Counselor Connection--September 17

(If you were at the Counselor Retreat, you should have completed this). Please help us as we begin this school year by completing a survey that will help us know which services you are using, what we can do to help you, and things that you would like/do like!

TEA has some updated resources regarding school counselor worktime:

• FAQ
• PDF of district annual assessment example
• PDF of district submission example

The primary goal of suicide prevention policies, programs, and services in this state is to prevent all suicide deaths and connect individuals with appropriate behavioral health services at the right time and place. As a first step toward achieving this goal, it is critical to understand prevalence rates of suicide-related events, including suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and deaths by suicide. Since the year 2000:

• Texas has seen an overall increase in suicide mortality with the death rate rising 48 percent;
• Individuals ages 30-34 saw the greatest increase of any age group with an 84.5 percent increase in suicide mortality rate, closely followed by individuals ages 55-59 with an increase of 74.5 percent;
• The rate of suicide mortality for youth in the foster care system was more than twice the rate for youth in Texas for two years in 2020 and 2021, but most recently decreased to zero suicide deaths in 2022 and in 2023;
• The rate of calls to the poison control network concerning suspected suicide attempts in girls ages 6-12 increased seven-fold between 2005 and 2021, while the rate for young women 13-19 years old more than doubled; and
• The suicide mortality rate for veterans ages 18-34 rose 134.2 percent between 2001 and 2021, making it the highest rate for the veteran population.

Active military status is not collected on the Texas death certificate, therefore, suicide rates for active military members could not be calculated.

With Texas’ large size and varied geography, it is important to analyze suicide mortality prevalence rates with respect to location, showing since the year 2000:

• The West Texas Centers local service area (LSA) experienced the largest increase in the suicide death rate with an increase of 229.9 percent (Andrews, Borden, Crane, Dawson, Fisher, Gaines, Garza, Glasscock, Howard, Kent, Loving, Martin, Mitchell, Nolan, Reeves, Runnels, Scurry, Terrell, Terry, Upton, Ward, Winkler, and Yoakum counties);
• The suicide mortality rate in non-metro areas is about 35-50 percent higher than the rate in metro areas; and
• The suicide mortality rate is increasing faster in non-metro areas than in metro areas.
  

Dr. Gaye Lang has launched a brand-new series, Restorative Practices Made Simple: Families as Partners, a video series dedicated to empowering parents with the tools needed for effective communication and Restorative Practices at home. This series is designed to align home environments with the restorative approaches taught in schools, ensuring a consistent and supportive experience for children. It focuses on providing parents with resources and strategies to foster better understanding and relationships with their children, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between families and educational institutions. Watch episode 6, where Dr. Lang hosts a discussion with Cindy Rodriguez and Jackie Trevino from Garland ISD. Cindy, a Behavior Program Specialist, and Jackie, a parent from Montclair Elementary, share their experiences and insights on implementing restorative strategies. Discover how these methods can transform disciplinary approaches, create a supportive community, and positively impact both students and parents. This session is a must-watch for parents and teachers eager to enhance their understanding and application of restorative practices.

Please submit all questions regarding Restorative Discipline Practices to rdp@tea.texas.gov.

Empower your students to navigate the SAT and ACT with confidence by understanding their key differences and overlaps. This detailed handout will break down the scoring systems and testing formats of both exams.

Ch 74.13 has been updated.

Children’s Mental Health Network and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration developed After High School: Talking with Your Young Adult About Underage Drinking. This resource is for parents, teachers, and school professionals to talk with teens about the consequences of underage drinking as they are moving into young adulthood. Ways to start the conversation, important topics of discussion, and the importance of having trusted adults to talk to about underage drinking are included in the resource.

The student mental health crisis in America is escalating, with over 42% of students experiencing ongoing sadness or loss of hope. The crisis is exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, with anxiety and depression increasing by 29% and 27% in children and youth between 2016 and 2020. The pandemic has also led to increased exposure to social media, bullying, and cyberbullying. Read More

Education in Action's Call for Outstanding Student Nominations is underway! We invite you to forward the email, below, to your Region's 4th-8th grade educators to recognize their outstanding students by nominating them for the Lone Star Leader Award.

A digital banner and a text document are attached to provide you with options for sharing.

A Guide to Preventing Bullying - TxSSC has created three new student videos (K-2, 3-5, 6-12) to serve as a resource for school districts to use to teach students about bullying. These videos are meant to be used in an educational setting, facilitated by a campus or district staff member. These videos can be used to meet Standard 1 of TEA's Minimum Standards of Bullying Prevention.

