2017 Annual Conference

George McMahon, John Lash, Ashlee Perry

Elementary
Middle
Secondary
Independent
Counselor Educator, Supervisor

Discipline disproportionality is a persistent issue that has devastating long term affects for those students affected. Restorative practices provide an intriguing, evidence-based alternative to typical approaches to discipline, and can be integrated into a school counseling program, enabling school counselors to address disproportionality while staying out of the role of “disciplinarian”. Come learn the basics of restorative practices in schools, and see a multi-tiered model for incorporating restorative practices into your school counseling program.

With increased attention being given to the glaring discipline disparity between students of color and White students, as well as the implications that disparity has on crucial outcomes including graduation, college attendance, and even incarceration, schools are being challenged to re-think their approach to discipline. In fact, there is increasing consensus among researchers and policy makers that traditional approaches to school discipline rarely improve school safety, and may exacerbate issues related to discipline disparity (Anyon et al, 2016).

 

Restorative Practices (also referred to as Restorative Justice and Restorative Process) present an intriguing alternative to typical approaches to discipline. Rather than identifying and punishing an offender, Restorative Practices focus more on the experience of the person who was harmed, asserting that it is important to understand the subjective experience(s) of those that were negatively affected by an event, and encourages other actors to address the needs of those persons.

 

Restorative practices can take many forms, from large restorative circle interventions to smaller, one-on-one conflict resolution negotiations. Recent research has shown that schools adopting Restorative Practices at a school level has led to several encouraging academic and behavioral outcomes, including lower suspension rates and a reduction in the “suspension gap” between Black and White students (Gonzalez, 2015; Lewis, 2009, and Reistenberg, 2013). These studies have often included administrators, policy makers, teachers, and school psychologists. However, in a recent review of the outcomes associated with restorative practices in schools, school counselors were not mentioned (Anyon et al, 2016).

 

The omission of school counselors from restorative practice programs is disappointing, particularly because the core features of many restorative practice programs (e.g., nonviolent communication; perspective-taking and empathy building; emotional management) are core components of social emotional learning, and fit easily within the ASCA Mindsets.

 

Therefore, the purpose of this program will present an innovative model to incorporate essential components of restorative practices within a comprehensive school counseling program as a mulit-tiered system of support (MTSS) intervention. In addition, this model incorporates an ecological approach that considers interventions at student, teacher, administrator, parent, and community systems. The learning objectives for this program are below.

 

Participants will:

• Learn the theoretical foundations of restorative practices,
• Learn about basic components of restorative practices,
• Conceptualize restorative practices across a multi-tier (RtI) pyramid model,
• Learn specific restorative practices to implement with students, teachers, parents, and communities
• Develop strategies to gather feedback and self-assess for level of efficacy while implementing restorative practices.

 

This presentation will include an introduction to the basic philosophical tenets of restorative practice, as well as experiential exercises for participants to actively engage in restorative practice exercise. Presenters will then discuss the multi-tier model for restorative practice implementation, and encourage participants to conceptualize how the model could be used to begin using more restorative practices in their school counseling programs. Finally, presenters will discuss specific strategies to evaluate the efficacy of implementation, and how to use that feedback to improve the program.

Keely Harris, Jordyn Mills, Gabrielle Van Stekelenburg, Shellie Marino

Secondary
Counselor Educator, Supervisor

An in-depth look into a year’s worth of targeted interventions implemented by school counseling interns. Our presentation will explore - from start to finish - several different data-driven approaches within all three domains - academic, career, and social/emotional development. This session will be helpful for both graduate students looking to contribute to their internship sites, as well as supervisors looking for direction with their interns. Attendees will leave with concrete activities, ideas, and plans.

Content:
“A Year in the Life” will take a look into a year's worth of targeted interventions carried out by three school counseling interns at Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia. Facilitators will present an overview of the many interventions that were created based on an identified need within the school.  Presenters will discuss the development and results of each approach, including data collection, objectives, procedures, and evaluation throughout implementation, as well as at the conclusion of the intervention.  All interventions were created and delivered above and beyond departmental responsibilities.

