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The Legal and Ethical Principles Guide for High School College Prep is intended for school counselors. This guide will aid school counselors in understanding the legal and ethical parameters surrounding college readiness. School counselors play a vital role in helping their students meet their college goals. Having a practical and useful guide on hand will support counselors with their purpose in helping their students prepare for life after high school.

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I interviewed Lezli Danielle Engle Real who is a school counselor for the class of 2022 at Pasadena High School in Pasadena, Texas where she has worked since 2018. She is also an Angelo State University alumnus and adjunct faculty member. Ms. Real holds seven educator certificates including principal and school counselor certifications. Professional organization memberships include:  Texas Counselor Association, Texas School Counselor Association, Lone Star State School Counselor Association, and Three Rivers Counseling Association. Although there is not a biographical information page on their website, contact information for Ms. Real can be found at https://pasadena.pasadenaisd.org/staff_directory/counselors

The focus of the interview was college readiness. According to Ms. Real, one of the most impactful issues related to law is confidentiality. This is true specifically when working with undocumented students on FAFSA and TAFSA and when working with students who are dealing with dependency status. Now that FAFSA filing is a graduation requirement written into Texas code, that is a big part of what the school counselor deals with legally.

Best practices for college preparation:

·         Ensure the program for implementing the FAFSA requirement has all necessary forms and staff prepared with trainings.

·         Make students aware about graduating with a 22-credit diploma versus a 26-credit (with endorsements) diploma and the impact that has on financial aid and admissions. Requires forms for 22-credit plan.

·         Keep a strong network of other school counselors to help stay informed about best practices and regularly attending trainings and other professional development on the topic.

The biggest emerging issue is the FAFSA requirement is new. They are not encouraging the opt out form currently but foresee it as changing in the future since the aid will be in competition in a way it has never been before. Certain students should also be able to opt out of financial aid and should not be pressured to submit information. In the case of undocumented students submitting information may end up harming the student in the end and should be able to easily opt out. As it stands if the student is under eighteen they need parent consent.

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The position statement from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is that all students should be successful in obtaining the knowledge and skills to qualify for their future chosen careers. The school counselor's objective is individualize for each student a program that will provide them the foundation for their future success. School counselors provide students a way to help transition into this future career by helping them understand how to qualify and how work and school connect  to their prospective fields (ASCA, 2017).

American School Counselor Association. (2017). The School Counselor and Career Development - American School Counselor Association (ASCA). https://schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Career-Development

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(Adopted 2017)

ASCA Position

School counselors deliver programs that have an impact on student growth in three domain areas: career development, academic development and social/emotional development (ASCA, 2019). School counselors recognize students should demonstrate growth in these domains equally to be successful. School counselors understand these domains are not considered separate but are intertwined, each affecting the other (Schenck, Anctil, & Smith, 2010). Although this statement focuses on career development it is understood academic development and social/emotional development need to be considered with equal diligence.

The Rationale

Workforce projections call for graduating secondary students to have at the least some postsecondary education to fulfill the demands of work (Carnevale, Smith, & Strohl, 2010). School counselors recognize that each student, regardless of background, possesses unique interests, abilities and goals, which will lead to future opportunities. Collaborating with students, families, educational staff and the community, the school counselor works to ensure all students select a postsecondary path to productive citizenry (e.g. military, career technical certificate or two-/four-year degree program) appropriate for the student.

ASCA recognizes career education begins in kindergarten and is exemplified by students who are knowledgeable about options and are prepared to enroll and succeed in any postsecondary experience without the need for remediation. ASCA recognizes all students possess the skills and knowledge needed to qualify for and succeed in their chosen field (Conley, 2013).

The School Counselor's Role

School counselors play a critical role in students' career development by:

Introducing careers and the world of work beginning in lower elementary grades (pre-K-3)

Providing opportunities to engage students in "life roles including learner and worker" (Gysbers, 2013)

Providing learning and experiential opportunities for students to acquire behaviors and skills for career readiness (Gysbers, 2013)

Working with students to identify their interests, abilities, specific career clusters (Stipanovic, 2010) and postsecondary plans (many states mandate an academic/career action plan as a graduation requirement)

Helping students understand the connection between school and the world of work

Helping students plan the transition from school to postsecondary education and/or the world of work (ASCA, 2014)

Advising students on multiple postsecondary pathways (e.g., college, career-specific credentials and certifications, apprenticeships, military, service-year programs, full-time employment with a family-supporting wage) (Chicago Public Schools Multiple Postsecondary Pathways Framework)

Connecting students to early college programs (e.g., dual credit/dual enrollment).

