November 2025

Refueled, Recharged, and Reimagined in Jonesboro!

More than 100 Arkansas school counselors gathered in Jonesboro on June 12 for a day designed to refresh minds and recharge hearts. The energy was high from the start as Jessica Jefferson (Marion School District) and Shavon Lowe (West Memphis School District) inspired everyone to Refuel. Recharge. Reimagine. — a perfect theme for summer growth and self-care.

Next, Dr. Carl Mangum from the University of Mississippi Medical Center led a thoughtful session on Does Loneliness Affect Your Students?, helping counselors recognize the growing need for connection and belonging in today’s schools. Lindsey Ledgerwood from DESE followed with important state updates, keeping everyone informed and ready for the year ahead.

The day wrapped up with an engaging, three-hour Adventure Therapy workshop led by Dr. David Christian from the University of Arkansas, where counselors explored how outdoor and experiential activities can help students build confidence, teamwork, and resilience.

By the end of the day, participants left Jonesboro feeling refueled, recharged, and reimagining new ways to support Arkansas students — and maybe even a little sun-kissed from all the good energy in the room!

We’re fortunate to have so many outstanding counselors across the NE region, and this month I would like to shine a special spotlight on our Counselors of the Year. Their dedication and excellence set a remarkable example for us all, and we couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments.

The Northwest Arkansas School Counselor Association (NWArSCA) Fall Conference was held on October 31 at The Peak Innovation Center in Fort Smith, bringing together a community of dedicated school counselors, educators, and partners who are passionate about making a difference in students’ lives. We were proud to honor Dr. Missy Hixson with the Spirit of Rodney Ford Award in recognition of her exceptional leadership and unwavering support of our profession across the region. Her work truly reflects the spirit, dedication, and heart that Rodney Ford exemplified. The day was filled with powerful presentations and inspiring discussions. We extend our gratitude to our incredible presenters who challenged and encouraged us with new ideas and fresh perspectives:

Casey Krisell & Ellie Ware – School Counselors

Diana Gonzales Worthen – Arkansas State Representative

Ian McCready – selfctrl

Dr. David Christian – Associate Professor, University of Arkansas Counseling Department

Veronica Luna & Kerri Bradford – U.S. Marshals Museum

Congratulations to all of our award and prize winners—your passion and commitment to students shine brightly every day.

A huge thank-you to our generous sponsors — Springwoods Behavioral Health, Vantage Behavioral Health, and Valley Behavioral Health — for helping make this event such a success. We also extend special thanks to The Peak Innovation Center in Fort Smith for allowing us to use their state-of-the-art facility, which provided the perfect setting for connection, collaboration, and inspiration.

It was truly a day of learning, laughter, and leadership—a room full of Difference Makers! We’re so proud to be part of such an amazing community of school counselors who continue to cultivate hope and create meaningful change for students across our region.

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 2024 and each following year thereafter. 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.

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).

We will be removing any email accounts that are not current members of ArSCA, starting in October.

If you need to renew your ArSCA Membership, the form is linked below. If you have renewed your membership and need to change your ArSCA Listserv access, please provide the changes here: ArSCA Listserv Subscription/Email Change

NWArSCA President Karon Parrish attended the National Alternative Education Association (NAEA) Conference in New Orleans, October 5–8, where she presented her session, “Unlock the Power of Collaborating with Your School Counselor.” In her presentation, Karon shared data showing a significant increase in student graduation rates over the past three years and highlighted the positive impact of implementing a student intervention data system. Her message emphasized that collaboration with school counselors is most powerful when approached as a team effort, addressing the social, emotional, and academic needs of students together. By working collectively, educators and school counselors can leverage their expertise to be solution-focused and create environments where every student has the opportunity to thrive.

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 22 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.