NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT JOB DESCRIPTION. K-6 Guidance Counselor

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1 NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT JOB DESCRIPTION JOB ANALYSIS Under the supervision of the Building Principal, the s provide a comprehensive counseling program for students in their buildings. They consult with the Building Principal, teachers, parents, and other staff members as needed to enhance their effectiveness in helping students and provide support for other District educational programs. The s help students understand their abilities, aptitudes, and interests in light of the opportunities and demands that they currently experience or may experience in the future, including student assessment and career development. The s play an integral role in support of Student Assistance Programs, Pennsylvania s Career Education and Work Standards, and Character Education programs. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS 1. Implements the elementary guidance curriculum. Conducts classroom guidance activities dealing with career education and work and character education, and responds to teacher invitations for classroom guidance lessons or systematically conducts developmental counseling groups for each grade level throughout the year. Consults with and/or provides resources to teachers to facilitate their instruction of counseling content and to infuse counseling content into the regular educational curriculum. 2. Guides individuals and groups of students through the development of life skills. Works with students in acquiring knowledge about, and making effective use of, skills when interacting in the home, academic and peer environments. 3. Counsels individuals and small groups of students toward social and emotional growth. Conducts structured, goal-oriented counseling sessions in systematic response to identified needs of individual or groups of students. Topics may include barriers to achievement, including but not limited to academic failure, family issues, child abuse, attendance and/or behavior problems, peer problems, and substance abuse. Serves as student advocate and avoids role of disciplinarian. 4. Communicates with the Building Principal, teachers, parents and staff regarding students needs. Participates in staffing; conducts in-service programs for faculty; acts as a resource person for faculty, staff, and parents; conducts conferences with teachers and/or parents; conducts or provides opportunities for parent education programs; writes articles for parent newsletters and updates guidance Web pages, as appropriate; and assists families with school-related problems. 5. Refers students with problems and their parents to special programs, specialists and outside agencies. Consults and coordinates with in-district and community-based specialists, such as school administrators, nurses, school psychologists, community-based psychologists, service agencies (Child and Adolescent Service System Program or CASSP meetings, for example), and physicians. 6. Participates in activities that contribute to the effective operation of the school. Contributes to District and individual building goals for enhancing education. Acts as an advocate for groups or individual students as system decisions are made. 7. Assists students and parents in evaluating their aptitudes and abilities through the interpretation of individual standardized test scores and other pertinent data, and works with students in evolving education and occupation plans in terms of such evaluation. Facilitates student goal setting. 8. Manages and coordinates the distribution and collection of commercial assessments and PSSAs. 9. Works in collaboration with case managers to resolve students educational needs, including Individual Educational Plans and Gifted Individual Educational Plans.

2 JOB DESCRIPTION, CONTINUED Page 2 of Works with Building Principal to write and review 504 Service Agreements in collaboration with families and appropriate professional staff. Receives notification from parent/guardian or school personnel; reviews Eligibility Determination Form to verify the presence of a condition that limits a major life function; and provides parent/guardian with procedural safeguards and any other appropriate paperwork. Coordinates and facilitates a meeting with appropriate school personnel and parent/guardian to complete a draft of the Service Agreement outlining accommodations necessary to level the playing field for student. Reviews accommodations with appropriate school personnel (including school psychologist, if necessary) and parent/guardian. Types the 504 Service Agreement, and counselor, principal and parent/guardian sign the final 504 Service Agreement. Distributes 504 Service Agreement to appropriate school personnel and files the original in student s cumulative file with a copy to the Director of Special Education and Student Services. 11. Participates in the homebound instruction referral process. 12. Maintains student records and upholds compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and related federal and state laws. 13. Arranges case conferences involving classroom teachers, visiting teachers, school nurse, psychologists, parents, principal, and community agencies. 14. Provides clear communication between the sending school and the receiving school for students who are new to the District. 15. Plans and evaluates the counseling program. Reviews the counseling program annually with staff and administration; establishes the counseling department master calendar; evaluates learning activities as they are implemented; completes an annual counseling program evaluation including recommendations. 16. Trains and mentors intern guidance counselors. Pursues continuous professional growth, which may include attending approved state and locally sponsored staff development offerings; joining associations; reading professional journals and contributing to professional literature; attending relevant workshops and conferences sponsored by professional organizations; and taking postgraduate courses. 17. In conjunction with Building Principal, school psychologist, and other professionals, determines the appropriate referral program and/or service level to meet student needs, including, but not limited to, the Elementary Norwin Educational Support Team (e-nest), Child Study, and/or Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtII). Conducts initial screening of students as part of the referral process. Coordinates and facilitates the intervention team process for RtII and e-nest for a more cohesive approach. Assumes an active role in designing, implementing, monitoring, and adjusting educational plans for individual students. 18. In conjunction with Building Principals, counselors, and other school personnel, coordinates and participates in transition activities between grade levels and/or buildings. 19. Facilitates award and scholarship programs as may be required. 20. Coordinates with classroom teachers to select and train peer tutors and peer tutoring schedule. Elementary Norwin Educational Support Team (e-nest) 21. Works in conjunction with other e-nest members (including teachers, the Building Principal, or the Excela Health SAP liaison) to identify students barriers to learning, support research-based prevention programs, and foster positive connections with students, parents, and the community. 22. Reviews appropriate referrals to e-nest and seeks to obtain parent permission for student involvement in the e-nest program. Gathers information from parent(s), teachers, and other school personnel. 23. Consults with parent(s) and provides appropriate resources. 24. Provides ongoing consultative support for teachers and school personnel related to the presenting issue of the e-nest referral.