Collaborating with administration, teachers, staff and decision makers to create a postsecondary-readiness and collegegoing culture

Providing and advocating for individual pre-K through postsecondary students' college and career awareness through exploration and postsecondary planning and decision making, which supports students' right to choose from the wide array of options after completing secondary education

Identifying gaps in college and career access and the implications of such data for addressing both intentional and unintentional biases related to college and career counseling

Working with teachers to integrate career education learning in the curricula

Providing opportunities for all students to develop the mindsets and behaviors necessary to learn work-related skills, resilience, perseverance, an understanding of lifelong learning as a part of long-term career success, a positive attitude toward learning and a strong work ethic

Recognizing and supporting essential developmental factors key to future successes, such as self-efficacy and identity, motivation and perseverance (Savitz-Romer & Bouffard, 2013)

Summary

School counseling has seen many evolution changes to initiatives in career development. School counselors understand students should demonstrate growth in the career, academic and social/emotional domains equally to be successful. School counseling programs should strive to implement comprehensive, developmental programming addressing student needs. These programs should seek a balance in delivering instruction, appraisal and advisement and counseling enhancing the three domains.

References

American School Counselor Association. (2019). ASCA National Model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.

American School Counselor Association. (2016). Ethical standards for school counselors. Alexandria, VA: Author.

American School Counselor Association. (2014). Mindsets and behaviors for student success: K-12 college- and careerreadiness standards for every student. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., & Strohl, J. (2010). Help wanted: Projections of jobs and education requirements through 2018. Washington DC: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Retrieved from https://cew.georgetown. edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/fullreport.pdf

Conley, D. (2013). Getting ready for college, careers, and the Common Core: What every educator needs to know. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Gysbers, N.C. (2013). Career-ready students: A goal of comprehensive school counseling programs. The Career Development Quarterly 61(3), 283-288.

Savitz-Romer, M., & Boufford, S.M. (2013). Ready, willing, and able: A developmental approach to college access and success. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Schenck, P., Anctil, T., & Smith, C.K. (2010). Career counseling identity of professional school counselors. Career Developments, 26, 16-17.

Stipanovic, N. (2010). Providing comprehensive career guidance services through a career pathways framework. Techniques, 85(7), 32-35.

Resources
Anctil, T.M., Smith, C.K., Schenck, P., & Dahir, C. (2012). Professional school counselors' career development practices and continuing education needs. The Career Development Quarterly, 60(2), 109-121.

Dahir, C. A., Burnham, J. J., Stone, C. B., & Cobb, N. (2010). Principals as partners: Counselors as collaborators. National Association of Secondary School Principals Bulletin, 94(4), 286-305. Retrieved from https://cochise.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/863827836?accountid=7278

Lapan, R.T., Whitcomb, S.A., & Aleman, N.M. (2012). Connecticut professional school counselors: College and career counseling services and smaller ratios benefit students. Professional School Counseling, 16(2), 117-124.

Morgan, L.W., Greenwaldt, M.E., & Gosselin, K.P. (2014). School counselors' perceptions of competency in career counseling. The Professional Counselor, 4(5), 481-496.

Rowell, L., & Hong, E. (2013). Academic motivation: Concepts, strategies, and counseling approaches. Professional School Counseling, 16(3), 158-171. Retrieved from https://cochise.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1368152287?accountid=7278

Schmidt, C.D., Hardinge, G.B., & Rokutani, L.J. (2012). Expanding the school counselor repertoire through STEM-focused career development. The Career Development Quarterly, 60(1), 25-35.

Schenck, P. M., Anctil, T. M., Smith-Klose, C., & Dahir, C. (2012). Coming full circle: Reoccurring career development trends in schools. The Career Development Quarterly, 60(3), 221-230.

Turner, S.L., & Conkel Ziebell, J.L. (2011). The career beliefs of inner-city adolescents. Professional School Counseling, 15(1), 1-14.

