K-12 School Counseling

RI’s college and career chatbot texting tool RhodyReady wants to support your high school juniors and seniors!

The Office of College & Career Readiness requests your help to notify your rising juniors and seniors (Class of 2023 & 2024) to text “Hi RhodyReady” to 401-567-2822 to receive important reminders and information to support them through the college and career planning process. 

A web-based version of the bot as well as more information about RhodyReady can be found at WWW.RIDE.RI.GOV/RHODY-READY. 

 

The team will be adding content throughout the summer so RhodyReady can answer all your college and career questions and engage with students throughout the 2022-23 academic year.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ILP PLG EMAIL LIST, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE. 

If you have any questions please contact Onna Holland.

2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• 8/10/22: Summer School Counselor Office Hour (10-11 AM) Join Here
• 9/22/22: High School Level PD (10-11 AM) Register Here 
• 9/23/22: Middle Level PD (1-2 PM) Register Here 
• 9/23/22: Elementary Level PD (10-11 AM) Register Here 
• 10/20/22: Elementary Level PD (10 AM) Register Here 
• 10/20/22: ILP PLG (1-2:30 PM) Register Here 
• 11/17/22: High School Level (10-11 AM) Register Here 
• 11/17/22: Middle Level (1-2 PM) Register Here 
• 12/20/22: Elementary Level (10-11 AM) Register Here 
• 1/19/23: ILP PLG (1-2:30) Register Here 
• 1/31/23: All Counselors - Data Workshop with the REL (9-11 AM) Register Here 
• 2/16/23: Elementary Level (10-11 AM) Register Here 
• 3/13/23: High School Level PD (10 – 11 AM) Register Here 
• 3/13/23: Middle Level PD (1-2 PM) Register Here 
• 3/22/23: ILP PLG (10-11:30 AM) Register Here 
• 4/20/23: Elementary Level (10-11 AM) Register Here 
• 5/10/23: Middle/High School Level PD (10-11 AM) Register Here 
• 5/12/23: Pure Edge School Counselor Training (9-10AM) Register Here
• 6/2/23:   ILP PLG IN PERSON (12:30-2:30) Register Here

2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR COFFEE WITH COUNSELORS - REGISTER HERE

Rhode Island FAFSA Initiative

The cost of college and career training can be a barrier for many students, so completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is essential for students to qualify for federal, state, and institutional funds.

Students can receive up to $6,195 per year in Federal Pell grants during the 2019/2020 cycle.

The Individual Learning Plan (ILP) has been a requirement for all Rhode Island students in grades 6-12 since 2005 when it was incorporated into the state’s Secondary School and Graduation Requirement Regulations. ILPs are a student-directed planning and monitoring tool that customizes learning opportunities throughout students' secondary school experience, broadens their perspectives, and supports attainment of goals. The ILP documents students’ interests, needs, supports, course selections (including access to college level programming), transition placements and other learning experiences both in and out of school. This information produces a thoughtful program of study leading to proficiency for graduation and postsecondary experiences. A meaningful ILP for all Rhode Island students:

• Begins no later than entry into sixth grade and is maintained through 12th grade.
• Is revisited at least twice each school year, and at key transition periods for students.
• Helps students identify and meet their goals in three domains: academic, career and personal/ social.
• Coordinates with other support plans as appropriate. For example, individualized education programs (IEPs), Section 504 plans, Personal Literacy Plans, etc.

Both the Secondary School Regulations and the state's PrepareRI state action plan for career readiness identifies the ILP as the backbone of personalization and relevance of a student's education. In school year 2021-2022 data will be pulled quarterly for the ILP.  

The ILP Collection form details the data that is required. 

• ILP Data Specifications

ILP data should be pulled from ILP web platforms and submitted to RIDE on the following dates for the 2022-23 school year: 

• Q1:  November 14, 2022 to pull; submit to RIDE by November 23, 2022  
• Q2:  January 30, 2023 to pull; submit to RIDE by February 10, 2023
• Q3:  April 19, 2023 to pull; submit to RIDE by April 28, 2023                         
• Q4:  June 21, 2023 to pull; submit to RIDE by June 29, 2023

NOTE: ​Academic Year 22-23 Narrative Report 22-23 due June 1, 2023. 

