Pre-Conference Sessions

The following Pre-Conference Sessions were offered Sunday, November 3, 2019, from 3-6 pm.

Building Trades Registered Apprenticeships Tour

Presented by: Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council

During our session, ISCA participants will tour two different Registered Apprentice Training Centers.  Transportation will be provided by the Iowa Building and Construction Trades Council and affiliated Councils and Apprenticeship Programs.   An introduction of what is a Registered Apprenticeship will start the session. At each site, participants will tour the facility while being guided by current Apprentices.  Participants will hear first hand, in detail, how the entry/application process works, while current Apprentices share their experiences, both in the classroom and on job sites.  ISCA Participants will discover the curriculum Apprentices in the Trades are being taught, and learn more about the wage, benefits and career options Apprentices in Registered Apprenticeships have.  We hope to have as much question and answer time as possible during the tours and will follow up with an informal discussion.  We will also offer light food and beverages to our session attendees.

School-based play therapy: Helping students' academic, social, and emotional success

Presented by: Kristin Meany-Walen

Kristin will share information about the basics of play therapy; the unique features of school-based play therapy research that moved play therapy to an evidenced-based treatment;  studies that support play therapy at improving behavior, social skills, on-task classroom behaviors, academic functioning, reading scores, teachers' work satisfaction, and more! Kristin will discuss the effects of play therapy on children as they move through intermediate and high schools. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in expressive and interactive activities. Kristin will provide video examples of play therapy with children. There will also be information on how to get more training and support to integrate play therapy in schools.

All In for All Students - Delivering Your School Counseling Program Using MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support)

Presented by: Dave Ford, Director - AEA PREP (Post-secondary Readiness & Equity Partnership) and Terri Tchorzynski (former ASCA School Counselor of the Year

MTSS has become officially embedded in Iowa schools with the first year of federal accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  While ASCA has a position paper on School Counselors and MTSS, only recently has the profession had access to frameworks that support MTSS for school counseling programs. Learn how to manage and deliver a tiered approach in your counseling program and how to assess program outcomes. During this pre-conference session, attendees will align their school counseling program with MTSS and explore screening/assessment and tiered interventions for student success! A Multi-Tiered, MULTI-DOMAIN System of Support (MTMDSS) aligns to the work of the school counselor in all three domains – academic, college and career, and social/emotional – to provide core instruction and data-driven interventions to meet ALL students’ diverse needs.  Join us as we interactively explore how to apply this framework to the delivery component of ASCA-aligned, comprehensive school counseling programs to ensure that all students receive tiered interventions for student success!

Go All In! Ideas, Encouragement, and Resources for New Professional School Counselors and Graduate Students

Presented by: Susan Schirmer, Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant - Heartland AEA

School counselors can’t do it alone. Come to learn about resources and supports for you as a new counselor! What do you need to know about the role of the school counselor TODAY in Iowa so that you can Step into the Future of School Counseling! This session is especially for new counselors (1-5 years) and graduate students. It will offer resources, materials, and personal support!