Group Guidance

Our vision is to help our students plan for life. The guidance program is designed to help students understand what their options are, and to provide them the opportunity to explore several avenues and make responsible decisions. Group Guidance is a four-year sequential program in career and educational planning. This program provides opportunities for students to explore their interests, abilities, and values and apply these to career and post high school educational decisions. We will make every attempt to assign all students to a group. Senior and freshman students will meet one day per cycle for quarter one of the school year. Sophomores and juniors will meet one day per cycle for quarter two of the school year.

Syllabus

Grade 9

I. Orientation To Grade 9

A. Course Outline/Expectations




B. Role of the Counselor




C. Grade 9 Information Sheet




D. Student Responsibility - Middle School vs. High School




E. Homework




F. Discipline - Referrals, Detention, D-Hall, Suspension




G. Cell Phone Use




H. Question and Answer about High School concerns

II. The Competitive College Landscape

A. GPA




B. Class Rank




C. Transcript




D. An introduction to Colleges: Competitiveness and Cost




E. College Requirements/Academic Expectations




F. Extra-Curricular Activities




G. Community Service

III. Naviance (college and career readiness website)

A. "Strengths Explorer" - Strengths and Interest inventory




B. Career and College Major research based on inventory results




C. Scattergrams




D. College Compare




E. College Lookup

IV. "Collegeopoly"

A. College process themed college activity




B. End of unit review and wrap-up

Grade 10

I. Orientation to Grade 10

A. Review permanent record, high school transcript, and class rank




B. Compute GPA, review grades




C. Review high school graduation and college admission requirements

II. Planning Portfolio and Course selection

A. How to select courses for following year and what courses are appropriate




B. Gain insight into course rigor and what colleges are looking for

III. Orientation to Money Management and Budgeting

A. Money Management




B. Checking account




C. Savings




D. How credit works




E. Information on installment loans




F. Budgeting

IV. Initial Career/College Planning

A. Internet, print resources, and Naviance




B. Establish a MassOne user account




C. College criteria

Grade 11

I. Orientation to Grade 11

A. Review grade 10 data




1. GPA




2. Weighted/Unweighted




3. Class Rank




4. Grades




B. Review high school graduation and college admission requirements

II. College Visits-Tours-Interviews-College Fairs- Standardized Testing

A. Criteria




B. Junior Timeline




C. Importance of PSATs




D. SAT/ACT

III. Naviance

A. Knowledge of Self




1. Achievements




2. Aptitudes




3. Interests




4. Values




5. Motivation




B. College Search




C. Job Shadowing/Internships

IV. Senior year and Post-secondary options

A. Importance of academic rigor in senior year




B. Relevant courses to your intended major




C. Four-year college




D. Two-year college




E. Community college




F. Military




G. Trade School




H. World of work

Grade 12

I. Orientation to Grade 12

A. Visiting colleges-Maximizing the experience




B. Review Transcript




C. Transition to college




D. What colleges are looking for in an applicant




E. Glossary of terms




F. Letters of Recommendation

II. Naviance

A. Colleges I Am Thinking About-College Compare, College Lookup, request teacher and guidance counselor recommendations




B. College Research-Maps, Scattergrams




C. FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)- Consent for Records

III. College Application Process

A. Forms needed




B. Common Application




C. Cost of senior year




D. Scholarship Papers

IV Do's and Don'ts

A. E-mail address




B. Social Media




C. Contacting




D. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS AND SPELL CHECK




E. Protocol if you are waitlisted




F. College Essays