Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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administrators, counselors, faculty and staff, parents, and community members (Dollarhide &
Saginak, 2012). There should be a chairperson and terms of membership (ASCA, 2012).
Mission Statement
The schools mission statement is basically what the school stands for, believes, and
strives. Alvord Independent School District Mission Statement is the following:
It is the purpose and mission of the Alvord ISD to provide a safe environment and
a sound educational program for all students allowing them to develop to their full
potential intellectually, physically, and socially in order to be responsible citizens
and contributing members of society. Inherent within this purpose and mission is
the belief that all students can learn and that the school, the home, and the
community can make a difference in the lives of its students(AISD).
The schools mission statement allows future enrolled students, or current students to know
exactly what the school expects and strives from year to year.
My Mission Statement
The professional school counselor believes all students have the
capability to succeed academically, socially, and have an equal opportunity
to choose a proper career or college path. By creating a safe and supportive
atmosphere, all students, no matter culture, race, and nationality are
accepted and feel respected, supported, and valued. The professional school
counselor follows all state and federal mandates in order to implement
competencies and strategies. The twenty-first century professional school
wears many hats to meet academic, social, and post secondary needs of all
students.
Importance of the Counseling Program Mission Statement
The importance of the counseling program mission statement is aligning with the schools
mission statement and shows linkage to district and state department of educations mission
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statement (ASCA,2012).The mission statement holds the counseling department to written
statement that the department must adhere and follow. It is a focus for the department and allows
the district to know that they stand for and expect. The Counseling Mission Statement should
align with the school and show linkage between the school, students, family, and community
(ASCA, 2012).
Importance of Personal Mission Statement
The personal mission statement is important by stating what you as a counselor stand for
in your beliefs, standards, and diversity. The Personal Mission Statement also holds the
counselor to his/her goals, plans, and ideas of diverse, effective counseling (ASCA, 2012). It
allows the counselor to see if he/she aligns with the school district.
ASCA Standards (2012) that comply with the aforementioned:
1-B Abilities and Skills
An effective school counselor is able to accomplish measurable objectives demonstrating the
following abilities and skills.
I-B-1a: Creates a vision statement examining the professional and personal competencies and
qualities a school counselor should possess
I-B-1d: Describes, defines, and identifies the qualities of an effective school counseling program
I-B-1e: Describes the benefits of a comprehensive school counseling program for all stakeholders,
including students, parents, teachers, administrators, school boards, department of
education, school counselors, counselor educators, community stakeholders, and business
leaders
II. Foundations School counselors should possess the knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes
necessary to establish the foundations of a school counseling program aligning with the ASCA
National Model
II-A. Knowledge: school counselors should articulate and demonstrate an understanding
of:
II-A-1
Beliefs and philosophy of the school counseling program that align with current
school improvement and student success initiatives at the school, district, and
state level.
II-B. Abilities and Skills: An effective counselor is able to accomplish measurable objectives
demonstrating the following abilities and skills.
II-B-1a
Examines personal, district, and state beliefs, assumptions, and philosophies about
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II-B-1b
II-B-1c
II-B-2a
II-B-2b
II-B-2c
IV. Management School counselors should possess the knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes
necessary to manage a school counseling program aligning with the ASCA National Model
IV-B-2. Attitudes and Skills Establishes and convenes an advisory council for the
comprehensive school counseling program
IV-B-2a
Uses leadership skills to facilitate vision and positive change for the
comprehensive school counseling program
IV-B-2b
Determines appropriate education stakeholders who should be represented on
the advisory council
IV-B-2c
Develops meeting agendas
IV-B-2d
Reviews school data, the school counseling program audit, and school
counseling program goals with the council
IV-B-2e
Records meeting notes and distributes as appropriate
IV-B-2f
Analyzes and incorporates feedback from the advisory council related to
school counseling program goals as appropriate
Part II: Understanding the Importance of CDGP Components
Needs Assessment
Schools need an evaluation of the campus/district to see what is working and what needs
improvement. A Needs Assessment is important early in a counseling program because it helps
inform the counselors of what interventions are needed such as small groups, presentational
workshops, classroom guidance lessons, school wide initiatives and programs, and professional
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development initiatives (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). By assessing the needs of the campus, the
counselor can make a better goal and plan for the dynamic of the campus.
Alvord High School is one of three campuses in the district in Alvord Independent School
District. The district has approximately 705 students with 218 in the high school. Alvord High
School offers many research-based programs such as Dual Credit, AP and Honor courses, Credit
Recovery, Career Fair, College Fair, and STAAR remediation with the students that were not
successful on the state standardized tests.