• Dollars for Scholars - Scholarship Club
• Cyber Safety Core Curriculum Lesson
• Financial Aid Core Curriculum Lesson
• Grief and Coping Skills Group
• Decoding Your GPA Core Curriculum Lesson
• Mini College Options Core Curriculum Lesson
• Centennial Scholars Group
• Scholarship Twitter Page
• Life After the Loft Core Curriculum Lesson
• Hello, College Core Curriculum Lesson
• Assessing Interests & Abilities in Choosing a Career Core Curriculum Lesson
• Elevate! Group
• The AP Posse
• Working with Credit Recovery Seniors
• Matching Skills to Careers and Majors Core Curriculum Lesson
• Goal-Setting Group
• College Search, Application, and Scholarship Group

Learning objectives/outcomes: Audience members will learn about the variety of interventions that they could implement during their internship/practicum and beyond. They will also get an in-depth look into the creation, data collection and analysis of several of the targeted interventions. Attendees will leave with an understanding of how they can serve their school in a multitude of ways while also maintaining accountability for their counseling program.

Audience participation: We will provide the audience with opportunities to participate in 1-2 of the classroom lesson and/or group session activities that we discuss throughout the presentation. We also welcome discussion surrounding other perspectives and insights into their own internship/practicum experiences.

Handouts/resources: Handouts and resources will be provided electronically to all audience members. The handouts will include the powerpoint presentation,  lesson plans, activities, data collection materials, as well as any other materials used for each intervention covered - approximately 15 different interventions.

Dr. Amy M. Smith

Middle
Secondary
Counselor Educator, Supervisor

Learn ways to directly engage and inspire students to take personal responsibility and lead positive change with active bullying prevention, intervention and respect-building strategies. This session is based on research-based content developed for HEAR – Helping Everyone Achieve Respect. HEAR is an interactive workshop developed for middle and high school students by experts at Harvard Graduate School of Education and The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

The content of this session is intended to help counselors support students' understanding of ways to build a more respectful, supportive school environment. This includes supporting students with social emotional learning that fall under ASCA's Standard A, such as recognizing that everyone has rights and responsibilities, respecting diversity, respecting individual differences, effective communication skills, decision making and consequences, seeking help when needed, identifying resources, making safe choices, developing a positive attititude and applying appropriate behavior in social situations. 

Session attendees will leave the session with ideas for enaging students in discussion about the following:

• Forms and consequences of kindness/respectful behavior vs. forms and consequences of disrespectful behavior, what is and is not bullying, strategies for what to do if you witness or experience bullying, including cyberbully
• How to use case studies and literature to talk with students about difficult topics, such as bullying
• Simple, practical ways to inspire students to lead positive change in the school (The Harvard Graduate School of Education has created a list of 10 questions that students can act on to improve school climate.)

Like the interactive, discussion-based HEAR student workshops, participants will participate in short role play scenerios, brainstorm solutions, read and respond to brief written bullying scenerios and benefit from time for Q&A. 

Participants will also leave the session with a printed educator guide that list tips for supporting students in bullying situations, as well as other free resources, such as a free parent guide that can be provided to families. 

Shamela Scott

Secondary

Apply to College Day can be a very helpful and fun event for students. This session will give participants strategies and ideas on how to organize and plan an eventful day for students. Participants will be given information about activites that can be done to lead up to Apply to College Day that will get the whole school involved.

This presentation will give the audiance information about organizing and planning a successful Apply to College Day. The audience will learn about different activites they can do to get students prepared for Apply to College Day. These activites will include: marketing the day, paperwork prepartation, activies during the month of November that lead up to Apply to College Day (door decoration contest, college fair, FASFA Day, dress up days, etc), getting college reps to attend, and activites throughout the day.

Audience members will be able to ask questions and will be given handouts I use during planning.

Lakisha Bonner, Coordinator of Counseling and Career Development, Fayette County Schools

Secondary

With the passing of SB 132 (MOWR), student participation in dual enrollment opportunities is growing fast. How can school counselors manage the administrative challenges? This presentation will provide counselors with the academic advisement tools needed to implement a successful collaborative MOWR plan for their school/district. Presenters will share their experience of how to work collaboratively with counselors, building level administrators, and college admission representatives to establish consistent MOWR advisement procedures.

