Board to get update from high school principals on June 12
Guidance
Focus Goal: Provide more specific description and analysis of guidance
models and consider suggested enhancements.
Outcome: Report to the Board in early spring, sharing the
findings from the independent report and recommended next
step:
Activity:
1a) Contract with an independent, third party agency to assess
the guidance models at both high schools, considering
recommendations and potential enhancements
1b) Plan for the implementation of any needed adjustments to
ensure quality guidance experiences for all PAUSD students
Guidance Role
Each high school’s guidance program helps students in several areas:
- Academic
- Social/Emotional
- Post-high school career and college counseling (mostly in junior and senior year)
Two Different Models – Paly’s and Gunn’s
Generally:
Gunn employs the traditional guidance counselor model widely used in high schools across the US.
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Gunn employs six full-time Guidance Counselors.
Most students are assigned to the same Guidance Counselor all four years.
Meetings:
 Students are required to meet with their counselor individually once a year in Grades 10-12
(in Titan 101 freshmen meet with teachers advisors 11-12 times a year instead) and are
invited to meet with their counselor as needed throughout the school day. All students
also meet with counselors in large groups at least twice a year.
 Parents meet with counselors in large groups at least once a year and are invited to meet
with their child’s counselor individually as needed.
Students with pressing needs are referred by their counselor to the School Psychologist and
Adolescent Counseling Services.
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
Gunn students also can consult with Gunn’s College and Career Information Specialist.
Of note:
 Gunn’s Guidance Counselors have 78 years of professional counseling experience combined
 Each holds a Masters Degree in Counseling (2 years of post-college study) and has
completed the additional training and met all of the requirements for the State of
California’s Pupil Services Credential in School Counseling.
 One carries a Certificate in College Counseling.
 Gunn counselors actively engage in continuing education, meet with college admissions
officers and meet as a group to share ideas and talk about issues.
Paly uses the teacher-advisor model.
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Students have two different Teacher-Advisors during their four high school years. There are 46 Paly
teachers who also work as Teacher-Advisors, 9 of whom are devoted to students in Special
Education.
Meetings (mandatory, but there is no “real” penalty for missing advisory):
 Students meet with their Teacher-Advisors in groups (of 30-35 students freshman year and
~24 students during Grades 10-12) for 35 minutes once every 2.5 weeks (average). They
also can meet one-on-one as needed outside of normal teaching hours.
 Teacher-advisors do not hold sessions for parents but parents are invited to email their
child’s Teacher-Advisor as needed.
Students with pressing needs are referred by their Teacher-Advisor to the Guidance Counselor
assigned to their graduating class; these counselors hold a Masters Degree in Counseling and a Pupil
Services Credential in School Counseling. Students can also be referred to the School Psychologist
or Adolescent Counseling Services.
Juniors and seniors have access to two full time College Counselors and one part-time Career
Counselor.
Of note:
 Teacher-Advisors are trained by Paly’s guidance counselors to teach curriculum created by
those counselors. Paly’s Teacher-Advisors are credentialed to teach in California and may
hold advanced degrees in their field of teaching. They are not required to have degrees or
be credentialed in guidance or college counseling.
 One of Paly’s College Counselors carries a Certificate in College Counseling and meets with
college admissions officers.
(See box below for more details about the two programs.)
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Gunn’s Model
Under the traditional guidance model, widely used by high schools in the US, at Gunn:

.

Most students have the same dedicated guidance counselor (6 counselors: 1800ish students) who
assist with all of the student’s basic school needs for all four years. A few students will change
counselors, between freshman and sophomore year typically.
Each counselor meets with:
 Students:
 Individually: once a year in Grades 10-12 (freshmen meet in Titan 101 11-12 times
a year with teacher advisors) (required) and, as described in the Gunn Student
Handbook, as needed throughout the school day by appointment or drop in and by
email.
In groups by class: at least twice a year