Helping Kids Thrive, Even in Difficult Times -TxSSC has created a video featuring Joshua Wayne, a counselor with 20+ years of experience, who shares stories, advice, and wisdom to help adults build powerful relationships with young people to become resilient even during the most challenging times.

TxCAN is thrilled to share our Virtual Financial Aid Training Schedule in partnership with uAspire and Texas OnCourse this Fall. In the past years, our training has taken place between August and October, but with FAFSA application opening in December this year our training is scheduled to take place between late September and February

These sessions will provide practitioners with key insights into completing the FAFSA, TASFA, and CSS Profile and are ideal for anyone assisting students with financial aid applications this year. All attendees will be granted CPE credit for their participation in this valuable professional development opportunity.

Please click on the TxCAN Financial Aid Training Flyer below to access the registration links. We encourage you to share this with your network to help ensure that college access professionals across Texas are well equipped to support students this year.

Don't wait to register!! Sessions will fill up fast!!

For questions on these training opportunities, contact Lauren Hendricks, LHendricks@cftexas.org.

TxCAN is excited to continue to partner with uAspire this Fall to provide free financial aid workshops and live support to help students and families complete their financial aid forms. As we kick off the school year, students and parents can now take advantage of the live support to create their FSA IDs.

Please encourage your students to explore our webinar offerings on topics such as the CSS Profile, scholarship tips, and FAFSA, as well as our resource library, which includes checklists, guides, videos, and more to help them confidently navigate the financial aid process.

TxCAN is in the process of printing additional postcards to promote the financial aid digital supports we’re providing this Fall. If you would like postcards, please use this link to request them by September 20th. We will send printed materials to as many recipients as possible until our supply is exhausted.

Please contact Traci Terrill for questions regarding CTE: traci.terrill@esc15.net or 325-481-4074

The Student Attendance Accounting Handbook (SAAH) requires written training plans must be on file for any student participating in either a paid or unpaid work-based learning experience at an approved training site, except for a student participating in an unpaid practicum for which the teacher of record provides all training. The teacher’s detailed lesson plans may serve as the training plan in these instances.

The updated training plan, linked here, serves as the training plan for both paid and unpaid work-based learning experiences.

For students enrolled in Career Preparation for Programs of Study and practicum courses, the program of study listed on the training plan must be:

• related to the job the student performs at the business listed on the training plan, and
• the program of study in which the student is working toward becoming a CTE completer.

September 2024 Meeting

The next State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting is scheduled for September 10-13, 2024. You can find the meeting agenda and other information about the meeting on the SBOE web page. The SBOE meeting can be viewed via the live webcast. The webcast will also be archived and available via the same link after the meeting.

Draft Recommendations for Proposed New CTE Engineering TEKS

Work group recommendations for proposed new CTE Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for a set of courses for the new engineering career cluster are now available for review and feedback on the TEA website. The proposed new TEKS support three CTE programs of study: engineering foundations, civil engineering, and mechanical and aerospace engineering.

The draft recommendation documents are available on the 2024 CTE TEKS Review: Engineering webpage. When providing specific comments and recommendations, please identify the program of study or course(s) in the subject line of the email. For example, in the subject line, please indicate "Civil Engineering, CTE TEKS Review." Please submit comments to TEA at teks@tea.texas.gov.

Feedback from educators across the state is critical to the TEKS review and revision process. ESCs will also conduct educator focus groups to collect regional feedback. Please contact the ESC in your region for additional information.

The proposed new CTE engineering TEKS are scheduled to be presented to the SBOE for discussion at the November 2024 SBOE meeting.

New CTE TEKS in Agriculture, Aviation Maintenance, and STEM Adopted

The SBOE approved for adoption new CTE TEKS for a set of courses in agribusiness, animal science, plant science, and aviation maintenance in April 2024. The adoption also includes two CTE courses from the STEM career cluster that satisfy a science graduation requirement: Physics for Engineering (formerly titled Principles of Technology) and Scientific Research and Design.

The recently adopted CTE TEKS are scheduled for implementation beginning with the 2025-26 school year.

• The new agriculture, food, and natural resources TEKS are available in 19 TAC, Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter C Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, with “Adopted 2024” in the title.
• The new science, technology, engineering, and mathematics TEKS are available in 19 TAC, Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter O, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, with “Adopted 2024” in the title.
• The new aviation maintenance TEKS are available in 19 TAC, Chapter 127, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career Development and Career and Technical Education, Subchapter P, Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics, with “Adopted 2024” in the title.