Christy Conley, School Counselor, North Oconee High School
Leslie Dooley, School Counselor, Russell Middle School
Mike Kulp, School Counselor, Social Circle High School
Amanda Dale, Senior Associate Director of Admissions, University of Georgia
Jessica Jaret Sant, Director of College Counseling, The Lovett School; President-Elect, Southern Association of College Admission Counseling (SACAC)

Secondary
Post-secondary/Admissions

High school counselors, do you often find yourself sticking to the status quo to survive?  Give your program a jumpstart and hear about the best kept secret in college advisement /admissions that could change your counseling program.  This presentation will equip you with information, strategies, and resources gained from joining and participating in the Southern Association of College Admission Counseling.  We want to share our experience and help you break free of the status quo!

The focus of this presentation is to make Georgia School Counselors aware of the advantage of being an active participant in the dialogue of the college admissions process.  Most of the applicants to colleges and universities are students enrolled in a public high school, yet, public high school counselors are the most underrepresented in the dialogue.  By being advocates for our students, we can become aware of the trends, requirements, and tips that can make an applicant most appealing for admissions and scholarships.  The mission of this group is to make public school counselors aware that we can utilize the experts to work smarter and not harder to guide our students appropriately.  SACAC and NACAC provide a variety of resources and opportunties for public school counselors to learn how to fine tune their program, becoming more efficient and effective.  By having a variety of public school counselors on the panel as well as the Senior Associate Director of Admissions from the University of Georgia, we hope to provide insight from both sides of the desk.  Jessica Sant, the President-Elect of SACAC is also joining the conversation to see how SACAC can better partner with public school counselors to increase conversations regarding college admissions.  

Vance Sims

Elementary
Middle
Secondary
Independent
Counselor Educator, Supervisor
Post-secondary/Admissions

Using data that is extracted from your school Student Information System can be confusing and difficult. This session will show you how to use simple functions in Microsoft Excel and Google to allow you to see information and data more clearly and in several ways (those of your choosing). Even if you are a novice with these technologies, you will leave to resources you can use throughout the years to come.

In this session, you will learn about the beauty and simplicity of several Microsoft Excel functions that will be able to save you hours of time when attempting to find and use data extracted from your school's student information system (SIS). You will also walk away with ways to personalize letter of communication, both printed and emailed, from these data from your SIS. Here are the Microsoft componenets:

Text To Columns - How to take that garbled data that makes no sense and place it in useful columns to be sorted

Conditional Formatting - How to have Excel (or Google) to automatically find the data that you're looking for

Mail Merge - How to take data from your SIS and create personalized email and/or mailed communications in just a few keystrokes and clicks

Pre-Post Test - How to access and simple pre-post Excel file to give you results following administration of pre and post tests

Mentor Rubric - How to use a rubric for determining need when resources are thin that has time waiting built in

Drag Dates and other numbers - How to create long data or time ranges or extend number patterns in one click

Column Sort - How to sort columns in multiple ways and keep up with your data

With Google Forms and Spreadsheets:

We will reviewing quickly how to make a Google Form. We will then look at how to capture the data that stored in a spreadsheet and connect to other Google Spreadsheets that can answer questions such as PBIS BoQ or sort data such as a universal screener (Behavior Screener Checklist III) and how to sort that data.

Nancy Pittard Jones

Elementary

Calling all BOOK-A-HOLICS-for the 20th YEAR! Come join “the book lady,” Nancy Jones, who is back to bring you dozens of children’s books to use in your counseling program. This practical, fast-paced workshop will feature books new and old, plus ideas that could go with ANY book you choose. Come get a MINDSET of great children's literature, with a complete bibliography of books arranged by subject so you can become a Book-A-Holic yourself!

I have presented this program at GSCA for nineteen amazing years, and it humbles and inspires me to see the interest that remains in this important topic!  It has been gratifying to me to travel to many other states to share my love for children’s books and tell them what Georgia counselors are doing with quality children’s literature.  I get calls from counselors in many parts of Georgia looking for a book on a particular topic, or requesting that I focus on a certain area at the upcoming conference.  This is a practical workshop for counselors, who can return to work and use this information immediately. 

