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Running head: REAL WORLD COUNSELING 1
School Counseling in the Real World
Emily Curtis, Julie New, & Ashleigh Stambaugh
Salem College
April 19, 2014
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 2
School Counseling in the Real World
As students of the school counseling profession, we work to learn competencies,
counseling theories, and the ASCA National Model, but how will this all fit together as we build
real world programs at schools all over the country? This project allowed us to meet with
counselors who are already doing it, who are affecting the lives of young people, and inspiring
them to become active, academically competent individuals who will become contributing
members to society. It is these hands on lessons that will give us a true insight in to problems
and challenges that counselors face daily as they seek to lead their students and administrations
through the complicated educational maze.
As we interviewed counselors at various schools types including rural elementary to
urban, as well as grade levels from elementary to high school, we worked to find their
similarities and their differences. Are there best practices that can be pulled from their various
programs that we can incorporate into our processes? This report will show that we determined
for each interview subject how they advocate for their students, and how they collaborate with all
school areas and the community.
We discovered how today’s counselors coordinate and consult within their school, their
departments, and the community to work with all students, not just those with specific needs.
We will demonstrate how they are educational leaders, and how they have to allocate very
limited resources. We will show strategies our real world counselors use to attack diversity issues
with an understanding of multi-cultural as well as academically based challenges their students
face.
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 3
Counselor Introductions
Lisa Wagoner
The counselors we interviewed came from varied educational and career fields which
made a difference, we believe, in how they work and face their challenges. Lisa Wagoner began
her educational career by obtaining a BA in Psychology from UNC- C and then obtained a M.Ed.
in School Counseling from there as well. She has been counseling since 1990 at the elementary
and high school levels (K-8 school, K-6 school, 9-12 school, and an early college) which gives
her great insight to all the areas of social and academic development of her students. Her current
school, West Yadkin Elementary, is a rural K-6 school with 600+ students, which is a Title 1
school that has a 40% Hispanic population. Six to eight elementary schools in Yadkin County
have to share counselors and resources.
Anna Gilkey
Anna Gilkey received her BA in Psychology with teaching license from Mary Baldwin
College, then taught elementary school for seven years. She then went to Wake Forest
University for her MA in Clinical/Mental Health with School counseling license. She has
worked four years as a school counselor with two years each at Starmount High, and North
Forsyth High. At her current school (NFHS), there are 1250 students, it is a Title 1 school with
40% black, 40% white, 15% Hispanic, and 5 % other making up the demographic population.
There are five counselors total which include one full time director, one full time registrar, one
full time guidance clerk, one full time counselor, and one full time social worker. She spends
approximately 60% of her time in directly counseling work.
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 4
Melinda Vest
Melinda Vest has a MA in Marriage and Family Counseling and worked as a family
counselor for a few years before deciding she wanted to be a school counselor. She took classes
geared to counseling the K-12 age children and took the Praxis for school counselors. Her
current school is Clemmons Middle School which is a Title 1 school that has approximately 801
students. The school has two counselors each assigned a specific grade, and they split the seventh
grade in half by teams and work with the students that way to make sure all have appropriate
services.
Breanne Clements
Breanne Clements obtained her BA from Salem College in Music performance and
worked in college admissions for nine years at two different schools prior to beginning her work
in the school counseling field. She went to NC A&T State University and got her MA in school
counseling, and has been a school counselor for two years. She works at the Randolph Early
College High School in Asheboro NC where she is responsible for 296 students as the only
counselor. This is a non-traditional public high school where students may earn their high school
diploma at the same time they earn an Associate’s degree. The school is made of up 66.3%
white, 3.5% multi-racial, 4.5% African American, 22.1% Hispanic and 4.6% other.
Amy Garner
Amy Garner received her BA from UNC-G in Human development with a minor in social
work. She completed her Master in counseling at UNC-G as well and has been a school
counselor since early 2000. She currently works at Southmont Elementary school in Asheboro
NC which is a Title 1 school where she is responsible as the only counselor for 643 students.
Southmont has a high population of white and Hispanic students and is working hard under a
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 5
school improvement plan to make sure all their students are well prepared in Reading and Math.
Their math pass rate scores are well above the state average and they are getting much closer in
reading.
Advocating and Collaborating
Advocating
The ASCA National Model is very clear that we as school counselors need to be strong
advocates for our students, our schools, and our profession. School counselor competency “I-B-
3 advocates for student success, and states that a school counselor (I-B-3a) understands and
defines advocacy and its role in comprehensive school counseling programs” (Association,
2013). “We must advocate on behalf of the children, the schools, and the communities we serve –
both as student advocates and advocates of our profession… If not “you” then “who?” (Dr.
Morris, 2014, p. 5). Advocacy is very important to promoting the programs and services that we
as school counselors have to offer. “In other words, if our “publics” do not know what we –
school counselors – do … they will not be willing or able to support us” (Dr. Morris, 2014, p.2;
New, 2014, p. 7).
“The ASCA Ethical Standards for school counselors calls on school counselors to
advocate for, lead and create equity-based school counseling programs that help close
achievement, opportunity and attainment gaps” (Association, 2013). Our counselors were all
asked to explain what steps have been taken to achieve this in their schools, and their approaches
seemed to vary based on the size school they are and what resources they had available.
Clements said that “serving as a member on the School Improvement Team is the best way for
me to gain information and assist in implementing school-wide programs for students” (New,
2014). Ms. Gikley targets achievement gap as part of two goals in SIT plan (especially Hispanic
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 6
students and black male students), community and schools program, mentoring programs,
individual meetings, parent-teacher conferences, Hispanic Achievers Program with the YMCA
working with Juntos and touring businesses and it created an in-school community for Hispanic
students (Curtis, 2014) Other ways that counselors advocate for student academic success is by
offering tutoring classes to students that did not understand lessons throughout the week, and
some schools even offer a Saturday Academy for students that are not performing at grade level
(Stambaugh, 2014).
From a professional standpoint, we as counselors must advocate not just for our students,
but for ourselves and our value in the community. We must “promote a professional identity and
increase the public image of counseling” (Dr. Morris, 2014, p. 3). We must also work on
“developing inter-professional and intra-professional collaboration; and work on “promoting
legislative policy initiatives” (Dr. Morris, 2014, p. 3). We should work within these four areas as
well as social justice areas to advocate for ourselves as we work to build and maintain
comprehensive counseling programs.
Collaboration
The ASCA National Model Competency I-B-4 says that “an effective school counselor is
able to accomplish measurable objectives demonstrating the following abilities and skills:
collaborates with parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and other stakeholders to
promote and support student success” (ASCA, 2012; Curtis, New, & Stambaugh, 2014). When
asked what level of importance is placed on collaboration in your school counseling program,
answers varied based on the size and scope of their programs. Clements stated that
“collaboration is HUGE at RECHS because we have a small staff of 19, with me being the only
counselor. We also have a smaller student body of around 280 students (New, 2014). She tries
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 7
to constantly keep the lines of communication open between herself and the staff, students and
parents (New, 2014). “Also, Randolph County School System Student Services conducts almost
monthly meetings to bring together all counselors (elementary, middle, and high), social workers,
drop-out prevention advocates, and nurses” (New, 2014, p. Q4). Wagoner and Vest both cited
the fact that communication is key and that they participate on as many committee’s as possible
in order make sure programs are working properly (Curtis, 2014 & Stambaugh, 2014). Table 1
in the Appendix A, gives us examples of how advocacy and collaboration go hand and hand to
aid school counselors with working with students and other members of their administrations and
communities.
