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In this issue:
September Student Development Spotlight: Rachel McDonald; El Reno Schools
Get to know Rachel McDonald, our September Student Development Spotlight! Rachel currently serves 3rd and 4th grade students at Lincoln Learning Center in the El Reno Public School District. Thank you, Rachel, for all you do for your students and their families!
What led you to this profession?
Mental health has been a big interest of mine from a very young age, and school was always my safe place growing up. I tried out some other career paths but ultimately was drawn toward education. After spending some time as a classroom teacher, school counseling was the obvious path.
What is your favorite part of or the most rewarding aspect of your position?
My favorite part of being a school counselor is having the opportunity to build relationships with every one of our students. The most rewarding aspect for me is when a student accepts me as a trusted or safe adult in their life and really opens up and I am able to advocate for their well-being.
Why is creating a comprehensive school counseling program important to you?
If a student's basic needs aren't being met, they will not be receiving the best chance of success in learning or the future. Comprehensive school counseling programs are put into place in order to close those opportunity and achievement gaps.
What quote inspires you?
"Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching". This quote pops into my brain daily and is a great reminder to make good choices, which we remind our students of daily.
What do you do when you need inspiration to tackle another day working on behalf of students?
Nothing inspires me more than watching our teachers in the classroom. If I need varying perspectives or fresh ideas they are always my first stop. Collaborating with other fellow counselors or doing research on certain topics is also a great way to gain inspiration.
What do you do to decompress and refuel for the next day?
I am a huge advocate of self-care. In order to be the best version of myself for our students, occasionally I have to leave work at work and unplug. Spending time in nature or having something fun planned with friends or family always helps get me through those long days.
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Coffee With Counselors
Welcome back, amazing school counselors! We hope you had a refreshing break and are ready to dive into another fantastic year of supporting our students. We're thrilled to kick off the school year with you and want to keep the momentum going. Join us for Coffee with Counselors, where we'll share new strategies, resources, and inspiration to help you thrive in your role. Let's make this year the best one yet—together! Mark your calendars. We can't wait to see you!
Register for Upcoming Dates:
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Regional Trainings Scheduled
🌟 Exciting News, Oklahoma School Counselors! 🌟
We’re hitting the road with regional training sessions featuring the brand-new Oklahoma Comprehensive School Counseling Implementation Guide! This is your chance to be one of the first to dive into this powerful resource and learn how to implement it effectively in your schools. With nine different locations across the state, we’re making it easier than ever for you to attend. Each session runs from 8:30-4:00, so you’ll have plenty of time to explore all the guide offers.
But that’s not all! Several members of our Student Development Team, including School-Based Mental Health Integration, Prevention & Intervention, and College & Career Readiness will also be there to walk you through the latest initiatives. This is your opportunity to enhance your counseling program, connect with fellow counselors, and have some fun while making a bigger impact on your students’ success.
Don’t miss out—let’s learn, grow, and make a difference together!
**Please note: At the time of publication, the exact date and location of the final training session was still under consideration. We will provide updates and specific information as soon as we can obtain confirmation. Thank you for understanding.
Training Dates & Locations
- September 19- High Plains Technology Center/WOODWARD
- September 20- Autry Technology Center/ENID
- October 10 - Tulsa Tech/OWASSO
- October 23- Indian Capital Technology Center/TAHLEQUAH
- October 28- Mid-Del Technology Center/MIDWEST CITY
- October 29- Altus Community Center/ALTUS
- October 30 - Kiamichi Technology Center/ATOKA
- November 6 - Tulsa Tech Riverside Campus/TULSA
- November 7 - Canadian Valley Technology Center/ EL RENO
Training Agenda All locations:
- 8:00 AM: Registration
- 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Implementation Guide Introduction
- 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch
- 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM:
- Finish any Implementation Guide work
- School Counselor Role in Mental Health Protocols
- Prevention/Intervention Information
- College and Career and Work-Based Learning Updates
Purple Star Designation Application Window Now Open
The Purple Star program is designed to help schools respond to the educational and personal challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school and keep them on track to be college, workforce, and life-ready. To learn more about the ongoing impact of the Purple Star program, click here.
