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School Counseling
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ASCA Position StatementsThe American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has developed a number of position statements over the past few years to support school counselors in clarifying their roles in a variety of areas related to school counseling. These documents have been developed by ASCA’s Position Statement Committee and then discussed, revised, and voted on by school counselor delegates from throughout the U.S. at the annual Delegate Assembly meetings. This is the governing body that makes official decisions related to the school counseling profession. Each state, including West Virginia, has delegates that discuss agenda items and vote each year. Position statements are reviewed regularly on a rotating basis to assure they are up-to-date with school counseling practices and other education initiatives. The position statements below provide a national standard for school counseling practices and may be reviewed by counselors and shared to support communication with others regarding the appropriate role of the school counselor and/or best practices. The American School Counselor Association ModelThe American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Model: A Framework for School Counseling ProgramsIn 2003, The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) published its model for school counseling programs. The ASCA Model includes four components, which are the Foundation, the Delivery System, the Management System, and Accountability. In addition, the ASCA Model incorporates the four themes of leadership, advocacy, collaboration, and systemic change as an indication of how critical it is for school counselors to work in these areas to maximize the program’s impact on student achievement and student behavior. Foundation The Foundation component of the ASCA Model includes the set of beliefs and the philosophy which guide the program; the mission, or program purpose; and the three student outcome domains of academic, personal/social and career development. Collectively, these create the what of the school counseling program. According to the ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Program (2003: American School Counseling Association), the assumptions which form the foundation upon which the school counseling program rests include the following: A school counseling program:
Delivery System The school counseling program's delivery system includes the activities, interactions and areas in which counselors work to deliver the program. Within the delivery system there are four components: school counseling curriculum, individual student planning, responsive services, and system support. The school counseling curriculum provides a vehicle for delivering information and connecting with every student in a systematic way. Individual student planning involves working with students and their families to develop and implement the student’s individual learning plan directed toward identifying and achieving future academic and career goals. Responsive services address student's direct, immediate concerns and include counseling, consultation and referral. Finally, the system support component enables the school counseling program to be effective through a variety of support activities including professional development, consultation, collaboration, teaming, program management and operations. Management System The management of a school counseling program is an organized effort: concrete, clearly delineated and reflective of the school site's needs. It involves analysis of relevant data, development of action plans to meet objectives, and provision of organizational activities. It answers the questions of when and why certain activities will take place, who will implement them, and on what authority the school counseling program is delivered. Clear expectations and purposeful interaction with all stakeholders results in a school counseling program that is integrated into the total educational program, and provides student growth and development. Accountability System School counselors determine the effectiveness of the comprehensive school counseling program by measuring results, and use that information to inform program improvement. By collecting data, especially around change in students’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions, the school counselor can evaluate the program’s impact on student achievement, graduation rates, attendance, disciplinary referrals, and other student and system outcomes. For more information on the ASCA National Model, and to read the Executive Summary, go to: http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/ExecSumm.pdf. If you would like to order a copy of The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs (Copyright 2003; ISBN 1-929289-02-2), contact the American School Counseling Association, (800) 306-4722 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (800) 306-4722 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, or www.schoolcounselor.org.
POSITION STATEMENTS Bullying, Harassment and Violence-Prevention Programs Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Comprehensive School Counseling Programs Corporal Punishment in the Schools Crisis/Critical Incident Response in the Schools Dropout Prevention/Students-At-Risk Gifted and Talented Student Programs Prevention and Intervention of Behaviors That Place Students At Risk Retention, Social Promotion and Age-Appropriate Placement School Counseling Preparation Programs |
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West Virginia Department of Education Topics: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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