Recognizing exemplary school counseling professionals

NOSCA is now accepting nominations for the 2012 National Advocacy Awards. These awards recognize exemplary service and advocacy efforts of individual school counseling professionals. This is an opportunity to recognize a colleague who is an exceptional advocate for all students. 

DEADLINE: Nominations should be submitted by February 1, 2012.

What are the National NOSCA Advocacy Awards for College and Career Readiness?

The awards recognize exemplary advocacy efforts by school counseling professionals that result in positive outcomes for underrepresented populations.

There are three awards:

1. The National Advocacy Award for Increasing Equity in College and Career Readiness K–12

Recognizes one school counseling professional whose leadership and advocacy in school counseling practices, initiatives and/or programs focused on increasing equity in K-12 college and career readiness outcomes in a school and/or district, especially for underrepresented populations.

Examples of equity- focused outcomes that may be used as supporting evidence for a nomination include, but are not limited to, increases in: 

• Elementary: participation in college and career readiness programs and enrichment activities, school attendance, reading and math proficiency, and grade-level promotions.
• Middle: participation in college and career readiness programs, extracurricular and enrichment activities, enrollment in Algebra I, reading and math proficiency, and grade-level promotion rates.
• High: rigorous course taking, college testing participation and performance, college acceptance, and FAFSA completion.

2.    The National Advocacy Award for Partnerships and Collaborations

Recognizes one school counseling professional whose leadership and advocacy in developing and coordinating collaborative partnership (K-12 and college access professionals, higher education and nonprofit professionals, business and civic leaders, policy makers and legislators, and other supporters) helped to increase equity in college and career readiness, especially in underrepresented populations.

Examples of equity-focused outcomes that may be used as supporting evidence for a nomination include, but are not limited to, partnerships/collaborations that:

• Help families of K-12 first-generation students acquire college and career knowledge, necessary to navigate the journey from Kindergarten to college matriculation;
• Expose first generation families to financial literacy K-12 to assist when applying for financial aid that results in increased FAFSA completion;
• Increase outreach to non-profit organizations to assist in building college and career aspirations K-12;
• Assist families in gaining awareness of and engaging in the college search and application process that results in more students applying to college;
• Establish community/business-based mentoring programs K-12 that build student aspirations and provides guidance in goal setting to increase college-going rates; and
• Establish partnerships with local universities and community-based college and career readiness programs focused on building students social capital and academic preparation to increase successful transitions from high school to college.

3. The National Advocacy Award for School Counselors Responding to College and Career Readiness Policies and Legislation

Recognizes one school counseling professional whose leadership and advocacy demonstrates proven strategies and programs used to implement federal and state legislation and school board policies and/or local mandates that promote equity in college and career readiness.

(Examples of state and federal legislation, initiatives and policies that include but are not limited to: Race-to-the-Top, No Child Left Behind, FAFSA Project, STEM, and state level college and career readiness directives, graduation and drop outs)

Examples of equity-focused outcomes that may be used as supporting evidence for a nomination include, but are not limited to:

• Increasing reading and math proficiency and school attendance, and a safe and orderly environment that promotes college and career readiness;
• Increasing student access to rigorous academic preparation necessary for college – PSAT/NMSQT®, SAT®;
• Increasing student access to/success in college-going assessments — PSAT/NMSQT®, SAT®; PLAN, ACT
• Increasing access to mentoring, tutoring and/or other support programs for first generation students;
• Increasing students graduating with coursework necessary for college entry; and
• Decreasing dropout rates.

Criteria for the awards

Each award nomination must be accompanied by:

• A summary of the school counseling professional's accomplishments that is no more than 500 words (school demographics must be included).
• Three letters of support from either a peer, administrator, student, community member, parent, and/or teacher.
• Award applications should include results data that demonstrate(s) positive outcomes for underserved populations.

Eligible recipients

K-12 school counselors, district level directors or supervisors of school counseling, state-level school counseling leaders, and counselor educators dedicated to teaching school counseling are eligible to receive the awards.

Determining the winners

The criteria for determining the winners are based on:

• Results data for population(s) identified as underserved.
• Summary of the intervention.
• Letters of support.

Judges

A blue-ribbon panel of school counseling professionals, along with College Board staff members, select the winners.

Winner notification

Winners will be notified March 1, 2012.
All awards will be presented at the NOSCA National Conference April 13-14, 2012 in National Harbor, MD.

Please send your award nominations to:
Dominique Jones
Attn: Awards Nominations
The College Board, NOSCA
1233 20th Street, N.W., Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20036