Application Timeline
- Fall 2024: August 1 - September 30
- Spring 2025: January 1 - February 28
Questions? Contact Christi.Sturgeon@sde.ok.gov
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New Counselor or District Testing Contact Information
Reminder: If you have a new counselor or District Testing Coordinator (DTC), please send their email address to Sabrina Wood at swood@osrhe.edu so that we can add them to our listserv.
Ordering PreACT for 10th Grade Students in Oklahoma
The ordering window for the 10th-grade PreACT, funded by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, opens today, August 1st. You will receive an email from ACT containing announcements and links with helpful information regarding the PreACT.
This is a direct link to order: https://readiness.act.org/
Important Reminders When Ordering:
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Program Selection: Choose “OK State Regents for Higher Ed Fall 2024 - Grade 10 only.” Selecting the wrong program will result in your district being billed.
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Order Quantity: Only order for the number of sophomores you have. ACT will calculate an overage, so you do not need to order extra.
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Accommodations: Determine if any students require accommodations such as read-aloud, Braille, human reader (Reader’s Script), or large print.
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Shipping Address: Use a physical address, not a PO Box, as FedEx does not deliver to PO Boxes.
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Shipping Options: Do not select priority or overnight shipping to avoid additional charges.
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Order Confirmation: Ensure you click "…Terms and Conditions…" and "Place Order" at the end of the ordering process. You will get a confirmation number and will receive a confirmation email when you order correctly, these are two separate things.
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For Public and Private Schools: The PreACT is available for all public and private schools.
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Separate Orders for PreACT 8/9: If ordering the 8/9 PreACT, place a separate order to ensure correct program and billing information.
Post-Order Tips:
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Inventory Check: When your order arrives, promptly open the box to perform a quick inventory check. Answer documents are shipped separately; do not discard the answer document box. You will use it to return the documents to ACT for scoring.
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Track Returns: Before sending the answer documents back, take a picture of your tracking number.
The PreACT provides valuable information, starting with the pre-administration section and continuing through the assessment, helping guide your students, parents, and staff to prepare for college readiness.
PreACT for 10th Grade
The Oklahoma State Regents will again fund the PreACT for 10th-grade students in both public and private schools. The PreACT is free for ALL schools.
Ordering Information:
- The ordering window opens on August 1. Please do not order before this date to avoid receiving an invoice from ACT.
- The link to order will be sent via email on this listserv.
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Testing Window: September 3rd through November 22nd.
Student Preparation Fall Workshops
- Workshops will be hosted by OK Higher Ed in various regions throughout the state during September.
- Dates, locations, and the agenda are attached HERE.
- Registration is available on our website: https://okhighered.org/student-prep.
Student Preparation Overnight Conferences
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College App Week Informational
Have you hosted a College Application Week event at your school in the past?
Did you recently enroll in College App Week 2024?
Are you trying to decide whether or not to host a CAW event this year?
Join us for one of our scheduled Zoom sessions to see what CAW is all about! We’ll discuss the resources available at OKCollegeAppWeek.org to help you plan and host your CAW activities--whether you’ll be having one College App Day, a week of activities, or anything in between. We’ll discuss great ideas that CAW participants have shared in the past, and we’d love to hear your ideas as well. To join the meeting of your choice, simply choose one of the links below a few minutes before the meeting starts. We look forward to seeing you!
College App Week 2024
College Application Week 2024 will be here before you know it (September 23-27), so it’s time to enroll your high school for this significant event. If that week doesn’t work for you, make sure to plan your College App Week (CAW) for any week September through November 2024. If you’re not able to fit a whole week into your school calendar, use only the number of days needed to meet the objective of CAW—to give every senior an opportunity to submit at least one college application at your school while there are staff and volunteers standing by to provide assistance. Last year, over 5,000 high school seniors completed online college applications during their CAW.
