Press Release

(Las Vegas, NV) Today, The Education Trust and MetLife Foundation announced the formation of the EdTrust/MetLife Foundation National Center for Transforming School Counseling. This new Center will make certain school counselors across the country are trained and ready to help ALL groups of students reach high academic standards. The formation of this Center comes at a critical time as states, districts, and schools are raising standards and implementing accountability systems.

The EdTrust/MetLife Foundation National Center for Transforming School Counseling will place practicing school counselors at the heart of the new mission of schools – to educate all students to high levels – by preparing counselors to play a critical role in ensuring that all students are placed with highly-qualified teachers in a high-level curriculum.

Specifically, the EdTrust/MetLife Foundation National Center for Transforming School Counseling will work to:

  • Retrain current practitioners;
  • Continue to redesign counselor education programs;
  • Conduct research and evaluation on best practices in counselor education;
  • Advocate for policies at national and state levels that ensure all students receive high-quality education/key roles for school counselors in the process;
  • Coordinate with national and state counselor education associations to identify the levers in education legislation that could be activated to increase the effectiveness of school counselors.

“For the first time in history, schools are being held accountable for the achievement of all groups of students,” said Kati Haycock, Director of The Education Trust upon announcing the new Center. “School counselors are ideally positioned to serve as advocates for students and create opportunities for all students to reach these new high academic goals.”

“School counselors have been left out of the school reform debate for too long. We are excited to support the work of the new EdTrust/MetLife Foundation National Center for Transforming School Counseling as a groundbreaking force in education reform,” said Sibyl Jacobson, President of MetLife Foundation.

“The research couldn’t be more clear, compelling and consistent. Students need highly-qualified teachers and a high-level curriculum to be successful in the world of work and postsecondary education,” said Stephanie Robinson, Principal Partner with The Education Trust. “School counselors are in a unique position to make sure that all students have access to these resources.”

According to Reese House, Director of the new EdTrust/MetLife Foundation National Center for Transforming School Counseling, “This new Center will arm practicing school counselors with the data and knowledge to raise achievement of all students and close the gap between groups once and for all.”

The University of Nevada and the Clark County School district have worked collectively with The Education Trust to transform school counseling in Las Vegas and welcome the opportunity to be a part of the EdTrust/MetLife Foundation National Center for Transforming School Counseling. Jane Kadoich, of Clark County School District Guidance Services stated, “We look forward to the additional training, the access to data and information, the network of contacts, and the coordination with national and state guidance models which will be provided by the this new Center. These efforts will benefit our counselors, our students, and our community.”

The Education Trust works for the high academic achievement of all students at all levels, kindergarten through college, and forever closing the achievement gaps that separate low-income students and students of color from other youth. Our basic tenet is this—All children will learn at high levels when they are taught to high levels. For more information, visit our web site: www.edtrust.org.