Districts must continue providing instruction in the current TEKS during the 2024-2025 school year. The current TEKS for the agriculture and aviation maintenance courses will remain in 19 TAC Chapter 130, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career and Technical Education, with “Adopted 2015” in their title until the new TEKS are implemented in 2025-2026. Principles of Technology, Adopted 2015, and Scientific Research and Design, Adopted 2015, must also be implemented until they are replaced with the newly adopted TEKS in 2025-2026.

Adopted Amendments to Graduation Requirements

At the June 2024 SBOE meeting, the SBOE adopted amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter B, Graduation Requirements. The amendments updated titles of courses and CTE career clusters, aligned all CTE programs of study with endorsements, and identified the students to whom the updated endorsements apply. The graduation requirements as amended became effective August 1, 2024.

LEAs must provide students in grades 10, 11, and 12 an opportunity to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test and consult with a military recruiter. LEAs must schedule the test during normal school hours and at a time that limits conflict with extracurricular activities. School districts and open enrollment charter schools must communicate the date, time, and location of testing to students and their parent/guardians. An LEA may elect not to provide the ASVAB test, provided that an alternative test is offered that meets specific requirements.

LEAs with students in grades 10 through 12 must report offering the ASVAB, or alternative test, through Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) data element E1625 ArmedServicesVocAptBattery, in the PEIMS Fall Submission.

LEAs are encouraged to submit their request for preferred dates as soon as possible to avoid scheduling conflicts. Use this link to schedule your LEA’s ASVAB date: https://www.asvabprogram.com/asvab-cep-at-your-school.

For questions, please contact a program manager:

• Amarillo: Clayton Deleon at clayton.a.deleon.civ@army.mil or (806) 290-9426
• Dallas: Anthony Schmoker at anthony.l.schmoker.civ@army.mil or (972) 367-2845
• El Paso: Jennifer Nowak at jennifer.k.nowak.civ@army.mil or (915) 995-3193
• Houston: Darryl Miller at darryl.e.miller.civ@army.mil or (346) 272-5775
• San Antonio: William Garcia at william.r.garcia2.civ@army.mil or (726) 444-3629

For additional information, visit the TEA ASVAB webpage.

The CTE Leadership Committee provides input and recommendations to TEA related to alignment of CTE statewide initiatives to current and emergent industry trends. The committee works collaboratively with TEA to identify the impact of CTE initiatives on LEAs and their CTE programs throughout the development process. Committee members solicit input from other CTE leaders and industry stakeholders from within their respective regions and share that input with TEA. View the 2024-25 CTE Leadership Committee member list below.

ESC 15: Shelby Garza, Crockett County CISD

Do you have a student who needs a course that your school does not offer?

The Texas Virtual School Network (TXVSN) can help meet students’ needs through TEA-approved online courses. The TXVSN course catalog provides schools and students access to high school, Advanced Placement, career and technical education, and dual credit courses for initial credit or credit recovery. The TXVSN courses are aligned to the TEKS and taught by Texas-certified teachers trained in best practices in online instruction. Schools can use the TXVSN courses to create flexibility in a student’s schedule, allow a student to accelerate their learning, and address local teacher shortages. Students enrolled in a TXVSN course can generate funding regardless of whether the student is physically present at school while participating in the course. For more information about the courses offered through TXVSN, please visit the TXVSN webpage or contact the TXVSN Help Desk.

Did, you know that implementing the PAX Good Behavior Game can lead to remarkable improvements in your school?

Here are some studied impacts to consider:

• More Teaching Time: Gain an HOUR MORE each day for meaningful teaching and learning.
• Improved Test Scores: See significantly improved standardized MATH and READING scores without changing your curriculum.
• Reduction in Disruptions: Experience an 80% to 90% reduction in student disruptions and interruptions. These proven outcomes have already benefited thousands of educators and students. Don't miss out on the opportunity to enhance your classroom environment and student success with PAX!

Find out more: www.paxis.org/evidence-base or email alex.nieto@esc15.net

Hatching Results is excited to invite you to their upcoming FREE webinar, Proactive Strategies For Creating a Welcoming and Inclusive School for All Students, presented by Derek Francis.

This session is designed for school counselors, district leaders, building administrators, and school leaders who are dedicated to fostering a more inclusive and welcoming school climate.

In today’s educational landscape, it is essential that schools provide a space where every student feels welcomed and affirmed, recognizing and celebrating both similarities and differences.

📅 Date: September 20, 2024

⏰ Time: 9:00 am Pacific Time

📍 Location: Zoom - join from anywhere!

Register for Free!

TxCAN and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board are excited to collaborate and bring you the latest updates on the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) and the ApplyTexas Counselor Suite. These virtual sessions are designed to provide crucial insights and guidance for students, families, and educators. Register for each session below.