Collaboration often involves teaming or partnering with parents, businesses, or other
outside organizations (ASCA, 2012). When our counselors were asked who are some teams or
partners that your school counseling department rely upon to help improve student achievement,
and fulfill the goals of the school counseling program (Curtis, New, & Stambaugh, 2014), it was
interesting to see what agencies had a presence in the schools. Lisa Wagoner uses “Hospice for
low cost counseling services, Mobile Crisis Unit for psychological crisis (1-888-235-4673),
Juvenile Justice System for students who have behavioral issues that are out of control, DSS
(Department of Social Services) for homeless students, hypothetical concerns (to report or not
report), School Social Worker (only 2 for 14 schools in Yadkin County)” (Curtis, 2014). Ms.
Vest collaborates with the community by giving some students access to outside tutoring
(Stambaugh, 2014). They also offer tutoring in house to any student who needs it, and they refer
out to Mental Health programs (Stambaugh, 2014). They give the parents a list of 7-8 agencies or
therapists that they have previously gotten good feedback if an outside referral becomes
necessary (Stambaugh, 2014).
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 8
Coordinating and Consulting
Coordinating
Coordination is part of a larger process that includes collaboration, consultation, and
program management. According to Dahir and Stone (2012) the coordination of services is
defined as “counselors serve as a liaison between teachers, parents, support personnel, and
community resources to facilitate successful student development. School counselors secure the
appropriate and necessary services and supports that are essential to every student’s ability to
achieve” (Dahir & Stone, 2012). Coordination, like consultation, is a daily part of the school
counselor’s job. Collaboration may occur between the school counselor and regular education
teachers, special education teachers, parents, administrators, community agencies, and other
stakeholders in the education process.
Through our interviews, we gained insight into the coordination process for school
counselors. At the elementary level, coordination begins with scheduling. Due to elementary
classes staying together and working with one teacher all day, there are not normal transitions
built in the schedule for other classes. Therefore, the teachers and the school counselor must
coordinate their schedules to arrange for students to have counseling class at least once a month
(Curtis, 2014). This coordination is made easier through the use of the calendar function of
Google Apps (Curtis, 2014). This allows teachers to look at the schedule of the school counselor
and plan for counseling class based on the counseling schedule and their own classroom
schedule. At the middle school level it is important for teachers and the school counselor to
coordinate counseling sessions around instructional time. In order to limit students from missing
core classes, counseling is generally scheduled during the time that students attend elective
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 9
classes (Stambaugh, 2014). In high school, coordination is key to keeping the daily schedule of
students working smoothly while still allowing counselors to play an active role in student
achievement. One way that teachers and counselors coordinate is through the English
department. Since all students must take an English class each year of high school, this is an
excellent opportunity for classroom teachers to allow the counselors to work with students on
college and career planning (Curtis, 2014). Also, the health classes coordinate with the
counseling department to share information with students (Curtis, 2014).
Consultation
Consultation is an important part of a school counselor's job on many different levels.
School counselors may be called upon to seek consultations from outside agencies. They may
also provide consultation based on their own training. Consultation come up multiple times
throughout the ASCA National Model Competencies (Association, 2012). One of the first
mentions of consultation is in competency III-B-1i in the management section (Association,
2012). The competency states that an effective school counselor “uses personal reflection,
consultation and supervision to promote professional growth and development” (Association,
2012). Consultation is revisited in the delivery section of the competencies (Association, 2012).
Competencies IV-B-5a, 5b, and 5c discuss consultation and the role it plays in school
counseling. These competencies look at consultation from both perspectives that of providing
consultation and seeking consultation by working with everyone involved in the education
process.
Based on the information provided through our interviews, consultation is important in
the daily work of school counseling. Lisa Wagoner, of West Yadkin Elementary School, uses
many different forms of consultation with teachers and parents (Curtis, 2014). PBIS, Positive
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 10
Behavior Intervention Supports, are used to consult on daily behavior, the calendar function of
Google Apps is used to consult on times for counseling classes, and SWAT, School-Wide
Assessment Team, consults with Lisa on different types of assessments and performance
information at the school (Curtis, 2014). For Melinda Vest, of Clemmons Middle School, and
Anna Gilkey of North Forsyth High Schools, maintain regular contact with all faculty members
to provide any necessary consultation (Curtis & Stambaugh, 2014).
Consultation must be a daily part of a school counselor’s job. Though a school counselor
may not have to seek outside consultation on a day to day basis, in-house consultation is
constant. For all of the counselors interviewed, it is common to be consulted by teachers,
parents, and/or administrators in regard to grades, attendance, EC (Exceptional Children)
services, and behavior on a daily basis (Curtis, New, & Stambaugh, 2014).
Educational Leadership and Managing Resources
Educational Leadership
Leadership is one of the main themes of the ASCA National Model. The ASCA National
Model states that structural leadership is used when you are building a strong foundation and
counseling program, and involves developing a strong focus (ASCA, 2012). We asked our
counselor interviewees “how do you as a counselor lead your organization in building a solid
counseling program foundation” (Curtis, New, & Stambaugh, 2014)? Wagoner stated that a
counselor develops monthly themes in regard to character, and school-wide projects that are
supported and encouraged in the whole school (Curtis, 2014). In Wagoner’s school each teacher
signs his or her students up for a 35-45 minute class with the counselor each month (Curtis,
2014). In the school Gilkey is a school counselor at they have departmental meetings weekly to
address patterns and procedural issues, and monthly in this meeting they address the annual plan
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 11
to gauge how much progress they have made towards goals (Curtis, 2014). In the school that
Vest is at they have a month-to-month plan that they follow and the counselors work as a team to
achieve these goals and include the parents, teachers and administrators in their plans
(Stambaugh, 2014). Garner stated that having lots of communication and being a part of all of
the committees makes your program stronger (New, 2014). Clements stated that she was still
working on her leadership skills, since she has only been a counselor for two years (New, 2014).
When asked about how, as a leader, they track the policies and procedures of the school
in relation to student progress Clements and Vest both stated that looking at grades at teacher
reports are good ways to see if students are making progress (New, 2014; Stambaugh, 2014).
Garner talked about meeting with students individually and inside the classrooms about anti-
bullying and instructing teachers to identify bullying (New, 2014). Wagoner stated that this was
mostly an administrative process; whereas Gilkey stated that they talked about it in their weekly
departmental meetings (Curtis, 2014).
There are many different types of leadership in the world and in our interviews, we
focused on political leadership and symbolic leadership. Political leadership, according to the
ASCA National Model, is known as the “use of interpersonal and organizational power” (ASCA,
2012, pp.3) and provides the school and the community specifics of your counseling plan. We
asked our counselors “do you create an annual counseling plan” (Curtis, New, & Stambaugh,
2014)? “Who has input into the plan and whom is the plan presented to when complete” (Curtis,
New, & Stambaugh, 2014)? Wagoner stated that they have a monthly schedule of classes,
monthly themes and everything is presented to the administration (Curtis, 2014). Gilkey
described an annual plan that is developed by the entire department and presented to the central
office (Curtis, 2014). Vest stated that her and her co-counselor create a plan every two years that
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 12
is broken down into month-to-month goals (Stambaugh, 2014). Garner has not had a specific
written out plan in the past but due to having a new principal she will be developing one for next
year (New, 2014). Clements creates a new plan each year and she asks the students by survey for
input into the new plan and the principal also has a say in how her plan is written (New, 2014).
Symbolic leadership is another type of leadership that we addressed with our
interviewees. Symbolic leadership is “leadership via the interpretation and re-interpretation of
the meaning of change” (ASCA, 2012, pp.4). This leadership role is one where the counselor
needs to really be in tune with the needs of the school and the students. We asked the counselors:
“how do you provide services to all students, not just the individuals that present themselves to
you with a need” (Curtis, New, & Stambaugh, 2014)? We also asked “how do you help your
administrators and staff work with change in the educational arena” (Curtis, New, & Stambaugh,
2014)? Wagoner, Vest, Garner and Clements all use a type of classroom lesson to make sure
each student is touched by their services (Curtis, 2014; Stambaugh, 2014; New, 2014). Gilkey
uses individual student meetings and faculty meetings (Curtis, 2014).