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The School Counselor and Career Development

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(Adopted 2017) School counselors deliver programs that have an impact on student growth in three domain areas: career development, academic development and social/emotional development (ASCA, 2019). School counselors recognize students should demonstrate growth in these domains equally to be successful.

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Slide #4 - Current News Article 1:  The COVID Academic Slide Could Be Worse Than Expected

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Slide #4 - Current News Article 1:  The COVID Academic Slide Could Be Worse Than Expected

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• Fewer students than ever before are prepared for college due to missed school during pandemic
• High school students lost on average the equivalent of 3.4 months of instruction in reading, 3.3 in math, 3.1 in science, and 2.3 in English even with remote learning options
• Feedback was slower to get back to students making it hard to gain an understanding of materials
• This also led to decrease in testing scores
• Students may have also been less invested in testing scores since many places waived SAT and ACT entrance requirements
• Students across many levels lost a fifth to a quarter of learning during the pandemic
• A multiyear effort will be required to make improvements to the impact of the pandemic

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/the-covid-academic-slide-could-be-worse-than-expected/2022/02

Sparks, S. D. (2022, February 3). The COVID Academic Slide Could Be Worse Than Expected. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/the-covid-academic-slide-could-be-worse-than-expected/2022/02

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Three years later, the COVID slide hasn't stopped.

New research suggests students still haven't regained the academic ground they've lost in the disruptions of the ongoing pandemic, and many high school students will continue to struggle after graduation.

The average high school junior who took the ACT college-entry test in spring 2021 fell from the 50th to the 46th percentile across English, reading, math, and science-equal to about three months of learning-compared to performance in 2020 and 2019. As a result, the ACT figures, two fewer students out of every 100 who took the test last spring are on track to do well in college courses after graduation.

High school students lost on average the equivalent of 3.4 months of instruction in reading, 3.3 months in math, 3.1 months in science, and 2.3 months in English even as schools continued to offer remote instruction through the worst of the pandemic. Students of all racial groups and across rural, suburban, and urban schools showed significant declines in test scores, ACT found, based on scores from about 600,000 students from nearly 4,000 schools in 38 states.

"The pandemic disrupted education, which then led to decreases in academic learning, which then led to test score declines," said Jeff Allen, a principal research scientist at ACT and lead author of the study. "But there are other chains of effects. ... We also believe that the pandemic has led to decreases in the social and emotional wellness of students that could also lead to decreases in academic learning."

ACT researcher Raeal Moore said a survey of 25,000 students who took the college test shows gaps of more than 20 percentage points between the number of students who needed clear materials and assignments and timely feedback on their work during the pandemic and those who reported receiving it. "These are related in the sense that when students weren't getting timely and specific feedback, it became more difficult to understand the content that was being taught to them, and it became more difficult to manage the assignments they were asked to do," she said.

Allen cautioned that students also may have been less motivated to perform well on college placement tests in the last few years because many colleges across the country waived requirements for the ACT and its competitor SAT entry exams during the pandemic.

"It is very concerning that the way our [secondary] schools are set up right now is focused mostly on grade-level standards, plus trying to do a little bit of catch up. But, if we have these whole cohorts of kids who really missed out on two or three very essential grades for learning, just plopping them into high school courses that they may not be ready for is going to be a real challenge," said Megan Kuhfeld, a research scientist for the Collaborative for Student Growth at NWEA. "I think that what we're seeing now with some of the ACT results, is just the tip of the iceberg of college-readiness issues that are going to come in future years."

Pandemic is a 'seismic and ongoing disruption to K-12 schooling'

ACT's findings come on the heels of a separate longitudinal look at academic trends released late last week by Kuhfeld and her colleagues at NWEA, which finds the pandemic a "seismic and ongoing disruption to K-12 schooling."

Using data from more than 5.4 million students in grades 3-8 who took the computer-adaptive MAP Growth test, researchers found scores in fall 2021 fell by a fifth to more than a quarter of a standard deviation in math, and .09 to .18 of a standard deviation in reading, compared to scores in fall 2019, before the pandemic hit.

ACT also did a separate study across grades 5-12 in Arkansas, where they have a research partnership, and, as NWEA found, the learning losses were worse for lower grades.

