Winslow High School – ECAP Exemplar School
The 4th oldest high school in Arizona, Winslow High School has been helping students graduate for over 100 years! Winslow High School’s ECAP success is backed up by impressive data that has caught the attention of education professionals around the state. A border town/school to the Navajo Nation, over 100 students live in a BIA residential hall.
Want to learn more? Visit Winslow High School’s website or use the contact info below!
- ECAP counselor lessons 2x/semester
- Senior Capstone project
- Core Curriculum ECAP lessons
- Tiered ECAP implementation
Tiered Implementation
Using the concept of differentiated instruction, we structure our ECAPs to meet the needs of all students. A two-day universal lesson is taught to each grade level. The counselors teach additional lessons geared toward a variety of postsecondary plans and provide enrichment for accelerated students. In addition, we provide extra support for students who are still exploring their postsecondary options. Some students need additional support in completing their ECAPs, and in these cases, counselors meet with students one-on-one.
- ALL STUDENTS: Counselor-led ECAP lessons
- ABSENT STUDENTS: Small group ECAP lessons
- SMALL GROUP: Targeted ECAP enrichment/intervention lessons
- AT-RISK: One-on-one counselor ECAP meetings
Senior Capstone Project
The Senior Capstone Project is one of Winslow’s most successful practices. The Capstone Project is a requirement to pass economics. It gives seniors an opportunity to complete college and career readiness activities and allows them to “fill in the blanks” on any components that may be missing from their ECAPs. The Capstone Project is embedded into the economics curriculum and is addressed by many of the core curriculum lessons that by the same counselors. This project works in conjunction with other counseling department events such as Scholarship and Financial Aid Night, FAFSA Night, College Application Campaign, College Next Steps, and College Signing Day. By giving students grades for event preparation worksheets, we ensure that all our students meet necessary postsecondary steps.
Students are responsible for creating a binder that contains documents that support their individual planning process for their next steps after high school. These documents include, but are not limited to:
- Resume
- Three personal references
- One letter of recommendation
- Budgeting packet
- Worksheets for grants/loans/scholarships, career information, preparing for college, etc.
Students can receive extra credit for job shadowing or visiting a college campus and filling out a reflection form. See the Senior Capstone Project Checklist in the “Documents” section above for more information.
| 2009 | 2015 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rate | 71.00% | 83.16% | 90.40% |
| Drop-out Rate | 7.00% | 3.07% | 6.43% |
Carly Saunders, School Counselor
- (928) 288-8282
- [email protected]
“Winslow High School counselors meet with all students two times each semester during high school to work on their Education and Career Action Plans. Counselors meet with these students in groups usually between 12 and 25 in number and always meet in a computer lab. Counselors use a variety of core curriculum lessons and the Naviance College and Career Platform as tools to ensure students have a well-developed ECAP.”
Achieving the level of success that Winslow celebrates with ECAP was a process that took time and commitment. First, counselors advocated for administrative buy-in to their principal and school board. Then, counselors worked closely with teachers using surveys and focus group to develop a schedule that met all stakeholders’ needs. Then, counselors developed lesson plans using the American School Counseling Association and the National Career Development Association competencies.
Family engagement is very important at WHS. Parents have 24/7 access to the PowerSchool Parent Portal where they can review their child’s academic progress. Parents can also attend a Scholarship/Financial Aid Night presentation and a FAFSA night that allows parents to use the computer lab and receive help from financial aid experts.
Winslow High School also works with their feeder middle school on creating four year plans for graduation requirements, career goals, and postsecondary goals. These students and their parents attend Bulldog Day, a new student information day.
Renell Heister, School Counselor