In addition, a narrative report will need to be submitted by each district by June 1, 2023. This will be submitted through the RIDE ILP District Annual Report. The narrative report asks for evidence of alignment with the RI ILP Scope and Sequence via a list of lessons or timeline that include the lessons. Here is a sample timeline.

• ILP TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SUPPORT 

If you need support with your ILP Program, implementation or data reporting, please complete this ILP technical assistance request form. 

ILP System and Curriculum: Vendor Menu of Options

To help guide the renewed focus on ILPs, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) convened a diverse working group of education, postsecondary, community, and industry stakeholders. This working group provided a key series of recommendations to help guide the revitalization of the ILP as a meaningful way to connect a student’s academic, career, and social/emotional goals and passions with their secondary school experiences.

These recommendations have led to the release of the Individual Learning Plan Adoption Toolkit, as well as the release of a menu of turn-key ILP system and curriculum solutions that is now available. In fall 2017, RIDE issued a request for proposals for vendors that could provide a comprehensive ILP system and curriculum. A review team, supported by a number of school and district staff serving as technical advisors, considered vendor proposals. The final menu of vendor options that schools and/or districts can choose from as they implement or revise the ILP programs for their students includes four different vendor options.

ILP Adoption Toolkit

To help guide the renewed focus on individual learning plans (ILPs), the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) convened a diverse working group of education, postsecondary, community, and industry stakeholders. This working group provided a key set of recommendations to help guide the revitalization of the ILP as a meaningful way to connect a student’s academic, career, and social-emotional goals and passions with their secondary school experiences.

These recommendations led to the release of this toolkit, as well as the release of a menu of turnkey ILP system and curriculum solutions. In fall 2017, RIDE issued a request for proposals for vendors that could provide a comprehensive electronic ILP system and curriculum. A review team, supported by a number of school and district staff serving as technical advisors, considered vendor proposals. The final menu of vendor options that schools and/or districts can choose from as they implement or revise the ILP programs for their students includes four different vendor options. In December 2019, districts submitted an ILP Adoption Success Plan to indicate their chosen vendor option. The original toolkit was revised in 2020, in collaboration with the Regional Educational Laboratory-Northeast, with additional implementation recommendations and supports.

As districts begin to implement a new or revised ILP program, RIDE will help support implementation by continuing to develop toolkit resources, working directly with schools interested in state technical support, and reporting on statewide common and best practices. For more information about these resources and opportunities, visit ride.ri.gov/schoolcounseling.

Section	ILP Toolkit Item	Use Type	Intent of Section
ALL	Complete Toolkit [PDF]	Systems-level decisions	Complete ILP Adoption Toolkit to support decision-making and adoption of the ILP menu options.
A	ILP Framework [PDF]	Systems-level decisions	This section explains the RI regulations requirements of an ILP. It identifies roles required for implementation and alignment to ASCA domains. This framework was revised in summer 2017 as a result of the ILP working group.
B	ILP Scope & Sequence and Curriculum Model[PDF]	Program Integration and Implementation	This section provides a RI ILP model scope and sequence, as well as a turnkey curriculum model with lesson plans aligned to vendors and vendor-specific features from the state-vetted menu.
C	ILP Vendor Overview [PDF]	Systems-level decisions	This section identifies the ILP System & Curriculum vendor menu, frequently asked information about each vendor, Master Price Agreement costs and implementation considerations.
D	ILP School/ District Adoption Success Plan [DOCX]	Systems-level decisions	This section provides a template for schools and districts to document the current status of their ILP system & curriculum implementation and includes a brief section to indicate which vendor from the menu has been adopted or propose a model that is not on the menu.
E	ILP District Decision Rubric Tool [XLSX]	Systems-level decisions	This section provides a rubric tool to help guide conversations about the ILP solutions that best meets local needs. Use the rubric as an adaptable template to evaluate ILP vendor options.

The updated ILP system is part of PrepareRI, a statewide initiative to build career pathways for all Rhode Island youth. Learn more about PrepareRI at www.prepare-ri.org.

LEAs began submitting ILP data to RIDE in school year 2020-2021. The following dashboard was created to make this data transparent, accessible, and easier to understand. 

