This document summarizes a school counseling classroom lesson presented to 7th graders on academic and high school planning. It provides an overview of the counseling program, rationale for the lesson, objectives, and results from pre- and post-tests assessing students' understanding of promotion requirements, high school options, and academic goals. Post-tests showed increases in students' beliefs in their ability to succeed in 8th grade and promote to high school, as well as their knowledge of GPA requirements, high school choices, and one lottery-only school. Most students were able to identify their academic data and set a SMART goal, though more time allowed for greater success. Next steps include continued monitoring and additional curriculum lessons.

1. School Counseling Classroom Lesson
Results Presentation (7th Grade)
Academic & High School Planning
Mission Middle School Counseling Program
Anahi Amador & Gloria Torres
School Counseling Interns

2. School Counseling Program Overview
The Mission Middle School School Counseling Program Mission is to offer a
comprehensive data-driven American School Counselor Association (ASCA) school
counseling program that supports ALL students reach their academic,
social/emotional, and college/career potential & success.
ASCA Domains:
Academic Development
College/Career Readiness
Social/Emotional Development

3. Rationale - Why Did We Teach This Lesson?
The National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA, 2018) states that middle school
counselors create opportunities to explore and deepen college and career knowledge
and skills necessary for academic planning and goal setting to support students’
college and career readiness by:
● Identify their strengths, build resiliency skills, make personal commitments to learning
● Help students use good learning habits
● Look and evaluate data on promotion and GPA
Our pre-test confirmed that many students did not know about the GPA requirement for
promotion, how many choices they had for high school, or which high school was
lottery only. This pre-test will serve as a great jumping off point for future lessons for our
7th and 8th graders.

4. Lesson Objectives, ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors
Student Objectives:
▪ Students will understand basic information about eighth grade promotion and
the high school transition by participating in a counselor-led class discussion.
▪ Students will identify their own GPA and test scores, and develop an academic
SMART goal by working on the student data tracker worksheet.
ASCA Domain:
▪ Academic Development
Mindsets & Behaviors:
▪ M 4. Understanding that postsecondary education and life-long learning are
necessary for long-term career success.
▪ B-LS 7. Identify long- and short-term academic, career and social/emotional goals

5. Process Data
▪ Who: 328 students (all 7th graders)
▪ Where: Social Studies classes (Mr. Martinez & Mr. Bunker)
▪ When: Thursday, April 5 and Monday, April 9, 2018
▪ What: School counselor generated lesson on:
▪ 8th grade promotion requirements
▪ High school transition in EUHSD
▪ Academic review
▪ Academic SMART goal setting

6. I believe I can be successful in 8th grade.
Strongly agree:
28% → 39%
Perception Data.
91% of students
believe that they
can be successful in
8th grade

7. Strongly agree:
33% → 43%
I believe I can promote to high school.Perception Data.
93% of students
believe that they
can promote to
high school

8. What GPA do I need to promote to high
school?
Perception Data.
342%
Increase! 84% of students
know that they
need a GPA of 2.0
or higher to
participate in 8th
grade promotion
celebrations

9. How many choices do I have for high
school in the EUHSD?
Perception Data.
142%
Increase! 97% of students
know that they
have 4 high school
options to choose
from in the EUHSD

10. Which high school selects students by
lottery only?
Perception Data.
67% Increase!
92% of students
know that Del Lago
Academy is the
only high school
that selects student
by lottery only

11. S.M.A.R.T. Goals worksheet
79% of students can identify
and evaluate their GPA and
test scores (MAPS and
CAASPP) and develop an
academic SMART goal.
% of Students that were able to create an
academic SMART goal.
Perception Data.

12. Examples of students’ academic SMART
goals.
Perception Data.

13. Limitations, Implications, Lessons Learned + Next Steps
▪ Kahoot
▪ Post-test showed increase in % of students who “strongly disagree”
▪ Likely due to responses being public and students wanting a reaction from their
peers, who often looked around the room at the reveal of the answers and asked
out loud, “Who put strongly disagree?”
▪ SMART Goals
▪ We found that in the class periods where we had more
time (Monday, compared to shortened periods on
Thursday), more students were able to successfully
create an academic SMART goal
Next Steps:
▪ Continue to monitor student GPAs and Standardized Tests Scores
▪ 8th grade core curriculum lessons on promotion and high school planning

14. Thank you
to all Mission Middle School staff, and in
particular Mr. Martinez and Mr. Bunker, for
your contributions to these efforts and your
support of the school counseling program.
We could not do this without you!