Does Your Child's Counselor Devote Quality Time to Them?

The ratio of counselor to student in California is 601-1.  The recommended ratio of counselors to students is 250-1 and that is the minimum recommendation by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).  Counselors are overloaded with college-bound students and students who are at risk of dropping out of school with minimal time to guide them.  There are several students (in the middle of the above two groups) who have goals, desires, and dreams.  Typically they have no  idea that they can receive the help that they need through a school counselor and rarely reach out to a tutor.  AINEC provides the individualized attention that is needed for students to achieve socioeconomic awareness for academic excellence and life achievement.

As educators and tutors, we must work toward developing relationships with our students that causes a paradigm shift from "punishment to assistance." This will help them realize that counselors are their go-to for improving their academic goals and post-secondary options.  AINEC wants to break the achievement gap that is often failed by tutors, for those students who are capable, resilient, and motivated, but are unaware of the resources available to them.  

RESEARCH  

SEL  (Social and Emotional Learning) leads to improved academic outcomes and behaviors that far exceed the typical results from obtaining a tutor.

When students have supportive relationships and opportunities to develop and practice social, emotional, and cognitive skills across many different contexts, academic learning accelerates. Hundreds of studies offer consistent evidence that SEL bolsters academic performance above and beyond tutoring alone.

Results from a landmark meta-analysis that looked across 213 studies involving more than 270,000 students found that:

• SEL interventions that address the five core competencies, whether with or without a tutor, increased students’ academic performance by 11 percentile points, compared to students who did not participate.

• Students participating in SEL programs showed improved classroom behavior, an increased ability to manage stress and depression, and better attitudes about themselves, others, and school. These are all issues that are not addressed by academic tutoring alone.

• Additional meta-analyses echoed these findings. Consistency across independent research teams offers strong support that well-implemented SEL programs are beneficial.

• What might this mean for the practical benefits of SEL? About 27% more students would improve their academic performance at the end of the program and 24% more would have improved social behaviors and lower levels of distress.

AINEC has developed an SEL curriculum called  Character of the P.A.T.H. (A Purposeful Approach Towards Humanity) which also integrates academic curriculum areas.

The P.A.T.H. curriculum is aligned with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) five competencies.  They are Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Responsible Decision Making, and Relationship Skills.  CASEL is a trusted source of knowledge about high-quality, evidence-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).  www.casel.org.  

 Some of the expected outcomes are:

• Improved Mindset and Behavior

• Positive Social Behavior

• Awareness of Feelings and Emotions

• Less Stress

• Academic Improvement

Parents can participate in their child's education from the convenience of their home.  Life experience and research show that participation in your child's education will boost their confidence, thereby framing a positive attitude, and building their desire to progress toward academic excellence. 

Some ways parents can support their child at home:  

(a) reading at home to and with your child,

(b) holding high expectations/aspirations for your children’s academic achievement and schooling,

(c) monitoring your child's school work,

(d) communication between parents and children regarding school,

(e) parental encouragement and support for learning.