School Counseling Discussion 5

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The Journal for Specialists in Group Work

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Preparing African American Males for College: A Group Counseling Approach

Erik M. Hines, Mia R. Hines, James L. Moore III, Sam Steen, Paul Singleton II, Dakota Cintron, Monique N. Golden, Kimberly Traverso, Bobbi-Jo Wathen & Jerrod Henderson

To cite this article: Erik M. Hines, Mia R. Hines, James L. Moore III, Sam Steen, Paul Singleton II, Dakota Cintron, Monique N. Golden, Kimberly Traverso, Bobbi-Jo Wathen & Jerrod Henderson (2020) Preparing African American Males for College: A Group Counseling Approach, The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 45:2, 129-145, DOI: 10.1080/01933922.2020.1740846

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2020.1740846

Published online: 27 Mar 2020.

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Preparing African American Males for College: A Group Counseling Approach Erik M. Hinesa, Mia R. Hinesa, James L. Moore IIIb, Sam Steenc, Paul Singleton IId, Dakota Cintrond, Monique N. Goldend, Kimberly Traversod, Bobbi-Jo Wathend, and Jerrod Hendersone

aFlorida State University; bThe Ohio State University; cGeorge Mason University; dUniversity of Connecticut; eUniversity of Houston

ABSTRACT In this article, the authors discuss how to prepare African American males for college through group counseling. The authors created, Achieving Excellence: A College Readiness Curriculum for African Males, a five- session, 50 minute group curriculum for sophomores to facilitate the process of college planning. The Eight Components of College and Career Readiness was used as a framework to guide the curriculum. Implications for school counselors are included in this article.

ARTICLE HISTORY Received June 02, 2018 Accepted January 13, 2020

KEYWORDS African American males; college and career readiness; group counseling

Educational attainment (e.g., a high school diploma and college degree) provides career opportunities for advancement into leadership positions and benefits such as health insurance and retirement (Heckman, 2000). Additionally, an individual with a college degree can make over one million dollars more over a lifetime in salary than someone with a high school diploma (Carnevale et al., 2015). Acquiring a college degree can lead to employment oppor- tunities and is considered an asset in the U.S. economy (Washington, 2010). However, certain populations encounter barriers to attaining an education, particularly a postsecondary educa- tion, leading to a disparity in receiving the aforementioned benefits.

Specifically, African American males are not doing well in graduating from college compared to their peers. The graduation rate for African American males from high school and college is lower than their peers. During the 2012–2013 school year, the high school graduation rate for Black males was 59% compared to 80% for White males, and 65% for Latino males (The Schott Report, 2015). In college, African American males graduate at a rate of 34% compared to males of other racial/ethnic group: Whites (57%), Asians (64%), and Latino (45%) (Cose, 2014; Harper, 2012). Clearly, an intervention is needed to assist African American males with preparation and transition into postsecond- ary institutions such as college. Moreover, Hines et al. (2014) suggested “that college readiness should start early with the country’s most vulnerable youth (e.g., African American males)” (p. 220). School counselors are well-positioned to prepare African American males for postsecondary opportunities, especially college (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2019; Hines et al., 2014). School counselors have been trained to work with students in the areas of academic achievement, college and career readiness, and social/emotional development (ASCA, 2019). In addition, they are trained

CONTACT Erik M. Hines [email protected] Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University, 3206E Stone Building, 114 W. Call St, Tallahassee, FL 32306

THE JOURNAL FOR SPECIALISTS IN GROUP WORK 2020, VOL. 45, NO. 2, 129–145 https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2020.1740846

© 2020 ASGW

in the areas of cultural competence and can empathize with students to address needs specific to certain demographics (ASCA, 2019). School counselors can examine their beliefs and biases as well as understand the needs of African American males through cultural competency training. Moreover, school counselors can use data to identify the college attendance rates as well as the opportunity gaps of their African American male population in their school buildings (ASCA, 2019).

