Principal's Comments

Principal's Comments

The students of El Dorado High School (EDHS) are very fortunate to have counselors who truly implement every element of the Texas Comprehensive Developmental Guidance and Counseling Model, which is based upon the National Standards for American School Counselors Association (ASCA). It is with great pleasure that I submit this application to CREST. The Student Support Team plays a vital role in the safety and academic success of every student The EDHS counselors emphasize the academic, career, and personal/social growth of each student Students have access to all counselors in order to develop trust and confidence from a team of professionals. The end result is a well informed student who has learned that he can turn to any counselor for guidance!

Student Support Personnel Team

The EDHS Counseling Program is comprised of six full-time counselors with a 65 combined years of educational experience. These counselors come from varied backgrounds such as, teaching and military experience. All counselors have a Masters Degree in Education specializing in Guidance and Counseling. Some counselors are members of both Texas Counseling Association (TCA) and Trans-Pecos Counseling Association (TPCA).

EDHS counselors coordinate with other student support personnel to aid students with personal/social, academic, and career goals. These members include: a Community in Schools (CIS) social worker, a Military Family Liaison, one full-time clerk, one college student coordinator for our CollegeCareerCenter (GO Center), one district nurse and one school psychologist. These individuals bring a multitude of expertise that enhances the EDHS counseling team.

Prior to the implementation of this program, all counselors worked in a traditional high school/middle school setting. In 2002-03 school year, the EDHS counseling staff pioneered the first comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling high school program (CDGC) in the Socorro ISD. As a result, EDHS counselors have a numerous responsibilities based on the counselor-specializations and alphabetical breakdown. Counselor specializations include the academic, career and personal-social areas. Through this method, EDHS counselors provide instruction to ALL students while incorporating all strands of the Texas CDGC program and ASCA standards. Instruction is provided through classroom presentations, small group facilitation; and individual counseling. In addition, EDHS counselors coordinate at-risk programs, tutoring, and parental programs.

School Climate and Safety

The EDHS Counseling Program strives to meet its goals through a variety of means: delivering a proactive guidance and counseling program to all students; attending to the unique needs of individual students by involving community resources in the delivery of the program, and providing accountability through measured results in order to contribute to theoverall improvement in the school climate.

In addition to implementing a CDGC Program, the counseling department centers on student attendance, KEYS (DAEP) referrals and teacher absenteeism. EDHS counselors collect attendance data, meet regularly with the attendance committee, and conduct parent and student conferences.

KEYSAcademy is the SISD alternative placement school. In order to reduce the number of KEYS referrals, counselors hold small group sessions, monitor student achievement, encourage tutoring, schedule guest speakers, and implement the "Connecting with Kids" Curriculum.Similarly, these strategies were implemented with the entire student population, thus contributing to the school climate and safety for all.

Graph 1: DistrictAlternative School Referrals by School

The overall school climate at EDHS prides itself in improving the lives of its students. If the school climate is supportive of the educational process, thenstudents willbe in attendance more often. Efforts have been made by collaborating with administration, students, parents and the EDHS counseling department. Based on the attendance percentages for the last three years, the EDHS counseling department has concluded that all stakeholders in the students’ educational career need to be involved to obtain the desired results.

Graph 2: Students Attendance Percentage Rates Student Results

Student achievement and academic success is the focal point of both EDHS staff and the counseling department. Many of these academic successes can be attributed to interventions afforded by the counselor to all students. An integral component of this successful endeavor is the positive collaboration between administration, counselors and educators.

EDHS counselors meet with all students individually to review their academic needs emphasizing the importance of skill acquisition for each student's career goals. Moreover, counselors administer career/interest inventories to all students which enable each student to develop broad or precise career goals. EDHS counselors teach lessons to all grade levels emphasizing academic issues such as: credit acquisition for graduation, testing, and the importance of an advanced curriculum. As a result, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skill's scores continue to exceed both the district's and school's expectations.

Graph 3: EDHS TAKS Scores

Another result of both individual sessions and classroom presentations is the increased number of credits earned per at EDHS.

Graph 4: Percent of Credits Earned

Another department goal is to help boost the number of Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test ( PSAT) student participation. Over the last two years, PSATstudent participation at EDHS has increased. In addition to guidance lessons, counselors offer students the “Think College Now Program.” As a subsidiary program from the University of Texas at El Paso, this program provides lessons which encourage students to focus on post-secondary options. Second, EDHS counselors schedule guest speakers to promote the value of college entrance examinations such as the PSAT, SAT, and ACT.

Graph 5: PSAT Participation

Major Achievements

With the goal of positive student and school achievement, the Student Services Support Team at EDHS continues to grow and produce innovative programs that result in the success of all students.

-Comprehensive Developmental Guidance and Counseling Program (CDGC): With the implementation of this proactive counseling program our team helped to increase the attendance rates of both students and teachers, reduce the number of KEYS referrals, improve TAKS scores and increase the percent of credits earned by each student

-Counselor Retreat: Our team initiated a communication network between EDHS and its K-8 feeder schools which resulted in a successful vertical alignment between K-12. This initiative also resulted in a smooth transition between middle and high school.

-IB Program: Coordinated efforts by the counseling team resulted in a successful application and implementation of the IB Program.

-PSAT participation: Due to collaborative efforts by the school, a substantial number of students participated in taking the PSAT.

-GO Center: Through collaboration with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), EDHS was able to equip the school with technology geared towards promoting higher education that is run by a support staff of EDHS students.

