Counselor Caseloads

The following is a post and comments I made on a separate counselor message board last month. Enjoy...

Caseload

How are your caseloads configured? Does each counselor have a specialty or do you utilize the generalist approach?

BIngram · 282 views · 7 comments

Comments

Comment from: jlcnslrw! [Member]

At our school each counselor had an extra area they were responsible for coordinating information. There were 2 college counselors, 1 scholarship, 1 AP testing, 1 Military, 2 Careers, 1 for pregnant teens, and 1 for ESL. We were also divided by teams so there were 3 freshman counselors and then the rest were sophomore-senior counselors. I felt the freshman counselors should follow their students through, however the students were then funneled into different teams after freshman year according to career choices.

2010-08-21 @ 09:53:48 am

Comment from: jfrederking [Member]

We have two counselors who split the school A-L and M-Z. We also have a part-time School Assistance Person who handles all of the Alcohol and Other Drug issues with students. This person is a social worker with extra training on substance concerns. She covers the entire building for these issues.

2010-08-22 @ 02:00:13 am

Comment from: charger13 [Member]

Caseloads are determined by alphabet and specialty at my school. Each counselor has part of the alphabet order with one or two specialty assignments as well. 320 is the max.

2010-08-25 @ 02:06:00 am

Comment from: jknip [Visitor]

In our middle schools, students stay with the same counselor through 6, 7 and 8. At our Freshman Center and high schools, students are divided alphabetically

2010-08-27 @ 03:42:09 am

Comment from: mnewswander [Member]

Our caseloads are broken down by alphabet. The caseload max starting next year will be 350. We also have a college counselor who carries a partial caseload.

2010-08-30 @ 09:26:45 am

Comment from: gymkoof7 [Member]

I work in three middle schools. Our district cut back middle schools counselors three years ago so we now have caseloads of 5 to 600.

2010-08-30 @ 10:23:13 am

Online Resources - Scholarships

Scholarship Searches

FastWeb
http://www.fastweb.com/

Free Scholarship Search
http://www.freschinfo.com/

Scholarship Resource Network Express
http://www.srnexpress.com/

Scholarships.com
http://www.scholarships.com/

Peterson’s
http://www.petersons.com/finaid/

Benefits of Taking a Year Off

Many students head off to college right after high school because that's the customary path. But if you are thinking that you are not quite ready for college, then you may want to consider taking a year off to explore foreign countries, gain work experience, or improve upon your studying skills. Check out the following benefits of taking a gap year before you begin college.

You will become more mature. Students who take a year off before they enter college mature earlier than their peers who come straight to college from high school. Taking a year off to travel foreign places or work full-time will give you real world experience. Think about how much you would mature if you got to travel to Ghana by yourself and teach English to school children or if you got to explore South East Asia by working in the rain forests. On so many levels, you develop a certain maturity when traveling on your own and experiencing new people and customs. That maturity will allow you to become excited about going to college and allow you to get through the social and intellectual stressors of the four or more intense years to come.

You will become more focused. When you take a year off to discover who you really are, you will be more focused on what you want to do with the rest of your life. Many students, who thought they knew what they wanted to major in, realized that they did not enjoy working in their presumed major after they delved into their gap year of full-time work. These students were able to take the rest of their gap year to explore different jobs in order to find out what they wanted to major in at college. If you are not exactly sure what you would like to major in, then consider taking a year off to explore different career fields.

You will be academically prepared for college. Students who lack basic study skills may run into difficulties at college. If you feel that your grades or your study skills are not up to par by the time you graduate from high school, then you may want to consider taking a gap year to improve yourself academically. Contemplate the option of enrolling in a postgraduate program to enhance your concentrated studying. There are many programs that offer refresher courses in algebra, geometry, English, etc. Some programs even offer introductory college-level classes. These postgraduate programs can help students master the art of college writing and studying and can possibly help students boost their grades before applying to college.

You will have an appreciation for college. If you are going to college because that's what your parents want you to do, then you may have a hard time appreciating what college has to offer you. A gap year may shed a new light on college. Consider the following situation: You take a year off from college to work full-time. You work long hours with very low pay. It won't take you very long to realize that in order to get ahead in life, you need a college degree. When your gap year is over, you will have a new appreciation for college and know that you really want to be there instead of just going because that is what is expected.

Remember that taking a gap year isn't for everyone. If you already know exactly what you want to major in and you think that you are mature enough for the work that comes along with college, then you probably want to continue on to college right after high school. Weigh out your options and pick the best decision for you. If you do decide to take a year off, it is best to apply to college during your senior year of high school. After you receive an acceptance to the college, you can request to have the acceptance deferred for one year. Some colleges will allow you to defer; others will request that you reapply. Be sure to make a plan and set goals for your gap year. Decide on an activity that will be beneficial for you in the long run such as volunteering in a foreign country, exploring different career paths, or improving your study skills. Whatever you decide to do, one thing is for certain: you will enroll in college a changed person.