GOALS OF THE SESSION:

Participants attending this session will learn:

1. A rationale for school counselors to use children’s literature on topics such as self-confidence, changing families, mindset, and other appropriate topics as a base of their programs.
2. How school counselors can plan lessons using children’s literature.
3. How props and tools can accent literature-based lessons.
4. Ways to incorporate children’s literature lessons in to every part of their counseling programs.
5. Methods for organizing and storing children’s literature and lessons so that they are easily accessible.
6. Practical lessons that are simple to implement.

 

STRATEGIES TO BE UTILIZED:

Strategies that will be utilized to achieve the stated goals include:

1. Exposure to resources from catalogs, bookstores, and the Internet.
2. Instruction in techniques that can be adapted to any elementary level.
3. Previewing materials provided by the presenter.
4. Participation in sample lessons.
5. Providing participants with an extensive bibliotherapy list of dozens of books to use on a variety of age-appropriate topics.
6. Overview of specific props (music, food, puppets, etc.) that turn a single book in to an entire lesson.
7. Power Point presentation of sample book covers and pages

           

EXPECTED SESSION OUTCOMES:

Participants attending this workshop will gain:

1. Insight in to the simplicity of the school counselor planning and implementing a bibliotherapy program.
2. Specific techniques that are grade level appropriate for kindergarten through fifth/sixth grade to utilize children’s literature.
3. Information for finding and ordering appropriate books to enhance a counseling program.
4. A list of resources available to assist them in their planning and development of a bibliotherapy program.
5. A practical tool that can be implemented immediately with the suggested books as well as books of their own choosing.

Kimberly Hodges, Ed.S., CTP

Elementary
Middle
Secondary
Counselor Educator, Supervisor

   School system employees are constantly charged with the task of implementing new academic platforms and approaches designed to increase test scores or decrease dropout rates.  While some of these initiativs may prove effective for some students, none will impact lasting school-wide gains until we address the elephant in the room-childhood trauma.  Join me to learn how this trauma manifests and how to implement simple interventions now to impact positive change for all students.

  The effects of childhood trauma have been negatively altering the lives of individuals long before the 1990's when the DSM-IV finally recognized that PTSD could be applied to children as well as adults.  Today, the effects of untreated and undiagnosed childhood trauma reach into our homes, schools and communitites to impair emotional, cognitive and social functioning.  The devastation has reached epic proportions in the United states.

  The Trauma-Informed Classroom addresses ways that professionals can begin to transform the school setting into a trauma-informed environment.  Participants will learn about the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study and what can be done to counteract high ACE scores in students.  Participants will also discuss the connection between trauma and toxic stress and how trauma impacts the brain in areas of social, emotional and cognitive functioning.  In addition, participants will identify the three types of trauma according to the National Institute of Trauma and Loss in Children, learn the symptom overlaps of trauma with medical and mental health diagnoses and why trauma is often misidentified.  This session will provide the opportunity for questions throughout and will provide participants with the knowledge they need to become trauma-informed practioners in the school setting.  Copies of the ACE questionnaire, resiliance questionnaire and a list of additional resources will be provided. 

Dr. Tamika Hibbert
Dr. LaVerne Ware
Mrs. Keala Edwards-Cooper
Mrs. Keli Carter

Secondary
Independent
Counselor Educator, Supervisor

The goal of this session is to provide information to Professional School Counselors, Counselor Educators, Supervisors, Counseling Students and Educators concerning the importance of knowing the rights of the LGBTQ high school student. Participants will receive information about how the law requires all educators to protect LGBTQ students in the public school setting.

Throughout the session, information will be provided that is beneficial to Professional School Counselors, Counselor Educators, Supervisors and Counseling Students regarding the following topics:

• Review the rights of the LGBTQ high school students as it relates to harassment, privacy and freedom of speech.
• Review the suggested approaches for educators to use when supporting the transgender and nonconforming students.
• Explore information regarding the federal Equal Access Act and the Gay-Straight Alliances.
• Provide different strategies that counselors can use to support the LGBTQ students’ academic, personal, social and career development in the school setting.
• Examine the general steps that students can take if they suspect discrimination.

