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2020-21 Monthly Edition No. 10
June 17, 2021
Tanya Bulette
Celebrating the Joy of Connecting

As the 2020-21 school year comes to a close, there is so much to celebrate as we reflect on all that was accomplished during such a challenging year.

In April and May, we held our first Spring Refresh: Professional Learning Series for School Counselors which included 21 webinars and 36 guest speakers. The event kicked off at our spring convening with an inspirational message by Josh Godinez, President of the California Association of School Counselors (CASC). The six-week series included webinars on Best Practices, College and Career Readiness, Mental Health, Equity and Social Justice, and Advocating and Promoting the Role of the School Counselors. In total, we had 1,292 participants throughout the state learning, collaborating, and sharing all things school counseling. If you missed any or part of the series, you can find the recorded webinars and materials on the SDCOE School Counselor webpage. They are also included in this newsletter with spotlights on some of the most attended webinars.
Photo of Gage Bulette
In June, many graduation and promotion ceremonies shifted into in-person gatherings to celebrate and recognize the accomplishments of the Class of 2021. With restrictions loosening on wearing masks and social distancing, people were once again able to connect with friends and family and found newfound joy in all that was missed while in quarantine. On a personal note, my oldest son, Gage, graduated from UC Irvine with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. I never imagined the pride I would feel as a parent to see my child reach this milestone. As school counselors, we often don't know where our students will land, or what they will accomplish, especially in the midst of a pandemic, but to know that we have a special role in shaping their journey to help them believe and achieve their goals is so rewarding.

As our state continues to re-open and we start to return to what life was like before the pandemic, I hope that you are able to celebrate and find joy in your connections with loved ones and friends. Enjoy your well-deserved summer break and find time to rest, relax, and feel rejuvenated for a new school year.
Counseling Coordinator
San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE)
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2021 Summer Professional Development Calendar for School Counselors

Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of professional learning opportunities. Click here to view a list of 2021 summer conferences and workshops.
#SummerofSelf

To help educators achieve the stress and anxiety management they need, Rethink Ed is launching the "Summer of Self" wellness initiative by offering a full access, free trial of Whil, the leading professional mindfulness, resilience, sleep, and mental health program to all educators with a school district email through Aug. 31. The Summer of Self is about helping educators recharge, recenter, and re-engage over the summer so that we can all come back as our best selves in the fall.
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ASCA 2021 National Conference

Join other school counseling professionals for four days of inspirational keynote sessions, informative breakout sessions, in-depth looks at hot topics in the school counseling profession, and networking opportunities. This year's conference will be held in Las Vegas, July 11-14, and will be offered both in-person and virtually. Click here for details and to register.
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CASC 2021 Conference

On Oct. 28-29, CASC will once again host an in-person conference at the Riverside Convention Center. They will also host a simultaneous virtual event for those who can't get to Riverside or who prefer to attend from home.

Registrants who choose to come to Riverside will enjoy the full conference experience — general sessions, more than 60 breakout sessions from which to choose, face-to-face networking opportunities — everything that was available pre-pandemic. In addition, you will have access to the virtual conference platform and all it offers for 60 days after the event. 

Virtual-only registrants will receive access to the online conference portal beginning Oct. 28 which includes live-streaming of the general sessions and select breakout sessions. There will also be recorded breakouts that you will not find in the live experience. Networking opportunities will exist for attendees — both virtual and those at the Convention Center — exhibitors and presenters. Access to the virtual platform will continue for 60 days after the event.
Advocacy
Spring Refresh
SDCOE Spring Refresh 2021 Webinar Recordings
Promoting the Role of the School Counselor
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SPOTLIGHT: Sharing Your Work Using Data
Learn how three very different middle school counselors came together at one school site to utilize their personal strengths to build capacity as they developed their data-driven program. They will share their experiences, tools, and tips of how they navigated the re-creation of their counseling program through identifying needs, determining support services, and sharing their results through the use of data.
Preparing for New California Standards in 2022
By: Drs. Caroline Lopez-Perry and Loretta Whitson

The revised California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) Pupil Personnel Service (PPS) Credential Standards are scheduled to be implemented in 2022 after a one-year postponement due to COVID-19. California's PPS: School Counseling Preconditions, Program Standards, and Performance Expectations are unlike the standards from 20 years ago. There is a stronger emphasis on mental health, and they are more closely aligned with the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs and the ASCA National Model.

One of the major changes within the new standards is mandatory clinical supervision training for practicing school counselors who oversee fieldwork students. Beginning in 2022, students completing their fieldwork hours will have to be supervised by a school counselor who has met these new clinical supervision training requirements. This important change advances the school counseling profession to be up to date in clinical supervision practices. It aligns the school counseling profession with what is required of other licensed and credentialed mental health professionals in California. CASC will be offering a certificate in “Clinical Supervision” beginning in the next few months. More details will be out with links to register.

