Baldwin County Public School System Counseling and Guidance Program

Counseling and Guidance Services The Baldwin County Public School System’s counseling and guidance program is comprehensive in scope, preventive in design, and developmental in nature. The Baldwin County Public School System’s counseling and guidance program is comprehensive in scope, preventive in design, and developmental in nature. The ASCA (American School Counselor Association) National Model: A Framework for School Counseling and the State of Alabama’s Counseling Plan form the fundamentals of our district’s comprehensive counseling plan. The ASCA (American School Counselor Association) National Model: A Framework for School Counseling and the State of Alabama’s Counseling Plan form the fundamentals of our district’s comprehensive counseling plan.

Mission Statement To effectively provide a motivating, safe, and trusting environment which empowers all students to become life-long emotional, social, academic, and career- oriented citizens. To effectively provide a motivating, safe, and trusting environment which empowers all students to become life-long emotional, social, academic, and career- oriented citizens.

Mission Statement We strive to accomplish this mission by providing a variety of planned, purposeful, and sequential counseling and guidance activities that promote growth in the domains of personal/social, academic, and career development. We strive to accomplish this mission by providing a variety of planned, purposeful, and sequential counseling and guidance activities that promote growth in the domains of personal/social, academic, and career development. Each building-level program is data-driven by students’ needs and provides outcome-based accountability measures. Each building-level program is data-driven by students’ needs and provides outcome-based accountability measures.

What Services Do Counselors Provide? Guidance Curriculum Guidance Curriculum Individual Planning Individual Planning Responsive Services Responsive Services System Support System Support

Guidance Curriculum The guidance curriculum includes classroom and large group activities from Pre K-12 th grade. The guidance curriculum includes classroom and large group activities from Pre K-12 th grade. There is an emphasis on decision-making; self- understanding; study skills; and career exploration, preparation, and planning. There is an emphasis on decision-making; self- understanding; study skills; and career exploration, preparation, and planning. Counselors may choose to use the sample lesson plans in the School Guidance Curriculum Guide, or they may use lesson plans of their own. Counselors may choose to use the sample lesson plans in the School Guidance Curriculum Guide, or they may use lesson plans of their own.

Individual Planning Includes counseling activities that provide every student with an opportunity to plan, monitor, and manage their academic, career, and personal/social development. Includes counseling activities that provide every student with an opportunity to plan, monitor, and manage their academic, career, and personal/social development. Individual student planning emphasizes test interpretation, i.e., AHSGE, ARMT, SAT10, Alabama Science Assessment. Individual student planning emphasizes test interpretation, i.e., AHSGE, ARMT, SAT10, Alabama Science Assessment. Academic counseling includes postsecondary education, career/technical education, and career planning. Academic counseling includes postsecondary education, career/technical education, and career planning.

Responsive Services The majority of the school counselors’ day is spent on Responsive Services. The majority of the school counselors’ day is spent on Responsive Services. These services include counseling or referral activities to meet the immediate needs and concerns of students. These services include counseling or referral activities to meet the immediate needs and concerns of students. Responsive services include personal counseling, problem solving, agency referral, and consultation. Responsive services include personal counseling, problem solving, agency referral, and consultation.

System Support System support includes indirect guidance management activities that maintain and enhance the counseling and guidance program. System support includes indirect guidance management activities that maintain and enhance the counseling and guidance program. Responsibilities in this component include: staff relations, community relations, task forces, professional development, support teams, test interpretation, data analysis, and curriculum development. Responsibilities in this component include: staff relations, community relations, task forces, professional development, support teams, test interpretation, data analysis, and curriculum development.

School Counselors Impact the Entire Learning Community by… Counseling individuals and small groups of students to meet identified needs Counseling individuals and small groups of students to meet identified needs Teaching the guidance curriculum to students and school personnel Teaching the guidance curriculum to students and school personnel Consulting with parents, teachers, and other staff to address students’ needs Consulting with parents, teachers, and other staff to address students’ needs Coordinating people and resources in the community to benefit students Coordinating people and resources in the community to benefit students

Confidentiality All personal information shared with a school counselor is confidential unless it involves: All personal information shared with a school counselor is confidential unless it involves: –Harming self or others –Abuse or neglect In these situations, school counselors are required by law to report this information to parents and/or the appropriate agencies. In these situations, school counselors are required by law to report this information to parents and/or the appropriate agencies.

Baldwin County School Counselors Help Our Children Find Success in School by… Helping develop positive attitudes among students towards self, family, and community. Helping develop positive attitudes among students towards self, family, and community. Counseling with students individually and in groups to understand and appreciate their unique qualities and to grow personally and socially. Counseling with students individually and in groups to understand and appreciate their unique qualities and to grow personally and socially. Supporting students by teaching skills for achieving success. Supporting students by teaching skills for achieving success.

