Implementing a Comprehensive School Counseling Program

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Implementing a Comprehensive School Counseling
Program

• A link to the current educational reform movement
  emphasizing achievement and success

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Comprehensive School Counseling
Gary L. Spear, Ed.S Consultant - School
Counseling Programs WI Department of Public
Instruction P.O. Box 7841 Madison, WI
53707-7841 ph 608-266-2820 fax
608-266-3643 gary.spear_at_dpi.state.wi.us http//www
.dpi.wisconsin.gov/sspw/counsl1.html
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Changes in School Counseling

• Vocational/Career
• Mental Health
• Individualized Services
• Comprehensive Developmental
• Position
• Program
• Results-based
• Training versus Expectations

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Current Trends In School Counseling

• ASCAs National Standards and Model
• American School Counselor Association
• Transforming School Counseling Initiative
• Education Trust DeWitt Wallace
• Standard e
• WDGM update and revision
• State Models for School Counseling
• Results-based School Counseling

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From Entitlement To Performance

• At-risk emphasis
• Crisis driven
• On call approach
• Measures amount of effort
• Attends to process of doing work
• Focus on good intentions
• Works to maintain the existing system
• Talks about how hard they work
• Owned by the counseling staff

• Provides to ALL students
• Curriculum driven
• Calendared time
• Measures impact related to goals
• Attends to goals, objectives and outcomes
• Focus on accomplishments
• Changes and adapts to be responsive
• Talks about effectiveness
• Community owned and supported

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Rationale for a Comprehensive School Counseling
Program

• A comprehensive school counseling program is an
  integral component of the schools academic
  mission. Comprehensive school counseling
  programs, driven by student data and based on
  standards in academic, career and personal/social
  development, promote and enhance the learning
  process for all students.  ensures equity and
  access to a rigorous education for all
  students  identifies the knowledge and skills
  all students will acquire as a result of the
  K-12 comprehensive school counseling
  program  is delivered to all students in a
  systematic fashion  is based on data-driven
  decision making  is provided by a
  state-credentialed school counselor

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School Counseling and ESEA/NCLB

• Attendance / Truancy
• Alternative programs
• Character Education
• Conflict Resolution
• Counseling
• Drop Out Retention
• Parent Involvement
• Classroom Management
• Pupil Services Personnel

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School Counseling Program Impact on Students

• Academic Support
• Study Skills
• Test Taking Strategies
• Test Anxiety
• Tutoring
• Listening Skills
• Homework Completion Skills
• Proper Course Placement

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School Counseling Program Impact on Students

• Personal/Social Support
• Character Education/Citizenship
• Bullying/Harassment Intervention
• Peer Mediation/Conflict Resolution
• Asset Development
• Positive School Climate
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Diversity Skills

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School Counseling Program Impact on Students

• Career
• Individual Learning Plan
• Program of Study replace 4 year plans
• Student, Parent, Counselor Educational Career
  Conference
• Increased sequence of Career/Technicaleducation
  courses
• Fewer undecidedsProvide purpose and
  direction for students

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How Counseling Programs Impact NCLB

• School counseling curriculum helps students learn
  study skills and personal management skills that
  improve academic achievement
• Students are assisted by the end of grade 8 in
  planning a program of study
• School counselors convey high expectations for
  educational achievement and help students meet
  them.

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How Counseling Programs Impact NCLB

• Students are encouraged to take challenging math,
  science and appropriate career-tech classes
• Parents are involved
• Students are provided information on
  postsecondary options
• Counseling Programs raise student achievement by
  personalizing education

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How Counseling Programs Impact NCLB

• As students understand themselves, explore the
  world around them and establish goals for their
  futures, they begin to see why an education is
  important. They no longer attend school simply to
  receive a diploma or avoid truancy. Instead,
  students understand the connection between
  success in school today and success in their
  careers tomorrow.