Alvord High School is predominantly a middle class European American families. The
race and ethnicity is the following: 1% African American, 15% Hispanic, and 84% Caucasian
with a 51% male and 49% female. AHS assists 5 English Language Learners, 25 students in
Gifted and Talented programs, 10 students qualify for Special Education and 33 students are
served under the 504 umbrella.
The staff population is 99% Caucasian, and 35% male and 65% female with an average
of five years of experience. The staff is a 100% highly qualified.
Four Instruments or Methods of Assessment
a. Standardized tests: In the State of Texas, the STAAR relays information regarding the
student ability of grade level work.
b. Observations: These can be made formally or informally. Most generally the counselor
will do a lot of informal observations due to watching and knowing the student
population
c. Online Surveys: In this technological world, the students may be more inclined to share
information online instead of face to face. An example, survey concerning the drug and
alcohol use amongst high school kids.
d. Interviews: This will aid the counselor in knowing just what exactly is going on with the
student.
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Guidance Curriculum
a. Individual Planning: Individual planning can occur with one student or a small group if
there is a common dominator (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012).
b. Responsive Services meets the immediate needs of the students (Dollarhide & Saginak,
2012).
c. System Support comprises of management activities that support the guidance program
through professional development, research and development, staff and community
(Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012).
d. Management System is basically just record keeping (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012).
Responsive Services
a. Meet immediate needs and concerns of students (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012).
b. Consultation is working with stakeholders (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012).
c. Personal Counseling is meeting the needs of individual or small group (Dollarhide &
Saginak, 2012).
d. Crisis Counseling is counseling a student that may have had death of a parent, friend. It
can also be a coming out process, or the student could be going through a divorce with
his/her parents (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012).
Individual Planning
a. Classroom Guidance Lessons can be dealing with test anxiety
b. Large Group Activities can be red ribbon presentation
c. Structured Small Group can be a grief-counseling group if there has been a death in the
student population.
d. Counseling based lessons online can be dating violence or rape.
Program Support
a. Professional Development teaching the stakeholders how to deal with students that are
going through dating violence, test anxiety, etc.
b. Staff and Community Relations can be local pregnancy center
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c. Consultation means collaborating with other stakeholders on current issues effecting the
school
d. Research and Development implies that the counselor will conduct research o use
effective research based techniques
The following ASCA (2012) competencies comply with the aforementioned:
I. School Counseling Programs-school counselors should possess the knowledge, abilities,
skills, and attitudes necessary to plan, organize, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive,
developmental, results based school counseling program that aligns with ASCA National Model
I-B Abilities and Skills An effective school counselor is able to accomplish measurable
objectives demonstrating the following abilities and skills
I-B-1g.
Uses technology effectively and efficiently to plan, organize, implement, and
evaluate the comprehensive school counseling program
I-B-1h.
Demonstrates multicultural, ethical, and professional competencies in planning,
organizing, implementing, and evaluating the comprehensive school counseling
program
I-B-4 Collaborates with parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and other
stakeholders to promote and support student success
I-B-4a.
Defines collaboration and its role in comprehensive school counseling programs
I-B-4b.
Identifies and applies models of collaboration for effective use in a school
counseling program and understands the similarities and differences between
consultation, collaboration, and counseling, and coordination strategies
III. Delivery School counselors should possess the knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes
necessary to deliver a school-counseling program aligning with the ASCA National Model.
III-A. Knowledge school counselors should articulate and demonstrate an understanding of:
III-A-1
The concept of guidance curriculum
III-A-2
Counseling theories and techniques that work in school, such as solution focused
brief counseling, reality therapy, and cognitive- behavioral therapy
III-A-3
Counseling theories and techniques in different settings, such as individual
planning, group counseling, and classroom guidance
III-A-4
Classroom Management
III-A-5
Principles of career planning and college admissions, including financial aid and
athletic ability
III-A-6
Principles of working with various student populations based on ethnic and racial
background, English-language proficiency, special needs, religion, gender, and
income
III-A-7
Responsive Services
III-A-8
Crisis counseling, including grief and bereavement
III-B Abilities and Skills An effective school counselor is able to accomplish measurable
objectives demonstrating the following abilities and skills
III-B-1 Implements the school guidance curriculum
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III-B-1a
III-B-1b
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Your first goal has been started for you. Complete points a-d for this goal.