As a relevant intervention, school counselors can use a group counseling format to introduce Black males, particularly in their sophomore year, to the college-going process. An early introduction can alleviate barriers that may hinder them from being competitive for admission to college during their senior year once they initiate the application process. Also, researchers (Steen et al., 2008) have found that the majority of school counselors use group counseling as an approach to working with students. Small group counseling is advantageous for school counselors as they can see multiple students simultaneously and students can engage in peer to peer learning (Pérusse et al., 2009). Moreover, the sophomore year is critical as students are taking preliminary entrance exams (i.e., PSAT), ensuring they are taking a college preparatory curriculum, and getting involved in extracurricular activities to ensure competitiveness for college admissions. Given the importance of education serving as a gateway to opportunity and the pervasive issues surrounding educational attainment for African American males, the authors wrote this paper to emphasize the group counseling approach as an intervention to prepare Black males for college. Emphatically, this paper will contribute to the literature on group work given the dearth of research on using a group counseling approach with African American males. To note, the terms African American and Black are interchangeable in this paper.

Literature Review

Achievement and Opportunity Gaps

Differential achievement among racial, ethnic lines has far-reaching negative conse- quences. Further, the implications of the achievement gap are particularly detrimental for African American males (Davis, 2003). For instance, regardless of educational level (i.e. elementary, secondary, or postsecondary), African American males do not attain the same achievement as either African American females or White males (Jackson & Moore, 2006). In other words, Black males are not graduating from high school, attending college, or completing college as the same level as their peers. Further, Ford and Moore (2013) note that African American males from urban school districts disproportionately experience negative outcomes including academic failure, high dropout rates, low graduation rates, low test scores, low grades and grade point averages, low representation in gifted educa- tion and Advanced Placement classes, and greater participation in special education.

Negative academic outcomes in urban school districts for African American males translate into gaps in college-going and graduation rates for African American males. For example, without accounting for gender, there are gaps in college enrollment rates across racial, ethnic lines for 18 to 24-year olds (McFarland et al., 2017). In 2015, for example, Asians had a college enrollment rate of 63%, Whites 42%, Hispanics 37%, and Blacks 35%. When accounting for gender, White males and females had college enrollment rates of 39% & 44%, respectively; Black males and females had college enrollment rates of 34% &

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36%, respectively; and Hispanic males and females had college enrollment rates of 33% & 41%, respectively (McFarland et al., 2017). In terms of graduation rates, Carnevale and Strohl (2013) reported graduation rates for Whites, African Americans, and Hispanics with SAT above 1200 at 77%, 57%, and 56%, respectively. To note SAT, score of 1200 included Math and Language scores.

College Going: The Role of the School Counselor

School counselors play a significant role in students’ postsecondary planning (ASCA, 2012, 2019; College Board, 2010). For example, they assist in a variety of ways such as providing students in the development of educational goals, providing students with information and knowledge about high school classes that can help them prepare for college or career choices, identification of current and postsecondary opportunities (i.e. college, vocational school, workforce, apprenticeships, military, scholarships), and relaying information to parents about postsecondary opportunities (ASCA, 2019; College Board, 2010).

School counselors foster college and career readiness by encouraging students to think about people, traits, friends, sources of information and other “natural” and available resources in their lives that might help them in their career or college decision-making situations (Erford, 2014). For example, school counselors use career assessments to accomplish the aforementioned activity. School counselors contribute to increased num- ber of college enrollment and persistence rates by developing programs and services to support all students via “individual planning” for each student, as well as addressing inequalities that prevent certain students from successfully transitioning through high school into college (Holcomb-McCoy, 2007).School counselors are expected to provide counseling, consultation, and support to students and their families to ensure that they are properly prepared for the college planning and acceptance process through understanding student college and career aspirations and goals (ASCA, 2019). For many students, the influence of the school counselor plays a critical role in the college predisposition among students (Muhammad, 2008). This is confirmed by the work of Patricia M. McDonough. McDonough et al. (1997) have contended that school counselors are particularly effective in influencing student predisposition in schools where parental educational experiences are limited. With that in mind, a supportive school counselor supplements parental understandings of the how’s, why’s, costs, and benefits of postsecondary education, especially college (McDonough et al., 1997).