Baldwin County School Counselors Help Our Children Find Success in School by… Developing and delivering classroom guidance lessons that teach skills such as making healthy decisions, resolving conflicts, and respecting others. Developing and delivering classroom guidance lessons that teach skills such as making healthy decisions, resolving conflicts, and respecting others. Assisting students to become invested in their school success by showing them how school performance relates to future opportunities. Assisting students to become invested in their school success by showing them how school performance relates to future opportunities.

Baldwin County School Counselors Help Our Children Find Success in School by… Working collaboratively with students, parents, and teachers to identify and remove barriers that may impede student achievement. Working collaboratively with students, parents, and teachers to identify and remove barriers that may impede student achievement.

School Counselors Help Our Children Prepare for the Future by… Assisting students to develop personal awareness and explore personal goals. Assisting students to develop personal awareness and explore personal goals. Helping develop communication and interpersonal skills needed to relate well to others. Helping develop communication and interpersonal skills needed to relate well to others. Providing a comprehensive and developmental guidance and counseling program that impacts all students Pre K-12. Providing a comprehensive and developmental guidance and counseling program that impacts all students Pre K-12.

School Counselors Help Our Children Prepare for the Future by… Counseling students regarding career planning and preparation. Counseling students regarding career planning and preparation. Sharing scholarship and financial aid information for post-secondary education. Sharing scholarship and financial aid information for post-secondary education. Assisting students Assisting students –To learn, –To work, and –To live in the 21 st century.

Elementary School Counselors Help… Children develop a better understanding and acceptance of themselves. Children develop a better understanding and acceptance of themselves. Children cope with family changes. Children cope with family changes. Children develop decision making and problem solving skills. Children develop decision making and problem solving skills. Children develop socially and emotionally, to mature in their relations with others. Children develop socially and emotionally, to mature in their relations with others.

Elementary School Counselors Help… Children to understand themselves in relation to their own development. Children to understand themselves in relation to their own development. Parents understand their children’s emotions, behaviors, and learning styles, and assist them in meeting their child’s needs. Parents understand their children’s emotions, behaviors, and learning styles, and assist them in meeting their child’s needs. School staff, teachers, and administrators understand and meet the needs of all students in intellectual, personal, social, and emotional areas. School staff, teachers, and administrators understand and meet the needs of all students in intellectual, personal, social, and emotional areas.

Elementary School Counselors Help… Parents and teachers create a positive learning environment. Parents and teachers create a positive learning environment.

Middle School Counselors Help… Young adolescents learn to understand more about themselves during this transition period. Young adolescents learn to understand more about themselves during this transition period. Young adolescents learn to manage and organize information. Young adolescents learn to manage and organize information. Young adolescents make choices and deal with change. Young adolescents make choices and deal with change. Young adolescents create educational plans and set educational goals. Young adolescents create educational plans and set educational goals.

Middle School Counselors Help… Young adolescents develop positive attitudes toward life long learning and the world of work. Young adolescents develop positive attitudes toward life long learning and the world of work. Young adolescents experience career exploration activities. Young adolescents experience career exploration activities. Parents and teachers create a positive learning environment. Parents and teachers create a positive learning environment.

High School Counselors Help… Provide direct counseling services to students individually and in support groups. Provide direct counseling services to students individually and in support groups. Provide education and support services to parents. Provide education and support services to parents. Provide consultation services to teachers. Provide consultation services to teachers. Provide staff in-services. Provide staff in-services.

High School Counselors Help… Facilitate referrals to community support services. Facilitate referrals to community support services. Advise students on academic planning. Advise students on academic planning. Provide career guidance to students. Provide career guidance to students. Provide career information to parents. Provide career information to parents. Maintain an up-to-date library of career and post-secondary school information. Maintain an up-to-date library of career and post-secondary school information.

High School Counselors Help… Network with post-secondary schools. Network with post-secondary schools. Serve on school and community committees addressing the needs of young people. Serve on school and community committees addressing the needs of young people.

Counseling & Guidance Advisory Council Comprised of a representative group of persons, including, but not limited to, the following: students, parents/guardians, teachers, counselors, administrators, as well as community stakeholders from local businesses and industries. Comprised of a representative group of persons, including, but not limited to, the following: students, parents/guardians, teachers, counselors, administrators, as well as community stakeholders from local businesses and industries. Their purpose is to provide advice and assistance for the school counseling and guidance program within the Baldwin County School System. Their purpose is to provide advice and assistance for the school counseling and guidance program within the Baldwin County School System.

Counseling and Guidance Advisory Council A second purpose is to review program goals, competencies, and results, and to participate in making recommendations to the school counseling and guidance department. A second purpose is to review program goals, competencies, and results, and to participate in making recommendations to the school counseling and guidance department. Each school has its own building-level counseling and guidance advisory council, and it functions much like the district’s advisory council. Each school has its own building-level counseling and guidance advisory council, and it functions much like the district’s advisory council.

The professional school counselor is a certified teacher with a master’s degree or certification in school counseling, including coursework in career development, human growth and behavior, guidance and information services, and a supervised internship.