Back to the Basics: College Counseling Simplified Presented by Chelette Stephenson Naviance Summer Institute July 2015

2. Back to the Basics: College
Counseling Simplified
Chelette Stephenson, Director of College
Counseling & Alumni Programs
July 8, 2015

3. Define College Counseling

4. Objectives for today
• Take the stress out of day-to-day activities and
learn how to efficiently advise students, parents,
and administrators on your campus.
• Create actions plans for social media use, active
calendaring, utilizing daily priority planning
sheets, events and activities to promote college,
while serving all populations to ensure equal
access to college.

5. Who am I?
Chelette Stephenson
@TxCollegeLady
• Mother of 2 children under the age of 6 & wife.
• Yes Prep-North Central, Director of College
Counseling & Alumni Program-2 years
• Magnolia ISD College and Career
Advisor, 8 years
• LPC
• ACA, TACAC & NACAC member
• 2012 NSI Innovative Program
• NSI Presenter since 2010
• Texas A&M Class of 2001

6. Yes Prep North Central
• North Central: 945 students, Public Charter
School in Houston, Texas
• Named by U.S. News & World Report as the #4
Best High School in the state of Texas, #7 Best
Charter School in the Nation and #28 Best High
School in the nation
• The ethnic background of our students is as
follows: Hispanic/Latino 96%
African-American 3% Caucasian 1%
• 82% of our students are economically
disadvantaged and qualify to receive either
free/reduced price breakfast and lunch.

7. My Team
• 3 ½ College Counselors including DCC
• Comprehensive college counseling, ongoing
alumni support, summer opportunities, Seminar
class and strategic IMPACT Partnerships with
targeted colleges and universities.

8. Define your Boundaries

9. Capture this:
1. What are your non-negotiables?
2. Do you have clear boundaries that you, your
team, administrative team and others know?
3. How do you communicate this with others?

10. What are your objectives?

11. Why do you do what you do?
1. Create personal & team goals
2. Create guiding questions to ask you and/or
your team
1. Why are we doing this?
2. Are we doing this because we have
almost done this?
3. Is this transformational?
4. Does this benefits students, teachers,
families or the community.

12. That sounds great but how do you
do it?

13. Daily Priority Sheet
I'm thankful for;.. --------------------------
Goal(s): _
Priorities
PEOPL
E
f± People I'm waiting
on.
Appointments
Today
People I need to reach
out to
oday.
List the people you haYe to react
Oijt to
today no rratterwtoat:
List me pEOple who vou nl!l!d
something from
to move forward:
Priority ij1: Data Priority 112: Persistence PriJrity It: Organize
5 bigthings Imust do to move
this project forward:
5 bigthings I must doto
move this project forward:
5 bigthings Imust :lo to move
thi;project forward:
1. 1. 1.
2. 2. 2.
3. 3. 3.
4. 4. 4.
5. 5. 5.
Vision Achievement Instruction Persistence Team Growth Area of
Growth

14. Structured Check Ins
Agenda
Item
Notes
Action
Required
(Whom/When)
Temperature
Check
(5
minutes)
Highs/Lows
(opportunity
to
share
personal/professional
successes
and
challenges)
Looping
You
In…
(5
minutes)
FYIs
(This
is
where
you
provide
me
with
quick
written
updates
on
things
you
want
to
loop
me
in
on/I
want
to
be
looped
in
on,
which
we
might
engage
in
during
the
mee?ng)
Old
Business
(10
minutes)
Next
Steps
Review
/
Status
Updates
from
Previous
Meetings
(This
is
where
you
capture
our
next
steps
from
the
last
mee?ng
(for
both
of
us!)
and
update
on
progress)
AR
"
Chelette
AR
"
Chelette
"
Date
Owner
Item
AR
"
Chelette
"

15. CollaboraOon
(35-­‐40
minutes)
Collaboration
Time
(This
is
likely
1-­‐3
meaty
topics
you
would
like
me
as
a
thought-­‐partner.
When
possible,
I
would
like
you
to
come
having
thought
about
mul?ple
solu?ons
and
recommenda?on(s).
If
there
are
documents
you
would
like
feedback
on
related
to
this
agenda
item
or
ones
that
serve
as
background
informa?on,
please
paste
into
this
agenda
so
I
can
review
ahead
of
time.)
Feedback
(15
minutes)
Learn
from
Each
Other
/
Focus
Area
Work
(e.g.
HIRs/Goals
review)
Next
Steps
(5-­‐10
minutes)
Review
Next
Steps
Coming
Out
of
this
Meeting
(This
is
the
time
we
both
quickly
process
our
notes,
review
them
and
commit
to
each
other
next
steps
to
ensure
we
are
on
the
same
page.)
Topic
Lead
Notes
AR
Chelette
"

16. Personal Professional Development
1. Join a professional organization and become
active! (NACAC, ACA, ASCA, etc)
2. Serve on a board or volunteer advisory group
with the local college or community organization.
3. Attend conferences outside the box.
4. READ and encourage a book club among your
counseling team, admin team, teachers, etc.

17. A glance into my year
• Alumni Programming & Support
• Alumni Send Off in August
• Alumni Luncheon (January)
• Alumni Graduation and Staff Program
• Alumni Mentor Program
• TIA Program (Teachers Inspiring Action)
• College Alumni Call Bank
• Daily seminar classes 6th through 12 grade
• Good teaching is good counseling. Good counseling
is good teaching
• Get in the classrooms, commons…get out of your
office!

18. Senior Events
• College Fly In Programs
• College Week for HS and Middle School
• College Application Deadline: November 15
• Project Submit Lock-in
• FAFSA & TAFSA Week
• Financial Aid Deadline: February 15
• Senior Signing Day
• Alumni Transition Event
• Partner with colleges

19. • Smart Cookie Party for PSAT testers
• Oh the Places You’ll Go to honor College
Acceptances
• Chalk Art for SAT/ACT Prep throughout the year.
• Social Media Presence: @NC2College and
@TXCollegeLady
• College Boot Camp (ACE Program)
• Chemistry Booster for outgoing Seniors
(Partnership with local college)
• Summer Opportunities Coordinator
• Spring Trips

20. A few other great ideas
• Shark Week
• 9th Grade Summer Program

21. Questions?