GUIDANCE/COUNSELING CURRICULUM Grades K-12. Mission Statement. Vision Statement. Guidance/Counseling Curriculum Philosophy

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1 Columbia Falls School District Six GUIDANCE/COUNSELING CURRICULUM Grades K-12 Introduction The SD6 mission, vision, and Guidance/Counseling curriculum philosophy provide a foundation for the collective Guidance/Counseling curriculum developed for Columbia Falls Schools. The Guidance/Counseling Curriculum document remains a working document undergoing continued review and update by SD6 educational staff. Mission Statement Working together for our students, we will provide the best environment that maximizes abilities and potential as life-long learners. Vision Statement In a spirit of cooperation and trust, individuals achieve common goals that benefit all students enrolled in School District Six. We nurture partnerships among students, teachers, parents, and community in an atmosphere of excellence where people are valued, learning is essential, and differences are respected. Committed to consistency in planning and action, we offer an educational environment that challenges and educates students to their fullest potential and helps them become productive citizens. Guidance/Counseling Curriculum Philosophy The school counseling program is a comprehensive, developmental program that is an integral part of the total learning experience for all students. The program is instructive, pro-active and positive. It includes developmental, preventive, and remedial components to promote skills for living and success in schools. The focus of the counseling program is on the total child or adolescent and recognizes cognitive, affective, social, and physical dimensions. Students can benefit from a proactive school counseling program designed to promote personal-social, educational, and career development. This orientation maximizes student potential to become fully functioning and contributing members of society. Counseling in the School Environment Counseling is a process of helping people by assisting them in making decisions and changing behavior. School counselors work with all students, school staff, families, and members of the community as an integral part of the education program. school counseling programs promote school success through a focus on academic achievement, prevention and intervention activities, advocacy and social/emotional and career development (American School Counselor Association, 1997) Curriculum Area: Guidance/Counseling - Introduction 1

2 The purpose of the school counseling program is to impart specific skills and learning opportunities in a proactive and preventive manner which ensures that all students can achieve school success through educational, career, and personal and social development experiences. All children need the services of a credentialed or certified school counselor who delivers a school counseling program that is comprehensive in scope and developmental in nature. (American School Counselor Association, 2000) Standards, Benchmarks, and Essential Learnings The CF-SD6 Guidance/Counseling Curriculum is based on standards, benchmarks, and essential learnings. Standards indicate what all students should know, understand and be able to do in a specific content area. Benchmarks define our expectations for students knowledge, skills and abilities along a developmental continuum in each content area. That continuum is focused at three points at the end of grade 4, the end of grade 8 and grade 12. Essential Learnings are distinct elements of knowledge and/or skills to be taught to students and which students are expected to learn at specific grade-levels. In developing the Guidance and Counseling curriculum for Columbia Falls School District 6, the counselor relied on the pioneering work of Norman C. Gysber. The American School counselor Association s work in prescribing national standards for school counseling programs was also invaluable. The following references were used in preparation of the curriculum. Dahir, Carol A., Sheldon, Carolyn B., and Valiga, Michael J. (2000). Sharing the Vision: The National Standards for School Counseling Programs. Herndon, VA: American School Counseling Association. Dahir, Carol A., Sheldon, Carolyn B., and Valiga, Michael J. (2000). Vision Into Action: Implementing the National Standards for School Counseling Programs. Herndon, VA: American School Counseling Association. Gysbers, Norman C. and Henderson, Patricia (1988). Developing and Managing Your School Guidance Program. Alexandria, VA: American Association for Counseling and Development. Myrick, Robert D (1997). Developmental Guidance and Counseling: A Practical Approach, 3 rd Ed. Minneapolis, MN: Educational Media Corporation. Paisley, Pamela O. and Hubbard, Glenda T (1994). Developmental School Counseling Programs: From Theory to Practice. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association. Curriculum Area: Guidance/Counseling - Introduction 2

3 Wittmer, Joe (2000). Managing Your School Counseling Program: K-12 Developmental Strategies, 2 nd Ed. Minneapolis, MN: Educational Media Corporation. Curriculum Developers This K-12 Guidance/Counseling Curriculum was written and developed by the SD6 Guidance/Counseling Committee in collaboration with teachers throughout the District. Guidance/Counseling Committee Member Grade Level School Gary Briner K-5 Canyon Robin Bissel K-5 Glacier Gateway Launa Lackey K-5 Glacier Gateway Carol McSweeney K-5 Ruder Clif Palmer K-5 Ruder Shari Johnson 6-8 CFJH Jerry LaRoque 6-8 CFJH Doug Cordier 9-12 CFHS Terry Guidi 9-12 CFJH Barb Norlander 9-12 CFHS Guidance and Counseling Focus Areas Focus Area Educational and Vocational Development Personal and Social Development Description The content standards for educational and vocational development guide the school counseling program to implement strategies and activities to support and maximize student learning. Educational and vocational development includes acquiring attitudes, knowledge and skills which contribute to effective learning in school and across the lifespan; employing strategies to achieve success in school; and understanding the relationship of academics to the world of work, and to live at home and in the community. (American School Counselor Association, 2000) The content standards for personal and social development guide the school counseling program to provide the foundation for personal and social growth, as students progress through school and into adulthood. Personal and social development contributes to educational and career success. Personal and social development includes the acquisition of skills, attitudes, and knowledge which help students understand and respect self and others, acquire effective interpersonal skills, and understand safety and survival skills, and develop into contributing members of our society. (American School Counselor Association, 2000) Curriculum Area: Guidance/Counseling - Introduction 3