Parents:
 Individually: as needed by appointment or drop in and by email
 In groups: at least once a year and when invited to Class PTA Parent Network
meetings
Each Gunn counselor:
 Works full time counseling and is available throughout the school day.
 Does not have other responsibilities on campus.
 Holds a Masters Degree in Counseling (2 years of post-college study) and a Pupil Services
Credential in School Counseling from the State of California authorizing the counselor to
provide guidance services in our state.
 California law generally requires that school counselors be credentialed. CA
Education Code Section 49600.
 This credential authorizes the holder to develop a program and provide school
guidance and counseling services on academics, career, personal and social
development , provide school-wide prevention and intervention strategies and
counseling services, and consult with parents about the same (CA Education Code
Section 44266, 5 CCR 80049.1(a)(1))
 Actively researches and keeps current on topics relevant to specialized populations in their
caseload (i.e., English Language Learners, hearing impaired, physically impaired, and
students with learning differences).
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One Guidance Counselor also has a Certificate in Colleges Counseling (an additional 1.5 years of
studies).
One full-time counselor, who carries a lighter student load, is dedicated to assisting
underrepresented minorities on college pathways.
Total years of Gunn staff’s professional counseling experience combined: 78 years in a variety of
different education and counseling domains (13 years each on average)
As mentioned in the Gunn Student Handbook, students can consult with their or any other counselor
when and as needed.
To keep current, Gunn’s counselors attend continuing education sessions designed for credentialed
counselors, attend conferences, meet privately with college admissions officers and report to the
entire guidance staff when they return.

Freshmen, in addition to having access to their counselor as needed, meet once a month in small groups
with their teacher-advisor (Titan 101) during Tuesday tutorial.

Because all students are required to meet with their counselors, all students are assisted and advised on a
wide variety of topics including:
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Career and college advice starting in sophomore year.
504/individual education plans for students who have limitations that affect their
education (counselors also advocate for advisees in meetings and before teachers)
Class selection including one-stop changes to students’ schedules as needed
(including balance of rigor in classes and meeting UC’s a-g requirements)
Areas special to students’ special needs
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
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Social emotional support
Write letters of recommendation for jobs, summer programs and college
In addition, Gunn students have access to:

A College and Career Information Specialist
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A Work Experience Coordinator – part time shared with Paly

The School Psychologist

Adolescence Counseling Services (outside provider which consults with students on and off campus)
Total cost = $1.213 million in staffing and other costs (2010-11) (not including the cost of the Titan 101
program introduced in 2011-12).
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Paly’s Model
Under the Teacher-Advisor model, not widely used in US high schools, at Paly:
Teacher Advisors

All students are assigned a Teacher-Advisor (TA) for freshman year and one different advisor for Grades
10 through 12.

TAs teach curriculum created for them by Paly’s Guidance Counselors and help students with academic,
career and college preparation, write letters of recommendation for jobs, summer programs and college
and refer students with special needs to other Paly staff.

Freshman:
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Number of TAs: 16 for ~450 (1:30-35)
Meets with students:
 In groups (mandatory, but there is no “real” penalty for missing advisory):
 30 group sessions for 35 minutes each
 Group size: 30-35 students
 Individually: by appointment outside normal teaching hours and by email (allow up
to 48 hours to respond)
Meets with parents:
 In groups: back to school night only
 Individually: by email and in person depending on the teacher
Teacher advisors receive extra pay for this work.
Syllabus: http://www.paly.net/guidance/9th%20Adv.%20Cal.%2011_12drftB.pdf
Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors:
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Number of TAs: 21 (each serve 70 advisees/ 1:70).
 7 Math teachers, 6 English teachers, 3 Science teachers, 3 Social Studies teachers,
1 PE teacher and 1 World Language teacher
Meets with students:
 In groups (mandatory, but there is no “real” penalty for missing advisory):
 Group size:
o 10th grade -- 22 students
o 11th grade – 24 students
o 12th grade – 25 students
 Group sessions are 35 minutes each
 Frequency:
o Grades 10 and 11 – meet 12 times/year
o Grade 12 – meets 8 times/year plus
o Two sessions for all 3 grades combined
 Individually: by appointment outside normal teaching hours and by email (allow up
to 48 hours to respond)
Meets with parents:
 In groups: back to school night only
 Individually: by email and in person depending on the teacher
TA receive extra pay for this work too.
Syllabus: http://www.paly.net/guidance/10_12%20adv.%20cal.%2011_12drftC.pdf

Special Education: 9 TAs

Teacher advisors work full time teaching, but those who have three advisee groups teach one less class
and can use that free time for advisory.

