Missouri School Counseling Program Components

Page 18 of DESE Counseling Manual 2022                                                                        Summary Chart

Figure 2 is a sample chart that summarizes the role of the school counselor, including the four program components. This one-page summary chart can be created for a district’s program to show the services and activities school counselors deliver through a comprehensive school counseling program to students, parents/guardians, and the community.

School Counseling Curriculum

The purpose of the School Counseling Curriculum is to facilitate students’ optimal growth and development by assisting them in acquiring competencies that promote social/emotional development, academic development, and career development. The curriculum component is a necessary part of a comprehensive school counseling program that addresses the school counseling Grade Level Expectations contained in the content element. The skills, knowledge, and attitudes that all students need to acquire should be the instructional responsibility of a comprehensive school counseling program. They are expressed as Grade Level Expectations (GLEs).

The School Counseling Curriculum consists of structured developmental activities presented systematically through classrooms and large groups from kindergarten through grade 12. School Counseling Curriculum activities are delivered through strategies such as classroom lessons and educational assemblies.

The Role of the School Counselor in School Counseling Curriculum

● Classroom Units and Lessons ‐ School counselors work collaboratively with teachers to assist students in learning the Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) of the school counseling curriculum. They may teach alone, in teams, and/or assist the classroom teacher when delivering the units and lessons.

● Educational Activities ‐ School counselors organize or present educational activities to assist students in learning the Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) of the school counseling curriculum.

It is important to work closely with teachers to organize where and when School Counseling Curriculum activities will be taught. These activities should be cross‐referenced to state and national standards and provide effective ways to work closely with classroom teachers to achieve the educational goals of the district.

Individual Student Planning

Students and their parents/guardians have the right to expect that the school district is sensitive and responsive to students’ unique career needs, including their needs for educational goal setting and career planning. The school counselor assists in student transitions: into kindergarten, grade to grade, into middle school, high school and post‐secondary. Thus, an Individual Student Planning component in a comprehensive school counseling program is needed.

The foundation for Individual Student Planning is established during the elementary school years through School Counseling Curriculum lesson activities such as career awareness. It also helps students understand the value of all work and what people do when they go to work. Students and their parents are encouraged to gather and discuss materials that represent the whole child to assist in making decisions about the educational process.

Building on the foundation provided in elementary school, students begin to plan for the future during the middle school years through the Individual Student Planning component. During this period career exploration is introduced which helps students learn more about career paths and clusters, gather information about specific careers, and how these relate to them, and identify personal strengths and limitations. Students are encouraged to gather information about specific careers of interest to assist in making decisions about the high school course selection and the initial development of their Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP).

During the high school years, Career Planning is introduced which helps students apply what they have learned about themselves and career interest to plan courses of study, understand the importance of gaining experiences within their career cluster, and annually review/modify their Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP).

Within this component, activities are designed to help students evaluate their educational, career, and personal goals and to develop the ICAP no later than the 8th grade in collaboration with parents/guardians. Having students individualize and personalize their planning is a major focus. Individual Student Planning is implemented through educational career planning, transition activities, and appraisal for decision‐making.

Programs of Study

The primary purpose of Programs of Study is to provide secondary students a successful transition between secondary and postsecondary education. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 (Perkins IV) called upon states and local education agencies to create secondary‐to‐postsecondary sequences of academic and career education coursework that lead students to attain a postsecondary degree or industry‐recognized certificate or credential.

A requirement of Perkins IV is that school districts’ career and technical education (CTE) programs will create Programs of Study around career clusters which will include a non‐duplicative sequence of academic and technical education instruction, career counseling, linkages to postsecondary opportunities, and workplace learning opportunities, among others. At a minimum, Programs of Study must:

• incorporate and align secondary and postsecondary education elements;

• include academic and CTE content in a coordinated, non‐duplicative progression of courses;

• offer the opportunity, where appropriate, for secondary students to acquire postsecondary credits; and

• lead to an industry‐recognized credential or certificate at the postsecondary level, or an associate or baccalaureate degree

Missouri has created a model process for schools to use to develop curriculum and model templates. The Program of Study process leads to at least two major outcomes:

1. An aligned curriculum within a CTE program built around a career cluster pathway that leads to a successful post‐secondary transition

2. A Program of Study template that schools can use to guide students in the creation of their ICAP.

The state plan calls for CTE programs to develop at least one Program of Study within five years. The model process allows schools to continue to develop additional Programs of Study as needed and/or required.

