Student Service & Counseling
Student Service & Counseling
DeKalb County Schools
Guidance Plan
Mission Statement
The mission of DeKalb County’s comprehensive school counseling and guidance program strive to prepare every student socially, academically, and emotionally for present and future challenges. Students are provided with opportunities to gain an understanding of self and others, to participate in educational and occupational exploration, and to pursue career planning opportunities in an environment that is safe, caring, and encouraging. Counselors work in collaborative partnerships with students, educators, parents, and community members to empower students to reach their highest level as productive members of society.
The comprehensive school counseling and guidance program is an essential integrated component of the total instructional program through which students have opportunities for academic, career, and personal/social development. In this regard, the school counseling and guidance program involves a planned, purposeful, and sequential program of activities that begins in kindergarten and continues through the twelfth grade. Comprehensive school counseling and guidance programs are data-driven by student needs and provide outcome-based accountability measures that align the school counseling and guidance program with the school’s overall academic mission.
Programs and Benefits
All stakeholders in DeKalb County share the benefits of this plan. School counseling and guidance programs have a positive impact on students, parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, boards of education, school counselors, counselor educators, communities, post secondary institutions, and student services personnel.
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- Ensures every student access to the school counseling and guidance program.
- Monitors and interprets data to facilitate student improvement and school success.
- Provides strategies for closing the achievement gap.
- Promotes the most challenging and appropriate academic curriculum for each student.
- Advocates for students and promotes equitable access to educational opportunities.
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- Supports active partnerships for student learning and career planning.
- Invites and coordinates access to school and community resources.
- Advocates for student academic, career, and personal development.
- Provides training and informational workshops.
- Provides data for information on student progress.
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- Promotes an interdisciplinary team approach to address student needs and educational goals.
- Increases collaboration with school counselors and teachers.
- Supports development of classroom management skills.
- Analyzes data to improve school climate and student achievement.
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- Develops and implements a school counseling and guidance plan to promote student success.
- Utilizes data for school improvement.
- Uses data for implementation of the Alabama PEPE Program for Counselors.
- Provides a proactive school guidance curriculum that addresses student needs and enhances school climate.
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- Provides data that support the implementation of a standards-based school counseling and guidance program.
- Ensures equity and access to a quality school counseling and guidance program for every student.
- Articulates appropriate credentials and staffing ratios.
- Informs the community about school counseling and guidance program success.
- Provides data about improved student achievement.
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- Defines responsibilities within the context of a school counseling and guidance program.
- Supports access to every student.
- Provides a tool for program management, implementation, and accountability.
- Recognizes school counselors as leaders, advocates, and agents of change.
- Ensures the school counseling and guidance program contributes to the school’s mission.
- Provides evidence of ongoing activities for the implementation of the Alabama PEPE Program for Counselors.
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- Builds collaboration between counselor education programs and schools.
- Provides a framework for school counseling and guidance programs.
- Provides a model for site-based school counseling fieldwork and internships.
- Increases data collection for collaborative research on school counseling and guidance programs
- Establishes a framework for professional development to benefit practicing school counselors.
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- Builds collaboration with businesses and industries and enhances the potential for every student’s postsecondary success.
- Provides a workforce with a stronger academic foundation.
- Promotes equity and access to the workforce.
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- Enhances articulation and transition of the student to postsecondary institutions.
- Encourages and supports rigorous academic preparation that prepares every student for the most appropriate postsecondary educational opportunities.
- Attempts to seek a wide range of substantial postsecondary options, including college.
- Promotes equity and access to postsecondary education for every student.
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- Defines the school counseling and guidance program.
- Maximizes collaborative teaming to ensure individual student success.
- Uses school counseling and guidance program data to maximize benefits for individual student growth.
- Increases collaboration for utilizing school and community resources.
Programs Delivery Components
DeKalb County’s comprehensive school counseling and guidance program will ensure that every student has multiple opportunities to acquire competencies in the three domains of Academic Development, Career Development, and Personal/Social Development. A combination of the four program delivery components (School Guidance Curriculum, Individual Student Planning, Responsive Services, and System Support) should be utilized in assisting students to achieve these competencies. (See Figure 1, page 10.)
