School counselors use a variety of tools to help students thrive. MPS school counselors have been turning to data to guide their methods, and the student success is real.

As Milwaukee Public Schools celebrates National School Counseling Week from February 2 through February 6, the district is proud to salute the MPS schools and school counselors who recently earned the prestigious statewide Program of Promise award.

The winning school counseling programs all used data to determine how to boost achievement among their students, with positive results.

Only 12 schools statewide won the award this year, and one-fourth of them are from Milwaukee Public Schools: Milwaukee School of Languages, Ronald W. Reagan College Preparatory High School, and South Division High School.

The Program of Promise award is shared by 13 MPS school counselors working at the three schools.

Read on to see the measurable impact that these winning MPS school counselors have had:

Milwaukee School of Languages

A group of 8th-grade female students were not meeting core academic requirements and had experienced school suspensions. School counselors at Milwaukee School of Languages identified the barriers that affected the students and took action.

Looking at data, the school counseling team saw a need for targeted support to strengthen students’ academic and social-emotional skill development. The school counselors put in place research-based, small-group intervention focused on goal setting, following directions, effective communication, stress management, and self-regulation.

With support from the school counseling program, participating students reduced suspensions by 22%. Based on the positive outcomes, the school counselors will continue offering this intervention to expand access to skill-building supports and to improve student success.

The school counselors at Milwaukee School of Languages are:

• Nelly Anderson
• Amy O’Neil
• Dulce Rosas Bucio
• Veronique Scanlan

Reagan College Preparatory High School

The Reagan High School counseling program had a specific group of 9th-grade students for their targeted academic intervention: first-generation, college-bound students focused on strengthening time management, organization, study skills, and self-advocacy.

Through small-group support, participating students eliminated failing grades entirely — yes, a 100% reduction in failing grades by the end of the school year.

The school counselors at Reagan High School are:

• Dan Buschmann
• Sarah Dubey
• Lauren Eierman
• Kon Knueppel
• Sarah Moore

South Division High School

At South Division High School, the counseling program focused on closing opportunity gaps for students who were not passing coursework to meet the Academic and Career Planning Graduation Requirement (ACPGR).

ACPGR is a credit-bearing graduation requirement designed to build college and career readiness. It guides students through assessments, goal setting, and exploration of schools, careers, and majors to develop a plan for postsecondary paths.

First, the school counselors found that 80% of students receiving a failure notice reported needing additional support. Then, school counselors put in place multiple tiers of intervention.

Counselors provided classroom lessons, met individually with students, offered optional “Lunch Bunch” groups, and hosted after-school ACPGR support sessions with community partners.

Counselors also made written and video step-by-step guides for students’ diverse learning styles.

As a result, students demonstrated increased self-motivation and clarity in completing ACPGR tasks. Overall, ACPGR failures decreased by 69%.

The school counselors at South Division High School are:

• Ana Celia Báez
• Zachary Stella
• Isaac Davis III
• La Niseia Cunningham

Milwaukee Public Schools’ continuing commitment to providing counseling and other student supports is bolstered in significant part by the 2020 and 2024 referenda. The referenda approved by voters enabled the district to hire and retain additional counselors and other staff and improve support ratios from 1:175 students before 2020 to 1:145 in the current school year.

Small Number of Schools in State Chosen

The Program of Promise award is given annually by the Wisconsin School Counselor Association (WSCA) to a select number of school counseling programs. The award is the highest recognition that the WSCA gives to data-driven, comprehensive school counseling programs.

The counseling programs meet or exceed the requirements in the Wisconsin School Counselor Accountability Report (WSCPAR), which they submit.

The peer-reviewed report shows the school counseling program's impact on students' academic, social-emotional, and career development.

“All students benefit from school counseling programs that focus on supporting student academic achievement, school attendance, and behavioral growth,” said Stacy Eslick, the WSCA executive director. “Completing and submitting a WSCPAR shows a commitment to advancing, creating, and maintaining a comprehensive data-driven school counseling program.”

This year’s winners will be recognized during the WSCA National School Counseling Week breakfast on Friday, February 6.

The next submission deadline for the Program of Promise award is November 23, 2026.