Individual Academic and Career Plan (ICAP)

The purpose of the ICAP is to provide students with a way to frame their career and educational planning using a language about careers that does not limit their options but expands them by helping them envision a number of ways in which their skills and interests can be used. Students will have the opportunity to build their own ICAP, the foundation of which will be the Program of Study within their identified career cluster. Through comprehensive school counseling, the ICAP will reflect the coursework needed to complete the Program of Study including state and local graduation and assessment requirements, grade appropriate work‐based opportunities and relevant co‐curricular activities. Such activities may include but are not limited to job shadowing, service learning, internships, volunteer activities, after school employment, and student organization activities. The ICAP will further reflect the postsecondary goals of the student which will be reviewed annually and revised as necessary. The state‐required assessments in which students will participate will be determined by the educational and career goals as set out in the ICAP. The Missouri School Improvement Program states that all students should have an ICAP built around a career path and/or cluster beginning no later than the end of 8th grade.

The Role of the School Counselor in Individual Student Planning

● Educational Career Planning ‐ School counselors facilitate the process in which students develop planning skills and apply the skills to their individual academic plans. Students begin acquiring needed skills to develop a personal plan of study in elementary school where the emphasis is on career awareness. The process continues into middle school as the focus shifts to career exploration for their personal interests and strengths. The process culminates with career planning and the development of a relevant personal plan of study for high school and postsecondary education/training.

● Transition Activities ‐ School counselors understand the importance that social/emotional competencies, academic skills and career and labor market information play as students develop and manage their personal plans of study. The school counselors’ responsibility is to facilitate this effort when working with students they serve. Through the individual student planning component of a district’s comprehensive school counseling program, school counselors assist students with the transitions from grade to grade, school to school, and/or school to work. It takes the involvement of the parents/guardian and other school staff along with the school counselor and student, to develop ICAPs that meet the individual needs of students.

● Appraisal for Decision‐Making‐ School counselors coordinate work with students to analyze and evaluate their abilities, interests, skills, and achievements. Assessment data including results from formal testing, as well as informal evaluation information form a basis for developing short‐term and long‐term plans with students and parents/guardians.

Responsive Services

The school counselors should be available and responsive to special or unexpected needs of students and parents/guardians. Thus, the purpose of the Responsive Services component is to work with students whose personal circumstances, concerns, or problems have the potential to interfere with healthy social/emotional, academic, and career development. Issues that students may face include: academic challenges, educational and career decision‐making, personal identity, family loss, relationships, school attendance, stress, substance abuse, physical abuse and neglect, and suicide. As a result, there is continuing need for brief individual counseling, small group counseling, consultation, and referral. The Responsive Services component also supports the activities in the School Counseling Curriculum and Individual Student Planning components.

As students are supported in overcoming barriers to their social/emotional, academic, and career development, parent/guardian involvement is essential. This may come in the form of referring their children for assistance, working with school counselors to identify issues of concern, giving permission for needed services, and providing help in resolving issues. Responsive Services are implemented through the following: brief individual counseling, small‐group counseling, crisis intervention, consultation, and referral.

The Responsive Services component is different from the School Counseling Curriculum and Individual Student Planning components as the services involved are provided in response to individual needs. To conduct the services of this component, is useful to have district‐wide written plans and policies concerning confidentiality, the reporting of suspected child abuse/neglect, and referrals. A clear district‐wide policy about limits of confidentiality will help guide school counselors’ work with students, parents/guardians, teachers, and administrators. As mandated reporters, school counselors are required by law to report suspected child abuse/neglect. A district‐wide written policy and plan will inform those involved of the procedures the district follows. It is also necessary to compile a listing of referral sources available as well as have guidelines regarding when and how to make referrals.

The Role of the School Counselor in Responsive Services

• Individual Counseling ‐ School counselors provide individual counseling for students who are experiencing educational difficulties, personal concerns, or struggles with normal developmental tasks. Brief Individual counseling (3-6 sessions) assists students in identifying problems, causes, alternatives, and possible consequences so that appropriate action can be taken.