As we prepare for these changes at the university level and at the PreK-12 grade level, CASC has included a CTC Standards strand as part of our annual conference offerings. If you have not yet registered for the Oct. 28-29 Finding Pathways, Healing Hearts conference click the link provided here.
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Spring Refresh
SDCOE Spring Refresh 2021 Webinar Recordings
Social Justice and Equity
SPOTLIGHT: Transcript Analysis: Creating Equitable Practices
Do you struggle with evaluating international transcripts? Learn how one San Diego County school district processes transcripts from many different countries each year. Learn tools and tips and we will touch base on the general evaluation of transcripts to ensure equity for our students and "a-g" accuracy.

Additional Webinar Recordings:
For a complete list of webinars, workshop descriptions, speakers, and access to slide decks and materials, click here.
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SDCOE Celebrates LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

Please join us as we celebrate Pride Month and honor the historical and current contributions of the LGBTQIA+ Americans in our local communities. LGBTQIA+ Pride Month celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, learning events, and concerts. Please find the SDCOE Resource Guide for Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Pride Month.
 
The SDCOE Equity team will be offering a free, professional learning series designed to deepen our understanding of how we can all be better allies to our LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and communities.

Professional Learning Series
LBGTQIA+ 101: The Basics of LGBT+ Laws, Best Practices, and Policy Change
This offering will provide participants with the basics terminology, laws protecting LGBTQIA+ students, best practices, frequently asked questions, and recommendations for policy change within your organization. June 18, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Register here

LGBTQIA+ 102: Supporting Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Non-Conforming Youth
This offering will provide participants with information around gender diverse youth including laws and policy, national and local data, best practices, and resources to support youth who are trans, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming. June 25, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Register here

Allyship in Action: Youth Scholar-Led Panel
This student-led dialogue panel will feature San Diego County students sharing their experiences and recommendations for creating safe and inclusive environments and experiences for LGBTQIA+ students at school. June 28, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Register here

Additional Resources:
How to Read the LCAP to Track Equity

A Local Control Accountability Plan, or LCAP, is a strategic plan that California school districts and charters produce to explain how they plan to spend money to meet student needs and close equity gaps. Every year, school districts and charters must provide a report on the previous year and create an updated plan for the next year. The LCAP provides critical information that community members should use to track equity priorities. Review this short guide on How to Read the LCAP to Track Equity
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Spring Refresh
SDCOE Spring Refresh 2021 Webinar Recordings
College and Career Readiness
SPOTLIGHT: College Checklists Help Students Move From Accepted to Enrolled
This session examines the mental models and barriers that exist when enrolling in college and how using checklists might minimize these barriers and decrease the percentages of students experiencing summer melt. This presentation will share the college checklists developed by SDCOE for the 25 most attended postsecondary institutions along with the important elements students often overlook in this process. Each participant will have access to these checklists and have an opportunity to provide feedback on them.
Additional Webinar Recordings:

For a complete list of webinars, workshop descriptions, speakers, and access to slide decks and materials, click here.
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The Race to Submit Continues

The San Diego County Race to Submit campaign for high school seniors completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) will continue through June with top category leaders receiving awards in countywide celebration in September. Each month, we will post our top four schools on the leaderboards as data is updated on the California Race to Submit Dashboard. As a county, last June we ended at a 51% overall FAFSA/CADAA completion rate. We are currently at 50% and still have one month to go. We are tied in n comparison to all California public schools we are tied.

San Diego County completion rates are up 3% from last month.
Leaderboards by Category
There are four categories based on the number of seniors in the class of 2021 who are enrolled at each school. The data for our current leaderboard was updated May 30. Click on the links below to view the top 10 schools on each leaderboard and where your school ranks in the race.

#1 100% Completion - Options Secondary, Sweetwater Union High School District 
#1 100% Completion - East Village High, San Diego Unified School District 
#2  85% Completion - San Pasqual Academy, San Diego County Office of Education
#3  81% Completion - High Tech High International, High Tech High Schools

#1 91% Completion - High Tech High Media Arts, High Tech High Schools
#2 85% Completion - High Tech High Chula Vista, High Tech High Schools
#3 82% Completion - High Tech High San Diego, High Tech High Schools
#4 74% Completion - San Diego SCPA, San Diego Unified School District

#1 75% Completion - Mission Vista High, Vista Unified School District
#2 73% Completion - University City High, San Diego Unified School District
#3 65% Completion - Southwest Senior High, Sweetwater Union High School District
#3 65% Completion - La Jolla High, San Diego Unified School District

#1 73% Completion - San Marcos High, San Marcos Unified School District
#1 73% Completion - Scripps Ranch High, San Diego Unified School District
#3 71% Completion - Mira Mesa High School, San Diego Unified School District
#3 71% Completion - Helix High, Grossmont Union High School District

District Leaderboards:

#1 66% Completion - San Marcos Unified School District
#2 55% Completion - Coronado Unified School District
#3 54% Completion - Carlsbad Unified School District

#1 59% Completion - San Diego Unified School District
#2 58% Completion - Poway Unified School District
#3 57% Completion - San Dieguito Union High School District
Federal GEAR UP Funding Applications Due June 28

Are you planning to apply for federal Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) funds? ACTs GEAR UP Toolkit offers tips, videos, webinars, success stories, and information on how to use ACT products and services to make your GEAR UP application successful.
College Resources to Support Foster Youth

California College Pathways (CCP), a statewide partnership that provides resources to campuses and community organizations to help foster youth succeed at postsecondary institutions, launched an updated website and resource hub. The new website combines resources for foster youth and adult supporters into one streamlined website, and features many of the same key functionalities as the older site, including the Search by College tool to locate available foster youth supports across campuses.

