March 2026

It's ALL HERE: Attendee, Exhibitor, Presenter Registration, along with Accomodations. Just click the link above! You can access from our website too, but both links go to the Everything Conference- Conference Tracker page.

***If you are looking for ****membership only*** Use the same link above or below.

The 2026 ArSCA/DESE Conference Committee is excited about the plans for the upcoming conference, “Be The Spark!” We are currently accepting registration for attendees, presentation proposals and vendor/sponsor registrations. With two dynamic guest and keynote speakers and many varied break out session presentations, we believe this conference will be one to renew our spark and motivate attendees to grow in knowledge and skills and to be renewed in our commitment to helping our students, their parents, and our communities.

Planned presentation topics include:

Write Your Own Story or Someone Else Will - Protecting Your Mental Health as a School Counselor

Submitted by Karon Parrish

ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors: Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

Submitted by Angela Jones

Academic Signing Day--Let's Get Started!

Submitted by Liz Porter

Trauma Resource Initiative for Schools: Trainings, Resources and Supports for Schools to Prepare and Respond to Traumatic Events

Submitted by Emily Robbins

Preparing for Your ARTRS Retirement

Submitted by Mary Hughes

Learning Readiness Unlocked: A Multi-Disciplinary Framework for Student Success

Submitted by Amanda Matthews

Human Rights: Sparking Conversation to Ensure All Students Shine

Submitted by Angela Millard

Trauma Informed Teaching Practices

Submitted by Lea Myers

Victims' Rights , Resources, and Reporting

Submitted by Laura Abbott

D3/G3: Mentorship and Behavior Intervention That Works!

Submitted by Charles German

Farm Friends Make Teaching Life Lessons Easier

Submitted by Abigail Meredith

The Unspoken Intervention: How Connection Shifts Classroom Culture

Submitted by Jane Stewart

The Enrollment E- Introducing AR OneApp

Submitted by Alisha Lewis

NTAC Research Findings Related to (Options) Plotters and Attackers -or- Threat Assessment Teams and Bystander Reporting Systems -or- a case study

Submitted by Jeff Murray

The State of the State Scholarships

Submitted by Alisha Lewis

Take the Stress out of Next Year Planning with Tools from AR Schools

Submitted by Cecil Cossey

School Based Health and Wellness programs

Submitted by Lori Arnette

Train the Trainer - Resiliency for All

Submitted by Nicole Fairchild

Courses, Codes, and Catalogs: What Counselors Need to Know

Submitted by Sarah Goodwin

Calming the Nervous System: Simple Tools for School Counselors and the Students They Serve

Submitted by Joe & Amy Lee

More Than a Course: Partnering for Student Success

Submitted by Amy Fulmer

SBIRT with Adolescents: Tools and Strategies

Submitted by Caitlyn Johnson

Career and Technical Education: Durable Skills, Pathway Revisions, Success Ready Graduates

Submitted by Ross White

Early Career Experiences: The Starting Point for Success Ready Graduates

Submitted by Ross White

From Concern to Clarity: The School Counselor’s Role in Effective Behavioral Threat Assessment

Submitted by Bekah Coursey

Skilled Conversations- Introduction to Motivational Interviewing

Submitted by Andrea Fortner

Navigating Dual Credit: Best Practices for High School Counselors

Submitted by Kati Race

We are adding to this presentation list each day. The Conference Schedule and Agenda will be available in the Conference Tracker App as we get closer to the actual dates of the conference.

Please note that a change for this year’s conference will be that Monday, June 29th, lunch will be on your own. We will be allowing an hour and a half in the schedule to accommodate those who would like to leave the convention center for lunch. The convention center will be opening their concession stand during the break time for lunch purchases and we will also make available a list of options located within walking distance of the convention center. Our awards luncheon will be held on Tuesday, June 30th.

Remember to use the Everything 2026 Conference link to find details about registration, hotel information, and more.

We look forward to seeing you and your “spark” at this year’s conference!

In honor of Women’s History Month, it is fitting to reflect on some of the female leaders who have helped reshape the perception of our profession. For decades, popular media has often relied on a narrow, unflattering caricature of the "guidance counselor": a cheesy, ineffective, or overly simplistic figure dispensing generic, wrong, or even rude advice. These outdated portrayals undermine the actual depth of our work in supporting students’ academic, career, and social-emotional growth. A rare exception in fiction was Tami Taylor in the show Friday Night Lights. Tami showed people a school counselor who was compassionate yet assertive—a fierce advocate who balanced empathy with professional strength. She offered a refreshing counterpoint to the usual clichés, highlighting our true potential to be leaders. Off screen, the actress has continued the advocacy by speaking at the 2015 SCOY Awards Ceremony and has commented that school counselors have an “underrated, important, and difficult” job.

Pop-culture aside, we acknowledge the work of pioneers like Mary Whiton Calkins, the first female president of the APA, for laying the groundwork in child development and equity as well as modern figures such as Dr. Carolyn Stone, who has been a leading figure in shaping ethical standards for school counselors nationwide. The school counseling profession has grown into a diverse field where both men and women lead with distinction. We have evolved far beyond the historical roots of narrow vocational advising into a holistic, data-driven discipline complete with frameworks and standards.

Today, the day to day role of a school counselor is multifaceted. We serve as advocates for the underrepresented student populations, collaborators who bridge the gap between home, school, and community, and strategists who use data to close achievement gaps and improve school climate.

