NEW FAIRFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL56 Gillotti Road

New Fairfield, CT 06812

The Power of Student Success Plans

Presented by Amy Jacques, Megan Severino, and Lisa MooneySchool Counselors of NFMS

Agenda

OBJECTIVES OF SSPs at the Middle School Level

Create SSP at the middle school level to help prepare students for our rigorous middle school program

Act as a motivator for our middle students so they become active participants in their education

Introduce and use goal-oriented language

Make middle school students aware of career possibilities based on their interests and provide opportunities to explore these careers

BEYOND MIDDLE SCHOOL….

Apply information gathered with Naviance, using SSP and other surveys, to make high school course choices that will start to pave the way towards their college, career or work goals.

Utilize information gathered from 6th grade to 12th grade to assist with college decisions and the application process.

COMPONENTS OF SSPs• Academic Development

– Acquiring skills, knowledge, attitudes to be aneffective learner for life

• Career Development– Acquiring skills needed to investigate world of

work and achieve future career success

• Personal/Social Development– Developing an understanding of and respect for self and others.

– Understanding the necessary steps for decision making and goal attainment

– Acquiring safety and survival skills

How do we collect the data?

NAVIANCEElectronic-based data gathering is both efficient and appealing to the middle/high school student.

We like to call it their electronic filing cabinet

What information do we gather?

6th Grade:• Learning Style Survey

• Student Success Plan

• Career Exploration presented in DISCOVER as a unit, using Naviance as a teaching tool.

What information do we gather?

7th Grade:

• Student Success Plan

• Career Key

• Career Scavenger Hunt

What information do we gather?

8th Grade:• Student Success Plan

• Career Key

• Cluster Finder

IN THE THINK TANK:

8th Grade Career Paper

When do we gather data?ROTATIONS

Presentations for all students beginning in September. Each team has three rotations over three days. During these days our teachers work on SMART goals. The counseling staff and administration run the following rotations:

School wide Pre/Post tests (NWEA) Administrators Reading, writing and math

Psychologist Create A Safe Environment Social Worker

SSP/Naviance Counselors

When do we gather data?WINTER/SPRING

• Small groups reconvene• Team leaders,• Teachers• Counselors

• Four students at a time

• Discuss and revise goals

• Make changes or additions to their SSPs

Where does all the data go after middle school?

All of the information from 6th grade through 8th grade gets rolled over into their high school electronic filing cabinet.

At the high school they will continue with the SSPs and keep reevaluating their goals. In addition, they complete a “Do What You Are” survey to help guide them through college/career possibilities.

Of course all of this data is very helpful when it comes to college applications (also done on Naviance).

Students have access to their SSPs & Naviance during their “Connections” time, an advisor-advisee program that meets 25 minutes every week.

SSPs are also great for….• Red flagging students, we wouldn’t otherwise know were struggling socially

and emotionally.

• Academic counseling: pulling up their SSPs and reminding them of the goals they wrote is very helpful. Sometimes this is a good time to assist a student in changing/modifying the goals they originally set

• Addressing career/job/life question during an 8th to 9th grade transition PPT

• Teaching a parent how to use it as a tool to start a conversation with their child.

• Using it as a lead-in to any counseling session, whether you want to address academics, social issues, and/or emotional possibilities.