The Changing Role of the Counselor

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The Changing Role of the Counselor

• Gisela Harkin
• Donna Vrbka
• June 16, 2009

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Perkins IV

• Authorizes states to use their leadership funds
  to improve their career guidance and academic
  counseling programs
• Calls on schools to provide students and their
  parents with occupational information
• Asks schools to provide academic and career
  planning

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State implementation

• Comprehensive standards-based guidance and
  counseling program
• Delivery components are
• Guidance curriculum
• Individual planning
• Responsive services
• Systems support
• Gysbers and Henderson (2000)

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Counselors Role

• Empowering counselors to deliver
• appropriate interventions
• quality career guidance, and
• current information and resources
• How do we accomplish these goals?

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Counselors Role

• Empower students with skills needed to
• Make successful transition from classroom to
  global workplace
• Make successful transition from job to job
  across their career life span
• Be productive, career-savvy citizens

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Guidance Program

• Strong guidance program that focuses on
• Holistic student development
• Student sense of personal advocacy
• Career plan
• Comprehensive standards-based guidance program

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Guidance Program

• Career awareness activities in elementary school
• Career exploration in middle school
• Career preparation in high school
• Studies in MO and UT revealed improved retention,
  academic achievement, test scores, social and
  interpersonal skills, confidence, competence,
  motivation (2007)

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Counselors role

• Successful Strategies
• Common vision
• Full implementation of comprehensive guidance
  programs
• Re-define counselors role and use of time
• Helping all students relate their education to
  their personal career plans and life goals
• Full range of activities, services, and learning
  opportunities

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Counselors role

• Successful Strategies
• Activities on a regular, planned and systematic
  basis
• Team approach
• Institutional support and leadership
• Effective counselor/student ratios
• Collaboration and partnerships
• Professional development

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Counselors role

• Policy Changes
• Utilize statewide, individual career and academic
  planning instrument for all students
• Transform role of counselor
• Develop system of data-driven accountability
• Implement ASCA models recommendations
• Work with universities counselor preparation
  programs

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Counselors role

• Policy Changes
• Implement early career awareness guidance
• Integrate parental involvement component
• Select, administer, and interpret multiple career
  assessments
• Provide all students access to career information
  delivery systems
• Collaborate with workforce partners

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Counselors role

• Policy Changes
• Develop grade-specific, standards-based career
  guidance lesson plans
• Utilize wide variety of resources
• Incorporate guidance staff in POS advisory
  committees
• Provide high quality professional development
• Accountability aligned with school improvement
  plans, school report cards

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• Not Business as Usual
• New Levels of Partnerships Required

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The Goal is to Provide

• A Career Education System based on the 16 Career
  Clusters

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Common Language
Different Perspectives Economic Career
Development P16 Curriculum
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Nebraska School Counseling
Nebraska Career Education
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www.nde.state.ne.us/cared/brochures
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Elementary Career Awareness
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Middle School Career Exploration
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High School Career Preparation Application
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Main elements of a Career Cluster PreK-20 Career
Development Program

• Curriculum
• Career Information
• Assessments (academic/career, interest, skill,
  work values, aptitude, etc.)
• Programs of Study
• Individual Student Planning (Personal Learning
  Plans)
• Parental Involvement

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Some examples of main elements aligned to 16
Career Clusters

• Curriculum- Middle School Exploration C4C
• Information- www.NebraskaCareerConnections
• Assessments-Results connect to clusters
• Programs of Study- Plans of study
• Extended Learning-School and Community Based
• Individual Student Plans-Personal Learning Plans
• Parental Involvement-at least once a year

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www.NebraskaCareerConnections.org
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Advantages to Students

• Education/Career Planning matches Curriculum
  Programs of Study offered.
• More consistent messages to students and parents.
  
• Improved student transitions. Quality programs
  of study require educators, school counselors and
  school systems at all levels to work together,
  along with real world employers and businesses.
• Rigor and relevance of curriculum for
  postsecondary and career readiness.

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Resources

• www.acrnetwork.org Americas Career Resource
  Network
• www.careerclusters.org Career Clusters
  Initiative
• www.nde.state.ne.us/cared Nebraska School
  Counseling
• www.college.gov U.S. Department of Education

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Contact Information

• Gisela.Harkin_at_ed.gov
• Donna.Vrbka_at_nebraska.gov or
• Donna.Vrbka_at_ed.gov