State Schools Superintendent Looks at Enhancing School Counseling

iyi-logoSet against the backdrop of the nation’s 8th worst ratio of students to counselors, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz will speak to an audience of school counselors from across Indiana to outline her initiatives to reorganize counseling in Indiana schools so students can better succeed after high school.

Ritz will lay out her proposal during lunchtime remarks June 18 at the Indiana Youth Institute’s (IYI) Postsecondary Counseling Institute (PCI).

Calling counselors “an important factor” in her desire to revamp Indiana’s School Improvement model, Ritz will use her remarks to launch a discussion on the best practices in counseling and the role of school counselors, as well as barriers in counseling and how to remove them. She plans to continue the conversation this fall in a series of regional meetings with counselors and administrators.

In addition, Superintendent Ritz will introduce the concept of having 13 Department of Education Outreach Coordinators in nine regions statewide and how they will work with counselors to benefit children. Finally, Superintendent Ritz will address how counselors can use student career plans to help students prepare for their futures.

According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, Indiana’s student to counselor ratio is 539:1, 8th worst in the nation. In addition, 90 percent of counselors responding to an IYI survey admit they don’t know all the information needed to help students succeed.

To help counselors be better informed and better serve Indiana students, IYI is bringing experts June 18 and 19 to Indianapolis for the Postsecondary Counseling Institute. The institute’s focus is on increasing counselors’ ability to help students navigate the postsecondary education process.

Designed for counselors, youth workers, mentoring organizations, teachers, youth ministers, family service providers and others who work directly with children, the sessions at PCI will allow those who serve students to gain more knowledge on college applications, financial aid and pathways to careers, including certificate and degree programs that take less time to earn than a four-year degree.

In addition to Superintendent Ritz, the institute will feature four keynote speakers who will discuss creating pathways to college success, promoting career readiness for all students, interpreting the 2013 legislative updates to the Indiana Department of Education’s (DOE) policies and procedures, and using powerful communication techniques.

The institute also will screen the award-winning documentary “First Generation,” a film about the struggles five high school seniors face in becoming the first in their families to break the cycle of poverty by pursuing a college education. A panel discussion will follow.

Other sessions include:

  • The Trials and Tribulations of Preparing College Applications
  • Navigating and Understanding the Admissions Standards of Indiana Colleges
  • Enhancing Your Financial Literacy
  • Creating a College-going Culture
  • Making Every Credit Count
  • Teaching Career Exploration
  • Building Relationships between Middle and High School Counselors, and
  • Leadership in Increasing and Supporting AP Participation and Success for Underserved Populations.

 

The conference is to be held from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. June 18 and from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. June 19 at the Marriott North Hotel, 3645 River Crossing Parkway, Indianapolis, 46240. The cost is $100 to attend. Registration currently is available onsite only. More information about PCI may be found online at www.iyi.org/pci.

Registration includes breakfast and lunch for both days, plus a digital copy of College Board’s “College Counseling Sourcebook” 7th edition. Continuing Education Units (CEUs), including Professional Growth Points and NASW Continuing Education Hours, are available at no extra cost; details can be found at www.iyi.org.

The Indiana Youth Institute promotes the healthy development of Indiana children and youth by serving the people, institutions, and communities that impact their well-being.

For more information, contact the Indiana Youth Institute at 800-343-7060.