Teacher-advisors are trained by Paly’s guidance counselors.
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
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While California law generally requires that school counselors be credentialed, anyone can
advise students in a school-board approved advisory program if supervised by a credential
school counselor. CA Education Code Section 49600.
Teacher-advisors are not required to have a masters degree in counseling or be
credentialed by the state to provide counseling services.
Paly has a full-time employee who coordinates the teacher-advisor program and a guidance counselor
who assists with this job.
Guidance Counselors

Each of the four grades has a dedicated Guidance Counselor (1: ~450):
 Meets with students and parents: individually only on an as-needed basis, many by referral
from the teacher-advisor
 Works full time, but half split their work between guidance counseling duties and covering
for Teacher-Advisors on leave or who no longer work at Paly.
 Has a Masters Degree in Counseling (2 years of post-college study) and holds a Pupil
Services Credential in School Counseling from the State of California authorizing the
counselor to provide guidance services in our state.
 This credential authorizes the holder to develop a program and provide school
guidance and counseling services on academics, career, personal and social
development , provide school-wide prevention and intervention strategies and
counseling services, and consult with parents about the same. It also authorizes
them to supervise an advisory program. (CA Education Code Section 44266, 5 CCR
80049.1(a)(1))

Paly’s Guidance Counselors:
 Provide social emotional support to students with the greatest needs.
 One Guidance Counselor works on all students’ 504/individual education plans and
advocates for them in meetings and before teachers.
Career and College Counselors
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Juniors and seniors can consult with two 3/4 time on site College Counselors (1: ~600), one of whom
holds a Certificate in College Counseling. The remaining 25% of their time is spent on administering
Paly’s $120,000 scholarship program.
There is also one part time Career Advisor (1:~900) who works with students as needed by appointment
or drop in.
Paly students are not required to meet with Paly’s Career and College Counselors. Those who do
typically first meet with them in the middle of their junior year. It is reported that all Paly students will
have had at least one direct, individual contact with a Paly career and college staff member by the end of
first semester of their senior year.
General
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Class changes are a multi-step process at Paly involving signed permissions that students must
obtain from their Teacher-Advisor, Guidance Counselor and, for juniors and seniors, the College and
Career Advisors.

In addition, students have access to:

A Work Experience Coordinator – part time shared with Gunn

The School Psychologist

Adolescence Counseling Services (outside provider who consults with students on and off
campus)
Total cost = $1.523 million in staffing and other costs (2010-11).
(see page 75 for graphic representation of how Paly’s system works:
http://pausd.org/community/ResearchEvaluation/downloads/201203_PAUSD_Guidance_Counseling_Review_
Appendix.pdf
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Professional Consultant’s Report
PAUSD engaged professional consultant Kelun Zhang to study our two high schools’ guidance programs. (Ms.
Zhang, previously a consultant at The Boston Consulting Group, holds a masters degree in education and business
from Stanford.)
Findings and Recommendations
Demographics
Demographic data shows both Palo Alto high schools have comparable student bodies and outcomes (graduation
rates, “a-g” completion rates, API/STAR, AP and SAT scores). Differences noted: more students at Gunn (i) are
English Language Learners (8% compared to Paly’s 3%), and (ii) take AP classes (39% compared to Paly’s 32%).
Consultant
On March 27, 2012 Ms. Zhang presented the board with her report, based on her investigation and review of
student survey responses, about the two models.
Specific to Gunn, Ms. Zhang reported (summarized below, for full report see link at the end of this paper):
Overall
Gunn counselor’s full‐spectrum of services means that Guidance Counselors at Gunn have the potential to
get to know the history of a student over four years and can develop a holistic understanding of that
student’s needs and interests across academics, post‐secondary plans, and social‐emotional needs.
Survey data and focus groups indicated among other things that:



Gunn counselors are widely regarded as very hardworking and dedicated to student wellbeing.
“[S]tudents who are very proactive about seeking help from adults or who are clearly struggling
[whether with academic and learning related challenges, health issues and/or social emotional
challenges] are being served well and responsively.”
The Guidance Counselor‐student relationship grows from 9th through 12th grade.
Each member of the Guidance team brings some specialization and background in different fields,
including college admissions, psychiatric nursing, Special Education, support for minority students and
communities, ROP, and middle school transition, among others. Collaboration allows the team to bring
these areas of specialization to serve all students.
The College Pathway Project, a Guidance‐lead program at Gunn, provides mentorship and counseling to
support students who are first generation college‐bound. Students, particularly seniors within the
program, give very positive feedback for this program and for the Guidance Counselor who leads the
program. No other peer high schools is known to have a comparable program that provides similar levels
of comprehensive academic, mentorship and social supports.
Academic advising
Overall student outcomes and student surveys show that Gunn students feel well prepared and well
informed about academic plans.
Social‐emotional support
Students think of Counselors as Academic advisors more than personal advisors so most students do not
think of their Guidance Counselor as sources of support for personal issues. Some students do not feel
known by their Counselor, have limited interactions with him/her and so have limited opportunity to build
trust.
That said, students indicated that tutorial period is an effective forum for students to access adults for
support and to build relationships with other adults on campus. Students also show strong awareness of
other channels of social‐emotional support on campus, including Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS)
and the School Psychologist.
Post‐secondary and career advising
A majority of students see Guidance Counselors as a valuable resource, and even experts, in the college
selection and application process.
Recommendations on how best to address areas of weakness are mentioned throughout Ms. Zhang’s report.
None of the recommendations include Gunn moving to a different guidance delivery model.
Students
Generally, students’ survey results showed the following (selected, see survey links below for full results):
1.
The “climates” at both Palo Alto high schools are almost identical (feeling of belonging, having a close
and trusting relationship with at least one adult at school). At BOTH schools:
Feeling that the high school is welcoming (9th grade)
o Yes: 72%
o No: 6%
Feeling that the student belongs to/is a part of the high school community (all grades)
o
o
Yes: 65/64%
No: 10/11%
Close relationships with adults. These results are similarly low at both schools.
a.
Report having a close, trusting relationship with at least one adult on campus.
o Yes: 49/50%
o No: 21/20%
[Note: 25% of Paly students reported they had no adults at Paly whom they could go to if
faced with a personal challenge. (This question was not asked at Gunn.)]
b.
9th graders: Adult on campus who cares about me
i. Yes:
1. 52% Gunn
2. 59% Paly
ii. No:
1. 12% Gunn
2. 10% Paly
c.
By 12th grade, guidance counselor (Gunn) or TA (Paly) has gotten to know them well
i. Yes:
1.
2.
59% Gunn
53% Paly
1.
2.
18% Gunn
17% Paly
ii. No:
Student cooperativeness and competitiveness responses were similar (72%/73% and 53/56% Gunn/Paly,
respectively).
[Note: Students who took the October 2010 Developmental Assets survey gave Gunn higher ratings than
Paly students did on “caring school climate” (41% compared to 37%). In that survey a caring school
climate referred to teachers, students and encouragement at school.]
2.
Academic: Students at both schools report high levels of satisfaction when asked if they felt wellprepared to graduate, but more Gunn students reported feeling that way than Paly students did :
i. 84% Gunn
ii. 74% Paly
3.
Social Emotional:
a.
At both sites students report low levels of satisfaction (less than half of the students) on feeling
comfortable going to the counselors/advisors with personal issues, but more Paly students
reported feeling comfortable doing so than Gunn students did:
i. 31% Gunn
ii. 42% Paly GC/TA
b.
Students at both schools report similarly high levels of satisfaction when asked if that person was
able to help (see note below about the way the questions was phrased for Paly):.
i. Helped:
1. 73% Gunn (“help”)
2. 79% Paly TA (“helped or referred me” to someone else)
3. 82% Paly GC (“helped or referred me” to someone else)
ii. Did not help:
1. 11% Gunn (“help”)
2. 11% Paly TA (“helped or referred me” to someone else)
3. 14% Paly GC (“helped or referred me” to someone else)
(Note: This question was not asked in the same way at both sites and so it cannot be determined
