help with all your computer information. Letters for DUKE TIP have been sent along with the FMP files.
 * TIP Option Letter - [|TIP Option Letter.pdf]

Kids who qualify for TAKS scores register through Duke TIP and not SAT. Duke does a comparison of other like students. SAT is not offered at SWHS. It is only offered at MHS. ACT is offered at SWHS and MHS. ACT is more curriculum based than SAT.

If you want to send TIP options home with kids, it is up to the campus counselors and the campus needs. Cost for SAT for free and reduced lunch students is $25 but must submit a paper application instead of enrolling on line. Fee waiver letters are included in the File Make Pro files. Print the regular letter, put in the paper application, and then give them the Fee Waiver letter for those doing paper applications.
 * Can we provide a bus to MHS for the SAT?**

You can give TIP OPTION letters to students in Pre-AP classes to encourage more presentation.

GT Cogat Scores can qualify students if they scored 95% or better in the last 2 years in the identiifcation process.


 * Mailing Labels are not part of the file but Lynette will work on it.**

Lynette demonstrated how to use the File Make Pro to produce letters for the qualified students.

TIP Options Letter in Spanish will follow.


 * Statements of Belief:**
 * We are committed to advocate and support students, providing them with the information and help needed to achieve their personal goals in their education, and beyond in order that they lead successful lives and have productive relationships.
 * As advocates of the students of Spring Branch, we value the holistic well-being of the students to guide them towards a successful future.
 * We value the whole child.
 * We value building meaningful relationships with students in order to help guide them as young, individual, and unique human beings.
 * We value student wellness, student success, healthy relationships, education, academic success, social emotional development, life goals, and career awareness.
 * We are advocators of students who provide guidance, support, and knowledge while establishing positive relationships leading to academic success and productive lives.
 * As a counselor, we value students and their daily needs that will lead to their educational goals and future success.
 * We value social, emotional, and academic well-being of our students and the uniqueness of each student we serve. We seek to insure their safety and cultivate an atmosphere of trust in order to help them navigate the stimuli in their world to strive for success as a whole person and to help them have happy productive lives.
 * We value helping students with their education and relationships by supporting, advocating, and providing accurate information, which will lead to a successful future.