REVISED SECTION: The three lessons highlighted in this section align with our continuous goals within our department, that involve post-secondary planning, and social and emotional health.
The lesson, “How do I reach my post-secondary goals”, was presented to all students in grade 11. Academic counselors went to English III classes to deliver this presentation to 528 juniors. The focus of this lesson was to have students understand graduation requirements, gain knowledge of various post-secondary opportunities, and to have knowledge of the college application process. All 528 students completed a pre-test, with questions pertaining to the number of credits needed to graduate, GPA requirements for admission to college, college application portals, financial aid, and SAT registration information. The same survey was given to students as a post survey, at the conclusion of the presentation. The post survey data indicated that 71.1% of the students knew how to apply to college, 65.8% of the students knew the GPA requirements for college admission, 100% of students were knowledgeable of financial aid, 84.2% of students knew the graduation requirements, and 89.5% of the students knew how to register for the SAT. Based on the results of the perception and outcome data, this lesson will continue in future years. To allow for a more thorough analysis of what information students have retained, it will be beneficial to distribute additional related surveys to students throughout the school year, to ensure that they have continuous knowledge of information shared all throughout the school year.
The lesson, “Latinx Summit” was presented to students in grades 11 and 12, with a Hispanic/Latino background. Along with the academic counselors, the Dean of Students and School Social Worker delivered this lesson to a total of 76 students. The focus of this lesson was to have students identify and plan long and short-term academic, career and social/emotional goals. All 76 students completed a survey, with questions pertaining college application completion and resources available to help them with post-secondary planning. The data from the pre and post surveys indicate that there was an increase in how students rated their responses, for both 11th and 12th grade students. Per the survey results, the average response of 11th and 12th graders increased from “Disagree” to “Agree” for the question, “I know how to apply to college”. For the question, “I am aware of what resources are available to help me figure out what I want to do when I graduate from high school”, the average survey results for the 11th and 12th graders increased from “Neutral” to “Agree”. Based on the results of perception and outcome data, this lesson will continue to be used in the future. It will be beneficial to add Latinx students in grades 9 and 10 to the targeted population group, to allow all Latinx students the opportunity to get access to the school and community resources available to them. Also, it will be beneficial to distribute surveys to students towards the end of the school year, to analyze if their needs were met throughout the school year.
The lesson, “High School Transition and Four-Year Planning” was presented to 440 students in grade 9. The focus of this lesson was to have students understand a sense of belonging within the school environment, to educate students on graduation and promotion requirements, and to have students identify long and short-term academic, career, and social/emotional goals. All academic 9th-12th grade counselors presented this information to 9th graders, through their English I classes. At the start of the lesson, students were presented with a pre-test, with questions pertaining to promotion and graduation requirements, attendance, grades, and school involvement. At the conclusion of the lesson, students were presented with the same questions given during the pre-test, to answer as their post-test assessment. The data from the post-test indicated that 85.4% of the students knew the correct number of credits required to graduate; 50% of the students knew the correct number of credits needed to promote out of the 9th grade; 89.5% of the students knew that English is required each year for promotion, and 56.2% of the students knew how to correctly calculate a GPA. Based on the perception and outcome data from this lesson, we will continue to use this lesson in the future. It will be beneficial to include questions in the pre and post survey related to more areas of high school transition, such as time management and study skills.