Indiana School Counselor Updates

School counselors have been busy in Indiana this year and we are looking forward to another great year!

ISCA was so excited to have Indiana school counselor Jan Desmarais-Moore (shown at right) as a finalist for the 2019 ASCA School Counselor of the Year award.

The Indiana School Counseling Association Annual Conference will be held November 14–15, 2019. This year’s theme is “Ignite Your Passion.” The conference location is the Marriott East Indianapolis Hotel and Convention Center.

Thursday, November 14: Luncheon Keynote Speaker Dan St. Romain

Join Dan as he presents “The Ripple Effect.” When you throw a stone into a pond, sometimes it simply sinks. Plop. However, if thrown just right, the rock skips. Instead of the one singular plop, the rock now reaches more water, leaving ripples on the surface – and this energy changes the entire pond. As school counselors and educators, we throw the stone and the manner in which we do so makes a huge difference in the lives of the students we serve. In this luncheon session, participants will reflect on the ways to create positive ripples that are felt by our students well beyond the classroom years.

The conference will also offer Core Skills Building Workshop speakers on Friday, November 15:

• Noel Foy (left) – “From Executive Dysfunction to Executive Function: Developing Metacognitive Empowered Leaders”
• Allison Edwards (center) – “Approaching: How (and When!) Counselors Can Intervene”
• Julia Taylor (right) – “Self-Harm, Suicide & Social Media: Helping Students Ask for Help”

Registration for the conference is easy! Find out more and register online now.

Advocacy News

Recently, the ISCA advocacy committee respectfully submitted a request for Senate Resolution 72 be enacted with a summer study to review and discuss findings on Indiana school counselor shortages. ISCA hopes the study will result in measures to improve the student experience for all Indiana youth and the efforts to support each student by school counselors. Please take a minute to contact your legislators to create awareness regarding Indiana ratios and the ability to implement a comprehensive school counseling program with lower ratios. 
 
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) compiled a study on student-to-school-counselor ratio data from the 2016–17 school year via the most current available data collected by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, looking at state nonfiscal public elementary/secondary education. Previously ASCA had compiled a state-by-state, student-to-counselor ratio report that examined 10-year trends. In that report, Indiana’s the average ratio was 533:1. ASCA recommends that schools strive to maintain a 250:1 ratio. 
 
The recent 2016–17 research revealed that Indiana's ratio decreased seven percent from 533:1 (2015–2016) to 497:1 (2016–2017). We are grateful for the small step forward to improve student to counselor ratios. However, the rate is still almost double the ASCA recommended ratio of 250:1. Beneficial school counseling for all students directly correlates with the student-to-school-counselor ratio and removing the non-counseling assignments that impede school counseling efforts. 
 
Continuing to improve the ratio trajectory is necessary for prioritizing a standard of excellence in Indiana with comprehensive school counseling programs. Your efforts to contact legislators across the state help galvanize support for lower student-to-school-counselor ratios. Your voice, combined with other school counselor voices across the state, shine a light on a powerful truth. Thank you for taking the time!
 
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