Group Counseling in Schools

“Group counseling is effective in a school setting” (Pérusse et al., 2009, p. 1). Recognized as a direct service to students (ASCA, 2019), group counseling is a method in which students can learn from each other in an environment that is supportive and conducive to behavioral change (Erford, 2014). The group counseling approach is considered an important compo- nent of a comprehensive school counseling program (ASCA, 2019; Erford, 2014). The Association for Specialist in Group Work Professional Standards for the Training of Group Workers list four areas of group work practice: task and work group facilitation, psychoeducational group leadership, group counseling, and group psychotherapy (Association for Specialist in Group Work [ASGW], 2000). Psychoeducational and remedial

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are the two common types of groups implemented in schools (Erford, 2014). Psychoeducational groups focus on learning a task, skill, or gaining knowledge while remedial groups tend to focus on helping students who are impaired developmentally (i.e., behavior – anger) or by a life event (grief, divorce, etc.) (Erford, 2014).

The group counseling has been used with African American males, but the group counseling research literature is scant with information. Muller (2010) published an article discussing the process of creating, executing, and evaluating a 12-week group (45-min sessions) counseling program for African American males. The focus of the counseling group was understanding the experiences and challenges of being an African American male (Muller, 2010). The goals of the group included discussions around their dreams and future; the effects of racism; male/female relationships; and feelings in relationship to being Black men (Muller, 2010). The author discussed the perspective of European American females facilitating the counseling group given this population represents a significant number of school counselors and the need for cultural competency. The author and another White female school counselor facilitated the group of seven Black males and talked about their selection process and noted they consulted with three African American men and the research literature on Black men when developing the curriculum. Based on the assessment, the seven African American males thought the group was impactful, especially around the shared experiences all of the students encountered.

White and Dixon-Rayle (2007) adapted the Strong Teens Curriculum (STC) to provide a group counseling intervention for African American males in high school. Originally, “the STC is a competency based, social emotional, classroom learning curriculum designed to promote the personal/social, emotional resilience, psychological wellness, and coping skills of all high school adolescents” (White & Dixon-Rayle, 2007, p. 180). The STC curriculum is rooted in culturally relevant pedagogy that infuses the lived experiences as Black males, African American history, issues of racism, oppression, as well as discussion of support systems such as family and friends with in the intervention. An African American male school counselor facilitated the group comprised 10–12 African American males. The STC curriculum was a 12 session format for 1 h each week with topics ranging from anger management to the last session inviting older African American male role models to speak to the students. As a result of the group, the authors (White & Dixon-Rayle, 2007) found that African American males can use group counseling as an outlet to address personal/social needs by a culturally competent school counselor.

Framework: College And Career Readiness

In order to prepare African American males for success in higher education, they must be “college-ready.” College readiness is defined as, “… the level of preparation a student needs to enroll and succeed in a credit-bearing general education course at a post- secondary institution, without remediation (Conley, 2011, p. 1).” College readiness requires that African American males possess the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to be successful in a college course. School counselors can equip African American males with the knowledge, skills, and behaviors they need by using The College Board’s National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA) eight components of college and career readiness counseling for students in grades K-12. Moreover, this framework is designed to

132 E. M. HINES ET AL.

support students from underrepresented populations such as African American males. Additionally, this framework provides a culturally relevant approach to ensure students receive equitable and systemic access to college and career opportunities (College Board, 2010). The eight components (College Board, 2010; Perusse et al., 2015) are:

(1) College Aspirations (a) Goal: Build a college-going culture based on early college awareness by nurtur-

ing in students the confidence to aspire to college and the resilience to over- come challenges along the way. Maintain high expectations by providing adequate supports, building social capital, and conveying the conviction that all students can succeed in college.