"Based on what happened in January, it seems like we are not in the recovery stage yet. School districts are still having to do rolling closures and kids are still absent or being unenrolled at much higher rates," said Kuhfeld, the lead author of the NWEA working paper. "I want to believe that by March, kids will be in the classroom most days and staff won't be out sick as much, but ... I'm not feeling super optimistic that this will be the school year of recovery as we anticipated after the last school year.

"It really goes to show that it is not like we could put in place recovery efforts in 2022 and just think, oh, by 2023, things will be back to normal," Kuhfeld said. "This is really going to be a multiyear effort to help catch up kids."

While schools serving fewer students in poverty mostly managed to slow their students' academic slide in 2021, NWEA found high-poverty schools "continued a pretty dramatic decline," Kuhfeld said. As a result, income-based academic gaps in elementary schools have widened by 20 percent in math and 15 percent in reading since the pandemic began.

NWEA researchers found the pandemic has caused significantly more damage to students' long-term academic progress than natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

"I don't want to downplay the impacts of Katrina that we know were on so many families, but it feels like the hits from the pandemic just keep coming," Kuhfeld said. "And teachers keep getting more burned out. And for students and parents, the mental health side of things has gotten worse over time. Whereas [disruption from Hurricane] Katrina, I think, was a little bit more concentrated but with a period of recovery."

Stanford University economist Eric Hanushek called the findings "bleak," but said even they may be optimistic. NWEA's data, he said, "downplayed the numbers of missing kids, but these are almost certainly larger losses."

While Hanushek has not yet analyzed 2021 data, he found the learning losses in 2020 alone could cut students' lifelong income by 3 percent, leading the United States to see a 1.5 percent lower gross domestic product through the end of the century.

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The COVID Academic Slide Could Be Worse Than Expected

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Three years later, the COVID slide hasn't stopped. New research suggests students still haven't regained the academic ground they've lost in the disruptions of the ongoing pandemic, and many high school students will continue to struggle after graduation.

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Slide #5 - Current News Article 2:  3 Ways to Help Students to Be the First in Their Families to Attend College

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Slide #5 - Current News Article 2:  3 Ways to Help Students to Be the First in Their Families to Attend College

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·         A survey shows that more than 1 in 5 low-income graduates of 2021 changed plans for college or jobs to take care of family members due to covid-19.

·         14% of them never received information about financial aid from school

·         Do not assume that students know about financial aid or how to get in to college. Many  of them will be doing this for the first time in their families. There may not be a family member for them to get advice from.

·         Include their parents in the informational sessions. This also parents to also ask questions about programs

·         College success is more than just getting in. Help students with study, communication, and organizational skills.

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/3-ways-to-convince-students-to-be-the-first-in-their-families-to-attend-college/2022/01

Najarro, I. (2022, January 18). 3 Ways to Help Students to Be the First in Their Families to Attend College. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/3-ways-to-convince-students-to-be-the-first-in-their-families-to-attend-college/2022/01

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Alma Lopez, the 2022 American School Counselor Association School Counselor of the Year and lead school counselor at Livingston Middle School in Livingston, Calif., went to college as a first-generation student without crucial information that could have helped her, such as the fact that there were different ways to pay for tuition that didn't involve taking out loans.

Now the pandemic has upended future planning for current high school students, with 2021 graduates reporting heightened stress along with financial hardship as they enrolled in college, starting full-time work, or took on caregiving roles. This was among the main findings from a nationally representative EdWeek Research Center survey conducted in August and September 2021 of nearly 1,500 high-achieving high school graduates.

The survey additionally found that more than 1 in 5 low-income 2021 graduates said they changed their college or job plans to care for a family member infected with or at high risk for COVID-19, and about 14 percent of respondents said they "never" received support from their high school on questions related to financial aid.

When working particularly with students who would be the first in their family to go to college at this tumultuous time, Lopez offers some advice to best serve their needs.

Don't assume what information the student can access

Lopez grew up in a Mexican immigrant household where she couldn't ask her parents for advice on how to apply for college.

"Many families are similar to my own parents who came to the country as young adults, wanting that better opportunity, trusting the systems that were out there to guide [their children] but really limited in their own understanding of a lot of those systems," Lopez said.

When working with students in a similar situation, Lopez strives to provide as much information as possible to students and their families about all paths available post-high school without assuming students already have a family member they can turn to for advice. That includes, for instance, explaining what scholarships students can apply for and what work-study programs entail.