Managing Resources
Managing resources is a key part in the profession of school counseling. Working with
budget and time constraints, as well as being able to connect with the resources out in the
community to make sure all students get the services they need is paramount. Being able to
compile a list of therapy and tutoring resources that our students can utilize is helpful to the day-
to-day functions of a school counselor.
Budget cuts and constraints are a real issue in the school system. More often than not
when federal government introduce budget cuts one of the first things they cut is education
budget. We asked our counselors, “as you try to manage limited financial resources, what do you
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 13
find, within your program, to be the most difficult to do without, in order to meet the needs of
your students” (Curtis, New, & Stambaugh, 2014)? Gilkey stated that money is always an issue;
they work with limited resources and even charge students for copies of their transcript (Curtis,
2014). Vest stated that she does not really have an issue with financial resources; it is more of a
time constraint (Stambaugh, 2014). Garner stated that the PTO for her school works hard to give
their school grants for various projects but most of the money goes to teachers for resources for
their classrooms (New, 2014). Clements stated she was thankful for the vast amounts of free
resources on the internet, however with not all children having access to a computer or internet at
home she has to spend a lot of one on one time with many students to help them fill out college
applications and forms (New, 2014).
Being able to use your available resources to run a good program can help you be
successful when working with students. Time can be a great resource and the ASCA competency
III-A-4 suggests using short and long-term time management skills, such as calendars and
schedules, as a way to help students, as well as school administrators, be successful. We asked
our school counselors, “what forms of time management do you sue and which methods of time
management are also made liable to others, at your school, to use” (Curtis, New, & Stambaugh,
2014)? Wagoner stated that “using google docs for calendars and referrals and the counseling
class schedule” (Curtis, 2014). Gilkey responded with “the annual plan, department meetings,
individual meetings with students, and a departmental calendar that is posted on the wall two
weeks out” (Curtis, 2014). Vest stated that she tries to pull students during electives classes if
possible so that they do not miss core instruction courses; she also tries to do her classroom
instruction around the same time each year so that the teachers know to expect her (Stambaugh,
2014). Clements stated that they provided all students with planners/calendars each year and
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 14
give time management skill classes to freshman; they also encourage google docs and calendars
(New, 2014). Garner stated that she uses a chart to track her days in 30-minute slots to get an
adequate idea of how she is spending her time (New, 2014).
A school counselor should be able to use technology, such as the internet and information
management systems, as a resource to work with students and staff. We asked the counselors,
“what forms of technology does your program use to reach your students” (Curtis, New, &
Stambaugh, 2014)? Wagoner talked about utilizing a website that was provided by the county for
each school and faculty member; google drive resources and phone calls via the all-call system
(Curtis, 2014). Gilkey utilizes a counseling website, scholarship newsletters, e-mail, and info
posted on the local news channel (Curtis, 2014). Vest uses a source called Power School for
report cards, the surveys that are given to students are compiled and the date placed into a
program called Counselor tools that analyzes the data and gives each student a list of possible
careers options based on likes and dislikes (Stambaugh, 2014). Garner uses smart boards a lot to
get the attention of students when doing a classroom lesson, once she has their attention she likes
to use face-to-face activities (New, 2014). Clements gets new students to fill out contact data
sheets so that she can e-mail, mass text (without the text giving out her phone number), and she
also utilizes the two monitors in the school that scroll through various information (New, 2014).
One question we asked the counselors was about counseling resources; “where do you
get resources such as how to deal with anger management, low self-esteem and other issues your
students may face” (Curtis, New, & Stambaugh, 2014)? Gilkey stated that she tries relationship
building with the student and working with the 504 coordinator (Curtis, 2014). Vest stated that if
the issue is situational she tries to work with the student on a one-on-one basis to find out the
issues that are underlying, however, if the issue is ongoing she gives the parents a list of places
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 15
she has used for referrals in the past so that the student can get more in-depth help (Stambaugh,
2014). Garner uses the internet to find resources, she belongs to many blogs and groups that
share helpful resources (New, 2014). Clements also uses the internet a lot to find resources for
these issues and she also stated that the county level Director of Student Services also passes
along information on these types of resources that are brought to her attention (New, 2014).
Challenges facing today’s counselors
Diversity & Multicultural issues
Diversity in our schools can be vast and varied, including areas such as age, race,
culture, and academic or grade level to just mention a few” (New, 2014). The area that is
receiving more and more focus in a counselor’s day to day work is that of multicultural issues.
“The ASCA states that “multicultural counseling competencies include school counselors’ (a)
awareness of their own beliefs and attitudes toward diverse cultures and people, (b) knowledge
and appreciation of diverse cultures, and (c) counseling skills to address the diverse needs of
their students and stake holders” (ASCA, 2010: Sue, 1992; Lambie & Limberg, 2011, pg. 46;
New, 2014).
As we work with any type of diverse populations, it is important for us to really look at
ourselves as we approach these situations. Mark Good offers us the following as a road map to
help guide us through what can be tricky at best.
“Inclusion of all – exclusion of none – OR equity versus just equality – doing the
right thing for all, not just making everything equal (Good, 2012; New, 2014).
Discomfort equals position change – OR coming out of your comfort zone to see how
others exist and relate (Good, 2012; New, 2014).
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 16
Self-evaluation – looking at our assumptions, not assuming, not stereotyping (Good,
2012; New, 2014).
Practicing world view – put yourself in someone else’s shoes (Good, 2012; New,
2014).
Healthy communication – really reaching out to someone on their level” (New, 2014).
If we take these suggestions into account as we work with any diverse population, we should be
able to deal with everyone in an equitable, fair manner.
School safety
School counselors can play a major role in maintaining a safe school environment. Since
school counselors are not limited to spending the whole day in a classroom, they are more
available to move about the school and help observe and monitor daily interactions, comings,
and goings of students. Through our interviews, a common idea was that of maintaining a
presence on campus. All of the counselors said that it is important to them to be seen by students
regularly throughout the day, especially during any social times, like lunch, breaks, and class
changes (Curtis, New, & Stambaugh, 2014). By simply being more present on campus, students
are more likely to feel safe, recognize an adult that can help, and share important information
that can contribute to maintaining school safety. Another way that school counselors can assist
with school safety is through coordination, collaboration, and consultation. When teachers and
administrators work with school counselors to recognize and improve behavior problems, school
safety can also be improved. Since school counselors have specific training in managing many
different types of student issues, not just academic issues like teachers, students can be referred
to the counseling department to talk and work through their issues. Also, school counselors are
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 17
trained to recognize psychological issues, such as depression or violent tendencies, providing
them with important knowledge that can help keep students safe at school.
Special Needs
School counselors are one of the key players in special education placement. School
counselors work together with teachers, parents and administrators to test students who are
behind in class tested to see if they need to be in special education. One of the many ways they
test these students is by using programs such as the Response to Intervention (RtI) program. RtI
is the program that is used to satisfy the “instructional needs for all students to prevent long-term
school failure” (Danir & Stone, 2012, p. 287). If this program is implemented and the student
still does not make improvement then the student is considered eligible for special education.
According to Danir and Stone, “Special education encompasses the entire range of learning,
emotional, and physical disabilities, and in some states also includes students who have special
abilities, gifts or talents” (2012, p.301).
There are many laws in place to protect students that are in special needs programs. The
Educational for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 also known as Public Law 94-172,
“protected the rights of all children and required states to provide ‘free and appropriate
education’ for all children between the ages of 3 and 21, regardless of the handicapping condition
or disability” (Danir & Stone, 2012, p.300). In 1991 this was rewritten as the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act or IDEA. IDEA took out the word handicapped and stated that every
disabled student should be allowed an education equivalent to that of a normal child (Danir &
Stone, 2012). An Individualized Education Plan or IEP is compiled with the parents, teachers
and school counselors to determine the needs of each student and what services are required.
