Year to year, post-secondary advising evolves as the unique needs of students continue to change. Recognizing the need to have comprehensive, equity-focused advising training, the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) partnered with education experts to create a Culturally Responsive-Sustaining College Advising (CRSCA) Framework. This framework was used to create new and innovative professional development sessions, with the goal of preparing advisers from
AdviseMI and Michigan State University College Advising Corps to better serve students.
For the 2022-23 school year, Michigan ranked 2nd for the highest student-to-counselor ratio at 598:1, over double the
recommended ratio of 250:1. Unfortunately, larger than recommended caseloads are not exclusive to Michigan, as all but two states and two US territories fall at or above the threshold. With an above average caseload, one can imagine
that the ability of counselors to engage in substantial postsecondary outreach is challenging. The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) supports that high school seniors who engage with a school counselor are more likely to complete a FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and enroll in a post-secondary program. With understaffed and often overworked school counselors, college advisers play a significant role in supporting
postsecondary advising efforts in many states, including Michigan. By updating and therefore elevating the training and readiness of college advisers in the state, a greater impact on students and families can be made.
Enhancing the Wheel
For the past 10 years, MCAN has created and shared high-quality training content with AmeriCorps college advisers across the state. To revamp and create an effective training framework, MCAN teamed up with leading experts in education.
MCAN engaged with Dr. Joanne Marciano, Assistant Professor of English Education and Dr. Vaughn Watson, Associate Professor of Secondary English Education, both in Michigan State University’s College of Education’s Department of Teacher Education. In this
collaborative effort, Dr. Marciano and Dr. Watson created the CRSCA framework. This builds upon the Framework for Culturally Responsive-Sustaining (CR-S) education, which emphasizes the use of student-centered approaches to design learning environments that value and uplift culture and diversity and their contributions to positive student outcomes.
Using the CRSCA Framework, a revised professional development curriculum, consisting of six overarching goals for college advisers was developed. These goals include:
Demonstrating and enacting the framework for CRSCA.
Examining and understanding how advisers varied identities and the identities of the students they work with influence their college-going process.
Contextualizing advisers’ school communities’ college-going culture and the role of the college adviser in contributing to that culture.
Demonstrating understanding of college-going processes, including how and where to access resources, and how to document students’ engagement in these processes.
Learning appropriate pedagogical techniques for interacting with all students, particularly students of color, first-generation college applicants, and/or students with limited access to economic resources. This includes families/caregivers.
Developing and sustaining relationships with colleagues across multiple contexts (e.g. fellow advisers, program staff, school-based educators, partners at the local and state level) similarly committed to generating more equitable college access for
all students.
The established goals and framework led to the co-creation of 29 equity-focused trainings. One training focused primarily on culture and examining how culture impacts the work that advisers do. This included both small and large-group activities and discussions,
with the goal of, “examining and understanding how advisers’ identities and the identities of students that they work with influence their college-going process,” through critical self-reflection.
With each set of trainings, MCAN worked to create a robust session toolkit that included comprehensive facilitation guides and slide decks that could easily be used by staff regardless their level of knowledge and comfort with the content. This approach
ensures that the training remains sustainable despite potential transitions in staff.
Lessons Learned
Since successful implementation of the training at MCAN’s 2024 College Adviser Institute, MCAN’s Director of Service Strategy, Jenny McArdle, offers advice for organizations that may want to develop and implement an equity-based training program.
Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle: Aligning Training Curriculum with Clear Goals and Objectives
First things first, begin with the goals and objectives of the adviser training. If your organization has a wealth of training resources that already exists, take time to evaluate past materials against desired outcomes. Some resources that may have been
initially valued may ultimately be reused, revised, or eliminated, but maintaining the commitment and willingness to adapt based on newfound goals is important.
Leverage Critical Reflection and Cultural Strengths
Drawing from existing educational research and resources that support educators in critically examining their perspectives and identities is key. This process allows educators, and now college advisers, to leverage students’ dynamic identities and culture
as strengths to support and foster their college readiness and access. This research further requires organizations to engage in their own critical reflections, examine their goals, purpose, and the theoretical or conceptual framework guiding their
efforts.
Flexible Learning for Effective Training
Even with a robust training curriculum, addressing every aspect of training at once can be challenging. It is important to design a curriculum that builds knowledge progressively through sessions while remaining flexible enough to adapt to unexpected
changes that may arise.
By leveraging educational partnerships and taking the initiative to reevaluate current tools and strategies for college advising training, MCAN has successfully developed and implemented a new and innovative training curriculum for college advisers across
the state. As students and family’s needs continue to shape postsecondary advising efforts and strategies, states and organizations are encouraged to prioritize equity-based trainings that empower advisers to address systemic barriers to college access
and develop a college-going culture that supports all students.
The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) would like to thank Jenny McArdle for sharing information about MCAN’s robust college adviser training program.
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