School counselors at Cloverleaf Local Schools have collaboratively envisioned a plan for our comprehensive school counseling program which is developmental, preventative and responsive, and in alignment with Cloverleaf Local School’s goals and mission.
Cloverleaf Local Schools
Comprehensive
School Counseling Program
Table of Contents:
Define, Manage, Deliver, Assess: ASCA Framework for School Counselors
Introduction
American School Counseling Association National Model
Ohio Standards for School Counselors
School Counseling at Cloverleaf Local Schools
Foundation
Vision Statement
Mission Statement
School Counseling Program Goals
ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success
Annual Agreement
Advisory Council
Calendars
School Counseling Core Curriculum Action Plan and Lesson Plans
School Counseling Core Curriculum Results Report
Small-Group Responsive Services
Closing-the-Gap Results Report (explain what it is)
Program Evaluation Reflection
Thank You
The School Counselor’s Role
School counselors design and deliver school counseling programs that improve student outcomes. They lead, advocate and collaborate to promote equity and access for all students by connecting their school counseling program to the school’s academic mission and school improvement plan. They uphold the ethical and professional standards of ASCA (American School Counselor Association) and promote the development of the school counseling program based on the following areas of the ASCA National Model: define, deliver, manage and assess.
DEFINE
American School Counselor Association Definition: Professional school counselors are certified/licensed educators with the minimum of a master’s degree in school counseling and are uniquely qualified to address the developmental needs of all students through a comprehensive school counseling program addressing the academic, career and personal/social development of all students.
School counselors create school counseling programs based on two sections and three sets of standards that define the profession. These standards help school counselors develop, implement and assess their school counseling program to improve student outcomes.
Student Standards
Professional Standards
MANAGE
To be delivered effectively, the school counseling program must be efficiently and effectively managed. School counselors use program focus and planning tools to guide the design and implementation of a school counseling program that gets results.
Program Focus
Vision Statement
Mission Statement
Program Planning
DELIVER
School counselors deliver developmentally appropriate activities and services directly to students or indirectly for students as a result of the school counselor’s interaction with others.
These activities and services help students develop the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success and improve their achievement, attendance and discipline. Through the school counseling program, school counselors ensure equitable academic, career and social/emotional development opportunities for all students.
Direct Services with Students
Direct services are in-person interactions between school counselors and students and include the following:
Instruction
Appraisal and Advisement
Counseling
Indirect Services for Students
Indirect services are provided on behalf of students as a result of the school counselors’ interactions with others including:
Consultation
Collaboration
Referrals
ASSESS
To achieve the best results for students, school counselors regularly assess their program to:
determine its effectiveness in helping all students succeed
inform improvements to their school counseling program design and delivery
show how students are different as a result of the school counseling program
School counselors also self–assess their own mindsets and behaviors to inform their professional development and annually participate in a school counselor performance appraisal with a qualified administrator. The ASCA National Model provides the following tools to guide assessment and appraisal.
Program Assessment
School Counselor Assessment and Appraisal
Introduction
Recognizing the value of school counseling, the Cloverleaf Local School District has agreed to adopt a comprehensive school counseling program. Cloverleaf Local Schools houses 6 full time school counselors and two prevention counselors. School Counselors (previously referred to as Guidance Counselors) support all students in grades K-12 with academic achievement, social and emotional development and career planning. Ohio School Counselors are licensed, having completed an approved master’s program and an extensive internship. They develop and implement comprehensive school counseling programs that promote and enhance student success by collaborating with families, teachers and administrators.
High School Counselors
CJ Conrad
Andrea Hirst
Bob Preusser
Middle School Counselor
Kayla Sweeny
Elementary School Counselors
Lara Stafinski
Wendy Lee
Prevention Counselors
Brandy Miracle, LPCC - Middle School
Sam Kost, LISW-S - High School
Taylor Sweigert, LPCC-S - Elementary School
The school counselors at Cloverleaf Local Schools consider the four ASCA National Model Themes an essential component to their programming. Those themes are as follows:
Leadership:
From providing leadership for the development of a comprehensive school counseling program to solving problems with school and community groups that promote student achievement, school counselors are called to be leaders in a variety of ways.
