New York State Part 100 Regulations – School Counseling Programs

As per the New York State Education Department, listed in Part 100 of the Commissioner’s Regulations, school counseling/guidance programs are defined as follows:

I.  Public Schools:  Each school district shall have a guidance program for all students.

II.  In grades k-6, the program shall be designed in coordination with the teaching staff to prepare students to participate effectively in their current and future educational programs, to help students who exhibit any attendance, academic, behavioral or adjustment problems, to education students concerning avoidance of child sexual abuse and to encourage parental involvement.

III.  In grades 7-12, the school counseling program shall include the following activities and services:

A.) An annual review of each student’s educational progress and career plans, with such reviews conducted with each student individually or with small groups by personnel certified or licensed as school counselors.

B.) Instruction at each grade level to help students learn about various careers and about career planning skills conducted by personnel certified or licensed as school counselor, or by classroom teachers in cooperation with the school counselor.

C.) Other advisory and individual or group counseling assistance to enable students to benefit from the curriculum to help students develop and implement postsecondary educational and career plans, to help students who exhibit any attendance, academic, behavioral or adjustment problems and to encourage parental involvement, provided that advisory assistance shall be provided by teachers or counselors or by certified teaching assistants under the supervision of counselors or teachers, and that such individual or group counseling shall be provided by certified or licensed school psychologists or certified or licensed school social workers in cooperation with certified and licensed school counselors.

IV.  Each school district shall develop a district plan which sets forth the manner in which the district shall comply with the requirements of this subdivision. Such plan should be filed in the district offices and shall be available for review by any individual. The plan shall present program objectives, which describe expectations of what students will learn from the program; activities to accomplish the objectives; specifications of the staff members and other resources assigned to accomplish the objectives; provisions for the annual assessment of the program results. The plan shall be reviewed annually by the school counselors, and revisions shall be made as necessary.

Foundation

• Mission Statement

• Philosophy/Belief Statements

• Counselor Role

• Benefits of a Comprehensive Counseling Program

• Program Standards

Delivery Systems

• School Counseling Curriculum

• Individual Student Planning

• Responsive Services

• System Support

• Suggested Counselor Time Allotments

Management Systems

• District Wide Advisory Committee

• Yearly Counseling Program Calendar

• Use of Community Resources

Developmentally Appropriate Student Competencies

• Academic K-12

• Career Development K-12

• Personal/Social Development K-12

• NYSED Career Development & Occupational Studies (CDOS) Standards

• Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success

Individual District Activities & Curriculum (See Appendix)

Accountability

Appendix

• Individual District Activities & Curriculum

• Action Plan Template

FOUNDATION

Mission

The mission of the Herkimer County Counselors’ Association Comprehensive School Counseling Program is to advocate and provide support for maximum student achievement in the areas of academic, career, and Personal/Social growth. School counselors work with parents, educators and the community to provide developmentally appropriate and comprehensive services that meet the needs of all students in order for them to become productive members of an ever-changing global society.

Philosophy/Belief

As counselors of the Central Valley School District, we believe:

• All students are capable of learning, achieving and acquiring knowledge in different ways and at different rates.

• All students are valued as individuals.

• All students have a right to, and will benefit from, a comprehensive counseling program that is culturally and developmentally appropriate.

• Students, with their parents, are responsible for monitoring their educational progress, assisted by the professional school counselor.

In addition, counselors:

• Help students recognize their learning strengths, weaknesses and potential.

• Coordinate activities and programs that support the academic mission of the school.

• Utilize the strengths of parents and the community and serve as liaisons between parents, the community and the school.

• Participate in on-going programs and professional development that enhance their skills and knowledge.

Counselor Role

Among the skills that characterize a school counselor, the following are considered essential:

• Counseling: School counselors spend time on individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, prevention and responsive services.

• Consultation: School counselors acting as consultants can help parents, teachers, and students work together effectively. They seek solutions to improve the educational/social/emotional experience for all students.

• Coordination of Services: School counselors coordinate resources and services for students and families through community outreach.  School counselors collaborate with agencies to provide a variety of services and opportunities to students and their families.

• Leadership: School counselors seek to make schools a welcoming learning community where all students can achieve academic, career, and Personal/Social success.

• Advocacy: School counselors are advocates for all students.