Another law that helps these students is Section 504 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973 (Danir &
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 18
Stone, 2012). Section 504 “was the first congressional action to mandate that individuals with
disabilities could not be discriminated against or denied benefit from any program receiving
federal funding solely based on being disabled (Danir & Stone, 2012, p. 309).” School
counselors help make sure that schools abide by these laws and collaborate with administrators,
teachers, parents and students to make sure that all students get a fair and appropriate education.
Conclusion
Talking to counselors in the “real world” during this project was eye opening for all of us.
We learned that their jobs are hard and demanding, but are also very rewarding. What really
stuck out from our studies is how important it is to consult with others to make sure the students
are getting all that they need to be successful. We heard concrete evidence of how coordinating
activities within departments, administrations, and communities gives the students the best
chance to grow up and contribute to society.
We discussed and were given examples of how counselors take on the role of educational
leaders throughout their work, and how important it is for them to advocate for their students and
their profession. We heard how difficult it is to manage limited resources and how counselors
collaborate in all areas of the school and community to make sure their students have what they
need.
Finally, we learned how counselors work with diversity which at times can be difficult.
Diversity can be multicultural and age or grade related, and that a multitude of characteristics can
make a student population struggle to come together. We came to understand why school safety
is so important to the learning atmosphere and culture, and how without it, real learning can stop.
Being a school counselor encompasses many tasks and skills, all of which are very important to
building a strong foundation for the students we serve.
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 19
References
Association, A. S. (2012). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling
programs (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.
Association, A. S. (2013). School Counselor Competencies. Retrieved from
www.schoolcounselor.org
Curtis, E. (2014). Interview Questions with Anna Gilkey. Winston-Salem, NC: Salem College.
Curtis, E. (2014). Interview Questions with Lisa Wagoner. Winston-Salem, NC: Salem College.
Curtis, E., New, J., & Stambaugh, A. (2014). Group C Questions. Winston-Salem, NC: Salem
College.
Dahir, C., & Stone, C. (2012). The Transformed school counselor. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole
Cencage Learning.
Dr. Morris, A. (2014). School Counselors: Leaders and advocates. Winston-Salem, NC: Salem
College.
Good, M. (2012). http://salem.learninghouse.com/mod/page/view.php?id=3554. The five steps
that make diversity work, parts 1-3.
New, J. (2014). Hispanic Culture in our schools. Winston-Salem, NC: Salem College.
New, J. (2014). Interview Questions with Amy Garner. Winston-Salem, NC: Salem College.
New, J. (2014). Interview Questions with Breanne Clements. Winston-Salem, NC: Salem
College.
New, J. (2014). Leadership and Advocacy. Winston-Salem, NC: Salem College.
New, J. (2014). Week 7 Discussion Question 2. Winston-Salem, NC: Salem College.
Stambaugh, A. (2014). Interview Questions with West, Melinda. Winston-Salem, NC: Salem
College.
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 20
Appendix A
Table 1
Advocacy & collaboration competencies
Competencies Services for Students & CommunityStudent Empowerment (Micro) Teaching core curriculum; completing
individual student goal setting and tracking;
responding to specific needs of individuals
through counseling (Association, 2012)
Student Advocacy (Micro) Working with individuals directly through
consultation, collaboration and in small
groups (Association, 2012)
School/Community Collaboration(Micro)
Using advisory councils to set goals for
community and programs to implement
curriculum (Association, 2012)
Systems Advocacy (Micro) Using consultation, collaboration and various
assessments to bring about change to systems
that may not be working as well as they could
be working (Association, 2012)
Public Information (Macro) Collaborating between the school counselor
and the community to give mission, vision
and results of programs (Association, 2012)
Social/Political Advocacy (Macro) Advocating for change in the political arena
as necessary to correct legislative issues
(Association, 2012)
Reprinted from (New, 2014, p. 8)
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 21
Appendix B
Interview transcripts
Learning Group C Interview Questions
Breanne Clements
Bachelors from Salem College in Music Performance
Masters from NC A&T State University in School Counseling.
Breanne worked in college admissions for nine years prior to becoming a school
counselor.
1. Consultation is defined as sharing strategies for improvement (ASCA, 2012). How
does the school counseling department consult with classroom teachers, including EC teachers,
to provide the highest quality services possible for all students? How often do you/your
department consult with other teachers? I meet weekly with teachers during team/grade-level
meetings. A large part of our discussion revolves around student concerns (academic,
personal, social, etc.). I meet with EC teachers on an as needed basis. At RECHS we have
very few students receiving EC services.
2. How often do you/your department consult with parents in regard to student
achievement and success? By which methods does this consultation occur? I conduct at least
one open parent meeting a year for each grade level. This allows for the delivery of a
variety of information. Consultation with parents occurs face-to-face (conferencing with or
without the student), phone calls (#1 method), and email.
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 22
3. How often do teachers seek consultation from the counseling department to improve
student achievement? What methods of strategy sharing does your department provide for all
teachers at your school? During our weekly team/grade-level meetings we discuss ways to
address students’ needs. Suggestions include time and stress management strategies, and
test taking skills.
4. The ASCA National Model Competency I-B-4 says that “an effective school counselor
is able to accomplish measurable objectives demonstrating the following abilities and skills:
Collaborates with parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and other stakeholders to
promote and support student success” (ASCA, 2012). What level of importance is placed on
collaboration in your school counseling department? Collaboration is HUGE at RECHS. We
have a small staff of 19, with me being the only counselor. We also have a smaller student
body of around 280 students. I try to constantly keep the lines of communication open
between myself and our staff, students and parents. Also, Randolph County School System
Student Services conducts almost monthly meetings to bring together all counselors
(elementary, middle, and high), social workers, drop-out prevention advocates, and nurses.
5. Collaboration is defined as working with others to enhance achievement, advocate for
equity, and provide access to school counseling for all students (ASCA, 2012). On which
committees or councils do you or your department serve? What is the role you play? What
contributions do you make to the committee or council? I am part of almost every committee
we have at RECHS. Some of the ones I’m on include the School Improvement Team, the
Recruitment Team, the Attendance Committee, and the Scholarship Team. The School
Improvement Team is the most time consuming. The SIT is charged with setting goals for
the school addressing academic achievement, school safety, etc. The only team I lead is the
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 23
Scholarship Team. We meet to either choose or nominate students for scholarships, special
programs, and special recognition. My role on each committee is to serve as a contributing
member. I collect and analyze data, participate in discussions, and work with the teams to
make decisions.
6. Collaboration often involves teaming or partnering with parents, businesses, or other
outside organizations (ASCA, 2012). What are some teams or partners that your school
counseling department rely upon to help improve student achievement and fulfill the goals of the
school counseling program? Since we are an early college, we have a Liaison who works
with us and RCC. The relationships she has built allows myself and other school leaders to
have access to student progress in the both the high school and college classrooms. This
information is used to determine the academic needs of our students.
7. Within these teams or partnerships, what are the specific goals that the school
counseling program has established and how do the teams or partnerships work together to fulfill
these goals? N/A
8. One important group of stakeholders in education are parents. As it is very important
to collaborate with parents, by what means does the school counseling program collaborate with
parents on a large scale, for example, by grade level? How does the school counseling
department collaborate with parents in terms of college and career planning? We conduct
parent meetings for each grade level throughout the year. Topics of discussion typically
include expectations for the school year, graduation information, testing information,
school specifics, college admissions and financial aid, etc. Also, I send out a series of emails
(almost like a newsletter) to grade level specific parents or to the parent population as a
whole.
