JLD

JLD: GUIDANCE PROGRAM

Guidance Counselors and other personnel shall represent to the students a broad spectrum of education and career opportunities. Race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability shall not be considered as limiting factors in career determination.

Guidance is defined as helping individuals understand themselves in the light of their abilities, aptitudes, interests, attitudes, strengths and limitations. This process should assist students in the development of their potential; their decisions relating to personal, educational, and vocational matters, and also in becoming capable of mature self-guidance.

No material or tests shall be employed for guidance purposes which discriminate and/or limit choices on the bases of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability.

The school system's guidance program will be based on this definition and developed from these broad fundamental principles:

1. Individuals are different from one another in their capabilities, aptitudes, interests, needs, goals, desires and values.

2. Conditions may be improved. Equality of educational opportunity will benefit the individual and society.

3. Guidance is a continuous and developmental process. Every experience of the individual influences his performance in some way.

4. Guidance does not propose to program an individual's course of action but rather tries to assist him in arriving at his own satisfactory solutions.

Guidance services will include: educational guidance; testing programs; occupational, career, and higher education assistance and information; study aids; consultation services; and personal developmental guidance as needed. These services will be available to all students and are dependent on available funds.

While some of the problems of the individual may relate to behavior and consequently entail guidance on behavior, student discipline will not be a regular function of guidance personnel.

LEGAL REFS.: M.G.L. 71:38A through 71:38F; 71:46G

603 CMR 26.0

SOURCE: Georgetown

Adopted on: April 10, 2008