• Teaming and Collaboration: Counselors collaborate with all school community members. Counselors collaborate most closely with teachers to deliver the counseling program. In addition, they use professional development opportunities to promote the counseling programs to members of the educational community and develop collaborative projects.

• Use of Data: Data provides a method to determine the impact of a school counseling program on student success and school climate.

• Use of Technology: School counselors are technologically literate and proficient in using the internet, communicating electronically, and processing data electronically to better assess student progress and program quality.

(ASCA – Role of the School Counselor)

Benefits of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program

Comprehensive developmental school counseling programs provide a system that encourages and promotes academic, career, and Personal/Social development in preparation for the challenges of the 21st century.  School counseling programs have a positive impact on students, parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, boards of education, school counselors, and the community.

• Benefits for Students:

  • Prepares students for the challenges of the 21st century by acquiring knowledge and skills in academic, career, and Personal/Social development

  • Connects the educational program to future success

  • Ensures student access to the school counseling program

  • Promotes a rigorous academic curriculum for every student

  • Promotes commitment to learning

  • Supports development of skills to increase student success

  • Ensures equitable access to educational opportunities

  • Monitors data to facilitate student improvement

  • Fosters advocacy for students

  • Facilitates career exploration and development

• Benefits for Parents:

  • Prepares their children for the challenges of the 21st century through academic, career, and Personal/Social development

  • Provides support for parents in advocating for their child’s academic, career, and Personal/Social development

  • Develops a systematic approach for their child’s long-range planning and learning

  • Increases opportunities for parent/school interaction

  • Provides training and informational workshops

• Benefits for Teachers:

  • Promotes an interdisciplinary team approach to address student needs and educational goals

  • Positively impacts school climate and the learning community

  • Supports classroom instruction

  • Increases teacher accessibility to the counselor as a classroom presenter and resource person

  • Provides a system for co-facilitation of classroom guidance lessons

  • Encourages positive, calendared activities and supportive working relationships

  • Analyzes data to improve school climate and student achievement

• Benefits for School Counselors:

  • Provides a clearly defined role and function in the educational system

  • Eliminates non-counseling functions

  • Provides direct service to every student

  • Provides a tool for program management and accountability

  • Recognizes the school counselors as leaders, advocates, and change agents

  • Ensures the school counseling program’s contribution to the school’s mission

• Benefits for Administrators:

  • Aligns the school counseling program with the school’s academic mission

  • Assists administration to use school counselors effectively to enhance learning and development for all students

  • Provides a proactive school counseling curriculum addressing the students’ needs and enhancing school climate

  • Uses data to jointly develop school counseling goals and school counselor responsibilities

  • Provides a means of evaluating the effectiveness of the school counseling program

  • Demonstrates school counseling accountability

• Benefits for Boards of Education:

  • Provides rationale for implementing a comprehensive developmental counseling program in the school system

  • Provides assurance that a quality school counseling program is available to every student

  • Informs the community about the school counseling program

  • Provides data about improved student achievement

  • Demonstrates the necessity of appropriate levels of funding for implementation

• Benefits for Student Services Personnel:

  • Provides school psychologists and other professional student services personnel with a clearly defined role of the school counselor

  • Fosters a positive team approach, which enhances cooperative working relationships

  • Maximizes collaborative teaming to ensure individual student success

  • Uses school counseling program data to maximize benefit to individual student growth

• Benefits for the Community:

  • Provides an increased opportunity for collaboration and participation of community members with the school program

  • Creates community awareness and visibility of the school counseling program

  • Connects the community to the needs of the school and the school to the needs of the community

  • Enhances economic development through quality preparation of students for the world of work

• Benefits for Business and Industry:

  • Increases opportunities for business and industry to participate actively in the total school program

  • Provides increased opportunity for collaboration among counselors, business, and industry

  • Provides a potential work force with decision-making skills, pre-employment skills, and increased worker maturity

Adapted from the New York State School Counselor Association (2005).  The New York State Model for Comprehensive K-12 School Counseling Programs.  Leicester, NY: Author

Program Standards

The National Standards for School Counseling Programs facilitate student development in three board areas: academic development, career development and Personal/Social development. The following are the nine national standards adopted by New York State. They serve as the foundation of the Central Valley Comprehensive School Counseling Program, and represent knowledge, attitudes and skills that all students will acquire and demonstrate in the areas of academic, career and Personal/Social development as a result of participation in the Central Valley Comprehensive School Counseling Program.

