Stockton Unified School District Model School Counseling Program District: Stockton Unified School District (SUSD) is the largest school district in San Joaquin County.  It is considered an urban school district, yet it is surrounded primarily by rural communities. SUSD educates 38,000 PreK-12 students annually. The district is comprised of 54 schools of which forty-two are PreK-8 and twelve are 9-12 schools, plus one adult school.   Superintendent: Dr. John Deasy Email: jdeasy@stocktonusd.net Phone: 209 - 933 - 7070 District School Counseling Director: Dr. Traci E. Miller Email: tmiller@stocktonusd.net Phone: 209 - 933 - 7130 District Demographics: 26% English Learners, .7% Foster Youth, 2.8% Homeless, 84.2% SED, 10.9% SPED. Ethnicity: 10.3% African American, 1.7% American Indian, 9.1% Asian, 3.9% Filipino, 66% Hispanic, 2.8% Two or more races .5% Pacific Islander, 5.6% White.   School Counseling Department: SUSD restructured their school counseling program beginning in 2018, hiring staff, providing district-level staff and leadership.  The aim was to meet district’s LCAP goals that were linked in categories related to social and emotional learning, academic and college/career needs. The program operates within a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework to offer comprehensive prevention and intervention services. The district school counselor to student ratio bargaining agreement is 595:1 and that agreement has changed with the recent districtwide reorganization.   Restructuring: Additional Staff Added: In order to better meet LCAP goals, SUSD added a total of 40 credential school counselors in 2018, bringing the total number of school counselors employed to 119. Thirty-one additional mental health service providers have recently been hired to address Tier 3 student needs only. (Results will be available in 2020). New job descriptions were created to reflect the new comprehensive MTSS structures. District-Level Oversight: The Director of Student Services was assigned to oversee the school counseling program.  An additional administrator was added to offer site level support and professional development. Professional Development: An ambitious professional development agenda was created. New training modules include: 1) Delivery of core counseling classroom lessons (social, emotional, academic, college and career topics);  2) The use of data to identify students and strategies for the delivery of effective individual/small group interventions.   Caseloads Reductions: Elementary (K-8): Added 30 positions reducing the ratio from 815:1 to 438:1. High School: Added 10 positions reducing the ration from 569:1 to 389:1. Alternative: Added 2 positions reducing the ratios to 92:1. Stockton Unified School District September 2019 LCAP Goals and Outcomes:   Service Outcomes: The decrease in school counselor-to-student ratios have allowed for an efficient and effective program. This includes increases in individual and group counseling sessions and increases in classroom lessons in strategic LCAP areas. School counselors have been able to positively impact the attendance, suspension rates, school climate, graduation and college and career rates of students. Student Outcomes: Chronic absenteeism dropped by 1% at the elementary and 4% at the high school level. Chronic Abs Rate 2017-18 2018-19 TK to 8th 17.24% 16.42% Chronic Abs Rate 2017-18 2018-19 9th to 12th Grade 26.59% 22.23% Suspension rate decreased by almost 3% at the elementary and 4% at the high school level. Suspensions 2017-18 2018-19 TK to 8th 20.69% 17.75% Suspensions 2017-18 2018-19 11.12% 7.80% 9th to 12th Grade 12th grader financial aid submission (FAFSA) rates increased by 14% districtwide. *CA student Aid Commission Dashboard 2019 Stockton Unified School District September 2019 LCAP Goals, Dashboard Activities:   Goal 1: Increase student achievement by providing high quality first instruction supported by a MultiTiered System of Supports (MTSS) to graduate every single youth college, career, and community ready.   Eighteen College & Career Readiness events were held with an emphasis on reaching underserved populations.      School counselors conducted 34 financial aid workshops resulting in approximately 1,692 FAFSA/CADA financial aid applications submitted.    A school counseling point person for SUSD Foster Youth Program (FYP) was assigned for each high school resulting in decrease in FYP chronic absenteeism by 9%. California Student Aid Commission’s Race to Submit Financial Aid Applications increased by 83%.     51% increase in the number of students who received individual 6-year course and college planning (Grades 7-12).    College and Career explorations, by way of classroom lessons and college visits for students, increased by 75%.   Goal 2: Provide equitable and healthy learning environments that enhance the social-emotional and academic learning for all students utilizing a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Implemented Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum at every grade level utilizing  ‘Second Step’ curriculum Post-suspension conferences are implemented using Restorative Practices.   Goal 3: Create a culture of inclusion and collaboration with families and community stakeholders that builds meaningful partnerships focused on increasing student engagement and family and community participation in support of developing leadership at all levels.       School counselors are involved in coordinating the Peer Leaders Uniting Students (PLUS) program that is designed to strengthen student leadership opportunities, cultural and linguistic diversity awareness. The aim is to promote inclusiveness and positive school climates. School counselors’ collaboration in coordinating student mediation, restorative justice practices, positive school culture activities, and facilitating LGBTQ+ awareness workshops and summits.   Lessons Learned: Devote time on developing district-and site-level leadership. Educate site administrators and gaining buy-in regarding school counselors’ role is essential.      Provide coaching and mentorship structures to support school counselors. Develop structures to review student data as a Professional Learning Community (PLC).  Create accountability measures for site administrator in the oversight of the school counseling program. Encourage school counselors to join their site-level LCAP Committee. Stockton Unified School District September 2019