School counseling leadership:
supports academic achievement and student development
advances effective delivery of the comprehensive school counseling program
promotes professional identity
overcomes challenges of role inconsistency
Leadership is an essential skill for school counselors as they develop and manage a comprehensive school counseling program. As the other themes of advocacy, collaboration and systemic change require leadership to some degree, leadership may be the foundation of the other essential skills needed for program implementation
Advocacy:
As educational leaders, school counselors are ideally situated to serve as advocates for every student in meeting high academic, career and personal/social standards. Advocating for the academic achievement of every student is a key role of school counselors and places them at the forefront of efforts to promote school reform.
To promote student achievement, school counselors advocate for students’ academic, career and personal/social development needs and work to ensure these needs are addressed throughout the K-12 school experience. School counselors believe, support and promote every student’s opportunity to achieve success in school.
Collaboration:
School counselors work with stakeholders, both inside and outside the school, as a part of the comprehensive school counseling program. Through school, family and community collaboration, school counselors can access a vast array of support for student achievement and development that cannot be achieved by an individual, or school, alone.
School counselors collaborate in many ways. Within the school, school counselors build effective teams by encouraging collaboration among students, teachers, administrators and school staff to work toward the common goals of equity, access and academic success for every student. Outside of school, school counselors create effective working relationships with parents, community members and community agencies, tapping into resources that may not be available at the school. By understanding and appreciating the contributions made by others in educating all children, school counselors build a sense of community, which serves as a platform to create an environment encouraging success for every student.
Systemic Change:
Schools are a system, just like a family is a system. When an event occurs that makes an impact on one member of the family or part of the system, it affects other, if not all other, parts of the system. Comprehensive school counseling programs are an important part of the school’s system, and through careful, data-driven implementation, an ASCA National Model program can have a positive impact on many other parts of the school’s system that lead to student achievement and overall success.
With the expectation to serve the needs of every student, school counselors are uniquely positioned to identify systemic barriers to student achievement. School counselors have access to school wide achievement, attendance and behavioral data that not only informs the school counseling program but often underscores the need to identify and remove barriers that prevent all students from achieving college and career readiness. School counselors use these data to support leadership, advocacy and collaboration designed to create systemic change.
Systemic barriers may exist on any level, ranging from state or federal law, to district policies, to school and classroom procedures. These barriers are often identified after a review of data reveals gaps between student groups in achievement, opportunities and attainment. Through implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program, school counselors work proactively with students, parents, teachers, administrators and the community to remove systemic barriers to learning and to promote systemic change that will create a learning environment where all students succeed
Systemic change does not occur overnight. But one small change can lead to another, which can lead to even larger and more impactful changes in the future. The following describes six stages of systemic change based on experiences in systemic change from across the United States and at all levels of education (Anderson, 1994).
Ohio Standards for School Counselors
Standard 1: Comprehensive School Counseling Program Plan: School counselors collaboratively envision a plan for a comprehensive school counseling program that is developmental, preventative and responsive, and in alignment with the school’s goals and mission.
Standard 2: Direct Services for Academic, Career and Social/Emotional Development: School counselors develop a curriculum, offer individual student planning and deliver responsive services in order to assist students in developing and applying knowledge, skills and mindsets for academic, career and social/emotional development.
Standard 3: Indirect Services; Partnerships and Referrals: School counselors collaborate and consult with school personnel, parents/guardians, community partners and agencies/organizations to coordinate support for all students.
Standard 4: Evaluation and Data: School counselors collaboratively engage in a cycle of continuous improvement using data to identify needs, plan and implement programs, evaluate impact and adjust accordingly.
Standard 5: Leadership & Advocacy: School counselors lead school efforts and advocate for policies and practices that support an Leadership and Advocacy equitable, safe, inclusive and positive learning environment for all students.
Standard 6: Professional Responsibility, Knowledge and Growth: School counselors adhere to the ethical standards of the profession, engage in ongoing professional learning and refine their work through reflection. School Counseling at Cloverleaf Local Schools
Vision Statement:
The Cloverleaf Local Schools Counseling Program is a continuous and essential part of the overall social/emotional, academic and career planning for all students. We believe in building a community embedded in inclusion, security, warmth and encouragement. The school counselors will commit to the development of healthy responsible citizens who respect themselves and others. Cloverleaf Counselors believe:
The cultural, academic and social/emotional needs of every student is to be respected and valued.