(2) Academic Planning for College and Career Readiness (a) Goal: Advance students’ planning, preparation, participation, and performance

in a rigorous academic program that connects to their college and career aspirations and goals.

(3) Enrichment and Extracurricular Engagement (a) Goal: Ensure equitable exposure to a wide range of extracurricular and enrich-

ment opportunities that build leadership, nurture talents and interests, and increase engagement with school.

(4) College and Career Exploration and Selection Processes (a) Goal: Provide early and ongoing exposure to experiences and information

necessary to make informed decisions when selecting a college or career that connects to academic preparation and future aspirations.

(5) College and Career Assessments (a) Goal: Promote preparation, participation, and performance in college and

career assessments by all students. (6) College Affordability Planning

(a) Goal: Provide students and families with comprehensive information about college costs, options for paying for college, and the financial aid and scholar- ship processes and eligibility requirements, so they are able to plan for and afford a college education.

(7) College and Career Admission Processes (a) Goal: Ensure that students and families have an early and ongoing under-

standing of the college and career application and admission processes so they can find the postsecondary options that are the best fit with their aspira- tions and interests.

(8) Transition from High School Graduation to College Enrollment (a) Goal: Connect students to school and community resources to help the students

overcome barriers and ensure the successful transition from high school to college.

Achieving Excellence: A College Readiness Curriculum for African American Males

The authors created a curriculum to be used in a group format for African American males. The foundation of the curriculum is the Eight Components of College and Career Readiness (College Board, 2010) as it infuses culturally relevant activities to engage Black

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males. The authors recommend five 50 minute sessions and no more than eight African American males in a group (See Appendix). Five sessions are recommended due to the number of responsibilities school counselors have within a school. Further, eight students are recommended to develop close relationships and to fully execute all the activities thoroughly. The authors recommend all sophomore Black males engage in this curriculum and that school counselors execute this curriculum throughout the year to accommodate students. A description of the lessons is provided in the following sections. The assessment and evaluation of each lesson is located in Appendix.

Lesson One Lesson one gives students the opportunity to connect their interests with a possible future career. High school students may have an understanding of things they like to do outside of school or hobbies that interest them, but sometimes they have a hard time connecting these interests to future careers. During this lesson, the school counselor will show students how to align their interests to a career, how to gather research about a career, how to choose a specific college major based on their career aspirations, and how to connect with other African American males who have been successful in the same career. School counselors are building the college aspirations of Black males through discussion of career interests.

School counselors can introduce the field of engineering to Black males given their underrepresentation in this field. School counselors can discuss why Black men are needed in this field based on research. The scarcity of Black males with advanced engineering degrees undoubtedly presents challenges to diversifying industry and the professoriate. According to an article featuring a newly awarded NSF grant to study underrepresented groups in STEM (Khan, 2018), African American males make up 2.5% of engineering faculty nationwide. Organizations like the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the National Action Council on Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME) have identified increasing engineering degree attainment among African Americans as a crucial priority over the next few years. Specifically, under NACME’s current strategic plan, Connectivity 2020, NACME aims to “aggressively connect our scholars to our corporate partners for internships and full-time hires … These represent the areas where NACME is pursuing direct engagement” to “drive the pipeline” (Goode, 2016 paras 11–13).

Lesson Two This lesson will help students understand how to align their high school courses with their career aspirations and college major. In addition, the school counselor will introduce students to college preparatory courses, such as Advanced Placement courses. The school counselor will address concerns African American males may have when opting to take college prep courses, which is usually associated with the lack of representation of African American males within these courses and the expectations of school staff. The school counselor will provide students with tools to make informed decisions about their high school course selections while keeping them aligned to their graduation requirements.

