School Counseling News & Stuff 12/17/11

Merry Christmas (and other sundry holidays) to all the school counselors out there. This will be my last post until the holidays are over. I've had several things come across my desk since my last post. Enjoy:

• The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) changed the formula for figuring graduation rates. In general, the new formula means that graduation rates in Missouri will look lower, because it only reflects those who graduated within four years of entering high school. The change is part of a nation-wide movement to have all states report graduation rates in the same way so they can be easily compared.  Read the DESE press release here.
• Last month I told you I am always a little behind on posting the Guidance Digest. Well, this is the month I catch up. Read the November edition here and the December edition here. This is of most interest to Missouri school counselors, but has good information for any school counselors.
• How about a nice way to show your students career pathways and career clusters online? Click here for a great resource that Missouri supports.
• March2Success, developed by the U.S. Army, can help your high school students raise English, math, and science test scores. 
• If your students and parents are trying to get a grip on what is happening at Penn State and how to protect themselves, click here for information you can send home (including a parent letter and discussion guide).
• Click here if you would like to apply to be an intern with ACT (scroll down the page to find the link).
• Finally, don't forget that while the holidays may be a time of joy and relaxation for us, some of our students are not so fortunate. Make sure to check in with students you are concerned about on the first day they are back in school.