Overall, members of the audience will have a better understanding of the LGBTQ student rights. Professional School Counselors will develop a greater understanding of the personal, social and college/career counseling strategies that could be used to support the LGBTQ student, which is significant for establishing an effective school counseling program. Handouts will be provided to the participants and audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Alexandra Huguelet & Danielle Mabeus

Elementary

Are you looking for a creative way to reach your early elementary school students? Using games is an engaging way to teach students the skills necessary for social school success. From taking turns, to not interrupting, to handling disappointment and challenges, these basic skills are integral to school success and can be taught through games with excitement and ease. A small group guide will be presented along with perception and outcome data.

- Attendees will leave the session having learned about creative, game-based interventions to take back to their schools.  They will gain the knowledge and confidence to try new interventions with their students.  Attendees will have the opportunity for participation in the form of Q and A and also, time permitting, to play some of the games themselves.  The presentation with information about the small group intervention in addition to other useful games will be provided to attendees.

Mrs Anna Duvall
Dr Crissy Roddy

Elementary
Middle
Secondary
Independent
Counselor Educator, Supervisor
Post-secondary/Admissions

It's been said you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Come and discover ways to alleviate your stress, engage in selfcare, and prevent compassion fatigue. Learn how to recharge your batteries, reflect on your passion for your career, relate to other counseling professionals, and realize how awesome you truly are!

Goal of the session : To assist professional school counselors in meeting the ASCA Ethical Standard of "Monitor their emotional and physical health and practice wellness to ensure optimal professional effectiveness."
Audience Participation : Participants will have the opportunity to practice several techniques presented in the session.
Learning Objectives : 1. Gain a working knowledge of self-care techniques. 2. Understand how implementing evidence based self-care techniques can prevent compassion fatigue. 3. Implement these techniques in order to practice wellness and ensure optimal professional effectiveness.

Beth Perryman
Rachel Read

Elementary
Middle
Counselor Educator, Supervisor

Learn how to build student leaders that embrace a growth mindset.  Traditional student leadership programs award high achievers with special jobs that are often easily accomplished.  iChangers embraces the idea that students of all abilities, backgrounds, and temperaments are capable of meaningful service and contributing to the school community.   The iChangers program teaches leadership skills through 5 distinct tracts capitalizing on students’ passions and interests.  Sample student leadership lessons and implementation resources will be shared.

This presentation will outline the creation of our school student leadership program called iChangers.  We have developed a programs leverages students’ interests and passions to grow student leaders who apply the principles of social emotional awareness to serve others and lead fulfilling and successful lives.  Attendees will learn how to create and implement a school-wide student leadership program that moves to connect the ideas of the SEL from words to actions.  Influencing a student’s physical and mental habits will always be more effective through deeds than through words. 

The importance of this program is realized in the fact that a student’s success or failure isn’t only determined by cognitive skills, as once thought; Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills, or those most related to character, including grit, optimism and self-awareness, are other important contributors to student success. In addition, the 7 Mindset research shows that the most reliable predictor of an individual’s success is the way a person thinks.  The most accomplished people believe everything is possible; they identify and follow their passions; they understand that collaboration is essential; accountability is key; they are grateful for the lessons of failed attempts and the opportunities for challenge; they understand that creating value for others is the greatest legacy, and lastly successful people live in the moment with positive and purposeful actions. 

Traditionally, student leadership programs are filled with compliant high achieving students that are given responsibilities that can be accomplished with little or no training.  iChangers embraces the idea that students of all academic abilities, cultural backgrounds, and temperaments are capable and desiring of relevant and meaningful responsibilities that will contribute to the school and community.   Instead of rewarding responsible students with special jobs, the iChangers program will intentionally teach leadership skills in large group and small group formats to all students through leadership service. 

Attendees will learn the following:

• How to design a school leadership program effective for all students
• How to change school culture through servant leadership
• Logistics and best practices of running the program (including an implementation guide)
• How servant leadership and SEL education data from our program can be used to support your counselling goals and your school’s improvement plan/CCRPI. 

 

Attendees will be given a link to use on their device to interact with the presentation, as well as freebies for audience participation! Attendees will also be given a link to download the presentation, resources (including implementation guides for elementary and middle school, student application templates, classroom presentation materials, sample student materials, student leadership lessons, student recognition ideas and template).