Lesson Three This lesson will introduce students to college entrance exams. The school counselor will discuss key components of the SAT and ACT, how they are scored, how colleges use these exams for their admission and scholarship decisions, how to access test preparation

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materials, and fee waiver resources. In addition, students will discuss stereotypes related to African American males and college entrance exams, and testing anxiety.

Lesson Four This lesson will help students learn about the college application process. The school counselor will discuss terms that students should be familiar with when applying to college. Students will create a Common Application account, and begin the process of filling out a mock college application. Additionally, the school counselor will share colleges that are geared toward African American males, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with students and discuss ways in which students receive academic, career, and personal support at the college level.

Lesson Five This lesson will allow students to meet African American male professionals that may have similar career interests as them. The school counselor will facilitate a panel, asking guest speakers to give advice to the students on how to navigate high school, college, careers, and life from an African American male perspective. This is the final lesson in the series and school counselors should follow up this group with an African American male professional speakers series.

Implications for Practice

To complement the college readiness group counseling curriculum, the authors have provided implications for practice as more needs to be done to assist African American males to successfully transition from sophomores in high school to freshmen in college. The list below is not exhaustive but it provides a starting point for school counselors to continue the work of preparing African American males for college beyond the group counseling process.

(1) School counselors can dialogue with students about Black men who are in their interested career field. Additionally, school counselors can discuss famous Black males and how they worked through their career decision-making process.

(2) School counselors can use various career and personality assessments to assist Black males in understanding the career and majors suitable for them.

(3) School counselors should assist Black males in being strategic with their high school course selections so they align with college admission requirements as well as their career/major goals. Black males should be encouraged to go above the minimum course requirements for college entry. Reid and Moore (2008) recommend school counselors work with students on creating an academic plan to help students map out their educational trajectory.

(4) School counselors can invite Black male professionals to be a part of a college and career speaker series upon completion of the counseling group. Black male profes- sionals should be encouraged to share their experiences with applying and matri- culating through college as well as their career paths.

(5) School counselors can help Black males understand various types of postsecondary institutions and which college could be the best “fit” for them. For example, school

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counselors can explain the difference between a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) and a Historically Black Institution (HBCU).

(6) School counselors should facilitate college admissions test workshops with Black males and their parents. These workshops should include information on how to interpret PSAT, SAT, and ACT scores and how they contribute to the college application process.

(7) School counselors can create partnerships with local universities to assist Black males and their parents with the college-going process (Paolini, 2015; Hines et al., 2015). These relationships can also connect students to other university resources such as college tours, open houses, and summer bridge programs.

Conclusion

Group counseling is a great modality for preparing African American males college. The Achieving Excellence curriculum provides these young men the space to have discussions amongst each other about their career interest(s), college information, course selections, and their experiences as Black males, and to interact with guest speakers to produce a culminating outcome that will hopefully lead to admission into a college or university. High school counselors can use this curriculum as a supplement to their work on preparing students for postsecondary opportunities. Last, school counselors can serve as “gate openers” rather than “gatekeepers” as they are trained to work with ALL students in providing equitable opportunities to succeed.

Funding

This material is based upon the work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. [1828306 and 1828347].

Notes on contributors

Erik M. Hines is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems at the Florida State University as well as the coordinator of the Counselor Education Program and School Counseling Track.

Mia R. Hines is an academic advisor in the School of Teacher Education at Florida State University.

James L. Moore III is the vice provost for Diversity and Inclusion and chief diversity officer at The Ohio State University, while serving as the first executive director of the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male.

Sam Steen is an Associate Professor and licensed Professional School Counselor who specializes in school counseling, group work and students at risk of academic failure.

Paul Singleton II is a third-year PhD student in Counselor Education and Crandall-Cordero Fellow at the University of Connecticut.

Dakota Cintron is a PhD candidate in Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment at the University of Connecticut.