Get parents involved

The more parents who didn't attend college themselves can learn and be part of their child's education journey, the better the connections school counselors can form with students, Lopez has found.

That's why when Lopez takes her students out to field trips at state and community colleges, parents partake as chaperones to share in the learning experience. She has even coordinated events and field trips specifically for creating a space where parents can ask all sorts of questions, such as how scholarships and work-study programs work and what exactly is the living situation on college campuses.

Demystify the college experience

Students too have questions about college that go beyond the application process.

It's why Lopez's school in Livingston, Calif., works with the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program that partners her middle school students with current college students to help them learn things like studying and communication skills. Knowing how to study effectively, how to communicate and how to be organized are skills that aid students' success in school and really in life, Lopez said. The program also offers her students an opportunity to ask all sorts of questions about college life such as what activities, including sports, are available; do they have to pay for meals; and do they have to live on campus.

The more school counselors can help demystify the college experience for students, the better planning for college can go with students being able to ask more specific questions about the process.

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3 Ways to Help Students to Be the First in Their Families to Attend College

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Alma Lopez, the 2022 American School Counselor Association School Counselor of the Year and lead school counselor at Livingston Middle School in Livingston, Calif., went to college as a first-generation student without crucial information that could have helped her, such as the fact that there were different ways to pay for tuition that didn't involve taking out loans.

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Slide #6 - Original Source of Law 1 - Financial Aid Application Requirement for High School Graduation

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Slide #6 - Original Source of Law 1 - Financial Aid Application Requirement for High School Graduation

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·         All students must fill out and submit a free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) or a Texas application for state financial aid (TASFA)

·         Exemptions include guardian can sign opt-out, aged 18 or older student may sign opt-out, school counselor may sign opt-out

·         Form must be available in English, Spanish, and any other language most students use

·         School counselor reports compliance

·         Compliance requires committee of counselor, administrator, and other stakeholders to implement the plan

·         Must report how many students filed aid and how many students declined

(2 TEC § 28.0256)

2 Tex. Edu. Code § 28.0256.

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Texas Education Code Section 28.0256 - Financial Aid Application Requirement for High School Graduation

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Title 2, Public Education; Subtitle F, Curriculum, Programs, and Services; Chapter 28, Courses of Study; Advancement; Section 28.0256, Financial Aid Application Requirement for High School Graduation. Refreshed: 2021-06-07

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Slide #7 - Original Source of Law 2 - Administrative Law:  Texas Administrative Code 

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Slide #7 - Original Source of Law 2 - Administrative Law:  Texas Administrative Code 

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This portion of the law indicates all requirements for graduation in the state of Texas.
·         Lays out Foundations graduation program

·         FAFSA requirement beginning in the 2021-2022 school year

·         Distinguished level diploma requirements

·         Endorsements requirements and opt-out instructions

·         Transfer student conditions

·         Appropriate electives choices

·         Dual credit and AP requirements

·         Lists of all required courses under the Foundation diploma

·         Lists of offered endorsements and requirements

·         Performance acknowledgment conditions

(19 TAC § 74.11)

Graduation Requirements, 19. Tex. Admin. Code § 74.11

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Slide #8 - Original Source of Law 3 - Statutory Law:  Texas Education Code

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Slide #8 - Original Source of Law 3 - Statutory Law:  Texas Education Code

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·         Establish vertical teams composed of public school educators and institution of higher education faculty which will evaluate curriculum and implement strategies for improvement

·         Implement college credit programs including AP, IB, dual credit, and CTE courses

·         Parameters of working with outside institutions for these types of credit are explained

·         Contracts and memorandums of agreement are required to detail program components

·         Requirements of notification to parents and students about college level programs

·         Electives pertaining to the bible and Hebrew studies

·         Instruction on interactions with law enforcement

·         College preparatory courses

·         End of Course assessments

·         Instruction to students in grade seven or eight in preparing for high school, college, and career

·         Personal graduation plans

(2 TEC § 28.008 - 16)

2 Tex. Edu. Code § 28.008 - 16.

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EDUCATION CODE CHAPTER 28. COURSES OF STUDY; ADVANCEMENT

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EDUCATION CODE TITLE 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION SUBTITLE F. CURRICULUM, PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES CHAPTER 28. COURSES OF STUDY; ADVANCEMENT SUBCHAPTER A. ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS; CURRICULUM Sec. 28.001. PURPOSE.

