Counselor's Dragon Den
About Me:
Hello Incredible Allison Dragon Families.
My name is Mr. Daniel Alvarez and I am the school counselor at Allison Elementary. This is my second year at Allison. Overall, I have been in the education field for 20 plus years and a school counselor for 10 years. I look forward to assisting my families and students this upcoming year.
TSCA CREST Campus Designee
In 2005, Texas School Counselor Association began a program called CREST to recognize schools with outstanding counseling programs. Schools receiving CREST awards have demonstrated a commitment using the Texas Model to improve the lives and achievement of students in academic, career, and personal social domains. The Texas School Counseling Association is proud to announce CREST winners for the 2023-2024 school year. CREST is a continuous improvement document that gives a school counseling program an opportunity to demonstrate effective communication and a commitment to obtaining results. CREST helps counselors to evaluate their counseling programs, promote their programs to the stakeholders in their districts, demonstrate the effectiveness of their guidance and counseling programs through empirical means, and to implement the Texas and National models for school counseling programs.
CREST looks at the counseling program in five categories:
• Introduction to the School and the Role of the Professional School Counselor
• Program Implementation Cycle
• Foundational Components
• Four Service Delivery Components
• Program Curriculum
The counseling team prepares a digital submission that highlights these areas and communicates just what the counseling program is doing to help students succeed. These are sent to reviewers throughout the state of Texas to be judged according to pre-set standards of excellence.
Congratulations to Allison Elementary for being one of an elite group of schools from across the state to win the CREST Award for Counseling Excellence for 2023-2024.
No Place for hate campus
Sponsored by the Anti-defense League. This designation is a school climate improvement program that focuses on the unique culture of the school and needs.
No place for hate Pledge
Climate surveys to data
School wide programs which lead to discussions
This program is designed to help students improve communication and improve respect among all students.
seed model Campus
Campuses follow one of four critical practice areas identified as identified by the CASEL roadmap:
Take time to cultivate and deepen relationships, build partnerships, and plan.
Design opportunities where adults can connect, heal, and build their capacity to support students.
Create safe, supportive, and equitable learning environments that promote all students’ social and emotional development.
Use data as an opportunity to share power, deepen relationships, and continuously improve support for students, families, and staff.
This designation is given to schools which effectively demonstrate the process of continual social and emotional growth and for each successive year they choose to engage in continued documentation of their progress and goal-setting.
Counseling Program Overview
In Austin ISD, we following the Texas Comprehensive School Counseling model. This model gives us four main components to focus on to help assist the needs of the students at the school. The follow components are Responsive Services, Individual Planning, System Support, and Guidance Curriculum. I will discuss these components in the following sections! Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.
The Four Components of the Texas School Comprehensive Counseling Model
Responsive Services
Responsive services are services provided to students. These services can both proactive and reactive. Proactive responsive services include targeted individual student sessions and Small Group sessons. Reactive responsive services can be crisis or noncrisis students assistance.
Individual Planning
Individual Planning sessions can be one-on-one brief student discussions. These discussions can include middle school transition, career topics, goal setting, and behavior supports. These sessions can be up to 15 mins to complete.
System Support
System support include discussion with parents, school wide programs such as Start With Hello week and coordination services. At Allison, we have a mentoring program (Seedlings), Outside counseling provider assistance, Community in Schools, and others.
Guidance Curriculum
Guidance Curriculum follow the four skill goals from the Texas Counseling Model. These goals also align with the CASEL Sel Model. The four skill goals include interpersonal skills, intrapersonal skills, person health and safety, and post secondary awareness.
Resources
Help students and parents help themselves by making resources easily accessible.
Seedling mentoring program
This program is a mentoring program for students who have a loved one who is/was incarcarated or deported. Seedling mentors meet once a week during the student's lunch hour. If you are interested in the program, please contact Mr. Alvarez.