Please note, LEAs are still working with ILP platform vendors to streamline data verification and transfer to RIDE. LEAs submit ILP data quarterly to RIDE, but the end of year data is most accurate for all milestone completion. If you have questions, please click here for a guide and frequently asked questions about this dashboard, and if you have further questions, please reach out to Karen.Bryer@ride.ri.gov or Onna.Holland@ride.ri.gov.

ILP data should be pulled from ILP web platforms and submitted to RIDE on the following dates for the 2022-23 school year: 

• Q1:  November 14, 2022 to pull; submit to RIDE by November 23, 2022  
• Q2:  January 30, 2023 to pull; submit to RIDE by February 10, 2023
• Q3:  April 19, 2023 to pull; submit to RIDE by April 28, 2023                         
• Q4:  June 21, 2023 to pull; submit to RIDE by June 29, 2023

If you would like to sign up for the ILP PLG email list, please sign up here.

PrepareRI School Counseling Corps 

Reimagining School Counseling

Goals:

• Increase equitable access for students to effective comprehensive counseling programs
• Increase the percentage of students accessing the Diploma Plus credential and courses

Description:

Ten (10) School Counselors will be funded as part of a three-year initiative to expand supports to students across Rhode Island.  Counselors hired will be fully embedded in the participating high schools and serve as the main point of contact for the project outcomes while serving as a full-time member of the counseling department. Together, the counseling team will create a comprehensive program offering proactive supports to all students with a focus on equity and expanding access. A two-year ASCA training will be provided for the primary high school counseling department as well as the feeder schools’ counseling departments to support the program goals.

Rationale:

A comprehensive counseling program enables schools to proactively ensure that they are reaching all students and addressing their needs. Studies have shown that implementation of the ASCA national model (which includes a comprehensive counseling program) and a lower student to school counselor ration can result in more first-generation students attending college, increasing attendance and increasing SAT scores.

Priority Areas:

LEA’s are eligible to submit for this opportunity to increase the number of school counselors for high school students and the level of school counseling services provided. The funding for this program is limited. Priority will be given to schools that are high priority according to the data and ready to engage in implementation of the PrepareRI School Counseling Corp. All RI high schools who meet two or more priority area are eligible to participate in the program.

• Schools at which the graduation rate is lower than the state average (2019 4-year rate – 83.9%);
• Schools with a FAFSA Completion rate lower than the average for the state (66% completion);
• Schools with a rate of 54% or more of students who are eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch exceeding the statewide rate;
• Schools with a Post-Secondary Success Score below the average of 49. (The Post-Secondary Success Score is part of Diploma Plus.  The index is created from the proportion of H.S. graduates who earn a credential beyond a H.S. diploma, for ex. AP course, Dual and/or Concurrent Enrollment, Approved CTE Credentials.) 
• “Significant” Achievement gaps for subpopulations as defined by having more than one low performing subgroups

Commitment:

This program requires a 3-year commitment. 

Available Funds:

The first year of the three-year program includes a fully funded counselor (up to $75,000 base salary) for your school.

Year	RIDE	District
1	100%	0%
2	50%	50%
3	30%	70%

Hiring the PrepareRI Counselors:

The hiring process for this program will be a joint endeavor with districts and RIDE. Essential duties and responsibilities for the position will include elements required to meet project deliverables. Districts will post the position on job sites and be responsible for the screening and interview processes. The PrepareRI School Counseling RIDE team will interview and approve finalist candidates in collaboration with the district.

Program Timeline:

Date	Activity
10/23/20	Interest Survey Launch
11/2/20 - 1:00PM	PrepareRI School Counseling Corps Informational Webinar
11/6/20	Interest Survey Deadline
11/20/20	Signed Assurance of Commitment
2/22/21	Counselors Start Date

Resources & Additional Information:

• PrepareRI School Counseling Corps one page description here. 
• For questions please contact onna.holland@ride.ri.gov. 

As districts plan for students and staff to return to school it is important to address the social and emotional learning needs of our students and staff. The School Counseling Program Re-Opening Guidance [PDF, 273 KB] has been created to help school counselors facilitate the planning of programs in this ever changing environment. The guidance is a framework to help think about programs in an effort to support all students and the school community.

