The Counselors meet at the start of the year to determine what groups to run during the school year. The administration had already identified that the population of students not graduating in four years needed to be addressed. With that, one of the counselors facilitated a group for “Off-Track Students” to address that need. This group would provide students with alternative methods for graduating and assist with planning how to achieve the goal of graduating as soon as possible. Another counselor identified the growing population of students who are new to the country and thus, new to the American high school setting. After meeting with the ESOL teacher, this counselor formed a “Diversity” group. Students in the “Diversity” group would be given the tools needed to successfully navigate high school. The final group idea came as a result of conversation with a student who will be the first to attend college in his family. The counselors agreed that an often overlooked population of students, first-generation college students. The “First-Generation” group would be the focus of our RAMP small group.



Research shows that first-generation college students are more likely to fail out of college because they lack the understanding of university culture and expectations. To determine which student would fit the group, the Counselors decided this subgroup should be addressed. Counselors were asked to poll their seniors to determine if they are first-generation. A total of 13 students were identified and were invited to join the group, and 9 students actually participated. Of the 13 invited, 4 did not respond to the invitation because they did not have parent permission or decided not to participate. The purpose of this group was to give students greater insight into college culture, expectations, vocabulary, financial aid information, scholarship information, and how to navigate their way through the application process and first year at college.



We began by administering a pretest to determine their current knowledge. The curriculum for the small group was created by our senior counselor, Valerie Bullock and was tailored to the needs of the students based on the results from the assessment. The lessons included graduation status checks, senior year planning and college application timelines, essay writing, financial aid advice, scholarship search, SAT/ACT tips, and how to advocate on the college campus. Our goal was for 50% of our first-generation small group students to be enrolled in and attending college by fall 2016. We also wanted to assess perception of what first-generation students felt that they needed to be successful. The Counselors and counselor-intern meet weekly with the 8 students and presented lessons and activities. These students were also invited to attend a campus visit to Georgia State University.



The results report showed that of the 9 students who initially began the group, 8 completed the group with 1 student who decided to drop out due to an academic conflict. Of the remaining eight students, 4 students applied and were accepted into a 4-year university, 2 students applied and were accepted into a Technical College, 1 student applied and was accepted into an art program, and 1 student opted not to apply for any college at this time. Our initial goal was for 50% of students from this group to enroll in or attend college in the fall of 2016, and we exceeded that goal by 90%. Although we exceeded our goal and feel that the small group was a success, we want to increase the number of students who participate in the group in the fall. As a result, we want to incorporate more incentives for participation. We plan to reach out to our stakeholders for support with this endeavor. A suggestion by one of the counselors is to run this same group with 11th grade students. Another suggestion by one of our counselors is to start the group earlier in the academic year for 12th grade students. We plan to incorporate these changes into our group for this school year.



With each group offered, overwhelmingly the counselors found an extreme sense of gratitude from students to be a common theme. It brought to the attention of the department, the importance of reaching out to various sub-groups of the school as they can sometimes become lost in the shuffle. As the department seeks to continuously provide support to students who are often neglected, we believe we will make a greater impression on the school body as a whole.

Group Name: 1st Generation College Students

Goal: 50% of our small group participants will complete the college application process and be accepted into a post-secondary school.

Target Group: 12th grade 1st generation college students

Data Used to Identify Students: self-identified first generation college students in 12th grade

School Counselor(s): Valerie Bullock Stephen Chung Lauren Holland Tammy White

ASCA Domain, Mindsets & Behaviors Standard(s): Mindsets: Academic; Social/Emotional 2. Self-confidence in ability to succeed 4. Understanding that postsecondary education and life-long learning are necessary for long-term career success 5. Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes 6. Positive attitude toward work and learning Behaviors: Learning Strategies Academic; Career; Social/Emotional 3. Use time-management, organizational and study skills 4. Apply self-motivation and self-direction to learning 5. Apply media and technology skills 7. Identify long and short term academic, career and social/emotional goals Behavior: Self-Management Skills Academic; Career; Social/Emotional 1. Demonstrate ability to assume responsibility 5. Demonstrate perseverance to achieve long- and short-term goals Behavior: Social Skills Academic; Career; Social/Emotional 1. Use effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills

Outline of Group Sessions Delivered: Lesson #1: Pre Test; Post-It Notes; Student Transcripts; Staying on Course Handout; Graduation Requirement Handout; Senior Status Sheet Lesson #2: Senior Year Planning Calendar; Calendar Questions Handout; College Admission Helpful Tips Handout; Finding the Right College for You Handout; Top Ten Reasons Not to Choose a College Handout Lesson #3: SR Year Planning Calendar; Paper College Application; College Admission Helpful Hints Handout; Senior Profile Handout; Computer Access Lesson #4: Writing the College Essay Handout; Writing Your Admissions Essay Handout; Tips for Writing Your College Application Essay; Handout Tips for a Great College Essay Handout Lesson #5 SAT and ACT Test Dates Handout; Comparing the SAT, Redesigned SAT and ACT Handout; Fee Waiver Verification Form; Compass Handout Lesson #6 Georgia Best Colleges Comparison 2013 Handout; Fastweb Financial Aid Term and Award Letter Comparison Handout; Big Future Financial Aid Checklist; Fastweb Winning a Scholarship Handout; Kaplan Top 10 Tips for Scholarships; Free Scholarship Search Handout; FAFSA Worksheet Lesson #7 Twelve Places on Campus Your 1st Year College Student Should Locate Early Handout; 25 Tips to Help You Survive Your Freshman Year Handout; Top Questions to Guide You to the Perfect College Handout; Post Test

Process Data (Number of students affected): 8 students

Perception Data (Surveys or assessments used): Only one students reported that she knew how to complete the FAFSA during the pretest. During the posttest all eight students reported that they knew how to complete the FAFSA for a change (increase) of 700%. Two students reported that they knew how to complete an interest inventory to help them determine an appropriate major in college during the pretest. Posttest data suggested that all 8 students knew how to complete the interest inventory for a change (increase) of 300%. During the pretest one students reported knowing how to complete this process. During the posttest, seven students stated they know how to complete this process, for an increase (change) of 600%. During the pretest none of the students knew how to conduct a search for scholarship opportunities. During the posttest, all eight students indicated that they know how to conduct this search for an increase (change) of 800%. During the pretest, two students reported that were familiar with the above mentioned terms. During the posttest all 8 participants reported knowing these terms, for a change (growth) of 300%.

Outcome Data (Achievement, attendance, and/or behavior data): Nine students were originally in the group. One student decided to drop out due to lack of interest. Of the remaining eight students, 4 students applied and were accepted into a 4-year university, 2 students applied and were accepted into a Technical College, 1 student applied and was accepted into an art program, and 1 student opted not to apply for any college at this time.

Implications: Group success was determined by the percentage of students that 1) successfully completed a college application and 2) were accepted into the post-secondary school of their choice. If 50% of the group members successfully completed the above mentioned two steps our goal would be met. We were pleased to exceed this goal by 37.5%, for a total of 87.5%. Our 1st Generation College students not only gained knowledge necessary for post-secondary success, but they actually applied to college and gained admittance into the various programs. All of the students that participated felt they had gained considerable knowledge of the college application process. While we exceeded our goal and consider our small group successful, in the future we plan to start the group earlier in the school year to allow for more hands on help with the FAFSA and college applications. Also, we would like to open this group up to 11th grade students as well.

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