DeKalb County School Guidance Curriculum
DeKalb County guidance curriculum will include structured experiences presented systematically through classroom and group activities from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The curriculum emphasizes decision making; self-understanding; study skills; and career exploration, preparation, and planning. Examples of school guidance curriculum delivery options within this component may include, but are not restricted to:
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Counselors facilitate, co-lead, or assist in the delivery of guidance curriculum activities. These activities may be conducted in the classroom, in the guidance center, or in other school facilities.
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Counselors conduct small-group counseling sessions outside the classroom to respond to students’ identified interests or needs. Small-group counseling may be either immediate-response or long-term counseling.
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Counselors participate on interdisciplinary teams to develop and refine curriculum in content areas. These teams develop classroom units that integrate subject matter with the school guidance curriculum. Counselors assist teachers in the delivery of classroom units that lead to acquisition of competencies in the domains of affective, social, and employability skills for every student in developmentally appropriate ways.
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Counselors conduct workshops or information sessions for parents or guardians to address the needs of the school community and to reflect the school counseling and guidance curriculum.
Topics for school guidance curriculum activities within this component may include, but are not limited to:
- Self-Concept
- Career Awareness and Exploration
- Communication Skills
- Study Skills
- Peer Relationships
- Choice-Making Skills
- Substance Abuse Programs
- Personal Safety
- Post-High School Planning
- Pre-Employment Skills
Individual Student Planning
Individual student planning 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, while academic counseling includes postsecondary education, career/technical education, and career planning. Examples of individual student planning delivery options within this component may include, but are not restricted to:
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Counselors help students assess and interpret individual abilities, interests, skills, and achievements. The utilization of appropriate assessment information becomes an important aspect of individual development of immediate and long-range plans.
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Counselors help students acquire self-appraisal skills; personal and social development skills; and educational, career, and labor market information. This information assists students in planning for personal, academic, and career aspirations. Counselors recognize the critical need to enlist teachers and parents or guardians in helping students make academic and career choices.
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Counselors advise students in making transitions by providing information and by assisting in the access of resources.
Topics for individual student planning activities may include, but are not limited to:- Career Awareness and Exploration
- Four-Year Educational Plan
- Career/Technical Education Programs
- Honors and Awards Program
- Teacher Advisor Programs
- Financial Aid/Scholarship Advising
- Career Shadowing
- Role Playing
- Postsecondary Application Process
- Student Portfolios
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DeKalb County has services that include counseling or referral activities that meet the immediate needs and concerns of students. Responsive services include personal counseling, crisis counseling, problem solving, agency referral, and consultation. Examples of responsive services delivery options within this component may include, but are not restricted to:
- Consultation
School counselors serve as student advocates by consulting with students, parents or guardians, educators, and community agencies regarding strategies to help students and families. Advocacy may include participation in student study teams and student management teams. - Personal Counseling
Counseling is provided in small-group or individual settings for students experiencing difficulties dealing with relationships, personal concerns, or developmentally appropriate tasks. Personal counseling assists students in identifying problems, causes, alternatives, and consequences leading to informed decision making. - Crisis Counseling
Counseling and support services are provided to students and families facing emotional crises as outlined in the school crisis management plan. Crisis counseling is normally short-term and temporary, using appropriate referral sources if necessary. - Peer Facilitation
Counselors may train students as peer mediators, conflict managers, tutors, and mentors. Programs should adhere to the ethics standards and practices established by the National Peer Helpers Association.