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 24
9. Collaboration is one of the four themes of the ASCA National Model. This theme has
two facets, one of which is collaboration in school. How does the school counseling department
support and encourage collaboration among students, teachers, administrators, staff and school
counselors? I was lucky enough to come into a school environment that has a well-
established communication system. Ways of maintaining that system include student
conferences, team meetings, parent meetings, etc.
10. The ASCA National Model states that structural leadership is used when you are
building a strong foundation and counseling program, and involves developing a strong focus
(ASCA, 2012). How do you as a counselor lead your organization in building a solid counseling
program foundation? I am completing my second year as a counselor, so I am still working
on building my leadership skills.
11. As a leader, how do you track the policies and procedures of your school and
students to see if they are making progress? How do you determine what changes, if any, need to
be made? Grades, teacher input, and student self-reporting are the best ways to determine
progress. In deciding on changes to be made, collaboration is key. Decisions regarding
students are made by a group, including the student.
12. The ASCA National model defines human resource development as “leadership via
empowerment and inspiration of followers” (ASCA, 2012, pp.3). What do you, as a counselor,
do to empower your students? What programs are in place in your school to inspire your
students? Our school promotes self-advocating for our students beginning their freshman
year. We hold students accountable for their decisions/actions, while also helping them to
understand the importance of making good decisions.
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 25
13. Political leadership is the “use of interpersonal and organizational power” (ASCA,
2012, pp. 3) and gives the school and community the specifics of your counseling plan. Do you
create an annual counseling plan? Who has input into the plan? Who is the plan presented to
when complete? I do create a counseling plan each year as part of my professional growth
plan. My principal and students (from surveys) have input into my plan. I don’t really
present the plan to anyone specific.
14. Symbolic leadership is “leadership via the interpretation and re-interpretation of the
meaning of change” (ASCA, 2012, pp. 4). This leadership role is one where the counselor needs
to really be in tune with the needs of the school and the students. How do you provide services
to ALL students, not just the individuals that present themselves to you with a need? How do
you help your administrators and staff work with change in the educational arena? Services
provided for every student include individual counseling (when requested), classroom
guidance, college/career planning, and testing preparation. I try to stay in the know with
the educational changes through weekly team meetings, the committees I serve on, and the
information provided from my principal and NCDPI.
15. As you try to manage limited financial resources, what do you find, within your
program, to be the most difficult to do without, in order to meet the needs of your students? How
do you work to resolve this issue? Thankfully, the internet provides a wealth of free
resources that can usually meet the needs of students, or at least alleviate some of the needs.
I wish there was a way to provide computer and internet access for all students while they
are home. In the technology driven world in which we live, it is important to remember
that not every student has computer/internet access at home. In the college admissions
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 26
process, most documents are completed and submitted online. I spend many hours one-on-
one with students filling out these forms/documents in my office.
16. Being able to use your available resources to run a good program can really help you
be successful when working with students. Time can be a great resource and the ASCA
Competency III-A-4 suggests using short- and long-term time management skills, such as
calendars and schedules, as a way to help students, as well as school administrators, be
successful. What forms of time management do you use and which methods of time management
are also made available to others, at your school to use? We provide a student
handbook/planner to each student at the beginning of the school year. For the freshman we
conduct lessons on time management and how to utilize their planners. We also use google
calendars and encourage students with phones to use the phone calendars and alarms.
17. A school counselor should be able to use technology, such as the internet and
information management systems, as a resource to work with students and staff. What forms of
technology does your program use to reach your students? I keep an email list of each grade
level to get out information quickly. At the beginning of each school year, I have students
complete data sheets with their contact information. There are sites where you can plug in
their cell phone numbers and send out mass texts to students without them having access to
your number. Our school has 2 monitors used to scroll through information
(announcements, dates, etc.), which I often use.
18. Where do you get resources such as how to deal with anger management, low self-
esteem and other issues your students may face? There is a wealth of knowledge on the
internet. Also, there are organizations you can sign-up for free resources to be delivered
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 27
via email or mail. The Director of Students Services at the county level does a wonderful
job of passing along information that comes across her desk.
19. How does your organization evaluate resources, both financial and otherwise, that
will be needed and what plans do you have in place to get these needs met. Do you have a grant
writer or someone else who can help you work to obtain additional backing from public forums?
Being a public high school, all of our resources come from the county office. Therefore, all
requests for funds have to be approved by the county office.
20. As a counselor one of the most important responsibilities is advocating for students.
When advocating for students, who do you find to be the most difficult to work with, in terms of
collaborating with other staff or community services? The most difficult to work with are
some of the strict rules and paperwork required to get services for students. I know that is
not a specific group or organization, but the amount of red tape associated with some
educational services is unreal.
21. Most people would assume that the students you have to advocate for the most would
be either students with special needs or troubled students. What type of students would you say
you have to or do advocate for the most? I don’t know that there is a specific type of student
that I advocate for more than others.
22. The ASCA National Model states, “The ASCA Ethical Standards for school
counselors call on school counselors to advocate for, lead and create equity-based school
counseling programs that help close achievement, opportunity and attainment gaps.” What steps
have been taken to achieve this in your school? Serving as a member on the School
Improvement Team is the best way for me to gain information and assist in implementing
school-wide programs for students.
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 28
23. According to the School Counselor Competencies, School counselors must
coordinate activities that establish, maintain and enhance the school-counseling program. What
types of activities have you coordinated to achieve this? This year, emphasis has been placed
on SAT/ACT testing, including awareness, number of students testing, and preparation. I
have posted dates around the school, on the webpage, and in emails. I have teachers using
the questions of the day and vocabulary words for review. We have communicated the
availability of testing fee waivers (and have run out twice!). Recently we provided a two
day prep course for students, presented by an outside agency.
References
ASCA. (2012). ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs
(3rd ed). Alexandria, VA: The American School Counselor Association.
Dahir, C., & Stone, C. (2012). The Transformed school counselor. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole: Cenage Learning
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 29
Learning Group C Interview Questions
Interviewed: Amy Garner – Bachelor’s from UNC-G in Human Development with Minor
in Social Work
Masters in Counseling from UNC-G
Ratio – 1 to 643 students
1. Consultation is defined as sharing strategies for improvement (ASCA, 2012). How
does the school counseling department consult with classroom teachers, including EC teachers,
to provide the highest quality services possible for all students? How often do you/your
department consult with other teachers? I am on every school committee just about which
while time consuming allows me to be a bridge among the departments. Social workers also
work with us on items such as 504 section plans as does the parents and teachers.
2. How often do you/your department consult with parents in regard to student
achievement and success? By which methods does this consultation occur? Getting parents to
attend meetings or sign paperwork is often a challenge so building that relationship can be
difficult. I use newsletters, website, emails and phone calls to communicate.
3. How often do teachers seek consultation from the counseling department to improve
student achievement? What methods of strategy sharing does your department provide for all
teachers at your school? Other ask for help with behavior plans; we try to empower the
children by teaching assertive versus aggressive behavior skills. I work with the social
worker that travels between five schools and we make home visits often to try and work
with the departments as get parents and students on board. We have a lot of poverty in this
county so there are times when we are working to supply basic needs.
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 30
4. The ASCA National Model Competency I-B-4 says that “an effective school counselor
is able to accomplish measurable objectives demonstrating the following abilities and skills:
Collaborates with parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and other stakeholders to
promote and support student success” (ASCA, 2012). What level of importance is placed on
collaboration in your school counseling department? We advocate for counseling services by
empowering our students through programs like Pride Awards, academic awards and other
things that promote self confidence among the students. Since I am on every committee we
are work together to develop these programs. This helps us teach the children the proper
way to react to various situations.
5. Collaboration is defined as working with others to enhance achievement, advocate for
equity, and provide access to school counseling for all students (ASCA, 2012). On which
committees or councils do you or your department serve? What is the role you play? What
contributions do you make to the committee or council? We have a leadership team of our
administrators that involves even a parent so that we are all working together for the good
of our students. We work on attendance issues, 504 issues, and academic plans with all
areas of the school.