-Registration Process: Through our team's efforts, EDHS’s registration process was redesigned resulting in a more accurate placement of students in classes.

-C.R.E.S.T. Award: The EDHS Counseling Team was recognized by TSCA in 2005

-RAMP Award: The EDHS Counseling Team has a Recognized ASCA Model Program for 2006-2009

Measurements

In order to facilitate the students to achieve academic, career, and personal/social success, the Guidance Program utilizes a variety of measurements and tools for feedback. One of the measurements used is the Southern Association of School and Colleges Accreditation Report. Another source of measurement is gathered from the school's Student Improvement Team (SIT), which consists of a parent, teachers, administrators, a counselor, students and the school nurse. Effective Schools Survey, our district-wide student and faculty survey, is another effectively used tool for measurement. Informal feedback from students and staff is also vital.

Academic

-Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Test (ACT), International Baccalaureate (IB) exams, and Advanced Placement (AP) exams: These college entrance exams are an integral part of student success.

-Special Education Assessments: Psychologists and diagnosticians coordinate these series of assessments to develop personalized educational plans for our special needs population.

-The Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) assignments: These assessments are designed to meet the needs of Second Language Learners.

-TAKS, SDAA II, LAT (Math only), and TAKS SI: These measurements are designed to measure student achievement.

-Benchmark Tests: These district tests are designed to measure student achievement as related to the scope and sequence of each course.

-GT Testing: These cluster of assessments identify all gifted and talented students resulting in advanced curriculum placement courses for these students.

-Credit by Exam: These exams are designed to provide students the opportunity to either remediate or challenge specific courses for credit.

Career

-Career Cruising: (Computerized Career Interest Assessments) These assessments are directly correlated with each student’s five year academic and career plan.

Personal/Social

-Health Screenings: The nurse identifies health barriers to the well being of each student

-Effective Schools Survey: This district-wide initiative helps the school to direct efforts towards correcting areas of concern

-Client Satisfaction Survey: Counselor initiative intended to help the counseling department identify areas of improvement.

Community Partnership/Resources

The Student Support Services Team recognizes the importance of community partnerships in meeting the needs of all students. Cooperation between the school and community resources allows the counseling department to refer students and families for services. Resources are provided to students to allow them to be successful in their daily lives and in their future endeavors.

Academic

*University of Texas at El Paso; (UTEP): Think College Now, GO Center, GO Theater, Making It Count, Financial Aid, Application Process *College Representatives/ College night *Ft. Bliss Military Child Education Coalition assists with transition of military students

Career:

*El Paso Community College (EPCC) Dual enrollment program *High Tech Institute: TechnicalSchool presentation*DeVry University Career Interest Inventory Presentations

Personal-Social:

*Communities in Schools (CIS) services *Ft.Bliss: Student to Student program *Multi-Agency Resource Services (MARS) *Youth Initiative Program (YIP)

Parent Volunteer Involvement

The Student Services Support Team welcomes the involvement of parents and guardians in the education of all students. Through the Parent

Volunteer Coordinator's efforts, our parents have volunteered numerous hours this past school year. Volunteer enrollment is available on a continuous basis throughout the school year.

-Parent Volunteer Coordinator: Gloria Loya You may contact her at (915)856-6416 or e-mail her at .

-School Improvement Team (SIT): This Counselor Advisory Committee meets monthly to discuss school- wide issues to include the counseling department.

-Phone Notifications/Reminders: Calls are made by the parent volunteers to notify parents of counselor evening presentations and special programs.

-July Registration (9`s-12ffi Grades): Parent volunteers play a vital role in helping with this process from manning booths to helping maintain a smooth process.

Parent presentations: Mrs. Loya translates all correspondence for Spanish speaking parents.

Focus for Improvement

The El Dorado Counseling Department is committed to continuous efforts on improving services offered to students, parents, and the community. Using self-evaluation and on-going data collection, a variety of needs were addressed and prioritized:

Concern: Decline in student attendance. Assessment Tool: Student attendance rate (Graph 2). Intervention: Improved collaboration with administration and participation in Attendance Committee.

Concern: Lack of attendance at parent evening programs. Assessment tool: Parent attendance sheets. Intervention: Implementation of a callback system and flyers mailed to the home

Concern: Mobility Rate is high Intervention: Family Military Liaison

Concern: Decline in PSAT participation. Assessment Tool: PSAT (Graph 5). Intervention: reallocation of campus funds-all 11th will test.

Keeping You Informed

The El Dorado Counseling Department utilizes a variety of communication methods to keep our students, parents, staff, school board, and community aware of guidance activities.

Personal Contact: All Presentations delivered in English/Spanish

*College Information Night *Welcome to High School *Freshman Parent Night *Tenth Grade Parent Night * Eleventh/Twelfth Parent Night *Local Collegiate Forum *Regional Collegiate Forum*National Collegiate Forum

*COIN Presentation*Parent Orientation Night*Campus Department Meetings*Specialized/ARD/504

Electronic:

*E-mail, Fax, Phone *24 hour Call-back System *Public Address System*EDHS Guidance Website *Power Point Presentations

Print: Booklets: Registration Packets, Course Catalog

*Student Planner*Freshmen Student Guide*Sophomore Student Guide *Junior Student Guide *Senior Student/Scholarship Guide *EDHS Counseling Pamphlet *Ninth Grade Elective Pamphlet

Calendars: Yearly/Monthly/Semester: Guidance Office activities Letters/Newsletters: District, EDHS, and Student Newspaper