Terese Jurgensen - Iowa Department of Education

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view..until you climb inside of their skin and walk around in it.”

                                                                     Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird

Thank you, Atticus, for sharing what the word Empathy looks like but more importantly, feels like. As a consultant for the Iowa Department of Education, I have been honored to participate in outstanding conferences recently: National Conference for PBIS, Iowa School Counselors Association (ISCA) and the International Bullying Prevention Association (IBPA). Empathy, a Social Awareness Competency (CASEL) skill that can be taught, was a key topic of several outstanding presentations across all three conferences.

I learned that Empathy is key in reducing bullying, breaking down diversity, promoting positive behavior, building trust, supporting community and most importantly creating a civilized society. At ISCA, Dr. Michele Borba outlined that “Empathy is also diminishing in our students: a 40 percent drop in the last 30 years. For students to be truly “successful,” they also need to be able to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and think “WE” not “ME.” (ISCA)

To support your work, I would like to introduce you to Dr., Sameer Hinduja who presented at IBPA,

is Co-Director for the Cyberbullying Research Center and is Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Bullying Prevention. He led a powerful workshop on how to build Empathy in students. Here are some simple ideas that every School Counselor can easily do:

Joy and Heron - Short videos to share & discuss
Walk or Cross the Line - Whole Class Activity
Learning to Give - Purposeful Acts of Kindness; Lesson Plans
Feelings & Dealings - Emotional Card Games - Pinterest Link
Student Empathy Interviews Templates
Burger King Junior - Bullying Video

In closing, I want to thank many of you who have voiced your appreciation for this newsletter. Please email me, Terese Jurgensen, and let me know any topics you would like to see covered or questions you may have. Thank you for your work! It is valued and is greatly appreciated. The next newsletter will be released on February 4, 2020 which is during National School Counselor Appreciation Week!

Kathy Leggett- Iowa Department of Education

Greetings! As key stakeholders in the work of Future Ready Iowa, we want to do what we can to help you share the message of high-demand opportunities in Iowa for all students.

Iowa has numerous education and training paths that lead to good paying jobs. Many of these educational opportunities take 2 years or less to complete and students graduating from high school can get tuition and mandatory fees paid for these programs.

Learn more about the Last Dollar Scholarship and all of the training programs eligible. Check out Future Ready Iowa and please contact me, Kathy Leggett, if you have any questions or need further support. Thank you for your work!

Jake Welchans -  Iowa Department of Education

Hello, school counselors! As one semester starts winding down, we turn our attention to the next. Please share with the teachers in your building that before they start drafting lesson plans, encourage them to  try something different: Bring a hands-on, real-world project into their classroom.

Educators who are doing this will tell you this much: It brings a deeper level of understanding to your students of your subject matter. Subjects that may seem remote or irrelevant suddenly become real. Real-world projects engage students like never before. 

Check out the projects on the Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-based Learning. There are well over 100 projects there; the businesses are eager to work with you and your students.

Want to get started but need a bit of guidance? Call your AEA representative. Other questions? Contact the Iowa Department of Education’s Jake Welchans.

Kristy Volesky - Iowa Department of Education

Enhancing the Student Experience with Work-Based Learning

Work-Based Learning can have a tremendously positive impact on a student’s social and emotional health.

When students are able to recognize their own strengths in a career that coincides with their interests, this builds confidence. This confidence has an astounding impact on their personal well-being. Student confidence soars when they have opportunities to interact with real projects and business professionals in a professional setting.

Here are some great questions to consider when considering your school's opportunities for post-secondary readiness. Does your school utilize your Intermediary to provide students the opportunity to interact with professional classroom speakers, explore various careers through career fairs or career-focused expositions? Do your students have the opportunity to visit job sites through worksite tours or job shadows? Do your educators incorporate projects from real companies that are free and available to all across the state through the Work-Based Learning Clearinghouse? Do your students have the opportunity to extend their learning in a career path they are passionate about their senior year in an internship?

If these questions have sparked interest or If you are wanting assistance with establishing a work-based learning program, Iowa's Intermediary Network is here to assist! Please contact Kristy Volesky, to answer questions and support a shift to a high-quality work-based learning program.

Please mark your calendars and plan on joining us at the National Work-Based Learning Conference held in Ankeny, Iowa during April 22-23, 2020.

Christina M. Sibaouih - 
Division Administrator, Community Engagement

October was Application Campaign Month and to date, Iowa students have submitted over 6,500 applications!