3 JOB DESCRIPTION, CONTINUED Page 3 of Works with the e-nest Team to determine the type and level of in-school support, including, but not limited to, mentoring. 26. Coordinates team members, meeting dates, location, and schedule for team maintenance days. 27. Coordinates, in conjunction with the Building Principal, the e-nest staff development at the beginning of each school year as requested. Communicates e-nest program information and procedures to building staff, students, and families as may be required. Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtII) 28. Meets with each Building Principal to set a yearly calendar of Data Team meetings. Serves as Data Team member to collect, organize, analyze, interpret, and display data to facilitate data-based decisions for educational programs and services. 29. Collaborates with school psychologists to implement the RtII program. Assists with the selection/formation of RtII team(s) within the building. Determines the appropriate continuum of services. 30. Monitors and evaluates the Response to Instruction and Intervention process and, with the approval of Administration or school psychologists, implements necessary changes. 31. Remains current on Response to Instruction and Intervention research, interventions and strategies. Provides training to and educates teachers and instructional assistants about the Response to Instruction and Intervention program. Child Study 32. Accepts and reviews referrals to the Child Study process and gathers information from appropriate school personnel and other professionals. 33. Notifies appropriate school personnel and other professionals, as appropriate, of Child Study meetings and, in conjunction with Building Principal, coordinates such meetings. 34. Notifies and invites parents or guardians to attend initial Child Study meetings. 35. Facilitates and documents Child Study meetings. 36. Offers teachers differentiated instruction strategies, adaptations, behavior interventions, and/or modifications that will enable students involved in the Child Study process to make progress in the regular education classroom. 37. Facilitates the sharing of home strategies to improve student achievement between school personnel and parents/guardians. 38. In conjunction with the Building Principal, provides periodic monitoring/data collection of student progress resulting from the implementation of individualized instructional and/or behavioral interventions. 39. Completes forms necessary to the documents related to the Child Study process. Monitors completion of forms by individuals involved in the Child Study process. Maintains forms and documents relative to the Child Study process for active and achieved cases. Grades 5-6 Counselors 40. Aids students in course and subject selection and scheduling. 41. Participates in School-Wide Positive Behavior and Intervention Support as a core team member.

4 JOB DESCRIPTION, CONTINUED Page 4 of Collects and analyzes data to determine Pre-Algebra candidates in conjunction with the Building Principal. Grades K-4 Counselors 43. Participates in Kindergarten registration by conducting Kindergarten readiness tests and Kindergarten orientation. 44. Assists the Building Principal with the planning and facilitation of Enrichment and Remediation Time in each elementary building. General 45. Performs any other duties assigned by the Building Principal or appropriate Central Office Administrator. The District may add or change duties at any time. COGNITIVE ABILITIES Ability to establish and maintain productive working relationships with staff, business associates, and general community. Ability to work on multiple tasks and prioritize appropriately. Ability to recognize areas of concern and propose or recommend appropriate solutions to problems. Ability to communicate effectively. Ability to exercise initiative and make independent decisions to reschedule work to meet deadlines or to effectively handle emergency work. PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS The requirements of this position are: Educational Specialist Certification. Master s Degree. Demonstrated knowledge and application of effective principles, practices and trends in the field of guidance counseling. Must be able to perform the above responsibilities at a high level. REPORTS TO Elementary Principal. POSITION REQUIREMENTS Physical Demands: Occasional travel to School District offices, buildings, classroom and grounds, local and county court settings, and student residences.

5 JOB DESCRIPTION, CONTINUED Page 5 of 6 Occasional traversing throughout various buildings. Often sitting for extended periods. Standing for periods of time. Moderate lifting from pounds. Some moving of various items - up to 30 pounds. Manual dexterity to use office equipment. Repetitive operation of computer keyboard. Sensory Abilities: Ability to communicate effectively in all aspects of the job. Work Environment: Generally, office setting. Temperament: Ability to work as a leader, coordinator and a member of a team. Must be courteous and able to effectively manage job responsibilities. Must be cooperative, congenial, service oriented, and promote these qualities. Ability to work in an environment with frequent interruptions. Ability to be respectful and empathetic. Workplace Expectations: Ability to follow directions and give direction to others. Ability to create and delegate assignments. Ability to complete assigned tasks without supervision. Ability to communicate, comprehend and perform complex computations. Ability to use correct grammar, sentence structure and spelling. Ability to compose clear, concise sentences and paragraphs. Ability to organize office setting to efficiently accomplish tasks. Ability to multitask. Ability to work independently and make work-related decisions. Ability to exercise good judgment in prioritizing tasks. Ability to communicate effectively at all organizational levels. Ability to operate office equipment. Ability to use computer technology efficiently including word processing, presentation/webpage software, PowerPoint and Excel software applications. Ability to appropriately handle confidential information in accordance with District policies. Ability to use technology for group meetings, presentations (i.e. overhead, document camera, projector and video equipment). Driver s License: Must have and maintain a valid PA driver s license. Clearances: Every employee must submit an Arrest/Conviction Report and Certification Form as required under Pennsylvania Act 24 of 2011, Act 34 (Criminal Record Check), Act 151 (Child Abuse History Check), and FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) Criminal History Check, renewable every three (3) years, as well as Act 126 Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Training, renewable every five (5) years. Also, as of December 22, 2014, Act 168 of 2014 requires all newly hired employees to provide the District with the Sexual Misconduct/Abuse Disclosure Release Form for all previous employers/organizations in which they had direct contact with children. The District may not hire any applicant for a position until the employment history review process has been complete. TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT Professional employee work year. Terms and conditions of employment shall be consistent with the Norwin Education Association Collective Bargaining Agreement.

6 JOB DESCRIPTION, CONTINUED Page 6 of 6 EVALUATION Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with the negotiated teachers contract. Approved by Administration and provided to the Board of Education on April 16, 2012; updated Clearances Section January, 2015.