Agawam Public Schools Counseling Program The Role of the High School Counselor
What is the Agawam Public Schools School Counseling Program? It is a high-quality, Prek-12 school counseling program that is based on the Massachusetts Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs ( the Mass. Model ) which is: Comprehensive in scope, Preventative in design, Developmental in nature, Ensures that every student receives benefits from the program, And an integral part of a total educational program for student success.
Services are delivered through four inter-related Program Components 1. School Counseling Curriculum 2. Individual Planning 3. Responsive Services 4. System Support
1. School Counseling Curriculum The curriculum provides the content, scope and sequence and instructional strategies of the school counseling program in a systematic way to all students K-12. The purpose is to provide students with knowledge of growth and development, assist them in acquiring and using life skills, and assist them in making future education and career plans.
High School Counseling Curriculum Planning With a Purpose Stumbling Blocks to Decision Making Understanding PSAT Results Alumni Back to School Day Matching Your Interests with Careers (ASVAB) Career Planning & Exploration Post Secondary & College Planning Academic Success Drugs & Alcohol: How to Get Help Anger Management 12 Step Recovery & Substance Education Stress and the Senior Year DBT: Relaxation, Tolerance & Coping Bereavement Group
Agawam High School Alternative Learning Program ALP Reconnecting Youth Curriculum weekly lessons on self esteem, decision making, personal control, stress awareness and interpersonal communication. Collaborative Problem Solving Approach
2. Individual Planning School counselors assist students in planning, monitoring and managing their personal and career development. The purpose of Individual Planning is to help students establish personal goals and to develop educational and career plans for the future.
Individual Planning High School Individual educational & career planning Academic Support Post-secondary options, college financing opportunities, and other transitional activities.
3. Responsive Services Responsive services are prevention and/or intervention activities which addresses the immediate needs and concerns of students. These needs can be necessitated by events and conditions in student s lives and may require any of the following: Individual Counseling or group counseling Consultation with parents, teachers and other educators Referrals to other school support services or community resources
Responsive Services Topics Divorce Suicide Relationships Family Issues Stress Coping Academic Concerns Family Issues Abuse Truancy Loss Drug Abuse Dropout Prevention Depression
4. System Support School counselors carry out counseling program management and evaluation work, community collaboration, committee work and a fair share of administrative tasks which help to establish, maintain and enhance the total school counseling programs.
Parent Outreach Programs College Planning Night For parents and students (9 12) College Financial Aid Night Conversation with Counselors Four morning coffee programs for parents Parent Orientation to the High School Curriculum Evening Counselor Hours After the close of each quarter held at the High School, Junior High and Middle School. Substance Abuse Awareness (AJHS) PBIS Information Session & Video (Granger) Parent Information Resource Desk (Granger)
HOW IS DATA USED? In a structured, model based program with proactive services, data is gathered and assessed to identify barriers to learning and then target students who are in need of services. Using a proactive model counselors are more likely to use certain types of data (e.g., test scores, suspensions, retentions, etc.) to direct and prioritize services.
TYPES of DATA DISTRICT DATA SCHOOL DATA CLASSROOM LESSON DATA SUPPORT GROUP DATA
District Wide Data Attendance R In-School Suspensi 10 8 6 4 2 95.4% 1 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 8.3% Out-of-School Susp Retention 3.0% 2.5% 4.0% 3.0% 2.0% 1.5% 1.0% 2.8% 2.0% 1.0% 3.2% 0.5%
School Specific Data (High School) Attendance Rates In-School Suspensions Rate 10 8 6 4 2 94.3% 25.0% 2 15.0% 1 5.0% 23.0% Out-of-School Suspensions Retention Rate 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% 2.0% 4.6% 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 6.6% 1.0% Grade 9-12 Dropout Rate Graduation Rate 2.5% 2.0% 1.5% 1.0% 0.5% 2.1% 10 8 6 4 2 81.5%
The old question was What do counselors do? The new question is How will students be different because of the school counseling program?