High School Counselor Week

Biden administration issues executive order to improve active shooter drills
K-12 Dive – September 27, 2024
The Biden administration on Thursday issued an executive order calling for federal agencies to help schools more effectively prepare for active shooter drills while preventing or minimizing potential trauma. It directs U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona — along with other federal leaders — to publish information on school-based active shooter drills within 110 days, including resources on how to create, communicate about, and conduct effective drills in schools.

Neither College Nor Career Ready
Forbes – October 2, 2024
A one-two punch in the past few weeks for the under-thirty crowd. First, an August survey by Intelligent.com found that employers are really not excited about Gen Z. 75% of the companies surveyed found their new Gen Z hires unsatisfactory. Meanwhile, an Atlantic article is sounding the alarm that students are arriving at college never having read an entire book. There could be any number of explanations, but it is hard not to notice that Gen Z is the first to grow up with an education that was centered around test scores which were repeatedly used as a measure of student achievement and school effectiveness.

Schools lack supports for victims of sexually explicit deepfake and real images
K-12 Dive – September 26, 2024
Schools are focusing heavily on setting harsh penalties for students who share real or deepfake sexually explicit images online, but they are not giving enough attention to victims depicted in the images, said a report released Thursday from the Center for Democracy and Technology. Furthermore, only 36% of teachers say their school has a fair process that adequately helps victims of deepfake “non-consensual intimate imagery.”

Taking the ‘College’ Out of College Counseling
Inside Higher Ed – September 27, 2024
High school counselors are no longer primarily focused on getting students into college, according to a new survey. Are they failing students—or finally seeing them? A new report, ‘From Burnout to Breakthroughs,’ is based on a survey of 1,500 high school counselors across the country. It found that the number of students unsure about their college plans is substantially higher at public high schools than private ones: 63 percent of public school counselors reported that fewer students planned to attend college now than before the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to 18 percent of private school counselors. It’s not that fewer students are actually going to college—that number has remained static for almost 15 years—but rather that they are more open to postgrad alternatives and less reserved about planning for them in advance.

Why It’s Important to Recruit More School Counselors of Color
Education Week – September 30, 2024
Approximately 11 percent of school counselors nationally are Black, according to membership data from the American School Counselors Association. About 10 percent of counselors are Hispanic. A majority—about 74 percent—of school counselors are white. Meanwhile, the demographics of students are changing dramatically. Students of color make up more than half of the nation’s public school student population, but that’s not reflected by the educator force. School counselors are an important piece of that puzzle, researchers say, but recruitment and retention efforts are hindered by systemwide staffing woes, and many schools already don’t have enough counselors. Yet the study found high school students had a feeling of ‘they don’t really understand me’ when it comes to school counselors.

Kids are being sexually assaulted by people they meet on social media. Here’s how to prevent it
CNN – September 28, 2024
Most parents probably wouldn’t let their kids go to bars and nightclubs where they could meet adults who might harm them. But many parents do let them use social media, where some children are connecting with predators who go on to sexually assault them, say researchers slated to speak about these findings at the 2024 American Academy of Pediatrics conference. One finding: 7% of children ages 10 through 18 who were treated for sexual assault at a California hospital between 2018 and 2023 said that social media had facilitated their communication with their perpetrator.

Survey Shows Striking Disparity in College Plans Between Students at Public Versus Private Schools
Globe Newswire – September 26, 2024
High school counselors cite unmanageable caseloads and the need for better college search and application tools.

Tips for Prompt #3 of the Common App Essay: Questioning or Challenging a Belief or Idea
Great College Advice – September 25, 2024
Prompt #3 on the Common App focuses on the beliefs that are fundamental to who you are. But sometimes beliefs come into conflict with the beliefs or ideas of others. And sometimes those conflicts are what reveal our character. Let’s pick apart each phrase or idea of this prompt for your essay for the Common App.

You Can Now Get Admitted to Hundreds of Colleges Without Even Applying
Money – September 30, 2024
With direct admissions—a national trend that’s quickly gaining steam—high school seniors receive offers of acceptance from colleges without applying. They usually have to meet a few basic academic requirements set by the state, college or organization running the program, but there’s no lengthy essay or resume submission required, and you don’t have to wait months before finding out if you got in.

How to Complete the CSS Profile
U.S. News & World Report – September 26, 2024
The CSS Profile, administered and maintained by the College Board, the same group that develops the SAT, opens the door to nonfederal scholarships and other kinds of institutional aid that can make a big difference when it’s time to pay for college. Here’s a step-by-step guide to filling out the CSS Profile for college financial aid.

Prepaid Tuition Plans: Pros And Cons For Saving For College
The College Investor – September 26, 2024
Prepaid tuition plans allow you to effectively prepay in-state tuition credits at today’s prices.It sounds simple – prepay for tuition now, and don’t worry about rising costs later. But how do these plans really work? Let’s break down how prepaid tuition plans work, and how they compare to 529 plans.

The next wave of college cuts is already here
Higher Ed Dive – September 30, 2024
Higher education’s season of retrenchment has continued into the fall semester, with public and private institutions around the country shedding programs and employees as they grapple with heavy competition for students, soaring costs and revenue constraints. In many cases, administrators are looking to trim programs they say are underenrolled and losing money, and instead focus where they see the most student interest.

Gen Z Hits Some Bumps as it Enters the Workforce
Inc. – September 27, 2024
A new survey finds 60 percent of businesses cut problematic Gen Z staffers in the last year, as many said they’ll hesitate or avoid rehiring younger workers who had trouble navigating professional environments.

Students at This High School Do Internships. It’s a Game Changer
Education Week – September 30, 2024
Disengaged students. Sky-high absenteeism. A disconnect between the typical high school’s academic curriculum and post-graduation life.
These and related complaints about the American high school experience have been gathering steam for some time. State-level policymakers have taken note, and many are now trying to figure out how to give high school students access to a more relevant and engaging experience that prepares them for a future—whether it involves college or doesn’t.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, Encouraging Latino Students to Pursue STEM Careers
The 74 – October 1, 2024
According to Pew Research, Hispanic adults make up 17% of the U.S. labor force but just 8% of those working in STEM careers. Many Hispanic children aren’t even aware of the possibilities that exist within the STEM fields. It’s essential that all students — and especially those of color — receive a high-quality STEM education and learn about career options in these critical fields. Here are five ways that schools, communities and families can deliver on this promise.