Step #3: Making the Grade

Education needs to be a priority in your teen's life. Colleges pay very close attention not only to your teen's grades in school, but also to the attitude your teenager has about school. Promoting a positive school experience in high school benefits your teen. They will have a great attitude about learning and it will show through on their college application and in the college interview. So remember, while good grades help, an A+ attitude toward learning will get your teen into the college of his choice.

Step #2: Taking the Right Courses

It is very important for your teenager to be taking the right courses in high school. He will need four years of math, science, history and English. He will also need to take a 2nd language for 2 or 3 years - depending on the college he wishes to attend. You'll need to work with your teenager's school to be sure he is getting all of the right courses offered to him for college preparation.

Your teen should take a look at extracurricular activities such as being involved with a community organization, in sports or being involved in a student club. These are all things colleges will look for on the application.

Summer School Option

Failing a class in high school can be devastating to self esteem (not to mention offer potential trouble getting into a preferred college), but luckily there are options to take: Summer school, taking the class over the following year, staying back a year or, if it’s an elective, just letting it go. Here are five reasons why summer school is a viable choice:


1.) Summer school will give more time to learn the basics of the subject being taught. Middle and high school classes mimic the fast paced world in which we live. Unfortunately, students learning math and science often can’t keep up and get lost. Considering each step is a building block for the next concept in the course, it isn’t a mystery why many students do not pass a class the first time around. The needed time is offered during summer school sessions.

2.) The environment of a summer school class offers a different approach. It tends to be more relaxed with smaller classes – it’s the optimal learning environment in which all students could benefit. Couple that with having a different teacher who uses their unique teaching approach and students may do very well with the subject that they previously failed. students, such as these, do well in summer school and often become more positive about their academics.

3.) Summer school will give a second chance to obtain class credit, preventing doubling up a core class during the school year. Here is how today’s high school works: Each state requires a certain amount of core classes to be taken by every student and passed before they can graduate. So, even if a student isn’t going to college, he/she may still have to pass four math classes including algebra and geometry to obtain a diploma. This can be demoralizing to students that have a hard time in math classes. If he/she fails the one, having to take two of these together the next year can lead to more failure with the possibility of the teenager dropping out of school. Summer school prevents this problem.

4.) During summer school, students will be able to focus on just that particular class. Remember, students face the same type of stress that we are facing in our adult lives with deadlines and the push to perform well. Summer school will help those who get overloaded by having too many classes to focus on at one time. So, if the work load during the school year was a problem, summer school is the option to take to get the class credit.

5.) Summer school will give the chance to raise his/her grade point average. A failure in any class really hurts the cumulative average and can cost the chance to go on to the college or technical school of choice. While letting an elective class go and not retaking it is an option, summer school grades replace the failing grade already earned, thereby raising the grade point average.

Create a positive conversation by bringing up something your does well. Then discuss ways to keep a failing grade from happening again by using study groups and perhaps hiring a tutor at the first sign of trouble in a class. When it is all said and done, summer school will get some students back on the right track with passing grades.

Secrets to Finding Great Instructors

You know it, I know it: some college instructors are great, others just stink. A PhD does not magically turn someone from a boring, monotone know-it-all into a motivational, attention-captivating knowledge dispenser. Truth is, most professors are renowned for their research and writing, not for their ability to keep entertained freshmen in their seats.

To find the best college teachers try some of the following suggestions:

* Pick the campus’s teaching award winners. The list is at the academic affairs office. Teaching award winners are few and far between. But the winners are those that stand out, even among the good teachers.

* Check student ratings of professors. Some colleges make them available in the bookstore or student affairs office. But there are rating sites used by students at colleges all across the country, Ratemyprofessor.com, for example. But be cautious – some students who are upset over a bad grade or the difficulty level of an instructor will give a bad review that is unfounded. What’s worse is when they don’t explain their rating… Make sure to read all the comments to get a good look at why the instructor has his or her particular rating.

* Ask department secretaries. They see all the faculty evaluations and may even give you the straight scoop.

* Check out syllabi. Often they're on the Web, or the department secretary has them. It is a good way to see what is involved in the class. If you’re not lecture, lecture, lecture… find an instructor with group activities or special presentations planned into the syllabus.

* Over-enroll or oversit. If you plan to take three courses, sign up for four, attend the first session of each, and drop the worst one.

Remember, you should be in that class to learn, not just pass… So if you want a good teacher you need to be good student. That means paying attention, being on time, doing your work, being prepared, doing the reading BEFORE class (so you can ask questions), and not distracting other students.