In an era where school counselors face increasing scrutiny regarding roles and resources, public relations is essential. Perceptions matter. If we don’t define (share) our role, others will define it for us based on those old, inaccurate scripts. By being visible and proactive, we combat misinformation, demonstrate our unique value, and secure the support necessary for our programs to thrive.

By sharing our stories and evidence-based results, we honor the trailblazers of the past who founded these movements and those currently in the trenches, while building a stronger future for the profession in Arkansas.

To move the needle on how our profession is perceived, we must be involved with our professional organization, we must grow professionally through workshops such as the ArSCA Summer Conference, and we must be intentional about how we present our work to stakeholders. Consider your program goals, who needs to know, and what method of communication is best. Here are some simple ways to promote your impact this year!

Shayne Thompson

ArSCA- North Central Region President

Harrison High School

Resource Links from Commissioner's Memos:

Accelerated Learning Guide

Accelerated Learning

2026-2027 Pathway Guide
2026-2027 CTE High-Demand and High-Wage (H2) Pathways
2026 CTE PD Catalog

FINAL_Preliminary_2026-2027_Testing_Calendar_084556.pdf

March family calendar from our President Elect Jane Stewart

Comprehensive School Counseling Program Requirements Each public school district shall provide a developmentally appropriate comprehensive school counseling program to aid students in academics, social/emotional needs, and career exploration and planning. The district Comprehensive School Counseling Plan, which is a reflection of the program, shall be posted on the district website under “State Required Information” no later than August 1 of each year. The requirements for the comprehensive school counseling program plan can be found in the Arkansas School Counselor Toolkit and in the Arkansas Comprehensive School Counseling Program Guide which are posted on the Arkansas Department of Education – Division of Elementary and Secondary Education - Guidance and School Counseling webpage. http://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/divisions/learning-services/guidance-and-school-counseling For specific accreditation requirements visit Standards for Accreditation

Per A.C.A. § 6-15-2911- Commissioner's Memo LS-24-042, the four major components of the Student Success Plan are:

• Guide the student along pathways to graduation

• Address accelerated learning opportunities

• Address academic deficits and interventions

• Include college and career planning components

Additionally, each student's Student Success Plan shall be reviewed annually and revised as necessary to identify the courses to be taken each year until all required core courses are completed. Upon completion of the review, the student's Student Success Plan shall be signed by the:

(a) Student;

(b) Student's parent, legal guardian, or person standing in loco parentis to the student; and

(c) School counselor.

2023 legistated changes(see pp 14-16)

Presentation on SSP from DESE Summit

Review the Success Ready Pathway Guide. This guide outlines what a success ready pathway looks like for all students in grades 9-12, however it is a useful tool for students in middle school who are initiating their Students Success Plans. The Success Ready Pathway Guide:

• Outlines each pathway course sequence.

• Identifies the merit and distinction demonstration for each pathway.

• **"Completion of a success-ready pathway leads to eligibility to earn State Distinction, by demonstrating readiness at the culmination of that pathway. Schools will have an opportunity to earn points in accountability for students graduating with merit or distinction.

• Provides additional information regarding merit and distinction opportunities for students.

This tool should be used to assist connecting Students Success Plans to student goals post graduation. Becoming a success ready graduate is a multi-year process that begins well before high school. As we continue to build career ready pathways and ensure all Arkansas graduates are success ready.

• All districts will transition to using the Launch for Students (LFS) platform to track student success plans (SSP) beginning the 2026-2027 school year. In order for a smooth transition to this platform, we ask that districts begin the following:

  • All LFS data is imported directly from eSchool.

  • For successful implementation, districts must:

• Ensure all student and staff emails are entered correctly - these control login access and communication

• Assign counselor and advisor roles accurately within eSchool so the correct users have SSP access
  Use the Counselor and Advisor Entry guidance document to complete the setup

  • Completing the above steps in advance ensures:

    • Accurate, real-time data flow

    • Reduced technical issues

    • A smooth statewide implementation

  • Additional information regarding timelines, training, and system functionality for LFS is forthcoming

ArSCA Member Counselors,

In order to be part of the ArSCA Listserv your ArSCA Membership needs to be current. If you have questions about your membership you can contact office@arschoolcounselor.org

If you have questions about the listserv please email technology@arschoolcounselor.org. Please see the link below if you need to make changes in your listserv subscription.

ArSCA Listserv Guidelines

Our counselor listserve address: https://groups.google.com/a/arschoolcounselor.org/g/arsca-listserv You won't see this group listed in your list of Google Groups (if you are a Google school).

This newsletter is sent out via the ArSCA Listserv and individually emailed to all Arkansas School Counselors. If you know of a counselor that did not receive the newsletter, please have them email us at technology@arschoolcounselor.org so we can make sure we have their infomation in order to receive our future communications.

TasselTIME is a comprehensive website designed by a former school counselor for school counselors. TasselTIME has been provided to Arkansas School Counselors for free for 23 years. TasselTIME is available to purchase for school use for the entire district. Many districts in Arkansas are using TasselTIME. Find out more by going to www.tasseltime.com

Sign-up for your free counselor membership here.

If your school is wanting to schedule professional development, please contact Dr. Robin Finley, robin@tasseltime.com, 479-461-9030.

Professional Development 2026 Catalog