High School Counselor Week
Weekly stories, facts, trends, and other information from around the country
November 7, 2024
Culture Wars Cost Schools Estimated $3.2B Last Year, Harming Student Services
The 74 – October 30, 2024
New research says divisive debates over race, gender and sexual orientation have diverted billions of dollars and driven educators from their jobs.
Trump has won a second term. Here’s what that means for schools.
Chalkbeat – November 6, 2024
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump pledged to get rid of the U.S. Department of Education, expand school choice, roll back new protections for LGBTQ students, and deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Now that the former Republican president is headed to a second term, the question becomes how likely Trump is to act on those ideas and others — and what effects students, teachers, and parents might see in the classroom.
Mass Deportation Would Leave Schools to Help Millions of Students
The 74 – November 3, 2024
While details of suggested deportation plans are still unclear (such as whether parents of U.S. citizen children would be included), similar past actions indicate any such plan inevitably would sweep up parents of school-age children, leaving educators with the responsibility of providing food, clothing, counseling, and more to affected students. Educators who have been through it before say schools that serve immigrant communities should prepare now. It’s estimated some 4.4 million U.S.-born children have at least one undocumented parent.
Before You Scream at Your College CounselorPost – November 6, 2024
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D.
Stray from the cliche – essay topics to avoidPost – October 30, 2024
College Advice & Timely Tips with Lee Bierer
Are you a facilitator, a guide or a seed-sower?
Times Higher Education – November 1, 2024
Most of my university counselling experience before joining my current school was as a facilitator for students or families who knew where they wanted to go and what they wanted to study. What they wanted from me was strategies, tactics and knowledge of how those particular universities chose their students. However, in my new position, I had to think beyond being the facilitator and start to become more of a guide, opening my students’ eyes to the many opportunities and paths before them — not telling students what they should be aiming at, but helping them to do their own research. And the third element of my transition to becoming an effective counsellor has involved becoming more of a seed-sower: getting the students to think about what is important to them in their current and future lives. There is no one-size-fits-all combination of facilitator, guide and seed-sower — it is a dynamic model because a counsellor’s role changes throughout the academic year.
How to use election outcome to teach about regulating emotions
K-12 Dive – November 6, 2024
After a contentious election season, strong emotions may linger as students process the outcome. Student support experts say schools can use this situation as a teaching moment for lessons about constructive dialogue, how civic engagement benefits youth, and the management of election-related emotions. Both the Center for the Developing Adolescent and the National Association of School Psychologists recommend that adults support students’ mental health during elections. This is especially important for those who may feel anxious or threatened based on their beliefs or experiences, the groups say. NASP advised that schools immediately stop any harassment or bullying — and at the same time not assume all students are affected by election outcomes. The School Social Work Association of America also advises school staff to listen to and validate students’ emotions around the election.
Mom Blames Character.AI for Her Teen’s Death—What Parents Should Know
Parents – October 30, 2024
A Florida mom recently filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Character.AI, and Google, because she believes they contributed to her son’s death in February 2024. Megan Garcia’s 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer III, died by suicide after engaging in a nearly yearlong virtual emotional and sexual relationship with a chatbot on Character.AI. The lawsuit includes conversations with the chatbot where Garcia’s son expressed suicidal thoughts, as well as the teen’s final interaction with Dany which occurred right before his death.
Why You Should Be Worried When Your Kid Says They’re ‘Crashing Out’
Parents – November 1, 2024
Parents of tweens and teens like me are always in need of a brush up on current slang terms, such as lala bop, and rizz. Now, there’s another term making the rounds in middle and high schools, as well as on TikTok: ‘crashing out.’ If you’re unfamiliar with the term, you’re not alone. Here’s your guide to what crashing out means and what to do about it.
How to Make a College List
U.S. News & World Report – November 6, 2024
Considering the numerous factors that prospective students ought to weigh, choosing a college can be difficult. But a well-thought-out and targeted approach can make finding the right college less cumbersome, say experts, who encourage prospective students to weigh their options carefully before deciding where to enroll.
Why You Should Never Apply To An Out-Of-State College
The College Investor – October 31, 2024
Going to an out-of-state ‘state’ college can be significantly more expensive that in-state college or even private universities. And the cost may not be worth it. In this article, I’ll dive into the reasons why opting for an in-state college might prove to be a better long-term decision for you. From location and affordability to in-state benefits and quality of education, I aim to shed light on the advantages of keeping your educational investment in-state.
Best Student Loans And Current Rates In November 2024
The College Investor – November 1, 2024
Paying for college is already challenging enough, but how do you find a lender? What should you think about? How do you know you’re getting a good deal? It can all be overwhelming. To keep it simple, you should always borrow federal loans first, then private. Here’s what you need to know about finding the best student loans and best interest rates.
How 3 Colleges Worked Past The FAFSA Confusion
Forbes – October 30, 2024
The troubled rollout of the ‘Better FAFSA’ threatened to become yet another barrier in the nation’s challenging college access landscape. Yet some college and university leaders took the FAFSA rollout challenges as a call to action of their own—an opportunity to rethink how they leverage resources, reach students and families, and create systems and processes that do not rely on the timeliness or accuracy of the federal government.
States are taking on fewer college costs. Who is picking up the bill?
Higher Ed Dive – November 5, 2024
Compared with 2008, at the height of the Great Recession, students by 2022 paid a larger share of their higher education costs while states’ proportion decreased significantly.
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Master time management for success
University of California, Davis Admissions Blog – October 31, 2024
Active time management is key to my productivity as I enter my fourth year of college. I create task lists and use tools that fit my life. A successful week for me involves crossing off every task on my list. This gives me a sense of accomplishment and drives me to aim higher. Honing my time management skills helps me feel optimistic and excited as I explore new activities instead of overwhelmed and nervous. I apply that advice every day, as I take more classes, master new skills and participate in hands-on internships. This application season, pass along this same advice to prospective college students.
Rigor: The Not-So-Secret Ingredient of your College Application ‘Pizza’
Georgia Tech Admission Blog – November 1, 2024
In the college application process, there are a lot of pieces you will likely start and finish within your senior year—writing essays, gathering documents, synthesizing your resume of activities—these are just a few. However, one foundational piece of your college application is a series of decisions and culmination of day-to-day work over several years… your course rigor. You’ve likely heard an admission officer, college or school counselor, or Redditt post mention ‘rigor,” but what does that mean in practical terms when we sit down to evaluate your application?
4 or more hours of daily screen time linked to more anxiety and depression in teens, data shows
CBS News – October 31, 2024
Teens getting four or more hours of screen time each day are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics. Anxiety and depression symptoms reduced significantly for teens who had less than 4 hours of daily screen time, 12.3% and 9.5%, respectively.
Kids with obesity do worse in school. One reason may be teacher bias
The Hechinger Report – October 23, 2024
Research has found that students with obesity are more likely to get lower grades in reading and math and to repeat a grade, and twice as likely to be placed in special education or remedial classes. They are also significantly more likely to miss school and be suspended or receive detention, and less likely than their peers to attend and graduate from college. Researchers have suggested different reasons for this ‘obesity achievement gap,’ but a relatively new area of research has shifted attention to educator bias.
Only 5.3% of welders in the US are women. After years as a writing professor, I became one − here’s what I learned
The Conversation – November 5, 2024
My soon-to-be-published book doesn’t focus solely or even mostly on my experiences as a woman in a welding and fabrication shop. Rather, it looks at the nonlinear process of learning skilled trades – a process that is, for tradeswomen, sometimes frustrated by scrutiny, physical challenges and sexism, which require workarounds.