Career Planning for College and Career Readiness Conference

After getting your students through the MCAS, is it hard to think about helping them navigate another round of assessments with the PSAT, SAT and Accuplacer? Ever wished you really knew when and how to "touch" your students so it makes a real difference for them? At this conference you will be guided in developing a formula for doing both in order to illustrate the value of assessments as well as your counseling program.  

That formula, based on research findings here in Massachusetts and in Chicago, is A + T = VC or Assessment Information + The Human Touch = Value Capital.  By applying this formula each student’s career plan becomes an “investment portfolio” for documenting the value capital s/he is earning each year.  Join us on December 11 to learn how you and your school team can become each student’s Price Waterhouse or Morgan Stanley!

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the National Center for School Counseling Outcome Research at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst are pleased to announce a conference in support of career planning for college and career readiness. Participants will learn strategies for merging Chicago's "12 Touch Approach" (that engages students, parents and educators in interactions to promote intimacy and support for creating a college-going culture) with the delivery of critical assessment information for college and career readiness. Educators from high schools and public two-year colleges with local plans under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act are invited to attend.

The conference is being held on Friday, December 11, 2009 at the Worcester Senior Center, Worcester, MA. Sign-in will be from 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM. The conference will start at 8:30 AM. A simple, light breakfast and lunch will be provided. The snow date for this conference will be Wednesday, December 16, 2009. The schedule for the day will be the same as for December 11.

To register and obtain driving directions go to http://www.doe.mass.edu/conference/?ConferenceID=727.

Questions regarding the content of the conference should be directed to Karen DeCoster in the Office for Career/Vocational Technical at 781-338-3115 or kdecoster@doe.mass.edu

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act is the funding source.

 

Facilitator Biographies

Jibril Solomon

Jibril Solomon has over ten years of experience as a higher education and K-12 administrator in such areas as enrollment management, student services, college access, and student achievement research.  Currently, Mr. Solomon works for TechBoston, a division of the Boston Public Schools, on the “Boston Area Advanced Technology Education Connections” National Science Foundation funded project and is a part-time teacher at the Adult Central High School, Boston Public Schools.  Previously, Mr. Solomon served as Associate Director of Admissions for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of New Hampshire, Assistant Director of Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions at the University of New England, and Financial Aid Advisor at the University of Maine Portland Campus. 

Among Mr. Solomon’s accomplishments are serving on the Massachusetts’ Governor’s Readiness Project for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) and Education Assessments; developing an educational outreach manual linking K-12 and higher education; training college counselors for the New England Association of College Admissions Counselors; and delivering workshops on college access for the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education Conferences and the CVTE Linkages Consortiums. 

His publications include Boston Area Advanced Technology Education Connections Community College Outreach Manual (2007), Ready for 21st Century Success: The Nee Promise of Public Education (June 2008) and the Accuplacer Curriculum Guide (Jennifer Leonard, Jibril Solomon, & John Zinkowski, anticipated spring 2010). 

His research and presentations include Strategic Pathways to College and Career Readiness. National Career Pathways Network (NCPN) Annual Conferences 2005-2009; A Research Model on Early Assessment with Accuplacer for Secondary Students. College Board National Annual Conference. Seattle, WA. June 2009; Using Early Assessment in College & Career Readiness. Boston Public School District Leadership Professional Development Conference. Boston, MA. June 2009; Use & Impact of the Accuplacer on High School Juniors’ College Readiness. College Board New England Regional Conference. Fall 2009.

Mr. Solomon is a candidate for a Ph.D. in Education Studies at Lesley University (2011).  He received an M.S. in School Social Work with a focus on School Administration from the University of New Hampshire (2006).