how many Paly students ‘ TAs/GCs were able to help them v. refer them on to others. Also, only
204 out of 1,457 Paly students answered this question (TA).)
Gunn: 166 out of 1,621 who took the survey replied had a personal issue for their counselor.
Paly: 205 out of 1,457 did for their TA and 188 did for their counselor.)
4.
College Counseling:
a.
More student satisfaction at Gunn By 12th grade more Gunn students reported satisfaction with
the valuable input their counselor/TA provided during college application process
1. 67% Gunn
2. 50% Paly college and career advisor
b.
More student satisfaction at Paly. More Paly students reported feeling well-informed about the
college application process
1. 55% Gunn
2. 64% Paly
[ Note: 28% of Paly students indicated that they did not go to their TA or Paly college counselors
for help with choosing or applying to colleges so how well informed a student is is not necessarily
related to the high school’s counseling program.]
5.
Overall Services (Gunn and Paly):
a.
Students in both schools’ guidance programs reported somewhat similar satisfaction (<10 point
spread) on many measures , for example:
i. Know their Counselor (Gunn)/TA or Counselor (Paly)
1. 91% Gunn
2. 99% Paly TA
3. 66% Paly GC
ii. Counselor/TA making time for them when they need help
1. 68% Gunn
2. 74% Paly TA
3. 72% Paly GC
b.
More student satisfaction at Gunn: By 12th grade, Gunn students were more satisfied overall
with their guidance counselors serving as valuable resources than Paly’s seniors were with their
counselors and TAs:
i. 72% Gunn
ii. 57% Paly TA
iii. 65% Paly GC
c.
6.
More student satisfaction at Paly: Paly students were more satisfied than Gunn students with
their guidance system on many other questions such as:
i. Counselor/TA is easy to talk to:
a. 63% Gunn
b. 77% Paly TA
c. 73% Paly GC
ii. Counselor/TA knows me well:
a. 45% Gunn
b. 61% Paly TA
c. 52% Paly GC
iii. Counselor/TA is an important resource:
a. 49% Gunn
b. 63% Paly TA
c. 66% Paly GC
iv. Satisfied with the level of support:
a. 33% Gunn
b. 72% Paly TA
c. 65% Paly GC
v. Get enough time with their counselor/TA to plan academic and career goals:
a. 48% Gunn
b. 66% Paly TA
c. 65% Paly GC
Paly only questions specific to their model:
a. TAs (not available at Gunn):
i. General
1. Is advisory a valuable use of your time?
a. Yes: 33%
b. No: 37%
2. Satisfied with the level of support from TAs?
a. Yes: 72%
b. No: 10%
ii. Academics:
1. Satisfied with TA support they got when they felt academically challenged
a. Yes: 62%
b. No: 27%
iii. Personal Issues:
1. Comfortable going to their TA about personal issues that they were struggling
with
a. Yes: 41%
b. No: 32%
iv. Process.
1. Satisfied with the TA selection process
a. Yes: 50%
b. No: 19%
2. Thought that the TA was a good fit
a. Yes: 54%
b. No: 14%
[Note: Only 851 of the 1,457 Paly students who took the survey answered these questions.]
b.
Guidance Counselors:
i. General.
1. The Guidance Counselor knows me/understands my goals
a. Yes: 52%
b. No: 20%
2. The Guidance Counselor is an important resource for me
a. Yes: 66%
b. No: 14%
ii. Personal Issues.
1. Felt comfortable going to their guidance counselor about personal issues that
they were struggling with
a. Yes: 42%
b. No: 21%
2. Satisfied with the help they got from the guidance counselor on personal issues
a. Yes: 55%
b. No: 13%
[Note: Paly guidance counselors play a different role at Gunn than at Paly, which may explain
why only 614 of 1,457 answered question (i). 188 out of 1,457reported that they sought out the
services of their guidance counselor for personal issues (question (ii).]
PAUSD’s conclusion from student comments was that students at both schools wanted more time with their
counselors/advisors:
• Paly’s guidance program:
– Develop more personal relationships with students,
– Provide more college and career advisement, as well as 4‐year planning and associated
resources, and
– Offer more one‐on‐one time
• Gunn’s guidance program:
– Develop more personal relationships with students
– Offer students more meeting time, and
– Increase accessibility.
PAUSD: Next Steps
On May 22, the school district announced its plans to (i) forward information that it gathered to our high schools
to help them improve their guidance efforts, and (ii) provide them support needed to do that.
While improvements at both high schools were discussed, the main focus was on Gunn which had lower student
survey satisfaction ratings in some key areas than Paly did.
Superintendent Skelly, stating that the sites and board would ultimately be the ones who decide what changes to
implement, noted that changing a school’s guidance model is “not a trivial change” and is “a large upset to the
system.” He encouraged the board to give Gunn time to evaluate its current system and determine ways to
improve it; the “Gunn community deserves a chance to think about these things.”
Board members discussed this matter and agreed to the following:

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
The decision of how to improve guidance will be left to the sites after their thoughtful, deliberate
and in-depth analysis.
While a few board members urged our high schools to make some minor improvements for the
2012-13 year, the sites will also spend that school year to study guidance services and come up with
recommendations for improvements that have that site’s staff and parent buy-in.
No specific guidance model will be forced on either site.
Two of the four board members expressed a hope that they’d have the others’ support to direct
additional resources to the sites to help with this, stating that it is not about loading more on the
staff we currently have or about giving something up to gain something else.
On June 12th staff from both high schools will report next steps to the board on how they will go about
determining the enhancements and adjustments to guidance to ensure quality experiences for all PAUSD students
(which will include data review, tradeoffs and next steps).
Observations/Clarifications

The school board’s focus is on ensuring that students at each high school get sufficient and
comparable “touch points;” these can occur through contacts with counselors, teacher advisors,
other teachers (via relationships developed in tutorials, or in school clubs for example) and coaches.
It has also expressed interest in students at both sites having comparable access to guidance
information and services.

The school board has NOT taken any action on this issue nor has it directed either site to change
their guidance models. Rather, it has directed that:
 Each site study their guidance program during the 2012-13 school year with an eye toward
improving them.
 A committee of site staff and parents be convened to approve that work.

Gunn Principal Katya Villalobos and Superintendent Skelly recently sent a letter to the Gunn
community ( via Infinite Campus) which stated, among other things:

The Board has asked Gunn's leadership group to attend a June board meeting with
recommendations for further assessment and potential enhancements to Gunn's guidance
services. In preparation, Gunn administrators, counselors and teachers have formed a
workgroup and are meeting and discussing this topic. The group is developing a process for
the next school year to review and enhance guidance services, which will include
participation and input from our students, staff, and parents.

We will continue to provide students with strong support as they transition to high school,
encounter social-emotional issues, navigate graduation requirements and tackle the college
application process.


While local media coverage has led to a concern among some community members that a
specific guidance model will be forced upon the Gunn community to the detriment of the
level of expertise around college advising, as well as the funding available for course
offerings and class size, please be assured that this is not the case. All future changes will be
carefully considered, taking into account best practices in guidance curriculum and delivery
that aligns with our students' needs and our school, culture and community.
The Gunn Oracle reports that a committee (Gunn Guidance Review Workgroup) of teachers,
counselors, administrators, and classified staff, co-facilitated by History teacher and coach Brian
Tuomy , has been formed which is creating the basics of a plan to present to the school board on
June 12th.
The three major focus areas will be freshman transition (revamping Titan 101) and getting additional
help with college applications and social and emotional support. Additional work may be done on
communication.
“Major changes and new models will not be implemented until Gunn undergoes a process that
includes collecting the opinions of staff, students and parents” and determines what will work best
for Gunn students, the Oracle reports.
The committee expects that its final report will be out March 2013.