6. Collaboration often involves teaming or partnering with parents, businesses, or other
outside organizations (ASCA, 2012). What are some teams or partners that your school
counseling department rely upon to help improve student achievement and fulfill the goals of the
school counseling program? We collaborate through Beth Allen with local businesses to work
for grants and other business funding for our students. We try to fill back packs for those
without food and we work on social skills and we purchased the “2nd step” program with
grant funds. Unfortunately when the grants are over, we lose staff to help.
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 31
7. Within these teams or partnerships, what are the specific goals that the school
counseling program has established and how do the teams or partnerships work together to fulfill
these goals? We work on items such as bullying by communicating with all students, staff
and presenting a united front. We even post these items on the walls around school to
promote programs such as bullying control, respect and social skills.
8. One important group of stakeholders in education are parents. As it is very important
to collaborate with parents, by what means does the school counseling program collaborate with
parents on a large scale, for example, by grade level? How does the school counseling
department collaborate with parents in terms of college and career planning? We have parent
nights, we send newsletters, we call, and we send emails. We do things like have college
career planning, bring in individuals so that the students hear it from a young age and then
it carries through high school. Career day is a fun day for our students to really hear what
types of jobs are out there.
9. Collaboration is one of the four themes of the ASCA National Model. This theme has
two facets, one of which is collaboration in school. How does the school counseling department
support and encourage collaboration among students, teachers, administrators, and staff and
school counselors? PLC leadership team includes members of all departments as well as a
parent when possible to make sure we are looking at how changes would affect all.
10. The ASCA National Model states that structural leadership is used when you are
building a strong foundation and counseling program, and involves developing a strong focus
(ASCA, 2012). How do you as a counselor lead your organization in building a solid counseling
program foundation? Lots of communication is really important, I also have my
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 32
administrative certification to help me with issues from that aspect. Being a part of all
committees makes your program stronger.
11. As a leader, how do you track the policies and procedures of your school and
students to see if they are making progress? How do you determine what changes, if any, need to
be made? I meet with my students as individuals and inside of the classroom and I believe
the culture of the school shows quite a bit about whether or not programs to teach respect
and anti-bullying is working. If it isn’t then I go back into the classes and also work with
teachers on how to recognize bullying etc. to make changes.
12. The ASCA National model defines human resource development as “leadership via
empowerment and inspiration of followers” (ASCA, 2012, pp.3). What do you, as a counselor,
do to empower your students? What programs are in place in your school to inspire your
students? We use things such as the Pride Awards to see if bullying techniques and
programs are affective. I even have a mail box that if a child is afraid to speak with me that
they can stick in a note. I work hard to keep my students safe and make them feel
empowered.
13. Political leadership is the “use of interpersonal and organizational power” (ASCA,
2012, pp. 3) and gives the school and community the specifics of your counseling plan. Do you
create an annual counseling plan? Who has input into the plan? Who is the plan presented to
when complete? Politics is a tricky subject and I do not get as much time work in this area
as I would like at times due to the volume of students I have that I work with now. I have
been with a principal for a long time so an annual plan hasn’t been put into writing
however, we have a new principal now so I will be updating it this year for her and working
out how we want to approach things to go forward.
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 33
14. Symbolic leadership is “leadership via the interpretation and re-interpretation of the
meaning of change” (ASCA, 2012, pp. 4). This leadership role is one where the counselor needs
to really be in tune with the needs of the school and the students. How do you provide services
to ALL students, not just the individuals that present themselves to you with a need? How do
you help your administrators and staff work with change in the educational arena? I work with
all students by teaching lessons such as the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and the
2nd Step program. This allows me to teach the same concepts and expectations to all
students then work one on one with those that need additional help. I also work with social
workers and other administrators to determine if a student needs to be referred out for
additional help.
15. As you try to manage limited financial resources, what do you find, within your
program, to be the most difficult to do without, in order to meet the needs of your students? How
do you work to resolve this issue? We do have a strong PTO that works to give us grants for
various projects as they can, we have used some of them to start groups such as all girl
book clubs and all boy book clubs. They help us but there are a lot of times that the
teachers absorb some of the costs for things they need in their own classrooms. We try to us
resources well, and we make a lot of things ourselves to help.
16. Being able to use your available resources to run a good program can really help you
be successful when working with students. Time can be a great resource and the ASCA
Competency III-A-4 suggests using short- and long-term time management skills, such as
calendars and schedules, as a way to help students, as well as school administrators, be
successful. What forms of time management do you use and which methods of time management
are also made available to others, at your school to use? There are a lot of valuable resources
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 34
available on the internet and we do all we can to use that if possible. I personally use a
chart to track my days in 30 minute time slots, filling in what I already know I have, but
adding in students or other classes I teach as they happen so I have an accurate picture of
how I am spending my time.
17. A school counselor should be able to use technology, such as the internet and
information management systems, as a resource to work with students and staff. What forms of
technology does your program use to reach your students? We use smartboards a lot and I will
usually start my presentations with that but I really believe that having the students work
face to face is more important to help them develop social skills. So, while I may lead with
technology to get their attending, I will usually end up with face to face activities.
18. Where do you get resources such as how to deal with anger management, low self-
esteem and other issues your students may face? I use the internet A LOT because there are so
many great resources out there. I also belong to counselor blogs and Facebook groups so we
can share resources that we find.
19. How does your organization evaluate resources, both financial and otherwise, that
will be needed and what plans do you have in place to get these needs met. Do you have a grant
writer or someone else who can help you work to obtain additional backing from public forums?
We do needs analysis and try to obtain grants but we do not have someone that does this
full time at our school.
20. As a counselor one of the most important responsibilities is advocating for students.
When advocating for students, who do you find to be the most difficult to work with, in terms of
collaborating with other staff or community services? I find this difficult because there are
times when I am put in the middle between the school and a child, a parent and a child or
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 35
parent and the school. I advocate for my students but have to be careful not to alienate
their parents or teacher.
21. Most people would assume that the students you have to advocate for the most would
be either students with special needs or troubled students. What type of students would you say
you have to or do advocate for the most? I would say that bullying prevention is one of the
top things I have to advocate for the group as a whole. My troubled students it is difficult in
this county to refer to proper authorities and there is a real mental health crisis in this area
with very limited resources.
22. The ASCA National Model states, “The ASCA Ethical Standards for school
counselor’s call on school counselors to advocate for, lead and create equity-based school
counseling programs that help close achievement, opportunity and attainment gaps.” What steps
have been taken to achieve this in your school? I advocate strongly for services for our AG
students, I really believe they must be challenged. I also work a lot with students that basic
needs such as food and shelter are not being met. I have worked in “town” and it is a truly
urban environment within a rural area. That school had real urban issues, and where I am
not is more about basic needs.
23. According to the School Counselor Competencies, School counselors must
coordinate activities that establish, maintain and enhance the school-counseling program. What
types of activities have you coordinated to achieve this? I coordinate programs such as Career
days, Red Ribbon Week, PBIS, Pride Awards and Star 3. I think that empowering our
students and creating a safe respectful environment is very important when working with
our students. Confidentiality is very important when leading students and teachers and
making sure that everyone follows through on what they say they are going to do.
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 36
References
ASCA. (2012). ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs
(3rd ed). Alexandria, VA: The American School Counselor Association.
Dahir, C., & Stone, C. (2012). The Transformed school counselor. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole: Cenage Learning
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 37
Learning Group C Interview Questions
A. Please describe your credentials and your work history/experience.
Lisa Wagoner: BA Psychology (UNCC) and M.Ed in School Counseling (UNCC).