 

Dr. John Carey

John Carey is Professor of School Counseling and the Director of the National Center for School Counseling Outcome Research at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  Dr. Carey is the coauthor of Evidence-based school counseling: Making a difference with data-driven practices, the coeditor of Multicultural counseling in schools:  A practical handbook.  Dr. Carey has worked with several state departments of education to improve school-based career development and has published outcome research articles on school-based career development interventions.  He is also currently working with the University of Verona on implementing school-based counseling in Italian schools.  In recognition of his contributions to the school counseling profession, Dr. Carey was the co-recipient of the 2006-7 American School Counselors Association’s Counselor Educator of the Year Award and was the recipient of the 2004 Massachusetts School Counselors Association’s Special Recognition Award.

 

Dr. Joyce V. Brown

Dr. Joyce V. Brown is an experienced educator with thirty-nine years of professional experience in the area of school counseling, student support initiatives, and curriculum development.  Dr. Brown possesses strong communication skills, proven administrative capability and a consistent record of achieving system-wide goals and objectives.  She spent her entire school level career in Chicago Public Schools, serving 34 years at Kenwood Academy, an urban public high school of 1800 students, as a teacher, counselor, SLC Lead Teacher, AVID Coordinator and Guidance Department Chair.  In these capacities, Dr. Brown developed numerous programs focused on student leadership and student engagement. 

In 2004, she advanced to the central office administration as District Director of Secondary School Counselors and within the Department of Postsecondary Education and Student Development.  In this capacity she led a city-wide counselor professional development initiative designed to create guidance programs centered on use of data to impact student achievement. Dr. Brown provided professional development and strategic planning services to ensure that 400 high school counselors realign their daily practice to the driven-evidenced based American School Counseling Association (ASCA) national counseling model.  In 2005, her efforts resulted in CPS being recognized as the outstanding counseling program in the state of Illinois by the Illinois School Counselor Association.  To date eleven Chicago Public Schools high schools have been awarded the prestigious American School Counselor Association (ASCA) national RAMP Award. Retiring in 2008, she currently serves as Senior Consultant for Secondary Counselors within the newly formed Office of College and Career Preparation.  Dr. Brown is also a national consultant with the College Board – National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA) and the Ed Trust – Office of Transforming School Counseling.

Dr. Brown’s expertise is in the area of transition practices between grades 8 and 9, with a special focus on personalization and relationship building to support students as they move from elementary to high school. Her dissertation research is in this area and she has created a 12 Touch High School Transition Model, which outlines personalization practices for counselors.  Understanding the critical importance of grade nine to post secondary attainment, she has been at the forefront of developing, leading and implementing Freshman Connection, a Chicago Public Schools four week summer transition program for 31,500 eighth grade students prior to high school entry, as well as, the implementation of personalization practices throughout the freshman year (12 Touch Program). 

Dr. Brown is a national board certified counselor (NBCT) and sought after counselor leader and speaker.  She has presented at numerous conferences including American School Counseling Association 2005 and 2009, National Association of College Admission Counselors 2004 and 2009, College Board, 2006, 2008 and 2009, NOSCA 2009, Ed Trust – Counselor Summer Academy, 2008 and 2009 and the Utah Counselor’s Association Conference, 2009. 

Dr. Brown is the only urban public school counselor that served on the following national committees,  College Board, Commission on Access, Admissions and Success in Higher Education, final report, "Coming to Our Senses: Education and the American Future,"  Task Force on Admissions in the 21st Century, final report "Preserving the Dream of America: An Open Letter to Professionals in Admissions, Financial Aid and Counseling  and NACAC Commission on the Use of Standardized Tests in Undergraduate Admission.  Dr. Brown was a featured counselor in the College Board Review Journal article entitled: High School Counselors:  Achievement, Struggles and Dreams and was a featured panelist on ABC TV – Stop The Violence Series.

 

Tentative Agenda for the Day

8:00 – Registration and Coffee

8:30 -- Opening Remarks

8:45 –  Presentation: Value of Assessment Information in Supporting College Readiness  

9:15 – Q and A

9:30 – 10:00 – Presentation: Value of the Human Touch in Supporting College Readiness  

10:00 – Q & A

10:15 –  Break

10:30 - Bringing it Together

11:45 –  Lunch

12:30 -- First Concurrent Session

1:15 –  Second Concurrent Session

2:00 – Whole Group Report Out