Monique N. Golden is a doctoral candidate in the Leadership & Education Policy program at the University of Connecticut.

136 E. M. HINES ET AL.

Kimberly Traverso is a PhD student in Counselor Education at the University of Connecticut.

Bobbi-Jo Wathen has been a school counselor for the last eight years and currently serves Middletown High School in Middletown, CT as College and Career Readiness Counselor.

Jerrod Henderson is currently an Instructional Assistant Professor in the Cullen College of Engineering where he is a part of the first-year engineering experience team. He was recently appointed by the Dean of the College as the Director of the Program for Mastery in Engineering Studies (PROMES).

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Appendix

Achieving Excellence: A College Readiness Curriculum for African American Males

Lesson 1

Title of Lesson: If I Could Have Any Job in the World Grade Level: 10 Time: 50 minutes

Learning Objectives:

● Students will understand how their interests and hobbies align to careers ● Students will learn how to choose a college major based on their career interest ● Students will understand career decision-making in relation to the African American male

experience ● Students will learn about their underrepresentation in field of engineering as well as the

reasons to explore this career field

138 E. M. HINES ET AL.

Materials:

● Access to internet and computers for each student ● O*net Interest Profiler website (https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip) ● Pens/pencils

Developmental Learning Activities:

● Introduction ○ The school counselor will discuss with students the importance of connecting their

interests and hobbies to the type of career they want to have in the future ○ The school counselor will explain college majors and how they should align with the type

of career you want to have in the future ○ The school counselor will discuss popular careers among Black males

● Activity ○ Each student will go to O*net Interest Profiler https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip ○ Read directions and fill out all questions ○ Students will write down their 3 highest scoring interests ○ The counselor will go over the Job Zones and let students know that because this is

a college preparation group, they should choose Job Zone 4 or 5. ○ Students will explore careers that fit their interest

● Conclusion ○ The school counselor will ask a few students to share what they learned about how their

interests align with their careers ○ The school counselor will explain the homework

Assessment/Evaluation:

● Based on the career assessment all students will know their career aspiration(s) and college major.

Homework:

● Based on the results of the O’net Interest Profiler results, students will choose two careers and list the following:

○ Career Description ○ Education/training needed ○ College major ○ College that has the major ○ Starting salary

● Based on the results of the O’net Interest Profiler results, students will research an African American male (famous or not) who is in at least one career field they are interested in.

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Follow-up:

● The school counselor will meet with each student individually to go over the careers they researched

● The school counselor will explain to each student how to use College Board’s Book of Majors

Lesson 2

Title of Lesson: My Road Toward College Grade Level: 10 Time: 50 minutes

Learning Objectives:

● Students will understand how to align their high school courses with their career interests and college major

● Students will learn about Advanced Placement courses and how to choose courses that align with their college major

Materials:

● A copy of school’s graduation requirements ● A copy of each student’s high school transcript ● Access to internet and computers for each student ● College Board’s Explore AP website (https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/exploreap) ● The College Board’s Book of Majors ● Pens/Pencils/Highlighters

Developmental Learning Activities:

● Introduction ○ The school counselor will ask a few students to share their research on African American

males and their career of choice ○ The school counselor will ask students if they are familiar with the school’s graduation

requirements ○ The school counselor will provide a copy of the graduation requirements for students to review ○ The school counselor will ask students to review their transcript and highlight the

graduation requirements that they have already met and list the courses they still need to complete

○ The school counselor will talk to students about the importance of challenging them- selves within their high school course selections. This should include students taking Honors, and Advanced Placement courses.

○ The school counselor will talk about the lack of representation of African American males in Honors and Advanced Placement courses and their perceptions of these courses

● Activity ○ Students will go to College Board’s Explore AP website (https://apstudent.collegeboard.

org/exploreap) ○ The school counselor will give use the website to go over the following: ▪ What are AP courses ▪ Purpose and Benefits of taking AP courses ▪ Myths vs. Realities ▪ Do I belong in these courses?

