1. Organization and Management: Providing Direction for Your School Counseling Program
Frank J. Phinney, M.Ed., LPC, NCC, NCSC
School Counselor
Zachary High School
Phone: (225)

2. Organization and Leadership…
Functional Office Space
Prioritizing Task
Yearly Calendar
Monthly Calendar
Weekly/Daily Flex-Scheduling
Leadership
ASCA Model
Teamwork
Barriers/Breaking Barriers
Leadership Top Ten List

3. Organization: Time to Kondo
Remove the Clutter
Workable stacks is one thing...

4. Organization: Remove the Clutter
REMOVE materials that are underutilized & outdated items, REPLACE with tools that are current & relevant
Questions to ask yourself: Do I USE that…?
Do I NEED those…?
Do I EVER refer to…?
KEEP your desks & filing cabinets clean & organized
Questions to ask yourself:
What CAN I consolidate
What CAN I destroy
What CAN the Dust Fairy do… NOTHING!
REDUCE, REUSE, & RECYCLE

5. Organization: Remove the Clutter
ACTUAL COUNSELORS OFFICE…
KIDDING, BUT YOU GET THE POINT!

6. Organization: Remove the Clutter
PERFECTION…
SO MAYBE THIS IS MY OFFICE, JUST SAYIN!

7. Organization: Remove the Clutter
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Portrays Professional Image – the stakeholders feel less stressed and/or have more confidence in your abilities
Provides Functional Environment – you get more done when unnecessary items are not in your way
Pattern of Pro-Activity – when you have a clutter free environment you can focus on present & future task

8. Organization: Office Set-up
Furniture Placement is CRITICAL to the counseling relationship!
Things to be mindful of:
Get from BEHIND your desk!
Think SOLER
Sit Squarely, Open Posture, Lean In, Eye Contact and Relax
Our offices come in all shapes & sizes (janitor closets to condemned T-buildings)
Do the best you can with what you have!

9. Organization: Remove the Clutter
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
You are a SCHOOL COUNSELOR
Body Language & Non-Verbal's can either be your greatest asset or your greatest detriment; the advantage you are provided is YOU decide how this looks!
Sometimes we can not control the way a day unfolds or the task we are given that preclude us from being most effective…
SO CONTROL THE THINGS YOU CAN!

10. Organization: Prioritizing Task
In hopes to remain SANE with ALL the task that you must
accomplish is:
DETERMINE PRIORITY LEVEL
When applying a priority level consider/ask the following:
COMPLETION date
is it realistic in regards to time to accomplish
TIME to accomplish task
will always determine completion date
PURPOSE of task
is this something you should be doing
STAKEHOLDERS involved
who the person is can impact priority regardless of other criteria

11. Organization: Prioritizing Task
DETERMINING PRIORITY LEVEL:
Franklin Covey’s ABCD Model:
A – Important and Urgent Tasks
Proactive (Assessing At-Risk Students)
Mandatory (Superintendent needs data for board meeting)
B – Important but NOT Urgent Tasks
Active Tasks (Weekly meetings with At-Risk students)
Assist in fulfilling your daily functionality
C– Longstanding task do not require immediate attention
Beneficial and Expand functionality
Not necessarily task but something to PREVENT, i.e. Crisis Situations
D – Delegated Task
Require follow-up

12. Organization: Prioritizing Task
ABCD (continue):
As the deadline approaches for tasks remember their priority level also shifts.
Example: IGPs and academic planning are not an immediate task, however are important. In August they are a level C, however as the year progresses their completion moves to an A.

13. Organization: BREAKOUT
Prioritize the following tasks:
Work on updating IGP’s
Work on organize testing
Scheduling guidance lessons
Principal needs data for tomorrow’s principals meeting
Organizing filing system
Collect needs assessments for group counseling
Report an abuse situation to OCS
Network with feeder schools to improve transition
Data analysis of most recent guidance lesson and report to stakeholders the results
Schedule a counseling referral

14. Organization: The Calendar!
Your BEST FRIEND… THE CALENDAR!!!!!

15. Organization: Prioritizing Task
The Yearly Calendar
This is the BIG PICTURE!
Foundation of everything you do!
Includes the MUST DO items such as:
IGP’s
Testing
At-Risk Groups
Guidance Lessons
Scheduling
Drives the monthly and daily schedules
Share with leadership team for input and availability

16. Organization: Prioritizing Task
The Monthly Calendar
Includes items set in yearly calendar
Allows for adjustment due to unscheduled events, i.e. special speakers, weather days, etc.
Should be distributed to all members of school staff

17. Organization: Prioritizing Task
The Daily Calendar
Where the “Rubber Meets the Road”
Utilize “flex-scheduling” – simply meaning it is a workable document
Idea of addressing situations the exhibit: greater need and urgency that arise
Benefit of having daily calendar include:
Commitment to be somewhere means less intrusion on the task you have prioritized
Gives a better handle on how your day unfolds… provides sense of ACCOMPLISMENT!
Should be reviewed each afternoon before leaving… Know what is ahead and expect no surprises!