4 Career Development The content standards for career development guide the school counseling program to prvide the foundation for the acquisition of skills, attitudes, and knowledge that enable students to make a successful transition from school to the world of work, and from job to job across the life career span. Career development includes the employment of strategies to achieve future career success and job satisfaction as well as fostering understanding of the relationship between personal qualities, education and training, and the world of work. (American School Counselor Association, 2000) Meeting Diverse Student Needs All classrooms in School District Six contain students who present diverse learning challenges to the teacher. These diverse challenges may be in the form of unique abilities and/or talents or a disability which impacts learning. Each student will have differentiated opportunities to achieve competencies and standards, at rates and in manners consistent with their individual needs. Students who excel will have opportunities to achieve competencies and standards at an advanced pace. As such, the following modifications are appropriate: Content Enrichment: The presentation of curricula in more depth and breadth. This may include extra lessons or assignments used to elaborate the student s level of understanding of the existing curriculum competencies and/or standards. Content Sophistication: The presentation of curricula that most students might not be able to master. Content Novelty: The presentation of content not covered in the traditional school curriculum. Content Acceleration: The presentation of curricula intended for older students and/or those in higher grades. This may include accelerating a student through the entire grade level curriculum and into the curriculum for the next grade level. Students who are experiencing difficulty with learning concepts will have their needs addressed in a variety of ways in the classroom through both informal and formal interventions, prescribed as necessary. Building-based student assistance teams and special services programs for students with disabilities (IDEA and 504) are in place to generate possible accommodations for students, based on assessed student needs. Potential accommodations can be categorized into the following general areas: Accommodations in evaluation methods Accommodations to classroom assignments Use of supplementary materials to the text Curriculum Area: Guidance/Counseling - Introduction 4

5 Alternatives for presentation of content Organizational skills Students who have been identified to receive special services (IDEA or 504) will have formal accommodation plans made accessible to each of the student s teachers through case managers. The continuum of special services available to assist students includes building-based student/teacher assistance teams, Title I services, disability status under Section 504, and Special Education under IDEA. All special services consider the concept of least restrictive environment, striving to meet the needs of the student in the general education classroom prior to provision of any pull-out type services. Assessment Student progress in reaching standards, benchmarks, and essential learnings is assessed in a variety of ways in each classroom. Assessment of performance will be based on teacher developed activities, demonstrations and specific performance tasks, and paper and pencil tests. Teachers will also observe students over time and evaluate understanding of Guidance/Counseling concepts. The ITBS and ITED formal assessments also act as a partial element of assessing the CF-SD6 curriculum and student achievement. Classroom Assessment Codes A teacher may use any one or a combination of the assessments listed below for each standard, benchmark, or essential learning. Grade 4 V Verbal Response O Observation P Product individual counseling, small group counseling, classroom presentation, parent conferences, staff conferences, SWAT/TAT team meetings, IEP/CST meetings hallway, classroom, small group, field trips, lunchroom, playground school social activities interest inventory, worksheets, art activities, SWAT/TAT plans, IEP/CST plans, student skill assessment, behavior plan, transfer of training, career awareness, student role playing, modeling Grade 8 V Verbal Response O Observation P Product individual counseling, small group counseling, classroom presentation hallway, classroom, IEP/CST meeting, small group pre- and post-tests, IEP/CST plans, self-directed search, short essays, journals. Curriculum Area: Guidance/Counseling - Introduction 5

6 Grade 12 V Verbal Response O Observation P Product individual counseling, small group counseling, classroom presentation hallway, classroom, SWAT meeting, IEP/CST meeting, small group, group speaker presentation journals, poetry, letters, SWAT/TAT plans, IEP/CST plans, resume, interest inventory, MCIS, College Board Explorer, exit survey, follow-up survey, post-secondary applications, financial aid applications, field trips Curriculum Mapping The CF-SD6 Guidance/Counseling Curriculum contains a map component, which outlines a sequence plan to educate students. This map is designed to enhance the impact of the delivery system and curriculum content. Map Codes I D M introduce develop maintain or master Curriculum Area: Guidance/Counseling - Introduction 6