140 E. M. HINES ET AL.

▪ AP courses offered at their school ▪ How and when to sign up

○ Students will then go to AP and Your Future page (https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/ exploreap/ap-and-your-future) and select at least three careers and/or majors from their O*net Profiler results and find AP courses they can enroll in by using this website

● Conclusion ○ The school counselor will encourage students to find out more information about some

of the AP courses that they found will align with their career aspirations/college major ○ The school counselor will encourage students to share the AP materials with their parents

Assessment/Evaluation:

● All students will enroll in at least 1 AP course during their high school tenure

Homework:

● Students will choose at least 2 AP courses from the “AP and Your Future” activity and complete the following task:

○ Talk to the AP teacher about course(s) expectations ○ Talk to a few students that took the AP course(s) about their experience

Follow-up:

● The school counselor can host an AP parent night for the group participants parents ● The school counselor will meet with each student individually to talk about which AP courses

they would like to sign up for

Lesson 3

Title of Lesson: Tests, Tests and More Tests Grade Level: 10 Time: 50 minutes

Learning Objectives:

● Students will learn the key elements of the SAT and ACT Test ● Students will understand how colleges use the SAT and ACT for making admission and

scholarship decisions ● Students will learn how to use resources to prepare for the SAT and ACT ● Students will learn how to utilize the CollegeBoard and ACT Fee Waiver resources

Materials:

● Access to internet and computers for each student ● CollegeBoard’s SAT website (https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat) ● The ACT Test website (https://www.act.org)

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Developmental Learning Activities:

● Introduction ○ The school counselor will ask a few students to share what they learned about AP

courses from students and teachers at the school ○ The school counselor will give a review of the PSAT’s and ask students their thoughts on

their performance on the test they took in October ○ The school counselor will discuss stereotypes related to African American males and

college entrance exams ○ The school counselor will discuss the connection between the PSAT and SAT ○ The school counselor will give an overview of the SAT and ACT and how colleges use

the test for admission ● Activity

○ Students will go to College Board’s SAT Website (https://collegereadiness.collegeboard. org/sat)

○ The school counselor will use the website to go over the following: What are the key components of the SAT ▪ How are SATs scored ▪ How to register for the SAT, which should include photo requirements ▪ SAT test prep resources ▪ How to send scores to colleges ▪ SAT and College Fee Waivers ▪ Testing accommodations

○ Students will go to ACT Test website (https://www.act.org) ○ The school counselor will use the website to go over the following:

What are the key components of the ACT ▪ How are ACTs scored ▪ How to register for the ACT ▪ ACT test prep resources ▪ How to send scores to colleges ▪ ACT Fee Waiver ▪ Testing accommodations

● Conclusion ○ The school counselor will discuss the differences between the SAT and ACT ○ The school counselor will discuss when students should begin taking the SAT and ACT

and the number of times a student should take each test ○ The school counselor will discuss how students can find SAT and/or ACT requirements

for specific colleges and how colleges use these scores for admission and scholarship decisions

Assessment/Evaluation:

● Every student will register to take the SAT and/or ACT by the end of the school year

Homework:

● Students will sign up for one of the test prep resources for the SAT and ACT, which should include SAT Word of the Day

142 E. M. HINES ET AL.

Follow-up:

● The school counselor will schedule a time for each student to get their picture taken for the SAT photo requirement

● The school counselor will meet with each student to go over their PSAT test results ● The school counselor will host a college testing parent night, which will go over how to

interpret PSAT test results, and give an overview of the SAT and ACT

Lesson 4

Title of Lesson: It’s All About the Process: Navigating the College Application Grade Level: 10 Time: 50 minutes

Learning Objectives:

● Students will learn key terms used during the college application process ● Students will learn the key components of the college admissions application ● Students will learn how to use the Common Application to apply to colleges ● Students will learn about colleges geared toward African American males