Counseling since 1990 at elementary and high school levels (K-8 school, K-6 school, 9-12
school, early college). Current school, West Yadkin Elementary, rural K-6, 600+ students,
Title I school, 40% Hispanic, 1 full-time counselor, 6/8 elementary schools in Yadkin
country share counselors
Anna Gilkey: BA Psychology with teaching license from Mary Baldwin College,
taught elem school for 7 years; WFU, 2 yrs MA in Clinical/Mental Health with School
Counseling License, working as school counselor 4 years, 2 years at Starmount High and 2
years at N. Forsyth High. Current school, NFHS - 1250 students, Title I school, 40% black,
40% white, 15% hispanic, 5% other. 5 counselors total (1 full-time director, also 1 full-time
registrar, 1 full-time guidance clerk, 1 full-time social worker) 60% of working time
dedicated to counseling work
Melinda Vest: MA in Marriage and Family Counseling, worked as a family
counselor for a few years and then decided she wanted to be a school counselor so she took
some other counseling classes that were more geared to counseling in schools and took the
Praxis for School Counselors. Current school: Clemmons Middle school about 801
students; this school has two counselors each assigned a grade and they split 7th grade in
half by teams.
1. Consultation is defined as sharing strategies for improvement (ASCA, 2012). How
does the school counseling department consult with classroom teachers, including EC teachers,
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 38
to provide the highest quality services possible for all students? How often do you/your
department consult with other teachers?
Consultation through PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Support), Google Docs
calendars and student referral forms, School and Teacher websites, SWAT (School-Wide
Assessment Team). Consultation is often informal through email and face-to-face contact,
counselor makes herself available by moving throughout the school throughout the day.
Very involved, regularly check attendance, monitor report cards and weekly grades check
Everyday they communicate using various methods, e-mail, phone walking up, tons
of feedback, they are always making sure everyone that is needed is in the loop.
2. How often do you/your department consult with parents in regard to student
achievement and success? By which methods does this consultation occur?
Concerns are brought to parent attention openly and regularly, early stage contact is
crucial, counselor makes contact via phone or email (whichever method is preferred by parents)
Teacher is the expert, assist in the connection between hom and school, can observe
classroom environment to corroborate issues
each situation is different but parents are brought in when needed and they are also
notified by phone or e-mail or letter when needed for non-emergent needs.
3. How often do teachers seek consultation from the counseling department to improve
student achievement? What methods of strategy sharing does your department provide for all
teachers at your school?
multiple times daily, SWAT
Often, faculty meetings, School Improvement Team
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 39
4. The ASCA National Model Competency I-B-4 says that “an effective school counselor
is able to accomplish measurable objectives demonstrating the following abilities and skills:
Collaborates with parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and other stakeholders to
promote and support student success” (ASCA, 2012). What level of importance is placed on
collaboration in your school counseling department?
highly collaborative and supportive school environment, all faculty and staff work toward
helping the whole child
communication is important through all channels, the environment is a highly
cohesive one
5. Collaboration is defined as working with others to enhance achievement, advocate for
equity, and provide access to school counseling for all students (ASCA, 2012). On which
committees or councils do you or your department serve? What is the role you play? What
contributions do you make to the committee or council?
SWAT, faculty meetings, monthly county counselor meetings, PLCs (Professional
Learning Communities)
Attendance, SIT, Rachel’s Challenge, serve on committees (any committee asked to join)
Between the two counselors at this school there is not a school committee that one of
this is not on or the head of.
6. Collaboration often involves teaming or partnering with parents, businesses, or other
outside organizations (ASCA, 2012). What are some teams or partners that your school
counseling department rely upon to help improve student achievement and fulfill the goals of the
school counseling program?
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 40
Hospice for low cost counseling services, Mobile Crisis Unit for psychological crisis (1-
888-235-4673), Juvenile Justice System for students who have behavioral issues that are out of
control, DSS (Department of Social Services) for homeless students, hypothetical concerns (to
report or not report), School Social Worker (only 2 for 14 schools in Yadkin County)
Big Brothers/Big Sisters for repeat 9th graders, Family Engagement Coordination
(Student Services), Senior Academy (at risk to graduate) part of Graduate at Pace program which
works members of the Chamber of Commerce to provide incentives to graduate on time
There is some referral to outside tutoring but they offer tutoring in house to any
student who needs it, they also refer out to Mental Health programs, they give the parents a
list of 7-8 agencies or therapists that they have previously gotten good feedback about.
7. Within these teams or partnerships, what are the specific goals that the school
counseling program has established and how do the teams or partnerships work together to fulfill
these goals?
Juntos 4-H for community involvement for Hispanic students, Lunch Bunch for small
groups during lunch, to improve school community
Increase graduation rate, decrease dropout rates, improve attendance, decrease discipline
problems, increase academic achievement
8. One important group of stakeholders in education are parents. As it is very important
to collaborate with parents, by what means does the school counseling program collaborate with
parents on a large scale, for example, by grade level? How does the school counseling
department collaborate with parents in terms of college and career planning? not especially
applicable at this school
REAL WORLD COUNSELING 41
grade level meetings for parents in spanish and english, title i parent night meetings (both
languages), hold meetings for parents on nights when there are athletic activities already
scheduled, one-call now phone tree system, email addresses for as many parents as possible, all
paperwork and forms require parent signature, college nights, career planning nights, FAFSA
nights, Tax prep truck, FAFSA truck to the school
they meet with parents and students and develop a 4 year high school program.
They have a cost of living program called the School of Hard Knocks that the parents
really like to help out with. They give students a survey of what they want to be when they
grow up, then they take a month and they have to “live” off the “money” the average
person in that field makes, they are given a check and they have to buy groceries and pay
utilities and a house payment, basically learn what it is like to live in the real world.
9. Collaboration is one of the four themes of the ASCA National Model. This theme has
two facets, one of which is collaboration in school. How does the school counseling department
support and encourage collaboration among students, teachers, administrators, staff and school
counselors?not a great deal of collaboration with students, but all others through SWAT and
faculty meetings
SIT meetings 2x per month (students and parents on the team and in attendance at the
meetings), Faculty meetings 1x per month, Parent-teacher conferences, Title I meetings with 4
parents of mixed background
always trying to include the students in their own learning and working with
parents and teachers to make sure the children is succeeding
10. The ASCA National Model states that structural leadership is used when you are
building a strong foundation and counseling program, and involves developing a strong focus
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(ASCA, 2012). How do you as a counselor lead your organization in building a solid counseling
program foundation?
counselor develops monthly themes in regard to character, school-wide projects that are
supported and encouraged in the whole school, counseling class schedule - each class of students
has at least one lesson per month with the school counselor (she has her own classroom, teachers
sign up for the time that works best for them, 30-45 min classes)
Departmental meeting weekly (counseling dept), director of the dept leads the meeting,
discuss patterns and procedural stuff, make data-driven decisions, promote equity, monthly look
at annual plan and address progress toward to goals
Support from staff, involving parents, teachers, kids. work as a team with the other
counselor, having a month to month plan of what is going to be done.
11. As a leader, how do you track the policies and procedures of your school and
students to see if they are making progress? How do you determine what changes, if any, need to
be made?handled mostly by administration in this specific school
included in response to question 10
by checking report cards and attendance
12. The ASCA National model defines human resource development as “leadership via
empowerment and inspiration of followers” (ASCA, 2012, pp.3). What do you, as a counselor,
do to empower your students? What programs are in place in your school to inspire your
students?
keep kids involved in the school community, make thank you cards for staff members,
give them a sense of leadership and belonging within the school community
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Friends of Rachel program - works toward student empowerment counselor attends
sutdent activities, senior info sheet and individual meetings in Sept and Feb
this school uses a group called Friends of Rachel which is a national program that
came in and trained staff to use this program to make school a safer and kinder place, it
also teaches good morals.