In the use of data to continuously improve the school counseling program to deliver services.
All students will leave Cloverleaf with a specific post secondary pathway.
In all students leaving Cloverleaf valuing and appreciating the support of their community.
Mission Statements:
District Mission Statement
The mission of the Cloverleaf Local Schools, a unified community committed to an interactive approach to life-long learning, guarantees all students an excellent education that prepares them for life's challenges by providing innovative instruction filled with engaging, experience-based learning opportunities, delivered by highly qualified educators in a safe, stimulating, and respectful environment.
Counselor Mission Statement
The mission of Cloverleaf School Counselors is to provide a multi-layered, accountable and comprehensive school counseling program to all students. The program works to create an equitable environment for all students through a partnership with parents/guardians, staff, and community members. School counselors will advocate and empower all students to be productive, contributing citizens and lifelong learners in a diverse and changing world.
School Counseling Program Goals:
Each year school counselors use data to determine three to four goals for students that align with the district and school counseling mission statement and give focus to the school counseling program. Each goal is specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented and timely. These goals are discussed and agreed upon by all counselors. Using data and trends, counselors work toward developing goals that are in the best interest of Cloverleaf students. These goals are then written into the annual administration - counselor agreement and shared out during the fall advisory council meeting.
Effective school counseling program goals:
Promote achievement, attendance, behavior and school safety
Are based on data
Address school wide data, policies and practices
Promotes student mindsets and behaviors that enhance the learning process and create a culture of college and career readiness
ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success
The ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College- and Career Readiness for Every Student describe the knowledge, skills and attitudes students need to achieve academic success, college and career readiness and social/emotional development. The standards are based on a survey of research and best practices in student achievement from a wide array of educational standards and efforts.
To operationalize the standards, school counselors select competencies that align with the specific standards and become the foundation for classroom lessons, small groups and activities addressing student developmental needs. The competencies directly reflect the vision, mission and goals of the comprehensive school counseling program and align with the school’s academic mission.
Category 1: Mindset Standards – Includes standards related to the psycho-social attitudes or beliefs students have about themselves in relation to academic work. These make up the students’ belief system as exhibited in behaviors.
Category 2: Behavior Standards – These standards include behaviors commonly associated with being a successful student. These behaviors are visible, outward signs that a student is engaged and putting forth effort to learn. The behaviors are grouped into three subcategories.
a. Learning Strategies: Processes and tactics students employ to aid in the cognitive work of thinking, remembering or learning.
b. Self-management Skills: Continued focus on a goal despite obstacles (grit or persistence) and avoidance of distractions or temptations to prioritize higher pursuits over lower pleasures (delayed gratification, self-discipline, self-control).
c. Social Skills: Acceptable behaviors that improve social interactions, such as those between peers or between students and adults.
Reference:
American School Counselor Association (2014). Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Every Student. Alexandria, VA: Author
School Counselor Competencies
The ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies outline the mindsets and behaviors school counselors need to meet the rigorous demands of the school counseling profession and the needs of pre-K–12 students. These standards and competencies help ensure new and experienced school counselors are equipped to establish, maintain and enhance a school counseling program addressing academic achievement, career planning and social/emotional development. These standards and competencies can be used in a variety of ways including:
School counselors:
School administrators:
Guide the recruitment and selection of competent school counselors
Develop or inform meaningful school counselor performance appraisal School counselor education programs
Establish benchmarks for ensuring school counseling students graduate with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to develop a school counseling program.
The ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies are organized by mindset standards and behavior standards and competencies. The standards are broader topics that describe the knowledge, attitude and skills school counselors need to implement a school counseling program. The competencies are more specific and measurable indicators of the behavior standards.
Reference:
American School Counselor Association (2019). ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies. Alexandria, VA: Author.
ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors
ASCA specifies the obligation to the principles of ethical behavior necessary to maintain the high standards of integrity, leadership and professionalism. The ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors were developed in consultation with state school counseling associations, school counselor educators, school counseling state and district leaders and school counselors across the nation to clarify the norms, values and beliefs of the profession. The purpose of the Ethical Standards for School Counselors:
• Serve as a guide for the ethical practices of all school counselors, supervisors/directors of school counseling programs and school counselor educators regardless of level, area, population served or membership in this professional association.
• Provide support and direction for self-assessment, peer consultation and evaluations regarding school counselors’ responsibilities to students, parents/guardians, colleagues and professional associates, schools district employees, communities and the school counseling profession.
• Inform all stakeholders, including students, parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, community members and courts of justice of best ethical practices, values and expected behaviors of the school counseling professional.
Reference: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf
Ohio Social Emotional Learning Standards
The four learning domains for K-12 Social Emotional Learning Standards are:
Self Awareness and Management
Social Awareness
Relationship Skills
Responsible Decision Making
Social-emotional learning is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions (CASEL, 2017). The skills associated with social-emotional learning provide the foundation for effective communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, resiliency, perseverance and teamwork — all of which are necessary for individuals to be successful in a technical or career field and postsecondary work.
The Framework for Systemic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL, 2017) identifies and defines five competencies, which Ohio used as its basis for the standards. These five competencies are self awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.
Self-Awareness – The ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions and thoughts, including how they relate to one’s identity and culture and own emotions and thoughts and how they influence behavior. Self-awareness is the ability to accurately assess one’s strengths and limitations with a sense of integrity, confidence and optimism.
Self-Management – The ability to navigate one’s emotions, thoughts and behaviors across different situations while managing stress, controlling impulses and motivating oneself. Selfmanagement includes the ability to set and work toward personal and academic goals.
Social Awareness – The ability to consider diverse perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. It also reflects the ability to understand social and ethical norms for behavior across settings and to be able to identify and use family, school and community resources and supports.
Relationship Skills – The ability to establish and maintain healthy relationships with diverse individuals and groups. Developing relationship skills promotes the ability to communicate clearly, listen well, cooperate with others, resist social and peer pressure, negotiate conflict and seek help or offer it to others
Responsible Decision-making – The ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions within the context of ethical standards, safety concerns and social norms. It involves making realistic evaluations of the consequences of one’s actions and a consideration of the well-being of self and others.
Annual Calendars
School Counselors develop and publish calendars of school counseling events to inform students, parents, teachers and administrators of what, when and where school counseling activities will be held. Annual calendars include all major school counseling activities delivered or coordinated by the school counselors.
A minimum of 80% of time recommended for direct and indirect student services and 20% or less in program planning and school support. Our district utilizes SCUTA to track time and data.
Link to High School Calendar
School Counseling Core Curriculum Action Plan and Lesson Plans
Core curriculum pertains to lessons counselors do for ALL students. These include classroom guidance lessons and they identify mindsets and behaviors, are developmentally appropriate and include the plans to collect perception and outcome data.
School Counseling Core Curriculum Results Report
The closing the gap action plan and results report is goal-driven and includes documentation of a variety of activities and services used to close academic, attendance or discipline discrepancies.
A special thank you to:
Cloverleaf Students & families
Cloverleaf teachers and staff, School Board and Administration
The Cloverleaf Community, local businesses and organizations including but not limited to: Alternative Paths, Bellefaire, Cornerstone Psychological Services, Guidestone, MCCC, ADAMH Board MCEDC, Westfield Insurance, MCJDC & Courts, local law enforcement and our SRO Deputy Brooks, Medina County Economic Development Cooperation, Medina County Junior Leadership, Ashland University, University of Akron and other Ohio Colleges, OSU Extension, MCDAC, College Now of Greater Cleveland, Feeding Medina County, local churches, Cloverleaf Recreation Center, Lodi Ruritan Club, Cloverleaf Education Foundation, Cloverleaf Alumni Association, Seville and Chippewa Lake Lions Club, Buckeye Boys & Girls State, VFW of Lodi, Local Military Recruiters & Veteran Associations, Building PTOs, Lodi Hospital, Westfield Fire Department, FOP, Huntington Bank, Lodi Care Center, JOGS, Medina County Drug Task Force