18. Organization: Practical Tips
Digital is nice but ANALOG is better –
I use Outlook for appointments (reminders to phone when away from desk)
Using a planner helps to focus on week ahead and budgeting of time
Plan your week on Friday
gives you a chance to see the week ahead and ensures you do not overlook early week obligations
Still in work mode – doesn’t interfere with weekend/down time
Keep to your schedule – learn when to say no and make priority to work within parameters you have set

19. ORGANIZATION
DISCUSSION

20. Management starts with LEADERSHIP

21. Leadership: ASCA Model
ASCA National Model defines roles: Professional School Counselors (PSC) collaborate with many stakeholders to ensure a quality school counseling program. Administrators provide support for the organization, development and implementation… encourage counselor and teacher cooperation… recognizes importance of [each participant’s] role in implementing the school counseling program.

22. Leadership: ASCA Model
What does the research say? Emphasis on student achievement challenges the notion that principal's are the sole leader in a school (Janson, 2008). Janson (2008) also noted additional research that indicated that a leadership model that empowers and utilizes the skills and knowledge of all professionals on a school campus serves as a catalyst to improve student achievement (Halverson, 2003; Leithwood, Seashore Louis, Anderson, Wahlstrom, 2005)

23. Leadership: ASCA Model
Research (cont.): Chata & Loesch (2007) indicated that research reveals the effectiveness of a school counseling program is largely determined by the principal's provision of support. This serves as the basis for ASCA recommendation of principals and PSCs working as a team toward the common goal of assisting students’ in all areas where they may need assistance (Chata & Loesch, 2007).

24. Leadership: Barriers What barriers exist?
Mallory & Jackson (2007) indicated potential barriers:
Training: received before ASCA Model
Inappropriate duties: lack of understanding by administrators of professional competencies of PSCs
Perception of PSCs: Communication on our part is necessary

25. Leadership: Breaking Barriers
What can be done to break the barriers?
Self-Advocacy
Adherence to Professional Standards
Contribute to School Environment
PSCs must learn how to discuss student development and provide data to support their assertions (Hardesty & Dillard, 1994).

26. Becoming a Leader Discuss the following:
What leadership qualities do you possess?
What is preventing you from taking more of a leadership role?

27. Partners in Success: Top Ten
At Zachary High School we have gone to great lengths to ensure the PSC is directly involved in a leadership role and a collaborative partnership with the administrative team. School Counselor Magazine (Nov/Dec 2006), Covington & Grant provided a Top Ten List of why PSCs should be involved in leadership activities.

28. Leadership: Top Ten List
#1 Visibility
“Presence” is Fundamental
Teachers, students and parents have to see you as leader
#2 Availability
Counselor as advisor rather than chairperson
Engage in efforts directly related to student achievement

29. Leadership: Top Ten List
#3 Extension of Leadership Team
Shared Philosophy and Passion = Buy-In for Entire school!
PSCs when in partnership with Administration can have dramatic impact
#4 Knows the Trends
Front Lines – knows student perceptions
Communicates to administration student concerns
Assists new teachers with effective strategies

30. Leadership: Top Ten List
#5 Big Picture Perspective
Solution-Focused approach to problem solving
“Changing Climate” partnership ensures we assist our students & their families access resources
#6 Decision-Making Skills
Assimilate information, process information and make decisions on the data
Data-Driven decision-making – influence school policy, learning strategies, etc.

31. Leadership: Top Ten List
#7 People Skills
Inherent in who we are as counselors: communicators and listeners
Principals are bombarded with information and request to see them… serve as first line of defense!
#8 Coordination and Follow-Up Skills
Do this every day for our students…
Apply these skills globally: school improvement plans and presenting data to stakeholders

32. Leadership: Top Ten List
#9 Leadership Skills
PSCs by position are seen as leaders within the school and community
Utilize this to develop and nurture other leaders
#10 Principals Need Our Help
Roles and Expectations are ever- changing
Principals need leaders willing to step to the task… Gone are the days of the “Counselor in a Closet!”

33. Contact Information:
Frank J. Phinney, M.Ed., LPC, NCC, NCSC
School Counselor
Zachary High School
Phone: (225)