13. Political leadership is the “use of interpersonal and organizational power” (ASCA,
2012, pp. 3) and gives the school and community the specifics of your counseling plan. Do you
create an annual counseling plan? Who has input into the plan? Who is the plan presented to
when complete?
Monthly schedule of classes, monthly themes, everything goes through the administration
(great administrative support for school counseling at this school)
Annual plan, whole dept included in plan, plan submitted to the central office
Creates a new plan every two years of a month to month plan.
14. Symbolic leadership is “leadership via the interpretation and re-interpretation of the
meaning of change” (ASCA, 2012, pp. 4). This leadership role is one where the counselor needs
to really be in tune with the needs of the school and the students. How do you provide services
to ALL students, not just the individuals that present themselves to you with a need? How do
you help your administrators and staff work with change in the educational arena?
all students attend monthly classroom lesson with counselor, counselor maintains strong
presence on campus, everyone works together through PBIS, SWAT, faculty meetings, signing
up for counseling lessons, participating in school-wide projects
indvidual studetn meetings, use voicemail, SIT and faculty meetings
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has set classroom lessons maybe once every two or three months; school of hard
knocks touches every 8th grade student.
15. As you try to manage limited financial resources, what do you find, within your
program, to be the most difficult to do without, in order to meet the needs of your students? How
do you work to resolve this issue?
money always a problem, work with limited resources, charge students for copy of
transcript
No financial pressures or issues, more of a time issue.
16. Being able to use your available resources to run a good program can really help you
be successful when working with students. Time can be a great resource and the ASCA
Competency III-A-4 suggests using short- and long-term time management skills, such as
calendars and schedules, as a way to help students, as well as school administrators, be
successful. What forms of time management do you use and which methods of time management
are also made available to others, at your school, to use?counseling class schedule, PBIS before
and after school each day, use of google docs for calendars and referrals (to make it faster and
easier to request assistance)
Annual plan, dept meeting, individual meetins with students, departmental calendar
posted on the wall 2 weeks out
Trying to pull students during elective classes if possible, tries doing class lessons
around the same time of year.
17. A school counselor should be able to use technology, such as the internet and
information management systems, as a resource to work with students and staff. What forms of
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technology does your program use to reach your students?website provided by county for each
school and faculty member, google drive resources, phone calls (all-call system)
Counseling website, scholarship newsletter, email, phone tree, info posted on the local
access cable channel
Power school, for report cards, Word-Excel, Survey that is given to students: info is
put into Counselor Tools program and it spits out career options based on likes and
dislikes.
18. Where do you get resources such as how to deal with anger management, low self-
esteem and other issues your students may face?
Relationship building with student, work with 504 coordinator
Situational- work with kids; ongoing- gives referral to parents of places they can get
more in-depth help.
19. How does your organization evaluate resources, both financial and otherwise, that
will be needed and what plans do you have in place to get these needs met. Do you have a grant
writer or someone else who can help you work to obtain additional backing from public forums?
no grant writer
none no grant writer
20. As a counselor one of the most important responsibilities is advocating for students.
When advocating for students, who do you find to be the most difficult to work with, in terms of
collaborating with other staff or community services?LEP students and parent (limited English
profeciency) due to language and cultural barriers
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drop out risks who have no desire to remain in school (when the adults are working
harder than the students to keep them enrolled), LEP parents and students due to the language
barrier
Parents if they are part of the problem; teachers if they are set in their ways/difficult
to collaborate with.
21. Most people would assume that the students you have to advocate for the most would
be either students with special needs or troubled students. What type of students would you say
you have to or do advocate for the most?homeless students and LEP students
LEP students (Limited English Proficiency), teen moms, middle of the road kids (under
the radar, maybe unnoticed because they are not bad or super good)
Students who are different behaviorally; trying to get the teacher to find something
to love about that student.
22. The ASCA National Model states, “The ASCA Ethical Standards for school
counselors call on school counselors to advocate for, lead and create equity-based school
counseling programs that help close achievement, opportunity and attainment gaps.” What steps
have been taken to achieve this in your school?
Achievement Gap is part of 2 goals in SIT plan (especially hispanic students and black
male students), community and schools program, mentoring programs, individual meetings,
Parent-Teacher conferences, Hispanic Achievers Program with the YMCA working with Juntos
and touring businesses and it created an in-school community for hispanic students
Lots of tutoring: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays one hour after school and
Saturday Academy. During the week tutoring is offered to any student who maybe did not
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understand a recent lesson or needs a bit more help to grasp, or just wants more practice.
Saturday Academy is more for students who are not on grade level.
23. According to the School Counselor Competencies, School counselors must
coordinate activities that establish, maintain and enhance the school-counseling program. What
types of activities have you coordinated to achieve this? regular schedule of classroom lessons,
lunch bunch, PBIS, regular use of referral system and online resource
visit classes to just be seen, CFNC accounts through English classes, 10th grade health
classes are reached through counseling dept, parent nights, individual student meetings,
departmental meetings and plans, college prep info in English 3 classes
School of Hard Knocks and Friends of Rachel
ReferencesASCA. (2012). ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs
(3rd ed). Alexandria, VA: The American School Counselor Association.
Dahir, C., & Stone, C. (2012). The Transformed school counselor. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole: Cenage Learning
Additional information: Lesson on heroes: who are our heroes in our lives, in the
community, at school? Unsung heroes, make thank you cards for unsung heroes at school (bus
drivers, maintenance workers, cafeteria workers
Schoo Behavior Plans: Eagle Bucks - earned for the whole class to get rewards. PBIS -
Personal Behavioral Intervention/Incentive Plan - morning check in with check sheet, set daily
goals, return signed sheet from day before, get new sheet - check out in afternoon, review check
sheet for the day, discuss what went well, have student explain what didn’t work, always use
positive encouragement (better day tomorrow), based on teacher referral, set personal goals,
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encourages parent involvement by requiring daily signature, reward for “Great Day”, sign own
sheet to take responsibility for self, one-on-one discussion with counselor, builds personal,
positive relationships with an adult
Appendix C
Learning Project Log
Salem CollegeLearning Group Project Log
Project Title: The School Counselor: Advocating, Collaborating, Coordinating, Consulting, Leading, and Managing Resources: Interviews with Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School CounselorsProject Objective: Understand the practical applications and challenges of school counseling in the real world.Group: Group C: Emily Curtis, Julie New, Ashleigh StambaughSubmission Date: April 19, 2014Instructor: Anne Sourbeer MorrisMeeting Type: ___X__In-Person _____ E-mail Internet Chat _____ Phone_____ Online Classroom _____ Teleconference Other
Meeting Time*: Sunday, Apr. 13, 2014 - 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
Student Name (printed) X = ParticipatedS. Emily Curtis XJulie New XAshleigh Stambaugh X
Meeting Objective:
Objectives and Tasks 1. Finalize Paper2. Complete PowerPoint Presentation 3. Meet/Confer as a Group4. Proofread and review paper and PowerPoint
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Activities and Timeline1. Review Sections of Paper, Review References2. Complete Conclusion, Format slides, add pictures, review info and sources3. Discuss ideas, clarify topic and objectives, and meet each other4. Review the paper and PowerPoint for minor issues and errors
Outcomes1. All sections were reviewed by all members of the group, everyone is satisfied2. Conclusion has been written, references were reviewed, paper is finalized and ready for submission, PowerPoint was formatted with pictures, flows with the paper, information and sources were reviewed by all members and deemed acceptable3. Members of the group met for the first time, shared ideas and thoughts on the project and the class, all members enjoyed a nice lunch and time together4. Paper was reviewed for minor errors, PowerPoint was reviewed, and both products were prepared for final submission
Delta Exercise: What went well? The group was able to meet and compare ideas to produce the best possible product.What didn't go well? There is nothing that was not to the benefit of the group or the project. What will we do differently next time? No changes necessary for the future.
ASM/February 2012 Adapted from University of Phoenix