Visit OKCollegeAppWeek.org to take advantage of all of the free resources available to Students, Event Coordinators and Volunteers. You are not required to use any of these materials, but they may give you some ideas of your own. You can register your high school, library or community center by completing this registration form. You can also register for College App Week 2024 while you’re on the home page at OKCollegeAppWeek.org; just click the ‘Register Now’ button to complete a short survey. We’ll then send some free supplies to you—‘I Applied’ stickers for the number of seniors you report on your survey and posters to promote your event. In a few days, we’ll send a list of scheduled CAW planning Zoom sessions, where you can ask questions and learn more about this exciting week.
Contact Letha Huddleston, lhuddleston@ocap.org | 405.234.4345 or Kelli Kelnar, kkelnar@ocap.org | 405.234.4313 with any questions or concerns.
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Changes to AP Course Requirements
Beginning with the 2024–2025 school year, all public high schools in Oklahoma shall make a minimum of four AP courses available to students (70 O.S. § 1210.704). To help with your planning, here are some resources:
If you need guidance and support on what to offer and how to begin, please contact Willette Guinhawa-Ho, Oklahoma's College Board partner, at wguinhawaho@collegeboard.org.or Sharon Morgan, Program Director for Standards and Learning at sharon.morgan@sde.ok.gov.
If your district/school is offering AP courses for the first time, College Board invites you to attend an Oklahoma New AP Coordinator Webinar. During this session, we will review resources and supports for new AP Coordinators.
If you need guidance and support on what to offer and how to begin, please contact Willette Guinhawa-Ho.
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Oklahoma FAFSA Data Portal
The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and Oklahoma College Assistance Program offer the Oklahoma FAFSA Data Portal (OK-FDP), a free online tool to help counselors, principals and mentors provide more targeted assistance to high school seniors as they complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Get started tracking FAFSA progress for your seniors today!
OK-FDP Flyer | OK-FDP Video
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   OKCareerGuide and Work-Based Learning Training
Join in on September 11th for an OKCareerGuide and Work-Based Learning training. This training will help educators understand the Connect2Business platform and how it can help manage their work-based learning programs.
Is Work-Based Learning getting you down?
Fear not! Our College and Career Readiness Specialist, Meredith Dennis, will be heading efforts to support schools with developing and connecting students to quality Work-Based Learning experiences.
Have questions for Meredith?
Connect with her HERE to schedule a meeting or send a message to Meredith.Dennis@sde.ok.gov .
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 Functional Family Therapy
The Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs is offering the Functional Family Therapy (FFT) program for highly at-risk youth and adjudicated youth in specific Oklahoma counties. FFT is an evidence-based treatment program designed to reduce at-risk behavior in adolescents with an 70%-80% effectiveness rate. FFT is the leading treatment to address adolescent substance use, delinquency, and family system change. FFT targets youth aged 11-18, younger siblings, and their parents/caregivers. Intervention ranges from, on average, 8 -12 one-hour sessions for mild cases and up to 30 sessions for more difficult situations. FFT is conducted over an approximate three-month period and is largely an in-home intervention that is provided at no cost to the family.
FFT is appropriate for youth ages 11-17 exhibiting frequent and high degrees of the following problematic behaviors: defiance of authority figures (home and school), aggressiveness toward other people, extreme sibling rivalry, running away, truancy, vandalism, negative peer association, poor academic performance, chronic absenteeism from school, frequent school suspensions/expulsions, current/history of arrest, bullying issues, gang affiliation, and or substance abuse.
Is FFT available to students in my county?
To learn if FFT is available in your county please click below. Counties are where FFT is available are highlighted in blue: Functional Family Therapy (FFT) (oklahoma.gov)
How to do I make a referral?
To make a referral, please reach out to your local county Office of Juvenile Affairs. FFT can be provided as a preventative intervention. You will have to make a referral to OJA services and request FFT if the student does not have OJA involvement.
For the Juvenile Bureau counties of Comanche, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Canadian, please reach out your local Juvenile Bureau Office.
Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) for Educators
SMART offers an innovative, modern, uplifting, and highly scalable approach to enhance individual resilience. Developed by Dr. Amit Sood at the Mayo Clinic, SMART is offered as a four-module structured program. SMART has been tested and found efficacious in over 30 clinical trials for decreasing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and burnout, and increasing resilience, wellbeing, mindfulness, happiness, and positive health behaviors.
Register for September 3rd SMART training here
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