There was a time when sending students with learning disabilities off to college was unheard by most guidance counselors. That has changed and now 32 percent of learning disabled students are pursuing higher education.

The following article by Boston Globe correspondent, Kay Lazar, appeared online March 30.

The question is not whether Christine Logan will head off to college, but rather which passion she will pursue.

The Wakefield teenager became fascinated with forensics after getting hooked on the TV crime show ”CSI” and now thinks law enforcement might be the way to go. But Logan, 16, also is captivated by children — she is the most popular baby sitter on the block — and is considering a teaching career, too.

One factor is certain. Logan, who has dyslexia, will have to navigate a difficult path in her search for the perfect school. But she is determined.
Read the rest of this entry »

Now that your students have received their SAT scores in the mail, it can be complicated
helping them make sense of those scores. Especially with the problem of incorrect scores affecting a growing number of students.

An article on MSN’s Encarta offered some help for high school guidance counselors to help translate exactly what those SAT scores mean.

About one month after administering the new SAT, the College Board posts individuals’ scores on its Web site. For example, scores from the March 12th administration of the new SAT were made available online on April 11.

Log on to the College Board site for:

Your raw score and 200-800-point scaled score for each Math, Critical Reading, and Writing section

Your 0-12 essay sub-score

Information about your responses, including which questions you answered right and wrong, and which you omitted

Your estimated percentile rank for college-bound seniors based on the test you took (Note: your percentile rank will help you understand how you scored in comparison to other test takers.)

A printable copy of your essay

Soon after it’s posted online, this information is sent to your home so that you have an official score report. You can also use the College Board site and your official score report to confirm the colleges to which you sent your scores.
Read the rest of this entry »

Public health officials have been warning us of a possible bird flu outbreak following the upcoming bird migration season. A strong push to prepare schools has taken center stage.

The nation’s schools, recognized incubators of respiratory diseases among children, are being told to plan for the possibility of an outbreak of bird flu.

Federal health leaders say it is not alarmist or premature for schools to make preparations, such as finding ways to teach kids even if they’ve all been sent home.

School boards and superintendents have gotten used to emergency planning for student violence, terrorism or severe weather. Pandemic preparation, though, is a new one.

They have a lot to think over, top government officials said Tuesday. Read the complete story on CNN.com.

When most television sitcoms and teen movies portray social outcasts, they usually show them excelling in school despite the public peer rejection they endure in the hallways and lunchrooms of America’s high schools. In reality, those teens are not excelling, and peer rejection is no laughing matter.

The Washington Post reports that researchers who followed 380 Midwestern children from the ages of 5 to 11 found that those who were chronically rejected by their classmates were more likely to withdraw from school activities and scored lower on standardized tests than their more popular peers.

“We’re talking about kids whose classmates don’t let them sit with them in the cafeteria,” said lead researcher Eric S. Buhs, an assistant professor of educational psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “This is what happens when a whole group demonstrates, ‘We don’t want you around.’ ”

Peer-group rejection, Buhs and his co-authors report in a study funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, starts as early as kindergarten. It appears to affect boys and girls equally. And it often triggers a vicious circle that can cause long-term psychological damage and impair a child’s academic performance.
Read the rest of this entry »

With standardized testing season in full swing at public and private schools across the nation, parents and students have probably experienced increased stress. Teachers are also at risk for elevated stress levels due to the NCLB Act which links tests scores to teacher performance. To naviagate the testing season without the stress, CNN put together a few questions that parents can ask before and after their children complete the standardized tests required by their school and state.

Questions to ask before testing

• Which tests are given in my child’s grade?
• What are the purposes of these tests?
• What will these tests measure?
• How will the scores be reported?
• How will the results of the tests be used?
• What do you do to prepare children for tests?
• What can I do at home to help my child prepare to take the test?
• What happens if my child performs poorly?

Questions to ask after testing

• What do the test results tell me about my child’s strengths and weaknesses?
• What can I do to help strengthen my child’s skills and abilities?
• Are the test results consistent with my child’s performance in the classroom?
• How does my child compare with his peers?
• Is the test data used to help improve instruction?
• What changes, if any, will be made in the classroom instruction?

As more school districts go high-tech across the nation with wireless internet access, electronic textbooks and laptops in the classroom, many educators are asking if these new technologies are a learning tool or a crutch for today’s students.

Consider the students at Mill Creek Middle School in Kent, Wash., who are allowed to use the internet to look up answers for quizzes and tests.

“What I’m hoping is that they can find information to help them become better thinkers,” says Mill Creek teacher Becky Keene.

According to NBC News correspondent Peter Alexander, students at High Tech High in San Diego, are building their own online study guides. They even record messages explaining the chemistry lessons to themselves. And, yes, they can use it during a test.

“I don

The stress to get a high score on the SAT is enough to drive any sane high school student crazy. SAT scores are used to determine a high school student’s readiness for college, and their likelihood for success. The scores that arrived in the mailbox, however, might not have been correct. High school guidance counselors should share this information with their parents and students.

According to a story published on CNN.com, about 4,000 students who took the main SAT college entrance exam last October received incorrectly low scores because of problems with the scanning of their answer sheets.
Read the rest of this entry »

High school guidance counselors have one of the most noble and challenging jobs in the education system. Guidance counselors assist students and support teachers in a number of ways ranging from college or career preparation to health and safety issues to sensitive personal counseling and development. High school guidance counselors fill many shoes. Learn about the job of high school guidance counselor from the description included below.

Counselors assist people with personal, family, educational, mental health, and career decisions and problems. Their duties depend on the individuals they serve and on the settings in which they work.
Read the rest of this entry »

Here is a great article for high school guidance counselors to pass on to their high school seniors and juniors.

Going to college can be both exciting and scary. The joys of being on your own, meeting hundreds of people at once and starting on the path to adulthood are enough to send most college-bound teens into a state of permanent euphoria. It’s figuring out how to get to college that can be a tad scary. And it’s okay to be a little scared. We have all been there. The key is to identify the source of your fear and find the information you need to be comfortable about heading to college!

We want you to make the transition to college without unwanted awkwardness, we have put together a list of web sites that every college-bound student should frequent. So, keep this list handy, bookmark these sites and get ready for the greatest adventure of your life!

U.S. Department of Education
The US Department of Education sets the education standards for the national public education system. They also have a cool web site. In addition to learning how the No Child Left Behind Act affects your education, you can get help with homework, find financial aid for college and connect with volunteer organizations!
Read the rest of this entry »