The website is also home to the Foster Youth Educational Planning Guide, a checklist-based resource to help foster youth plan for college beginning as early as grade 6. To access the new site or learn more about the CCP initiative, click here.
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Passport to Success: College and Career Edition

Families In Schools (FIS) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to engage families and communities in their children's education to achieve life-long success. FIS seeks to help families become knowledgeable and confident advocates for their children's education. To this end, we work in partnership with families, schools, and communities to support student learning.

FIS is proud to announce the launch of their second annual college and career preparation campaign called Passport to Success: College and Career Edition taking place June 7 to Aug. 1. The FIS summer campaign was created to reduce summer learning loss by encouraging students and families to participate in learning activities such as taking virtual tours of colleges, attending virtual Q&A events, and completing a workbook. Families In Schools will be awarding five $1,000 scholarships to students living in California in grades 5-12.

Toolkits and Resources:
  • School counselors are encouraged to share this opportunity with students and their families. If you are interested in spreading the word, please download the social media and communications toolkit here.
  • Recognizing that some students may want a printed copy, FIS is offering school counselors two printed copies of the workbook to make copies for students. To sign up click here.
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Resources for Meaningful Career Exploration

The California Career Resource Network (CalCRN) in the California Department of Education (CDE) is a program established in California Education Code Section 53086 to distribute career information, resources, and training materials to middle school and high school counselors, educators, and administrators to ensure they have the necessary information to teach students effective career self-management skills. The CalCRN resources are free to use for educators and students, and the Career Readiness Resources guide provides overviews of all CalCRN resources including the:

Additional Career Exploration Resources

NEW: ASVAB Scores Submitted to CALPADS
Beginning in spring, the CDE is requesting that local educational agencies (LEAs) submit the highest individual student ASVAB Armed Forces Qualification Test scores that students received during the academic year. Details on the ASVAB Reporting system are available on the ASVAB Instructions for Data Collection and File Upload web site.
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Spring Refresh
SDCOE Spring Refresh 2021 Webinar Recordings
Mental Health
SPOTLIGHT: Delivering a Trauma-Informed Care Approach to Promote a Trauma-Sensitive School
In this webinar we look at the effects of traumatic stress on children's development and how trauma can directly impact a student’s ability to learn. We will also discuss strategies to promote a safe, stable, and understanding academic environment for students to succeed and where the adults are informed about and sensitive to trauma.
Additional Webinar Recordings:

For a complete list of webinars, workshop descriptions, speakers, and access to slide decks and materials, click here.
SEL Toolkit
New Toolkit: SEL Resources for Reopening

The team at Panorama has created a new toolkit of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) resources to help your district meet the needs of educators and learners during the transition to in-person learning. The toolkit includes seven strategies for student and adult well-being, along with other grab-and-go templates, tools, and protocols that you can tailor to your school or district's needs. This bundle includes:
  • Question Bank for Student Check-ins
  • SEL Choice Board Template
  • SEL Brain Breaks
  • Student Created "If-Then" Plans
CASEL Guide to Effective SEL Programs

Are you looking for an evidence-based program to advance implementation of SEL across your school or community?  The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) features programs in its Guide to Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs. The programs are reviewed to help ensure consistency and quality of program delivery.

Released June 4, the 2021 edition includes 77 SEL programs, designated as SELect, Promising, or SEL-Supportive: 
  • SELect, 48 programs that met or exceeded all CASEL criteria;
  • Promising, 23 programs that met or exceeded most criteria; and 
  • SEL-Supportive, 6 programs that met the SELect or Promising evidence criteria but do not fully meet design criteria.

How can you use CASEL's SEL Program Guide?
Adopting an evidence-based program is one of the key strategies for providing consistent SEL opportunities for all students and is a central part of a systemic approach. Use CASEL's SEL Program Guide to filter programs in terms of local priorities, to compare multiple programs, and to determine opportunities for training and implementation support for school and district staff.

Free Webinars: District Stories on Evidence-based SEL Program Adoption and Implementation:
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Newsletter, Website, Social Media

If you have any questions or comments on the San Diego County School Counselor Network Newsletter, please contact Tanya Bulette, counseling coordinator.
Get up-to-the-minute information about what's happening at SDCOE and in our districts across the county.