Definition: McAllen ISD Professional School Counselors provide a program that is aligned to the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling and the American School Counseling Association (ASCA). Counselors deliver programs that have an impact on student growth in the three areas: academic development, career development and social emotional development. Our counseling programs use data to understand student needs, provide school counseling guidance lessons, individual and group sessions and closing-the-gap interventions. Counselors work closely withs students who participate in a campus-wide emotional intelligence initiative that includes self-regulation, self-awareness, empathy, motivation, and social skills. Counselors also work closely with parents by providing students an Emotional Intelligence Weekly Family Connection activity, where both students and parents are learning the five components of emotional intelligence.

Rationale: McAllen ISD Professional School Counselors believe that students deserve equitable access to a high-quality education in a safe and accepting environment structured to foster the learning process. They also believe that all students can succeed when positive relationships are present and fostered by all educational stakeholders in a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment.

Assumptions: For the McAllen ISD Comprehensive Counseling Program to be fully and effectively implemented at McAllen High School, certain criteria must be met as mentioned below.

· The school counselors hold a Masters level degree and are certified in school counseling through the State of Texas.

· School counselors are responsible for planning and management responsibilities of the school counseling program.

· School counselors and support staff meet regularly as professional learning communities to review student data and identify, prioritize, and target student needs.

· All students have access to the counseling program and counseling resources regardless of gender, cultural background, disability, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.

· Parental engagement is part of the decision-making process for the school counseling program. This is accomplished via the advisory council.

· Parental involvement is part of the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the program.

· Campus administration provides financial support for supplies, resources, materials, and staff development opportunities.

· Teachers provide input and work closely with the counselors to support counseling program goals.

· School counselors collaborate with school administration and site leadership teams in order to ensure the effective implementation of school counseling services.

School counselors have access to an office/classroom which can be used as a classroom or confidential office space where they can meet with students individually or in groups.

· School counselors have access to a district-developed counseling curriculum that is updated annually and meets the individual needs of our students.

·School counselors meet regularly to share best practices and learn from each other in an effort to strengthen their skills to serve our students.

Developing Program Goals: Our school's counseling program goals are determined using a variety of data points. At the beginning of the year, the school counselor and administrators work together to analyze campus data points. This includes our school's parent/student/staff climate surveys, the teacher needs assessments, Campus Improvement Plan (CIP), standardized assessments, TEA Campus Report Card, and anecdotal input from all stakeholders. Once the data has been reviewed, areas that can be addressed through the counseling program are identified. This data drives the creation of SMART goals to improve the counseling program. The counselor also meets with the McAllen ISD Core Counseling Team to collaborate and plan for the year's pacing guide and resources.

McAllen High School's Counseling & Guidance program goals are determined using a variety of data. At the beginning of the academic year, the school counselors and administrators analyze a variety of data which includes our school's parent/student/staff climate surveys, the teacher needs assessments, Campus Improvement Plan (CIP), standardized assessments, TEA Campus Report Card, Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS), Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR), Counseling Guidance Program six weeks verification forms, Counseling Advisory Council feedback, and anecdotal input from all stakeholders.

Once the data has been reviewed and analyzed, areas that can be addressed through the counseling program are identified. The analysis of data drives the creation of SMART goals to improve the practices of the campus counseling program. In addition, Mrs. Briana Rojas, our lead counselor, is a member of the McAllen ISD Core Team that meets annually to develop the District Counseling Guidance Year at A Glance Pacing Guide and Curriculum for the upcoming academic year.