Please share your feedback on the guidance here or contact onna.holland@ride.ri.gov

The Rhode Island Framework for Comprehensive K-12 School Counseling Programs is the product of a broad collaborative effort by Providence College, the Rhode Island School Counselor Association, Rhode Island School-to-Career and the Rhode Island Department of Education. School counselors are critical players in systemic change. Their role as leaders, advocates, and collaborators allows them to be important contributors to positive educational change and to the success of students in three developmental domains: academic, personal/social and career. While continuing to serve as the primary conduit whereby the needs of students are addressed, counselors now develop and implement a program that is comprehensive in scope, preventative in design, developmental in nature, and data driven. Twenty-first century school counseling in Rhode Island ensures equitable access to educational and career exploration opportunities for all kids, promotes a rigorous academic curriculum for every student, provides strategies for closing the equity gaps, supports the development of skills to increase student success, and fosters advocacy for all students. The model encourages administrators and counselors to align school improvement strategies with school counseling by redefining and re-positioning the role of school counselor.

RI School Counseling Framework 2.0: An update to the original framework that includes the most current ASCA Standards:

• The 2.0 Framework can be accessed here.

If you would like to provide feedback on this Framework, please click HERE.

RIDE invites schools to join the 2022 professional learning group (PLG) in an effort to continue to support districts in implementation of revised ILP programs, as spurred last by the updated Secondary School Regulations and PrepareRI Action Plan. The PLG is currently comprised of over 30 districts. We invite new districts to join this great group of educators. The PLG offers the forum for school teams to come together to customize, design implement and evaluate their ILP process.  

Opportunity: As part of the PLG, schools can expect to discuss and learn from each other’s successes and get feedback on how to address the obstacles they face, including: sharing of best practices; identifying and beginning implementation of a platform; identifying classes or logistics for working with students to create and update their ILP; and/or, identifying and planning related curriculum.  

Commitment: The PLG will meet quarterly and there will be at least one on-site visit to the school/district by PLG coordinators. PLG Teams should consist of district and school leadership along with school counselors (or other appropriate staff responsible for ILPs) who will be responsible for the implementation of the ILP program. Districts are encouraged to select team members from both the middle and high school levels.  

The meeting dates this year are: 

• Naviance -  Technical Assistance webinar on March 31, 2022 from 10-11:30am, register here.
• Full ILP Professional Learning Group - 4/25/22 1-2:30, register here. 
• Full ILP Professional Learning Group - 5/24/22 10-11:30, register here.

If you have any questions about the ILP PLG please contact onna.holland@ride.ri.gov.

Comprehensive School Counseling address a broad array of learning for students. Rhode Island has adopted both national and state-specific standards that support schools and counselors in developing robust programs. 

• American School Counselor Association Mindsets and Behaviors. The RI Framework includes the ASCA National Standards and Competencies for School Counseling Programs. These standards address the mindsets and behaviors that students should acquire across the three following domains: academic, career, and personal/social.
• Rhode Island Social Emotional Learning Standards. Practitioners across the state have worked to develop Rhode Island specific standards for Social Emotional Education. You can learn more about these here.
• RI Standards and Skills Crosswalk - This document is to assist in croswalking the ASCA standards with other commonly used standards. 

Further, a group of approximately 100 practitioners known as the Rhode Island Learning Champions have met over the past year to develop rubrics for assessing student competencies with applied learning skills: communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, research, reflection and evaluation, and collaboration, among other content areas. Visit RIDE's Proficiency Based Learning page for more information.

RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL COMPETENCIES FOR STUDENTS

The Rhode Island School Counseling Competencies for Students were developed in May 2020 as a supplement to the Individual Learning Plan guidance. The competencies should serve as the foundation for building a K-12 comprehensive school counseling program of which the Individual Learning Plan should be a component. The information in this document is designed as the framework for each district’s written curriculum and is not necessarily all-inclusive. 

The competencies cover three domains: academic, career, and social/emotional development, align with the ASCA Mindsets and Standards, and are broken into grade-span expectations based on what a student should be developmentally able to demonstrate at the end of each span. All members of the school community should be engaged in exposing students to the information and encouraging growth in all three of these areas. 

The goal in writing this document was to answer the question: “What do all students in Rhode Island need to know in order to be lifelong learners and productive citizens in an ever-changing global society?” 