- Consultation
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Counselors use referral sources to enhance the services provided through the school counseling and guidance program. These referral sources may include, but are not restricted to:
- DeKalb County Heath Department
- DeKalb County Technical School
- DeKalb County Summer School Program
- DeKalb County School Extended Day Program
- DeKalb County Schools Senior Work Program
- Dekalb County Mental Health
- Children’s Advocacy Center
- DeKalb County Human Resources
- Immigration Naturalization Services
- Family Initiative
- Reading Academy
- Christian Community Outreach
- 21st Century Grant
- Language Acquisition
- High Hopes
- All Kids
- Safe and Drug Free Schools
- Upper Sand Mountain Parrish
- Community Action Agency
- Mental Retardation Board
- Community Action Agency
- Amelia Center
- Homework Hotline
- Mountain View
- Mentor DeKalb
- Kids One Transportation
- BHM Amonche
- Jump Start
System Support
DeKalb County’s system support includes indirect guidance management activities that maintain and enhance the total counseling and guidance program. Responsibilities in this area include staff relations, community relations, task forces, professional development, support teams, test interpretation, data analysis, and curriculum development. This component provides appropriate support to academic programs. Examples of system support delivery options within this component may include, but are not restricted to:
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Counselors are regularly involved in updating professional knowledge and skills. This may involve participating in regular school in-service training, attending professional meetings, completing postgraduate course work, and contributing to professional journals.
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Counselors attend system and school in-service training to ensure counseling skills are updated in the areas of curriculum development, technology, and data analysis. Counselors may provide in-service instruction in school guidance curriculum and areas of special concern to the school and community.
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Counselors provide important contributions to the school system by consulting, partnering, collaborating, and teaming.
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Counselors design activities to orient the staff and community about the comprehensive school counseling and guidance program.
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Counselors forge partnerships with local businesses, industries, and social service agencies. Community outreach requires counselors to be knowledgeable about community resources, employment opportunities, and local labor market information.
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Counselors consult regularly with teachers and professional staff members in order to receive feedback on emerging needs of students and to provide information and support to staff.
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Counselors participate in the ongoing review and revision of academic curriculum materials as related to data analysis, student advocacy, postsecondary education, and career/technical education planning.
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Counselors form counseling and guidance advisory committees at both the system and the individual school level. Counselors actively serve on community committees or advisory councils that influence other programs to generate support for system and individual school counseling and guidance programs.
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Planning and management tasks include the support of activities conducted in the school counseling and guidance program and responsibilities expected of a member of the school staff. Budget, facilities, policies and procedures, and research and resource development are elements of management activities.
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Some examples of counselor research and evaluation include PEPE or other personnel guidance evaluations, program evaluations, data analysis, follow-up studies, professional development, and updating of resources.
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Fair-share responsibilities may include such tasks as bus duty, playground duty, class/club sponsorship, and taking tickets at sports events. Non-guidance responsibilities assigned to counselors should not be above and beyond those of other certified staff members, and should not interfere with the delivery of guidance services.
Programs Structural Components
DeKalb County’s Local Education Agency (LEA) Counseling and Guidance Advisory Committee
In order to ensure that the system’s comprehensive counseling and guidance program is an integral part of the total school system and community, the DeKalb County’s LEA counseling and guidance advisory committee must be in place. The DeKalb County’s LEA counseling and guidance advisory committee is a representative group of persons appointed to provide advice and assistance for the school counseling and guidance program within a school system. The committee should consist of representative stakeholders of the school counseling and guidance program, including students, parents or guardians, teachers, counselors, administrators, school board members, as well as business and community representatives. Ideally, advisory committee membership reflects the community’s diversity. The advisory committee serves as a communication liaison between the comprehensive counseling and guidance program and the community. The DeKalb County’s LEA counseling and guidance advisory committee reviews program goals, competencies, and results, and participates in making recommendations to the school counseling and guidance department, principal, and superintendent. It is recommended that the committee meet at least twice a year.
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In addition to the Dekalb County’s LEA counseling and guidance advisory committee, each local school must establish a counseling and guidance advisory committee to advise and assist with the development and implementation of the comprehensive counseling and guidance program as reflected in the DeKalb County’s LEA advisory committee guidelines. The committee helps identify student needs and provides program support. The individual school counseling and guidance committee assists with the development and implementation of the comprehensive counseling and guidance program. Committee members represent all interested parties of the comprehensive counseling and guidance program: students, parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, and community resource persons. It is recommended that the committee meet at least twice a year.
