Counselor Connection--August 1
Education Service Center Region 15
Character Strong 2023-24 Back to School Counselors Playbook
We know how crucial the first week of school is for students and staff. Relationship building and setting a positive tone for the year needs to be intentional, that's why Character Strong has created activities to help you engage with students!
Our 2023-2024 School Counselors Playbook includes:
- Welcome Back Video Prompt
- ASCA National Educational & Health Awareness Dates
- Minute Meetings - Instructions, Sample Questions, & an Email Prompt
- Temperature Checks for Elementary and Secondary
- Compliment Creations
School Counselor Showcase and Contact Information Directory
We debuted the “All About You” survey during the Counselor Retreat, but with almost 200 counselors in the region, we really want to provide services that benefit the majority. This survey will give us feedback to work on the retreat for next year, programming during the school year, and also some information about you so we can treat you throughout the year as well! Please take a few minutes to fill it out for us. Help us help you!
Mandated Trainings
Implementation of Senate Bill 2124 - Advanced Mathematics Instruction
Under the program, a school district or open-enrollment charter school must automatically enroll in an advanced mathematics course each sixth grade student who performed in the top 40 percent on the fifth grade State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) mathematics assessment, or a local measure that includes either the student’s fifth grade class ranking or demonstrated proficiency in the student’s fifth grade mathematics coursework.
SB 2124 requires each school district or open-enrollment charter school to develop the middle school advanced mathematics program as soon as practicable after the bill’s effective date of May 27, 2023.
The Texas Education Agency will adopt administrative rules in the coming months to provide additional guidance related to this new requirement. Because rules have not yet been adopted and given the anticipated release of STAAR scores in August, it may not be practicable for school districts and charter schools to place students in advanced mathematics courses for the 2023-2024 school year. As a result, districts and charter schools may choose to develop their programs in the 2023-2024 school year for placement of students in a program beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.
Youth Vaping Prevention and Resources to Quit
Anxiety Resources
Kids can develop anxiety from many things, such as interactions with new animals, being separated from their parents, or doing something embarrassing. The Child Mind Institute created a resource page covering a variety of topics related to anxiety in kids. Anxiety can show up in a lot of different ways, including headaches, stomachaches, extreme shyness, and tantrums. Explore the anxiety resources page for topics including parenting anxious kids, anxiety in schools, specific phobias, and information on different types of anxiety.
Military Interstate Compact
CDC Resources
Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has developed the Dating Matters: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships model. This prevention model focuses on teaching youth about healthy relationships and reducing behaviors that increase the risk of dating violence. Dating Matters is for individuals, peers, families, schools, and neighborhoods that want to help youth between the ages of 11-14 to build healthy relationship skills. For specific questions about materials or the Dating Matters model, contact datingmatters@cdc.gov.
Essentials for Parenting Teens
Essentials for Parenting Teens is CDC’s newest resource for parents and caregivers of youth ranging between ages 11-17. Topics include understanding and adapting to teen years, coaching, recognizing, and managing emotions, encouraging independence, and praising teens.
Course Change for 2023-2024 Middle School CTE Courses
TEA recently updated the TEKS for middle school CTE courses. Please check the updated CO22 Service ID table for the new names and codes. For 2023-2024 there are only two courses: Career and College Exploration (First Time Taken) and Career and College Exploration (Second Time Taken). No longer available are the four times taken Investigating Careers or College and Career Readiness. New TEKS: https://tea.texas.gov/academics/college-career-and-military-prep/career-and-technical-education/career-and-college-exploration-teks-adopted-2023.pdf
Programs of Study Refresh Public Comment
Perkins V is federal legislation requiring states that receive federal Career and Technical Education (CTE) funds to align CTE programs of study to high-wage, in-demand, and high-skill occupations. Texas’ State Plan indicates that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will review programs of study every four years to ensure they meet the needs of the Texas workforce. TEA’s Career and Technical Education team conducted a statewide listening tour and obtained feedback from over 685 participants. Stakeholder feedback and labor market information analysis was provided to a CTE advisory committee made up of district leaders, teachers, postsecondary staff, and industry leaders. The CTE advisory committee used this information and feedback to guide recommendations for the Programs of Study Refresh to be implemented during the 2024-2025 school year.
TEA is soliciting additional public comment on the recommendations through August 14, 2023. Click here to view the recommendations from the CTE advisory committee for TEA’s 14 career clusters. The proposed updates include elements of the 53 currently approved statewide programs of study, two regional programs of study recommended for statewide approval, and four proposed new statewide programs of study.
Click on this survey to provide feedback on the proposed programs of study updates. The survey will allow you to make comments on one or more programs of study.
Based on the feedback received during the public comment period, additional updates may be made to the programs of study before they are finalized and released in the fall of 2023. Updates to the programs of study will be implemented beginning in the fall of the 2024-2025 school year. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the CTE team at cte@tea.texas.gov.
New Career and College Exploration TEKS
At the April 2023 meeting, the State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted new middle school CTE Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) to be implemented beginning with the 2023-2024 school year. The Career and College Exploration TEKS can be used to satisfy the requirement that each student receive instruction in high school, college, and career preparation at least once in grade 7 or 8 (TEC §28.016 ). The new TEKS replace TEKS for Investigating Careers and College and Career Readiness. Two service IDs were published for the new TEKS in the Texas Student Data System Public Education Information Management System (TSDS PEIMS) in July: 12700110 (first time taken) and 12700120 (second time taken).
Career and College Exploration TEKS will be effective in 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter A, Middle School, on August 1, 2023. Prior to the August 1 effective date, districts and schools can access the TEKS here.