Materials:

● Access to internet and computers for each student ● Common Application website (http://www.commonapp.org/)

Developmental Learning Activities:

● Introduction ○ The school counselor will ask a few students to share any new words they learned from

signing up for the SAT Word of the Day ○ The school counselor will discuss the history of Historically Black Colleges and

Universities (HBCUs) and provide students with a list of all HBCUs ○ The school counselor will discuss the differences between an HBCU and a Predominately

White Institution (PWI) ○ The school counselor will give an overview of the college application process ○ The school counselor will go over key terms that students should become familiar with

when applying to college, which should include the following: ▪ Associate Degree ▪ Bachelor’s Degree ▪ Major/Minor ▪ Public/Private College ▪ Room & Board ▪ Meal Plan ▪ Financial Aid

● The school counselor will give an overview of the Common Application ● Activity

○ Students will go to Common Application website (http://www.commonapp.org/) ○ Students will create a Common Application practice account ○ The school counselor will go over the key components of the Common Application

which should include the following:

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▪ Application Dictionary ▪ How to add colleges to dashboard ▪ College application writing requirements and supplements

○ The school counselor will go over each question in the Common Application Form

● Conclusion ○ The school counselor will encourage students to add colleges to their dashboard that

offer their major of choice. Students should be encouraged to find a list of colleges by revisiting their college lists from the O*net Interest Profiler activity, from colleges they researched from CollegeBoard’s Book of Majors, or from the list of HBCUs.

○ The school counselor will discuss academic, career, and personal support programs on college campuses, which should include programs for underrepresented students. The school counselor will show students how to find this information by navigating college websites.

Assessment/Evaluation:

● 100% of students will create a common application account (students will show their accounts)

● 80% of students will know the difference between a public/private college, associate/bachelor’s degree and HBCU/PWI (school counselor will give a posttest)

Homework:

● Students will add at least five colleges to their dashboard ● Students will complete an application for one of the colleges on their dashboard ● Students will use college websites to find a list of student support services for at least two of

their colleges on their dashboard

Follow-up:

● The school counselor will meet with each student to go over their responses to the college application they completed through the Common Application Form

● The school counselor will provide resources for each student to use when writing college applications

Lesson Five

Title of Lesson: Take It From Us: The African American Male Professional Prospective Grade Level: 10 Time: 50 minutes

Learning Objectives:

● Students will engage in conversations with African American male professionals about navi- gating high school, college, careers, and life

144 E. M. HINES ET AL.

Materials:

● None

Developmental Learning Activities:

● Introduction ○ The school counselor will give a summary of everything that has been addressed in the

group ○ The school counselor will ask students if they have any questions from any of the

activities they completed during the group ○ The school counselor will introduce the guest speakers to the students

● Activity ○ The school counselor will facilitate a panel comprised African American male profes-

sionals and ask the following questions: ▪ How did you decide on your major/career? ▪ If you changed your major after going to college, how many times ▪ Tell us about your career ▪ Tell us about your high school experience as an African American male ▪ Tell us about your college experience as an African American male ▪ Who are/were your mentors/role models ▪ When you needed help in high school or college, how did you access this support ▪ What were your study habits and time management skills in high school and college? ▪ What would you tell your younger self about the path to a successful career and life?

● Conclusion ○ The school counselor will allow students to ask the panelists questions ○ The school counselor will thank the panelists for participating ○ The school counselor will provide students with a group evaluation for feedback

Assessment/Evaluation:

● Students will be able to list two strengths that will help them succeed in high school and college and list two areas of improvement

Homework:

● Students will complete group evaluation and return to the school counseling office

Follow-up:

● The school counselor will develop an African American professional male speakers series, which should include community stakeholders

● The school counselor will meet with each student individually to summarize their experience within the group and to develop a continuation plan for the college application process

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