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Coordination and direction of the DeKalb County’s LEA’s comprehensive counseling and guidance program is critical. Counseling and guidance coordinators provide necessary support for comprehensive school guidance program development, implementation, and evaluation of procedures that enhance the effectiveness of the school system’s comprehensive counseling and guidance program. Counseling and guidance coordinators serve as facilitators, leaders, supporters, and advisors. Counseling and guidance coordinators provide leadership to ensure the credibility of the comprehensive counseling and guidance program for faculty, staff, and the community.
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Administrative support is critical to full implementation of the comprehensive counseling and guidance program. Principals, as chief administrators in DeKalb County schools, are ultimately responsible for the success of all instructional programs, including the school counseling and guidance program. Principals understand the role of school counselors and provide the necessary support for counselors to fulfill that role. Such support includes the provision of adequate facilities, materials, and clerical staff to allow counselors to use their specialized training in an effective manner. Principals provide input into program development and encourage and support participation of all school personnel in the implementation of the counseling and guidance program.
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Counselors assume the leadership role for managing and implementing the comprehensive counseling and guidance program in their school. Counselors are responsible for the systematic delivery and evaluation of structured developmental counseling and guidance services to all students. Counselors work directly with students, individually and in small groups, to deal with unique or problem-centered concerns that require more privacy or attention than can be accommodated in structured guidance activities. Counselors serve students indirectly by acting as consultants to administrators, teachers, parents, and others to help them understand and respond to the developmental, emotional, and social needs of students. Counselors coordinate various activities within the school that are related to student welfare. Appropriate referrals, placements, and follow-ups are activities that are particularly pertinent to counseling.
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At the elementary level, counselors assist students in their efforts to learn the skills and attitudes required for school success. Elementary school counselors emphasize decision-making skills and early exploration of career and educational goals. These counselors also place strong emphasis on helping students develop self-awareness, self-esteem, and good interpersonal relationships.
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During the middle school grades, counselors’ concerns shift to the changing needs of the young adolescent. Middle school counselors focus on helping students to establish, identify, and balance academic, career, and personal/social goals. Efforts begun in elementary schools are continued and expanded, although an emphasis is placed on the transition into high school. In addition, middle school counselors help students integrate knowledge of their interests, aptitude, and academic skills into the formation of a high school four-year educational plan and educational/career planning portfolio for high school and beyond.
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The high school counseling and guidance program builds on goals from the elementary and middle school. The high school program assists students in applying and enhancing acquired knowledge and understanding as they strive to become responsible adults. Counseling and guidance activities help students develop realistic and fulfilling life plans. Competency in decision making is stressed, career planning is refined, and personal responsibility is emphasized. The high school four-year educational plan and the educational/career planning portfolio, developed in the middle school, move with the student to the high school and are reviewed and updated annually.
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Teachers play a vital role in DeKalb County’s planning and implementation of a comprehensive school counseling and guidance program. As professionals who have the greatest contact with students, teachers are in the best position to recognize and help provide for the developmental and individual needs of students. Through appropriate communication and referral, teachers facilitate the interaction between students and counselors. Teachers demonstrate support for the program by providing adequate opportunities for student-counselor contact. Teachers contribute directly to the school counseling and guidance program by helping counselors deliver programs that facilitate the academic, career, and personal/social development of students. Teachers strengthen and follow through on concepts presented to help students retain the knowledge, skills, and understanding established through the program. Teacher support, input, and expertise make it possible for the school counseling and guidance program to become an integral part of the total educational program.
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Appropriate guidance resources are required for each of the four program delivery components: School Guidance Curriculum, Individual Student Planning, Responsive Services, and System Support. These resources include equipment and materials, staff expertise, and community resources. Resource materials must be relevant to the program, appropriate for the diversity of the school and community, and of sufficient quantity to be useful. All counselors should be provided the necessary equipment and materials to implement the comprehensive counseling and guidance program.