Gunn advisor Challenge Success’ Dr. Denise Clark Pope acknowledged on May 16 th that there is not
much research on what is the best advisory model, pointing instead to research which supports that
students benefit when feeling connected and cared for (“touch” cases).
She does not recommend the wholesale importation of one school’s guidance model to another
school (“when you thrust any model on a school it is not going to work as well,” “you can’t
implement something effectively by just snapping your fingers”).
She said that to make those changes work:



“You got to have voices of teachers, and students, and counselors, and administrators
working together who understand the purpose of advisory and are really excited about
putting together a program.”
There also needs to be money to pay for the staffing, ongoing professional training,
resources and assessment tools, ideally developed by outside advisors hired by the school,
noting that it takes time to recruit and train advisors.
Without more money, cost may be a factor.
Both schools receive the same funding but have the autonomy to decide how to allocate their funds
in a way that best serves their community. Paly’s guidance model costs $300,000 more than Gunn’s
(without factoring in Titan 101). While Paly spends more money on guidance than Gunn does,
Gunn spends more money elsewhere (for example, to have smaller class sizes and more courses
offerings that students can enroll).
With the extended economic slowdown and increased costs due to climbing enrollment, PAUSD’s
per student income has not been robust . Depending on the outcome of two initiatives on the state
ballot this November, PAUSD may have to spend $7 million from its $12 million reserves this 201213 school year to avoid mid-year cuts and, starting in 2013-14, cut spending by ~$4-$5 million each
year for 3 years which it expects to negatively impact programs at our schools. What path PAUSD
will take won’t be known until after the November election.
No new money to augment counseling services at either campus has been identified other than a
one-time increase of $257,000 in PiE donations earmarked for each of our high schools. In the past,
PiE money has been used for college & career counseling (additional staff time), student guidance,
and popular Gunn electives.

Many of Paly’s TAs use a teaching period to prep for advisory so teach fewer classes. Every 5/6 TA
periods used for prep instead of teaching requires that an additional full-time teacher be hired.

Ms. Zhang did not report a connection between guidance models and student suicide clusters on
either campus.
More Information
For more about this see the following:
March 27, 2012:
Kelun Zhang’s Guidance Counselor Program Review Report:
http://pausd.org/community/ResearchEvaluation/downloads/201203_PAUSD_Guidance_Counse
ling_Report.pdf
Report’s Power Point:
http://pausd.org/community/board/downloads/mt_mat/PAUSD_High_School_Guidance_Review
.pdf
Appendix:
http://pausd.org/community/ResearchEvaluation/downloads/201203_PAUSD_Guidance_Counse
ling_Review_Appendix.pdf
PAUSD Board Packet:
http://pausd.org/community/board/downloads/brd_packet/032712_packet.pdf (at
page 57)
Video of Discussion at Board Meeting:
http://www.midpenmedia.org/watch/pausd_webcast/March/PAUSD_032712.html (Item B)
May 22, 2012:
PAUSD Analysis of Sampling of Student Survey Results (written responses – Paly (720) and Gunn
(970)): http://pausd.org/community/board/downloads/mt_mat/Guidance-CounselingModel_052112.pdf
and http://pausd.org/community/board/downloads/brd_packet/052212_packet.pdf (at page
186)
PAUSD Board Packet:
http://pausd.org/community/board/downloads/brd_packet/052212_packet.pdf (at
page 186)
Video of Discussion at Board Meeting:
http://www.midpenmedia.org/watch/pausd_webcast/May/PAUSD_052212.html (Item D)
June 12, 2012:
PAUSD Board Packet (including Gunn and Paly staff’s proposed next steps):
http://pausd.org/community/board/downloads/brd_packet/061212_packet.pdf (at page 32)