• Small Group Counseling ‐ School counselors provide small group counseling to students who need and will benefit from a small group setting to address their needs and concerns. Interventions may take the form of short‐term issue groups or crisis intervention groups that deal with such topics as social skills, anger management, relationships, grief, and study skills.

• Crisis Intervention ‐ School counselors play a leading role in crisis intervention within a school/district. They facilitate the processes needed to respond to a building/district crisis, such as student death, suicide, accidents, natural disasters, violence, etc. School counselors also work to assist students dealing with personal crises, including self‐harm threats, homelessness, abuse/neglect, violence, family loss and other situations.

• Consultation ‐ Consultation is an interactive process that school counselors provide to help parents/guardians, teachers, and administrators address the social/emotional, academic and career needs of students.

• Referrals‐ When brief counseling is not sufficient to address the needs of the student, the school counselor may suggest to parents that a referral to an outside practitioner and/or agency for extended counseling services may be appropriate. If parents choose to seek outside assistance it is the responsibility of the parent to set up the appointments and continue the counseling sessions. School counselors use school and community referral sources that deal with crises such as suicide, violence, abuse/neglect, and terminal illness. These referral sources may include mental health agencies, employment and training programs, vocational rehabilitation, juvenile services, and/or social services.

System Support

System Support contains the management activities and services required to effectively support a district’s comprehensive school counseling program. The administration and management activities of a district’s comprehensive school counseling program are located in this component as are activities that support other educational programs. The System Support component is implemented through activities such as program management, professional development, staff and community relations, consultation, committee participation, community outreach, and evaluation.

The Role of the School Counselor in System Support

• School Counseling Program Management ‐ The school counselor plans and manages tasks needed to support activities conducted in the district’s comprehensive school counseling program. Such activities might include: conducting time on task analyses, developing a yearly calendar of activities, developing a yearly budget, writing reports regarding the comprehensive school counseling program, establishing priorities for the year, and identifying resources needed to implement the program.

• School Counseling Program Advisory Council – The school counselor organizes a school counseling program advisory council. Representative stakeholders should be invited to be members and it is recommended that a minimum of two meetings per year be convened for the committee to review and make recommendations for the program.

• Evaluation ‐ The school counseling program’s on‐going evaluation process consists of three major components which are conceptualized as “Program + Personnel = Results. “ See section referencing P + P = R.

o Program Evaluation asks the question, “To what extent is the program in place?” It is measured using the Internal Improvement Review (IIR).

o Personnel Evaluation asks the question, “To what extent is the program staffed with highly skilled school counselors?” It is measured using the school counselor evaluation.

o Results Evaluation asks the questions, “To what extent is the program having an impact on relevant student outcomes such as achievement, attendance, and behavior?” “How do students, parents and teachers perceive what they have learned from participating in the school counseling program? It is measured using data showing evidence of impact?”

• Professional Development – To stay current and relevant in the school counseling profession, the school counselor must participate regularly in appropriate professional development. This may involve participation in regular school in‐service training, attending professional meetings, workshops, and/or completing postgraduate course work pertaining to school counseling program goals and objectives.

• Staff and Community Relations ‐ The school counselor educates and informs the staff and the community about the comprehensive school counseling program through newsletters, local media, social media, and/or school‐community presentations.

• Consultation and Collaboration ‐ School counselors consult and collaborate with teachers and other staff members to provide information and receive feedback on the emerging needs of students.

• Committee Participation ‐ The school counselor serves on departmental/district curriculum committees, community committees, and/or advisory boards in order to support other programs in the school and community and to advocate for the school counseling program.

• Community Outreach ‐ School counselors gain knowledge about community resources and agencies, employment opportunities, and local labor market information. This may require school counselors to periodically visit postsecondary schools and training programs, local businesses, industries, and social service agencies.

• Program Advocacy – School counselors promote the activities of the program to various stakeholder groups. They also share data that demonstrates the impact of the program on students and the school community. Additionally, school counselors educate the stakeholder groups on the role of the school counselor and benefits of the school counseling program.

• School Support ‐ The school counselor participates in school related responsibilities equivalent to expectations of all school staff.