RI School Counseling Competencies

School Counselor Credential Requirements

Educator Quality is essential to improving student achievement. Educator Quality begins with clear standards for educator practice. Improvement of achievement requires implementing strong practices in recruiting, developing, recognizing, and retaining talented and demonstrably successful staff in LEAs.

Individuals seeking to become a school counselor in Rhode Island should work with RIDE's Office of Educator Excellence and Certification Services: email (EQAC@ride.ri.gov) or phone (401-222-8893).

References

• RI Comprehensive Counseling Framework
• Individual Learning Plan Framework
• Implementing the Common Core State Standards and the Role of the School Counselor [PDF, 720KB]
• Enhancing the Principal - School Counselor Relationship [PDF, 4.17MB]

Resources

• RI School Counselor’s Association
• American School Counselor’s Association
• American Counseling Association
• National Career Development Association
• College Board
• ACT

21-22 SCHOOL YEAR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

9/20/21: High School Level (10AM); Elementary/ Middle Level (1PM)
10/18/21: High/Middle Level (1PM)
11/15/21: High School / Middle Level (1PM) 
12/13/21: ALL COUNSELORS: Youth Mental Health Depression & Anxiety Overview with Bradley Learning Exchange (11AM--12:30PM)
1/10/22: ALL COUNSELORS: Suicide Screening, Prevention, and Response with Bradley Exchange (11AM-- 1PM)
2/7/22: Elementary (11AM ); High School / Middle Level (1PM)
3/14/22: High School Level (10AM); Middle Level (1PM)
3/31/22: Naviance Technical Assistance webinar (10AM) 
4/11/22: Elementary (11AM); High School / Middle Level (1PM)
4/25/22: ILP Professional Learning Group (1PM) 
5/16/22: High School / Middle Level (1PM)
5/24/22: ILP Professional Learning Group (10AM)
6/3 AT 10 AM: Learn how to create custom surveys and goals – counselors, directors of counseling – best for staff creating the activities in Naviance for students
6/7 at 9 AM: Learn how to create custom tasks and build programs – counselors, directors of counseling – best for staff creating the activities in Naviance for students
6/8 at 10 AM: Learn how to build custom reports for ILP Data Pull – Best for -data managers, or any staff member that pulls reports from Naviance
6/9 at 10 AM: Learn how to pull reports for daily easy tracking through Reports Beta - counselors, directors of counseling – best for facilitating the activities in Naviance for students, and data managers. 

SCHOOL COUNSELING CORPS: SY22-23 TRAINING SCHEDULE

FOR ALL SCHOOL COUNSELORS/ADMINISTRATORS AT SCC SCHOOLS

• 9/29/22: ASCA Cohort 1 SCC – All day
• 10/18/22: ASCA Cohort Work Session 9-11 Cohort 1; 11:30-1:30 Cohort 2
• 1/25/23: ASCA Cohort 1 SCC – All day - @NEIT, East Greenwich
• 2/28/23: Work Session (9-1:30 PM); 9-11 Cohort 1 
• 5/17/23: ASCA Cohort 1 SCC-All Day @NEIT East Greenwich
• 6/6/23: Work Session (9-1:30 PM); 9-11 Cohort 1

THE PD SESSIONS BELOW ARE FOR THE 10 SCC COUNSELORS

• 10/3/22: SCC Counselors Meeting (11-12:30 AM); Location TBD
• 11/29/22: SCC Counselors Meeting (10 AM); Zoom Link
• 3/30/23: SCC Counselors Meeting (10-11 AM); Zoom Link
• 6/7/23: SCC Counselors Meeting (10-11 AM); Zoom Link

ASCA COHORT - SY22-23 TRAINING SCHEDULE

FOR ALL SCHOOL COUNSELORS/ADMINISTRATORS AT SCHOOLS

• September 30 - TBD; 8-2:30 PM
• October 18 - Work Session (Location TBD); 11:30-1:30 PM
• January 26 - NEIT; 8-2:30 PM
• February 28 - Work Session (Location TBD); 11:30-1:30 PM
• May 18 - NEIT; 8-2:30 PM
• June 6 - Work Session (Location TBD); 11:30-1:30 PM