Sept. 26

Oct. 29

Dec. 5

The Texas Education Agency’s Student Supports Division and our Project AWARE Texas partners will be hosting a series of monthly webinars to highlight resources and best practice strategies on timely and relevant safe and supportive schools topics. Session topics will all include universal supports for school mental health, bullying prevention, building partnerships, and data-informed decision-making to support school mental health. Pre-register to attend the sessions below. Session topics will be released at a later date.

October 10th, 2024

Register Here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5AtnxJ0QSHCZse5xzpycBw

December 12th, 20204

Register Here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ljEZjpotQB2WlOV5UcMZuQ

January 9th , 2025

Register Here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_o9rlIQSHT4upmKCJ7gGAiA

March 13th, 2025

Register Here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XxYoLdUjTGKBNmtOJTeX-g

May 8th, 2025

Register Here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3Kj2T9HwS6CXQkv6c1uVAg

The Intermediate School Behavioral Threat Assessment Manual Training is geared towards district staff responsible for ensuring the operationalizing of school behavioral threat assessment programming within their district. Participants will review the newly created TxSSC model SBTA Manual. The review will include an examination of TxSSC created templates and completed exemplars. Each session module will provide many opportunities for group discussion about your current SBTA practices, and planning time to map what system and process improvements you will engage in when you return to your district.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to use the Texas School Safety Center's SBTA Manual to operationalize team procedures to ensure consistency across the district and schools.

View Dates and Register

Join us for an impactful 1-Day Bullying Prevention Summit on October 30th, designed to empower educators, administrators, and community leaders with the essential tools and insights to make a real difference in schools. This summit brings together leading experts and thought leaders, offering exclusive interviews and powerful keynotes that uncover the latest research and actionable strategies to create safer, more inclusive school environments.

Walk away with proven practices and a renewed sense of purpose to proactively prevent bullying and build a culture where every student feels supported. Let’s take meaningful steps together to protect our students and transform our schools!

Sign Up For FREE

What to Expect:

• Expert Interviews and Keynotes: Hear from leading experts in the field of bullying prevention as they share their insights, research, and effective strategies for creating safe and respectful school environments.
• Latest Research and Best Practices: Hear about cutting-edge research and learn about proactive practices specifically designed to address various forms of bullying, including cyberbullying and relational bullying.
• Practical Implementation Strategies: Discover actionable plans and tools to effectively integrate bullying prevention practices into your school’s culture, policies, and daily routines.
• All Sessions Online: Every session will be available for you to watch at your convenience.

Register Today

Did you Know?

CharacterStrong now has Bullying Prevention lessons and resources at no extra cost! Access our Bullying Prevention Checklist within our Tier 1 Samples HERE.

What's Included?

CharacterStrong’s proactive, research-based approach to bullying-prevention includes the following:

• Engaging lesson content for each grade band
  • What is Bullying? (includes video content)
  • Be an Upstander (elementary), Be an Advocate (MS and HS)
  • Community Agreement Lesson
• At least 4 “touchpoint lessons” in each grade level are embedded in our curriculum that will include a review or reminder of the previously taught bullying-prevention standards.
• Printable resources for students and staff, including a decision tree for responding with care
• Engaging video content
• Family resources, including a page families can access
• Staff training with reflection documents

Upcoming Bullying Prevention Webinar

Join us for a free webinar on September 17th! This webinar is designed for educators, administrators, counselors, and community stakeholders who are committed to fostering a safe and supportive atmosphere in schools. We will share our NEW Bullying Prevention curriculum, delve into the latest research on bullying, identify different forms of problem behavior, and discuss the psychological and social impacts on both victims and perpetrators. Sign up HERE.

We're gearing up for Fall 2024 and spring 2025 to support you this school year. You can simply click on any of the session links to register.

General School Mental Health Resources: https://schoolmentalhealthtx.org/

Mental Health Resources Database: https://schoolmentalhealthtxdatabase.org/

Mental Health Best Practice Repository: https://schoolmentalhealthtx.org/best-practices/

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
• Nationwide Crisis Text Line - Text "Home" to 741741; text "HOLA to 741741 for crisis assistance in Español
  
• Click Here for a map of hotlines that serve all Texas counties
• 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: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) | samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
• Other resources for developing healthy lifestyles, including mental and emotional help: helpguide.org
• National Disaster Distress Helpline - Text "TalkWithUs" to 66746; call 1-800-985-5990 and press "2" | En Español - envía "Hablanos" al 66746; llame al 1-800-985-5990 y presione "2"
  

Email: mentalhealth@esc15.net
Website: https://www.esc15.net/
Phone: (325)658-6571
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Region15ESC/
Twitter: @Region15ESC