We are currently preparing to begin sending out the student-specific FAFSA completion data reports to schools. Iowa College Aid provides this data to every high school in the state. These reports ensure that school staff are aware of which students need to complete a FAFSA or are missing something to complete their FAFSA. Ultimately, this process is a crucial step in supporting all students’ FAFSA completion. If you are unsure who receives these reports at your school or want to learn more, please feel free to Jamie Covell at Iowa College AID.

Registration is open for Iowa College & Career Readiness Academy sessions through March 2020. These online professional development sessions focus on a variety of topics, including a landscape scan of college and career readiness in Iowa, district plans and ICAP, financial aid, and equity. Courses may be taken for no credit (free!), license renewal credit, or graduate credit.

Visit Iowa College Aid for more information on all of our our agency’s programs and resources!

Sheryl Cline, President

ISCA - Sheryl Cline

The Iowa School Counselor Association just wrapped up it’s 2019 Conference at Prairie Meadows Conference Center in Altoona. We hope you were able to make it. We had great keynotes from Michele Borba and Lisa Knoekne; 4 fantastic pre-conference sessions; and over 45 breakout sessions. If you are looking for resources from the conference, check out our conference page at ISCA .

ISCA recently changed the website domain. Please bookmark our ISCA website to reach our site going forward. Our old domain will continue being active for the remainder of the school year. 

Reminder that membership renewal is in January. Please renew your membership to continue receiving all of the great benefits we offer including webinars, newsletters, and networking opportunities.

Sue Schirmer - Heartland AEA

Professional Learning - Sue Schirmer

The Counselor Academy has started in your AEA’s! Three hundred counselors across the state have signed up and are ready to learn. We are looking forward to great opportunities to learn collaboratively with outstanding counselors and administrators!

There are multiple opportunities for FREE learning on a variety of webinars! Please check out, Data-Driven School Counseling in a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) with Trish Hatch. The webinar recording, slides, and Q&A answers are now available.

David Ford - Director

AEA PREP recently hosted the National Postsecondary Readiness Institute (NPSI) - Iowa at Des Moines Area Community College. Thirty three district leadership teams from around the state convened to action plan around postsecondary success strategies. The NPSI framework integrates district leadership, data strategies, and school counselors as leaders. Each district included at least one school counselor or school counseling lead on its team and has begun the hard work of aligning their system to address equity issues in postsecondary access and success.

Did you know, Iowa continues to see more students graduating, but fewer of them identifying a postsecondary plan and even fewer of them enrolling in postsecondary education and training programs? Edweek recently published an article highlighting a national poll indicating 51% of teens aged 13-17 believe a high school diploma is enough to succeed in today’s workforce. That can and should be worrisome to school counselors! The article highlights the fact that careful counseling is needed to ensure students’ understanding of workforce expectations are aligned with employer demands and needs.

Some things to consider: When are your students identifying their postsecondary aspirations via their ICAP? Who ensures that aspiration becomes an intention? What are we doing to turn that intention into an enrollment?

At the recent ISCA Conference, AEA PREP partnered with Hatching Results to host a pre-conference session on the school counselor’s role with MTSS. Participants learned more details about what can or should be included in each tier of counseling support, as well as how to assess for outcomes for each tier. For more information about how to align your school counseling program with MTSS, contact David Ford.

Brittania Morey - Director of Communications

The Iowa College Access Network - ICAN is in full FAFSA mode. In October, in addition to our 10 ICAN Centers, we provided FAFSA assistance at 85 community and school-based events. It was exciting to, aid in the completion of 1,746 FAFSAs for high school seniors, which encompasses nearly 31% of the FAFSAs completed in Iowa for the Class of 2020. FAFSA completion is a key success indicator for students pursuing post-secondary education and training, and is a fundamental step in ensuring our future workforce has the support needed for success.

While not every student needs a four-year degree, completing the FAFSA and understanding the opportunities available can change a student’s understanding of what is possible, opening doors to apprenticeships, career training, and a college degree.

ICAN is committed to increasing FAFSA completion through our FAFSA Ready Iowa program, which includes partnerships with colleges, community foundations, and high schools. As school counselors, you help seniors prepare for their post-high school transition by providing information about the financial aid process and FAFSA. ICAN is here to help.

School counselors, go to your dedicated page at ICAN and review our programs and resources. If you need additional support and/or would like to conduct an FAFSA event, connect with us and together we’ll work to meet the needs of your students.