1. Goal I: To create and maintain a learning environment that recognizes and supports a
diverse population
a) Action Plan
1. Increase enrollment in AP/Dual/ and Honors courses by 5%
2. Increase performance rates on Standardized Tests
3. Increase student enrollment in post secondary education by 6%
b) Program indicators
subpopulations
Student suspensions and expulsions will decrease significantly each year.
Students will engage in appropriate behavior and social skills resulting in
c) Student competencies
1. Students will be able to contribute positive behaviors that lead to successful learning
2. Students will be able to prove how positive behaviors affect learning
d) Program evaluation
1. Measurement instrument(s) for assessment
a) Dual Credit, AP, enrollment numbers
b) Benchmarks/STAAR test
c) FASFA aid
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2. Baseline, follow-up information and evaluation plan
a) Decreased number of students enrolling in AP/Dual Credit and Honors classes
b) Lower scores on the STAAR
The ASCA National Model (2012) support the aforementioned standards:
V. Accountability School counselors should possess the knowledge, abilities, skills, and
attitudes necessary to monitor and evaluate the processes and results of a school-counseling
program with the ASCA National Model.
V-A. Knowledge School counselors should articulate and demonstrate an understanding of:
V-A-1
Basic concept of results-based school counseling and accountability issues
V-A-2
Basic research and statistical concepts to read and conduct research
V-A-3
Use of data to evaluate program effectiveness and to determine program needs
V-A-4
Program audits and results reports
V-B-1. Abilities and Skills An effective school counselor is able to accomplish measurable
objectives demonstrating the following abilities and skills
V-B-2. Understands and advocates for appropriate school counselor
V-B-3. conducts a program audit
V-B-3a
Complete a program audit to compare current school counseling program
implementation with the ASCA National Model
V-B-3b
Shares the results of the program audit with administrators, the advisory council,
and other appropriate stakeholders
V-B-3c
Identifies areas for improvement for the school counseling program
Part IV: Goal Setting
Goal II: Students will navigate toward reaching post secondary plans that supports a diverse
population.
a) Action Plan
1. Increase enrollment in AP/Dual/ and Honors courses by 5%
2. Increase performance rates on Standardized Tests
3. Increase student enrollment in post secondary education by 6%
b) Program indicators
1. Low income and minority students will be encouraged to participate in GT or
advanced placement courses/programs.
2. There will be an increase in student achievement and test scores for
subpopulations
3. Student suspensions and expulsions will decrease significantly each year.
4. Students will engage in appropriate behavior and social skills resulting in
decreased discipline referrals.
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5. Multiple coordinated support systems will exist to ensure students academic,
social, emotional, and physical well-being.
c) Student competencies
1. Students will understand the importance of postsecondary plans
2. Students will understand that hard work enables success for postsecondary
d) Program evaluation
1. Measurement instrument(s) for assessment
a) ACT/SAT
b) Career Interest Survey
c) TSI
2. Baseline, follow-up information and evaluation plan
a) Decrease college or post secondary plans
b) Decrease career readiness
c) Decrease student achievement on TSI
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V-B-3c
parents, and administrators. This holds the counselor accountable for the programs and
assessments. Sharing results is comparable to having blood work done, for one must relay the
findings of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The data must be organized and presented in way that is easy for the stakeholders to
understand (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). One of the most critical journeys in the sharing is the
data the most accurate and clear path to the result (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). There is also a
proper chain of command when disseminating the information. The information must first be
shared with the principal such as program audits, reports, and other evaluation assessment
processes (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). The next step is the advisory committee. This can help
aid the counselor in how information needs to disseminated (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). The
counselor wants to be honest and forthcoming even if the results are not what he/she anticipated.
In service meetings is a great time to disseminate data from the previous year. The counselor
should also consider presenting the results to school board. The bottom line is the counselor
needs to be held accountable. Having the counselor programs visible and recognized across
groups and disciplines informs, promotes, and substantiates the counselor as an accountable
school counselor and a professional leader in the field (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012).
The ASCA National Model (2012) support the aforementioned standards:
V. Accountability School counselors should possess the knowledge, abilities, skills, and
attitudes necessary to monitor and evaluate the processes and results of a school counseling
program with the ASCA National Model.
V-B-. Abilities and Skills An effective school counselor is able to accomplish measurable
objectives demonstrating the following abilities and skills
V-B-3. conducts a program audit
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V-B-3a
V-B-3b
V-B-3c
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Reference
Alvord High School Mission Statement. Retrieved from www.alvordisd.net
American School Counselor Association (2012). The ASCA national model: A framework for
school counseling programs (3rd Ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.
Dollarhide, C.T. & Saginak, K.A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12
delivery systems in action. (2nd Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.