Calendar
September and October- Anger Management and Conflict Resolution lessons for
all kindergarten, first and second grade classes
November and December- Conflict Resolution and Bullying lessons for all
third, fourth and fifth grade classes
January, February and March- lessons in the academic, personal/social and
career domains as determined by each classroom teacher in all grade levels
March- Health CBA to 5th graders
May/June- Human Growth and Development and HIV Prevention to 5th graders
The Role of the Professional School Counselor (from the American School
Counselor website)
The professional school counselor is a certified/licensed educator trained
in school counseling with unique qualifications and skills to address all
students’ academic, personal/social and career development needs.
Professional school counselors implement a comprehensive school counseling
program that promotes and enhances student achievement. Professional school
counselors are employed in elementary, middle/junior high and high schools
and in district supervisory, counselor education and post-secondary settings.
Their work is differentiated by attention to developmental stages of student
growth, including the needs, tasks and student interests related to those
stages.
Professional school counselors serve a vital role in maximizing student
achievement. Incorporating leadership, advocacy and collaboration,
professional school counselors promote equity and access to opportunities and
rigorous educational experiences for all students. Professional school
counselors support a safe learning environment and work to safeguard the
human rights of all members of the school community. Collaborating with other
stakeholders to promote student achievement, professional school counselors
address the needs of all students through prevention and intervention
programs that are a part of a comprehensive school counseling program. To
achieve maximum program effectiveness, the American School Counselor
Association recommends a counselor-to-student ratio of 1:250.
Professional school counselors have a master’s degree or higher in school
counseling or the substantial equivalent, meet the state
certification/licensure standards and abide by the laws of the states in
which they are employed. They uphold the ethical and professional standards
of professional counseling associations and promote the development of the
school counseling program based on the following areas of the ASCA National
Model: foundation, delivery, management and accountability.
Foundation
Professional school counselors identify personal beliefs and philosophies as
to how all students benefit from the school counseling program and act on
these beliefs and philosophies to guide the development, implementation and
evaluation of a comprehensive school counseling program. Professional school
counselors create a mission statement supporting the school’s mission and
collaborate with other individuals and organizations to promote all students’
academic, career and personal/social development.
Delivery
Professional school counselors provide services to students, parents, school
staff and the community in the following areas:
• School Guidance Curriculum – This curriculum consists of structured lessons
designed to help students achieve the desired competencies and to provide all
students with the knowledge and skills appropriate for their developmental
level. The school guidance curriculum is delivered throughout the school's
overall curriculum and is systematically presented by professional school
counselors in collaboration with other professional educators in K-12
classroom and group activities.
• Individual Student Planning – Professional school counselors coordinate
ongoing systemic activities designed to help students establish personal
goals and develop future plans.
• Responsive Services – Responsive services are preventative and/or
interventive activities meeting students’ immediate and future needs. These
needs can be necessitated by events and conditions in students’ lives and may
require any of the following:
o individual or group counseling
o consultation with parents, teachers and other educators
o referrals to other school support services or community resources
o peer helping
o information
Professional school counselors develop confidential relationships with
students to help them resolve or cope with problems and developmental
concerns.
• System Support – System support consists of management activities
establishing, maintaining and enhancing the total school counseling program.
These activities include professional development, consultation,
collaboration, program management and operations. Professional school
counselors are committed to continual personal and professional development
and are proactively involved in professional organizations promoting school
counseling at the local, state and national levels.
Management
Professional school counselors incorporate organizational processes and tools
that are concrete, clearly delineated and reflective of the school’s needs.
Tools and processes include:
• Agreements developed with and approved by administrators at the beginning
of the school year addressing how the school counseling program is organized
and what goals will be accomplished
• Advisory councils made up of students, parents, teachers, counselors
administrators and community members to review school counseling program
results and to make recommendations
• Use of student data to affect systemic change within the school system so
every student receives the benefit of the school counseling program
• Action plans for prevention and intervention services defining the desired
student competencies and achievement results
• Allotment of 80 percent of the professional school counselor's time in
direct service with students
• Use of master and weekly calendars to keep students, parents, teachers and
administrators informed and to encourage active participation in the school
counseling program
Accountability
To demonstrate the effectiveness of the school counseling program in
measurable terms, professional school counselors report on immediate,
intermediate and long-range results showing how students are different as a
result of the school counseling program. Professional school counselors use
data to show the impact of the school counseling program on school
improvement and student achievement. Professional school counselors conduct
school counseling program audits to guide future action and improve future
results for all students. The performance of the professional school
counselor is evaluated on basic standards of practice expected of
professional school counselors implementing a school counseling program.
Summary
Professional school counselors are certified/licensed professionals with a
masters’ degree or higher in school counseling or the substantial equivalent
and are uniquely qualified to address the developmental needs of all
students. Professional school counselors deliver a comprehensive school
counseling program encouraging all students’ academic, career and
personal/social development and helping all students in maximizing student
achievement.