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ESEA/NCLB Outcomes related to a Comprehensive
School Counseling Program

• Increased student achievement K-12
• Increased attendance rates
• Increased collaboration between parents,
  community and school
• Increased enrollment in higher level courses and
  career classes
• Increased post-secondary school enrollments
• Decreased discipline problems, suspensions, and
  expulsions
• Decreased drop out rate

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Effectiveness of School Counseling Programs

• Academic Impact across Grades
• Elementary Sink Stroh 2003 schools with
  comprehensive school counseling programs produced
  higher achievement test scores
• Middle Lapan, Gysbers Petroski 2001
  schools with comprehensive school counseling
  programs have students earning higher grades
• High Nelson, Gardner Fox 1998 schools with
  comprehensive school counseling programs had
  higher ACT scores on every scale of the test.
• See http//dpi.wi.gov/sspw/pdf/effectivescr.pdf

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Benefits of a Comprehensive School Counseling
Program

• Students
• Promotes a rigorous academic curriculum for all
  students
• Prepares students for the challenges of the 21st
  century through academic, career, and enhanced
  personal/social development.
• Relates educational programs to future success.
• Facilitates career exploration and development.
• Develops decision-making and problem-solving
  skills.
• Provides strategies for closing the achievement
  gap.
• Assists in developing effective interpersonal
  relationship skills.
• Provides advocacy for students.
• Assures equitable access to educational
  opportunities.

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Benefits of a Comprehensive School Counseling
Program

• Parents
• Provides support for parents in advocating for
  their childs academic, career, and
  personal/social development.
• Develops a system for their childs long-range
  planning and learning.
• Increases opportunities for parent/school
  interaction.
• Enables parents to access school and community
  resources.
• Provides training and informational workshops

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Benefits of a Comprehensive School Counseling
Program

• School Counselors
• Provides direct services to all students.
• Ensures involvement in the academic mission of
  the school district.
• Enhances the role of school counselor as a
  student advocate.
• Provides a clearly defined role and function.
• Provides a tool for program management and
  accountability.
• Provides quality system support within the
  district.

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Benefits of a Comprehensive School Counseling
Program

• Teachers
• Provides an interdisciplinary team effort to
  address educational needs.
• Provides assistance to teachers in classroom
  management, teaching effectiveness, and affective
  education.
• Provides consultation to assist teachers in their
  guidance role.
• Promotes teaming to increase student achievement
• Increases collaboration between teachers and
  counselors

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Benefits of a Comprehensive School Counseling
Program

• Administrators
• Integrates school counseling with the academic
  mission of the school district.
• Provides program structure with specific content.
• Provides a program promoting student success
• Assists administration to use school counselors
  effectively to enhance learning and development
  of all students.
• Provides a means of evaluating school counseling
  programs.
• Monitors data for school improvement

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Benefits of a Comprehensive School Counseling
Program

• School Boards
• Provides rationale for implementing a
  comprehensive developmental counseling program in
  the school system.
• Assurance that a quality counseling program is
  available to all students.
• Supports appropriate credentialing and staffing.
• Provides a basis for determining funding
  allocations for counseling programs.
• Furnishes program information to the community.
• Gives ongoing information about student
  competencies attained through school counseling
  program efforts.
• Supports standards-based programming.

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Benefits of a Comprehensive School Counseling
Program

• Community
• Provides increased opportunity for collaboration
  among counselors and business, industry, and the
  community as a whole.
• Enhances the role of the counselor as a resource
  person.
• Increases opportunities for business, industry,
  and the community to participate actively in the
  total school program.
• Provides a potential work force with
  decision-making skills, pre-employment skills,
  and increased worker maturity.

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New Wisconsin Promise

• A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR EVERY CHILD
• Closing the achievement gap between economically
  disadvantaged students, students of color and
  their peers
• Providing effective pupil services, special
  education, and prevention programs to support
  learning and development for all students while
  preventing and reducing barriers to student
  success.

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The Answer For

• Who am I?
• Where have I been?
• Where am I going?
• What will I need to get there?
• How can I help myself?
• Who can help me and how?
• How can I change when change is required?