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Slide #9 - Original Source of Law 4 - Statutory Law:  Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

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Slide #9 - Original Source of Law 4 - Statutory Law:  Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

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Requires that all students in the U.S. be taught to high academic standards that will prepare them to succeed in college and careers

Promotes equity by protecting disadvantaged and higher needs students

Ensures that parents, educators, and students are informed about student progress through annual state assessments

Supports innovative learning through “Investing in Innovation” and “Promise Neighborhoods” programs

Invests in high quality preschools

Accountability for positive change in lower performing schools and thereby extending graduation rates

(Every Student Succeeds Act, 2015)

Every Student Succeeds Act, 20 U.S.C. § 6301 (2015).

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The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015, and represents good news for our nation's schools. This bipartisan measure reauthorizes the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation's national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.

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Slide #10 - Local Policy - Birdville High School College Readiness Policies

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Slide #10 - Local Policy - Birdville High School College Readiness Policies

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Birdville High School has important information readily available on their website with the "Senior Handout". This form includes testing information as well as senior college nights, links to the Texas Common Application, and a financial aid quick guide. All of the items posted here provide explanations and links to make this information accessible to all seniors. All of these adhere to the state-mandated policies for graduation requirements and college and career readiness laws.

https://www.birdvilleschools.net/cms/lib/TX01000797/Centricity/Domain/48/11th%20%2012th%20Grade%20Info.pdf

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In The American School Counselor Association's ASCA Ethical Principles for School Counselors Preamble, it states that all students have the right to "receive critical, timely information on college, career and postsecondary options and understand the full magnitude and meaning of how college and career readiness can have an impact on their educational choices and future opportunities" (ASCA, 2016, para. 6). School counselors have a duty to help students understand how schooling will impact their future careers and help them take the next steps toward those goals. This ethical standard is in alignment with laws including graduation requirements and college and career readiness policies.

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

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Slide #12 - Personal Connection to the Legal and Ethical Standards

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Slide #12 - Personal Connection to the Legal and Ethical Standards

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When I was in high school I was able to take dual credit courses. This was probably the most impactful feature of being prepared for college. My school counselors followed the ethical standards laid out by the Association of School Counselors (ASCA) by providing an individualized college plan that helped me pursue my career (2016). FAFSA allowed me to pursue my first two degrees, BA and MA in literature, which led me to teach. This kind of aid has also allowed me to attend Angelo State University to become a school counselor. FAFSA now being a built-in component to graduation will help others in their educational journey. These laws and ethical standards provided me the foundation for the goals I achieved so far in my educational journey.

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical standards for school counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors/standards

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Slide #13 - Bulleted list of Recommendations / Best Practices for Compliance

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Slide #13 - Bulleted list of Recommendations / Best Practices for Compliance

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The interview portion of this assignment helped to deepen my understanding of how the counselor interacts and uses with these laws and ethical standards. Since my actual experience with them is still limited this allowed me to see how the laws impact real world scenarios. Best practices for compliance with laws and ethical standards that pertain to college readiness:

·         Review laws and policies quarterly for any changes and ensure compliance with laws

·         Attend professional development training on FAFSA and any other college and career readiness topics

·         Advocate and support academic achievement and social development of all students

·         Provide staff development to teachers on how to support career and college goals

·         Hold education information nights for parents for dual-enrollment courses and other advanced courses and promote parent and student awareness of Career Technical Education (CTE) career pathways

·         Teach employability skills on topics such as collaboration, problem-solving, self-management, planning and organization, professionalism in the workplace, interviewing skills, and resume writing

·         Utilize needs assessments to determine student and family needs to best utilize resources

·         Provide information and strategies on how parents can support their student’s educational goals

·        Stay informed on a variety of relevant through professional organizations

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Good evening Cynthia, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your Peer Review and what stood out for me is the relevance of students not being prepared to attend college based on the effects of covid and just not being prepared to go to college because of how teachers and students had to pivot learning modules and student access to learning. I often think about the long term affects Covid will have on students who are finishing high school and navigating their way through college. Thank you for your recommendations and your personal experiences as you navigated your way through college and high school.