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Johns Hopkins University School of Education “Giving A Chance— Providing Access”: Developing a Social-Justice Focused School Counseling Program Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D. [email protected] My Goals Today To remind us of our (school counselors) mission in today’s schools through my favorite quotes and narratives! To share ideas about how to promote equity To stimulate your thoughts regarding the transformation of your programs to be more social justice and equity focused. Johns Hopkins University School of Education Four of My Favorite Quotes There can be huge changes in a lifetime, but PEOPLE have to be given a chance! And the smallest changes can contribute to that chance!” -Stephen Raudenbush Sociologist and Educator, Univ. of Chicago Wayne Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. -Martin Luther King, Jr. How successful is South Carolina in moving students successfully through the education pipeline? Are there inequities in math achievement in South Carolina? …in reading achievement in South Carolina? Are students taking “gateway” courses in South Carolina? Are there inequities in math achievement in South Carolina? Have gaps narrowed? African American Asian Latino Native American White Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress. Analysis of data downloaded from …in reading achievement in South Carolina? African American Asian Latino Native American White Are there inequities in AP participation in South Carolina? Are drop out rates low in South Carolina? Source: Manhattan Institute, April 2006, Leaving Boys Behind: Public High School Graduation Rates. Overall Child Well-Being in South Carolina Key Indicators State National National Rank Percent low birthweight babies 10.1 8.3 47 Child death rate (deaths per 100,000 children ages 1-14) 22 19 34 Teen death rate (deaths per 100,000 teens ages 15-19) 75 64 32 Teen birth rate (births per 1,000 females ages 15-19) 53 42 38 Percent of teens not attending school and not working (ages 16-19) 9 8 31 Percent of children in poverty (income below $21,027 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children in 2007 21 18 40 Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity. -Henry Harman Advanced Math Would Advance Equity College Access: Students whose parents did not go to college can more than double their own chances of doing so by taking advanced math. College Success: Taking advanced math has a greater influence on whether students graduate from college than other factor— including race and family background. Economic Opportunity: Inequities in advanced math courses account for onequarter of the income gap between students from low-income and middle-class families ten years after graduation from high school. The Problem Is Lack of Opportunity, Not Lack of Ambition Students-of-color express just as much interest in taking advanced math courses— and minority girls express the most. Yet they are far less likely to say that advanced math courses are available to them. The problem is not peer pressure, either. Students-of-color are less likely to say their friends discourage them from taking advanced math and twice as likely to say their TEACHERS do. Advanced Math: Big Inequities by Race and Ethnicity Source: National Center for Education Statistics. (2007, June). High School Coursetaking: Findings from The Condition of Education 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. (p. 24, Table SA-8). Advanced Math: Even Bigger Inequities by Family Wealth Percent of 2004 Graduates Completing Math Beyond Algebra II The missing link between good intentions and effective actions is the ability to align subconscious beliefs with conscious goals. --Robert Williams Beliefs Determine Actions Do you believe that all students can achieve? What does student success mean to you? Why do you believe there is an achievement gap? What is your responsibility in closing the gap or providing educational equity? What are your cultural biases and prejudiced beliefs about different groups of students (e.g., poor students, African American students, Asian students, girls) What Do We Believe About Our Profession? Do you agree or disagree… I believe that school counseling as a profession should be more social justice and equity-focused? I believe school counselors are partly responsible for the disparity in opportunities and access experienced by low-income and minority students. Developing a Social Justice and Equity Focused School Counseling Program Traditional vs. Social Justice Approach to School Counseling Traditional SC Approach 1. Dependence on counseling theories and approaches with little to no regard for cultural background 2. Emphasis on individual student factors (e.g., unmotivated, depressed) 3. Emphasis on equality 4. Reliance on labels 5. Little to no use of data 6. Focus on maintaining status quo 7. Focus on enrolling students in “comfortable” courses Social Justice Approach 1. Major focus is on highlighting the strengths of students (empowerment-based counseling) 2. Emphasis on socio-cultural and environmental factors that influence student behavior 3. Major goal is to challenge oppression 4. Emphasis on equality and equity 5. Avoidance of labeling 6. Dependence on data 7. Focus on changing existing policies and strategies 8. Focus on enrolling students in more rigorous courses Developing Your Program… Assess Your Beliefs about schools, students, school reform, student achievement, and social justice Assess Your Skills: 3 levels of mastery (identification, basic, and teaching) Assess Your Students’ Needs by examining and critically analyzing data Create a Vision for your program Vision Includes….. Main goals for students Current student inequities and disproportionalities Proposed value-added by school counseling interventions/practices Describe strategies/activities focused on teachers Describe strategies/activities focused on students who are in most need Describe strategies focused on parents and communities I want my school to become a place where ___________________ (fill in the blank) Remember, the G.A.T.E Philosophy of Counseling Giving Students Access To Excel Good luck On Your Journey!