• Academic Development:

  • Standard A: Students will acquire the attitudes, knowledge and skills that contribute to effective learning in school and across the life span.

  • Standard B: Students will complete school with the academic preparation essential to choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college.

  • Standard C: Students will understand the relationship of academics to the world of work and to life at home and in the community.

• Career Development:

  • Standard A: Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.

  • Standard B: Students will employ strategies to achieve future career goals with success and satisfaction.

  • Standard C: Students will understand the relationship between personal qualities, education, training, and the world of work.

• Personal/Social Development:

  • Standard A: Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others.

  • Standard B: Students will make decisions, set goals, and take necessary actions to achieve goals.

  • Standard C: Students will understand safety and survival skills.

DELIVERY SYSTEMS

The components of a comprehensive school counseling program include the school counseling curriculum, individual planning, responsive services, and systems support.  The suggested amount of time that counselors spend in each area is taken from the American School Counselor Association National Model. The student to counselor ratio recommended by the American School Counselor Association is 250:1. 

• Responsive Services

  • Consultation: School Counselors work with parents, teachers, students and other involved parties to develop strategies to assist students.

  • Personal Counseling: Provides a student maximum privacy in which to freely explore ideas, feelings and behaviors.

  • Crisis Counseling: Provides prevention and interventions. Such counseling, is short term in nature addressing a particular student’s concern.

  • Referral: Counselors refer students and their families to appropriate community agencies when needed.

• School Counseling Curriculum Classroom Activities: School Counselors present lessons in the classroom setting.

  • Group Activities: School Counselors may also conduct large group activities to address students’ particular needs.

  • Interdisciplinary Activities: School Counselors participate in teams to develop curriculum across content areas.

  • Career and College Awareness: School Counselors sponsor College and Career Awareness activities throughout the district. 

• Individual Student Planning

  • Case Management: School Counselors monitor individual student progress.

  • Individual Appraisal: School Counselors use test information and other data to assist students in analyzing and evaluating their interests, skills, and abilities.

  • Individual Advisement: School Counselors work directly with students on developing an appropriate educational plan.

  • Placement: School Counselors assist students in determining the proper educational setting as they meet their academic and career goals. 

• System Supports

  • Professional Development: School Counselors must update knowledge and skills by participating in training, professional meetings, conferences and relevant course work.

  • Program Promotion: School Counselors provide orientation and information regarding the programs to the greater community via websites, counseling newsletters, and community presentations.

  • Consultation with teachers and staff: School Counselors work with teachers and other staff members to provide information regarding the needs of a student. School Counselors should participate in district committees and in-service programs.

  • Parent and Community Outreach: School Counselors provide ongoing support and information to the greater community regarding student needs.

  • Research: School Counselors utilize research in the development of their programs and participate in research designed to improve their programs.

  • Program Evaluation: School Counselors collect and analyze data to evaluate the program and continue updating program activities.

COUNSELOR RECOMMENDED TIME ALLOTMENTS
(Per ASCA/NYSSCA)
Elementary

MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

District Wide Counseling Advisory Committee

 An advisory committee is a representative group of persons appointed to both advise and assist the school counseling program within a school district. The Central Valley Counseling Program Advisory Committee is advisory in nature and will offer suggestions about the counseling program and services, assist with continuous evaluation, revision, and improvement of the program, and express concerns from the community.  Advisory council members reflect the community’s diversity and include parents or guardians, counselors, business and community members. The council will meet at least once a year.

Yearly Counseling Program Calendar

A yearly calendar written by counselors in each school indicates overall counseling activities in that building. The yearly calendar indicates major activities, dates, and themes for the year. The yearly calendar will be made available to staff, students, and parents.

Use of Community Resources

Counselors will work with a variety of resources to implement the Comprehensive Counseling Program.  Parents, students, community and business leaders, government officials, and school board members are utilized to provide counseling related services to students.

Developmentally Appropriate Student Competencies

The following charts (from American School Counselor Association (2005): The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Program) indicate the developmentally appropriate grade levels where the competencies and indicators for each standard will be a major focus of targeted guidance activities for all students at that grade level. School counselors address all standards and competencies every day with students, but this chart indicates grade levels where the standards and competencies are addressed with planned activities that reach every student.