New Occupational Safety and Health TEKS
The SBOE approved for second reading and final adoption new 19 TAC Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter B, High School, §127.17, Career and Technical Education Standards in Occupational Safety and Health, Adopted 2023. Districts must embed the new TEKS into the following courses beginning with the 2023-2024 school year:
- Construction Technology I
- Electrical Technology I
- Plumbing Technology I
- HVAC Technology I
- Masonry Technology I
- Agriculture Mechanics and Metal Technology
- Welding I
- Metal Fabrication and Machining I
- Oil and Gas Production
- Introduction to Culinary Arts
The SBOE will add the new occupational safety and health TEKS into these courses as each course comes up for review and revision.
The SBOE did not approve final adoption of the proposed standalone course, 19 TAC §127.18, Occupational Safety and Health.
CCMR Tracker Released in TEAL
CollegeBoard Workshops
The 2023 Counselor Workshops are occurring online August 29–September 19 and may also be viewed on demand. Join us for timely updates on College Board programs and services so you’re ready to support your students for the 2023-24 school year. Topics include:
SAT® Program updates and information about the Digital SAT Suite of Assessments
AP® Program updates
BigFuture™® college planning resources and new features
SHAC Workshops
Implementing School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) Rules
August 9th at 11:30am
Some districts are still struggling with the new rules for SHACs that were passed in 2021. Join Jasmine Wightman, Senior Attorney with TX Association of School Boards as she provides guidance on what and how these rules affect your SHAC and your curriculum approval process. Register here
Promoting Outdoor Time in Schools Through SHACs
October 18, 2023 at 2pm
Join Texas Children in Nature and explore how your SHAC can promote outdoor time in schools. Register here
Current Online Behavioral Trends: Lunch and Learn
The Texas School Safety Center, in collaboration with Safer Schools Together, is hosting a lunch and learn experience that will complement their Digital Threat Assessment (DTA) training. The DTA training teaches the tools and methods available to identify online threat-related behavior. This lunch and learn will improve understanding of the digital landscape and include a Q&A session with Safer Schools Together Threat Analysts. Participants will learn about school safety, case scenarios, trends, and risk behaviors. Two dates are available: July 28 or August 11. Register now.
We are excited to announce The 67th Annual TCA Professional Growth Conference will be held at the Marriott Marquis Houston on Nov. 1-3, 2023. This year's theme is Counselors Lead. Early-bird registration is now open and ends June 30.
What to Expect:
- Earn 20+ CE hours
- Keynote Sessions
- Poster Sessions
- 4 Learning Institutes
The Marriott Marquis Houston, an elegant hotel in downtown Houston, will host our entire conference. The hotel group rate is $122 until the block fills up. Please book your room now as these rooms are going quickly!
San Antonio, here we come! The 19th Annual Professional School Counselor Conference will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio on Feb. 4-6, 2024. Next year's theme is Let's Sparkle and Shine! We hope to see you there! #CelebratingBrilliance2024
Upcoming Sessions at ESC
Foster Care Summit 2023
Special Thanks to Education Service Center Region IV, which is graciously hosting this event for TEA, DFPS, and the Children's Commission. For this summit, Region IV LEAs, DFPS, CASA, and community resource providers will have the first opportunity to register starting June 1, 2023. Registration will open to all others interested in attending on July 19, 2023.
Registration: Link will be available through Education Service Center Region IV website
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023, 08:00 AM
M. O. Campbell Educational Center, Aldine Bender Road, Houston, TX, USA
Emergency and After Hours Resources
This list is of known providers of particular services. The providers on the list are from a variety of sources. The list is being provided as a courtesy, for information only, and the user should understand that no assurances or guarantees regarding the providers on the list are being made by providing this list. We do not endorse, approve, or recommend any specific provider listed below. This list is not inclusive of all community agencies, services, or organizations that provide the particular service, and the omission of an agency, service, or organization from this list does not imply disapproval. It is the responsibility of the user of this list to determine whether any of the content is of value to them and whether or not the agency, service, or organization meets their specific needs.
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National
- Emergency: (24/7): 911
- Referral Services: (crisis counseling, housing, food, health care, family services): 211 | https://www.211texas.org/
- Suicide Prevention: 988 | 988lifeline.org
- Self-Injury/Cutting: 1-800-366-8288 | selfinjury.com
- Eating Disorders: 1-800-931-2237 | nationaleatingdisorders.org
- Runaway Hotline: 1-800-231-6946 | 1800runaway.org
- Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 | childhelp.org/hotline/
- Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 | rainn.org
- Domestic/Relationship Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 | thehotline.org
- Trevor Hotline for LGBTQ Youth: 1-866-488-7386 | thetrevorproject.org
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline | samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
- Other resources for developing healthy lifestyles, including mental and emotional help: helpguide.org
ESC 15 Counseling and Mental Health
Email: mentalhealth@esc15.net
Website: https://www.esc15.net/
Phone: (325)658-6571
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Region15ESC/
Twitter: @Region15ESC
Lesley Casarez, PhD, CCTS-I, CTP, CSC
Greg Hickey, LPC
(325) 658-6571 x2113
Anne Hardegree, LPC-S
(325) 481-4019
Alex Robles, LPC
(325) 481-4009
Alex Nieto
(325) 481-2151
Ella Nichols, LBSW
(325) 481-4062
Noemi Ucuk
Jessica Flores, LPC, BCBA
(325) 481-4057
Carol Stevens, M.Ed. CSC
McKinney-Vento, HELP Grant, and Counseling
Stephanie Soto
(325) 658-6571
Dava Rabb
(325) 658-6571 ext. 2120